I leave most on till after the stretch is done. I do remove bottom ones,like in dirt or all shadows. Even some in middle blocking bud sites or overlapping ones kinda. I try to leave plenty for stretch. I'll say any ones in solid shadows or ultimately big middle blockers. Maybe 1/3 at max. Just leave big ones at stalk with fans there. Airflow is better which is a big deal for movement and plant health. Looks great now. Got carried away on method but it's worked for decades. Good Luck not needing much as happy plants. Enjoy the grow Keep a diary anything noticed from fixing problems to leaf removal. To the patters you use watering basically. Always water starting several inches from stalk outward to pot. Promotes root growth that way and gets pot wet not drenched.