I just crop main mutiple times(which obviously keeps it lower),each side branch once to get the extra structure for after flip.i defol through out veg,strip n stretch but i do it for the push u get,the plants wrking overtime to replace and build fan leaves back up.gobbling up nutes(least for me)but ive never heard of what yur trying to accomplish by defol.not saying it wont wrk but idk without other training..id love to c if u can pull it off tho.good luck brother
Of course, im proficient in all monster cropping, but i think there is a lil secret out there about trimming that is kinda guarded!
Or maybe the science is not completely understood outside of mainstream big commercial gardens, or maybe it is, but we or most of us over look it when its discussed.
U can bet your ass we don't know everything..
Or even understand it in its totality...
Look if we could tell the plant,
hey you,
I want 12 main colas at the same height at 30 days,
with all the the same thickness branches, and main stem..
at 18"
Well that is what we are after!
That is the golden veg for most of us with 600/1k hid/led/cmh lights..
and what Ive learned so far,
is it dont just matter how many tops you got,
BUT,
WHAT KIND OF TOPS..
Do they extend from secondary branches,
or or they branches that come straight off the apical stem?
Ive found that to be one of the differences in cola size..