AH the great defoliate debate.. I was wondering this myself... to me here's the questions:
Would defoliating above to let light down help the buds lower down more than it would hurt the ones I took leaves from?
Would clipping the smaller branches lower down instead help the plant focus more on the bigger top ones?
It seems like LSTing can help with the first issue without having to lose any leaves... but if there's space concerns (which is the case or me for example... I can only spread my plants out so wide) then the question is critical.
I've heard a lot of people doing the second... instead of sacrificing big healthy leaves attached to already well developed buds, they cut the small stuff. This makes a lot of sense to me, but I wonder what the return is... also, in my case I am better of with more smaller nugs than a w huge colas. I prefer it that way for a few reasons, but especially in my super humid climate where bud rot is almost inescapable, larger buds means more chance of that.
In general gardening both are used in different situations (with different plant or in different environments.. sometimes just by preference I think).
Anyone have info that answers those questions, or can point out some other ones that relate to this?
If regular gardening is any indicator, I imagine no real answer might be had (plenty o articles all over on whether to prune or not to prune any number of things and what not) and will just be one of the many preference based things about growing, though I would love to find a sort of general consensus on the actual effects are under different circumstances. We may find there are strains, times, situations when defoliating is beneficial... much like pruning. Logically, why would you cuff of a healthy piece of a plant (TOPPING)?! How could that make it grow "better"?! But it does (we all know why etc etc). There's good circumstance in which to top a pant, and some in which not (i you're growing a taller vs shorter plant due to space).