my own personal opion is to never trim a leaf unless it is ready to fall off. god has made it so each plant grows so many leafs for the god of the plant why try to alter what god has attended. i use lst and when ever there is a leaf in the way of another i just pull it to the side and tie it back i do this around the plant to make sure three are no dark spots on the plant. as for the ottom shoots that deem worth of a pop corn nug i just clone them. and flower them in a few weeks and then they no longer give pop corn nugs. worth the little time it takes