After root-pruning, can I defoliate as well as prune when attempting to even-out the canopy//roots?

[SU2]

I've got two specimen (bougie and hibiscus) that I put in containers about a year ago when I was just learning about bonsai, and I messed-up and put them wayyy too-high up, jutting out of the soil. They grew very well but as they developed good crowns it became painfully obvious that their trunks would have to be sunk further below the soil line (at least 2" lower, and they were already in deep containers) I'd gone outside to give them a badly-needed pruning but realized I shouldn't spend any more time on the canopy until I've rectified the base, so in the past two days I've done two re-pots where each tree got a significant reduction in root-mass, and I know that means I've now got more leafy mass than the roots can support, that I've gotta reduce that to balance the newly-reduced root ball.

My uncertainty here is whether I have to do this canopy-removal via pruning only, the way I always see it recommended - I've been thinking that, since it's an issue of balancing the roots//greenery, I could correct the imbalance not just by pruning, but also by defoliation!! That would be *huge* for me, as both trees would benefit from a great deal of defoliation, but neither tree needs that significant of a pruning (not for aesthetics I mean), so if I can get the same results by 70/30 pruning/defoliation as I would've by a larger round of 100% pruning, then that's far better for me as I'd get to keep most of the branches I've grown this past year!

 

[makarovnik]

Where are you located?

Bougainvillea don't like their roots to be pruned back too much.

For me it is late to do any repotting unless you slip pot (repot without root pruning). I always prune some of the tree when repotting but don't defoliate. To my understanding you do not want to defoliate the same year you do any root pruning. You put a lot of stress on the tree already and it needs to gather energy to regrow roots. Of course they get their energy from light and need leaves to photosynthesis.

I'm pretty sure you don't have to prune it. I have done it and the only ill effects I came across was some die back on some of the branches. I think the 70/30 split wont hurt nothing. The pruning and defoliation would be good to get more light to the inside and also help with back budding

You should post some pics also. I would like to get jealous of the material you are working with.(a lot of good material on this forum that I want)

Maybe someone with more than the year and a half experience I have can give you better advice.

 

[milehigh_7]

Actually, the heat of summer is the right time to repot a boug for the most part. However, we can't do anything to help you without pictures and your location in your profile.

 

[SU2]

I put my location in but it's not showing (maybe there's a delay?), I'm right on the gulf of mexico in FL, zone 9a/9b line, and unfortunately I kind of *had* to do these root prunings, both of them were originally placed in containers way too-high so it just didn't make sense to me to try and develop them when they'd need a big hit to their roots sooner or later!

Unsure which pics would help, like before or after or the roots? I haven't touched the canopies yet although I'm about to go start doing some trimming/de-foliating (they were root-pruned over the past two days)
Here's what the bougie looks like, i'll be doing some pruning and some defoliation to it so that I can hopefully keep most of the canopy after all the roots its lost: