...you're doing well, so far, and you and I are kinda in the same boat. I decided to really 'get started' when I found out that my 'good job' sort of evaporated. So I took my last (decent) paycheque, and bought some lights, lumba, and well-rooted cuttingses, and got serious

Aside from spending some real money on a Lumatek digital 600w ballast, and Sunmaster MH and HPS bulbs to go with it, everything else I've done has been on the über-cheap, and I've enjoyed the challenge of finding and scrounging the best deals I can...

As far as LST goes, YEAH, start 'em early. I started some of my seedlinglets on it when they were 4-5" tall, with about four to six proper sets of leaves on 'em. Don't be worried, but do be gentle, guide and shape and bend the the plant using your fingertips, then gently tie it in place, rather than 'lasso'-ing it, and using the string or tie to pull the stem into place [doing it this way can result in torn branches and buds--not a Good Thing (tm)].

Take the main stalk, and chase it 'round the pot, and, if you like, any new 'tops' that come up can be trained horizontally, too. Makes for mega-bush

I like bush

Either LST or SCRoG can/should be started early, and then let the Buds begin!