Increasing yield with defoliation indoors - What's it mean? How to do it?

I'd like to see pics of this rubber band method. Sounds neat.

This is a post I put in the thread that started me thinking about this. I don't have a camera or photos.

I have read this thread through from the beginning and feel that defoliating's intention is good, but the methodology is flawed. I believe plants need their leaves for a variety of reasons at a variety of times in their development. Removing a large number of their leaves does them harm and stunts their growth (Again, IMHO). However, as the plant gets older and the leaves have begun to form a dense canopy, covering the budding buds, something has to be done to afford them access to light.
Instead of defoliating I take about 4" of gardener's wire (I tried rubber bands first, but the leaves are too clever. They shrink and cause the bands to fall off.) and, starting at the base of the leaf itself, that is, where the fronds separate from the branch/stem/petiole, I grasp the fronds gently and gather them together. I start with a small open loop or "J" shape, softly pinch it at the base and wrap the wire in a corkscrew direction working out to the end. This is pretty easy to do, but you must be as careful as you can be not to bruise the leaf. Some damage will happen, but this isn't hard to do carefully.
Now you've reduced the size of the canopy and afforded those smaller interior and shaded buds some extra light, but the leaves still have some exposure and can do at least a bit of their work. I found that I increased the exposure by about 70%. Your girls will thank you.
I also tie the bud branches down and have T-5 lights on the walls.

Hope this helps.