The new pot could help out. When roots have room to expand... growth tends to concentrate down there until the space is used up. Although now you run the risk of having areas of stagnant water, due to the limited root structure. Make sure you allow the soil to dry out before each watering. Not like just the first centimeter is dry... but when the pot is noticeably lighter (in weight, not color :stoned

Should you LST? Hell flippin yeah... :jointsmile: Why not? Like I said, if it's just for educational purposes (which all grows are really) you should try your hand at all techniques. Shit... I'd damn near kill the thing by trying out training, pruning, FIM'ing, topping, cloning, etc. Not at once obviously... but ya know :rasta:

The benefits of the soil depends on... well... the soil :stoned: Some have nutrients pre-mixed and some are fairly neutral. Give us some info on your dirt and we can figure that out quick-fast-like-style.

If you have the ability and opportunity to build a grow box... I don't see why you shouldn't. Especially for the 12/12 flowering cycle. You will need darkness. Not like the plant is in your living room with just the tv on... but like holy shit I just stubbed my toe and it's bleeding because I can't see anything... where are my hands... something just touched my leg...dark. Will heat be a concern in the box? YEP!!! Welcome to the club :thumbsup: If you have a small box and heat isn't a problem... you either:
A) Paid an insane amount for your exhaust set-up
B) Live in an igloo
C) Don't have nearly enough light
:stoned:

As far as lower leaves dying off? With CFL's it is pretty common. Like I said before... they just can't reach down there. It may look bright as funk, but the plants just don't get it. That is why LST is encouraged. Look at some pics of it. You will see how, if given adequate time, those lower leaves that would have died off, will stretch up to even out the canopy. It's pretty impressive. Honestly, even a baby monkey could try out LST and do at least SOME good to the plant. It's really that simple... as long as you are gentle!! And no, the dying lower leaves won't necessarily kill the plant. Monitor the new growth... and use that as your indicator for the plants overall health. That old shit gets used up and dropped off. Pick up any fallen foliage from the soil surface, because that just gives little bugs some grindage to much on.

And yeah... it's not really "easy." Remember, you are walking a living organism through it's entire life cycle. Why do you think parents stress out so much? I mean... kids get lice, chicken pox... plants get bugs and spots. They usually pull through though :thumbsup: