Need Expert Advice CFL Grow

[BobBong]

To do LST properly, you really do need to top your plant as early as possible (after 5 nodes have formed) so that you have plenty of branches to work with later. You can also let it grow a little tall without topping, and then bend it in a horseshoe so that the highest point of the plant is pulled lower than some other nodes. This is actually topping too, but chemically; you are manipulating the hormones in the plant to favor side shoots that are now exposed to the light.
Topping without LST produces a bush- GREAT if you have multiple points of light and running HPS.
Topping WITH LST allows you to form the plant to suit the type of light you have.

I always considered topping and LST two seperate things. I mean, topping the plant isn't exactly what I would call Low Stress.
You can LST from a very early age, as long as you're not to rough with the plant. If you're able to , you can basically train the plant almost daily and manipulate the lower secondary branching to grow more and still keep the main Cola.

Totally up to the grower though...If you're going to top, do it as soon as possible or as soon as you have your desired amount of nodes...the plant needs time to recover from it.

Cheers,
Bob.