Ripper Seeds - Zombie Kush

Yo! Excellent question as there is often some divergent opinion. The general rule is that you should strip and defo just before the flip to flower and then again after about the third week of flower. Many prefer not to even touch their plants after this last defoliation. The plant will stop producing new leaves after about week 5 or 6 (where u are now) and people tend to get very concerned with overly stressing the plant when getting close to harvest. There are others however, who continue to defo their plants through all weeks and stages for the sake of ensuring optimal light penetration. Having done both in the past I would say that either is perfectly acceptable and I tend to lean to the latter myself. The only important difference to consider is stress to the plant. 2 huge defos and no other pruning will allow for recovery. But continuing to be this ruthless multiple times at all stages COULD negatively impact the grow. The best option if defoing through all weeks is to go easier on the plant in small pieces/stages. Little bits at a time so u keep her happy and unconcerned about the loss of a couple leaves. So to finally answer your question - at week 6 of flower you’re likely not gonna get anymore new leaf growth. It could definitely use a prune to expose those colas further down so I’d start with all the larger fan leaves and focus more on the middle of the plant. Take a few here and there for the next week to 10 days until you’re satisfied that the bud sites have the light exposure they need. You should be able to avoid plant stress this way while also increasing bud swelling. After the first prune give 24 hours and if she looks healthy and happy, take off some more. Best I got for ya dude - good luck!👊😎