Once they get into a good flower...taking the pop corn smaller buds will not hurt your girls. By this time they are into producing fat buds. The small pop corn buds will sap the energy from the bigger buds. To the girls..it's all about as many buds to produce seeds, however they don't know there are no males to be pollinated by. Taking the tiny buds off will help produce fatter buds. I some times just leave them and let the girls go Au Natural. It's up to you...pop corn buds make good "give away" buds...to tip out your waitstaff.