As a sidenote:
On defoliation:
When you like to try out this do it with a dialed in strain of your's, that mean's you have to know what this strain needs, flowering time, nute's and so on. When ya first start, start with a clone its better in growing rate and recover.
in vegitation state:
You should start in veg but must keep in mind the pruned plants will need more veg time, give them inbetween prunings 3-7 days (depends on response of the strain to the tek) to recover than prune again. You only prune fanleaf's that are blocking budsites, start from the bottem to top and leave the last 2 top fan leafs untouched, you also have to keep in mind that the plants will need less water and nutes untill they recover so give them approximitly 1/3 less water and nutes then usual.
in flower state:
Stop 1-2 weeks before flower you want the leafs for the stretch. In flower you only prune twice i had made the best results with this take on the tek. 1st pruning is after the stretch mostly after week 3-4 and the 2nd prunning will take place 14-10 days prior to harvest time and when you had prepared the plants in veg for this you have no stunning anyhow. You still just prune fan leafs and better dont cut anything out of the buds just prune leafs that have a stalk nothing else!
without vegi preperation:
I still sometimes do the tek without preparing the plants in vegitation with this aproach you have a stunning time around a week plus, minus a day or so (depends on strain) its the same way it goe's as you have had prepared it in vegi before but this time the struckture of the plant will be much more different then when you had prepared it before. It's still will help with air serculation and light penetration so you keep this upside. The stress inflicted through this tek could bring delicate strains on the border or over it to herm out, so again be carefull when you try this out!
It's more a managing tek to controll hight and structure of the speciment you working with.
In my crowded condition its a good way to maximise my overall outcome and its also a good tek for mannaging bonsai mothers. But anyhow you aproach for this tek is, you have to keep in mind that you give them time to recover!
hope this was ok and for someone informative.^^
When there is interrest in this tek i can make a little log here to show how i do it from start to finished plant to show of the pro's and contras to this tek.
Have a good day @ all