chinese ligustrum

Is defoliation of Chinese ligustrum beneficial? If so, when is the best time to accomplish this? Living in south florida has a long growing season. The small ligustrum I have is a double trunk and 8 inches tall with  compact foliage. I can't see into the tree to make the right decision to direct any branch wiring. I just acquired it from a fellow bonsaist who passed away. Any thoughts?

That would depend on how healthy it is. Ligustrum are usually hardy and fast growers.

I used to defoliate mine whenever new growth was starting to appear [ bud swelling and just starting to extend ]
I can't give you a month or period b'cause that would vary from area to area.
How many flush of growth would this species give you in one year? 1, 2 or 4 flushes?

Ligustrum sinensis is deciduous (or nearly so) in a pot up here in western NC.  I have several small ones, and while I don't defoliate in the summer, I can't imagine that it would harm the tree.  It is an invasive weed, after all.

I've also quit trying to wire these things.  The branches have a memory an elephant would envy.  Mine are exclusively clip and grow.  I tend to cut them all WAY back in the spring -- almost starting from scratch.