I have only read 1/2 way then skipped to the end just to make sure the thread was still going. I have been experimenting for close to a year now, Legaly. I no longer top, because with LST and SC'ing, everything turns into a bud! And you dont experience any lag in growth as you sometimes do with topping, plus you are cutting off potential buds. I usually wait till the plant is 12" to 24" tall, then LST, SC and sometimes just lightly bend by working it between my thumb and fingers. I started 12/12 about 7 weeks after cutting the beauty below. 6 plants filled my 4x6ft room, under 1000w HPS, and I ended up with a 2.5 ft thick canopy of buds from wall to wall to wall to wall! 34 Ounces Dried from 6 plants! And they bud all the way down to the soil. Then I tried growing straight up without touching, just to prove to myself which way is better and produces more. Geeze, was I dissapointed! Twice as many plants, and half the yeild. The bottom 1.5 ft of the 4 ft plants sucked! The only thing that I believed had saved them was a 4 day dark period while I flushed with Flora Kleen. I have started SC again about 1 week before flowering to even out the canopy again.
Since I have converted my whole indoor garden to Top Feed recirculating Hempy Buckets (1 -1.5 Gal), I have alot of time to play around and experiment. I believe you are missing the boat, if you dont try it for yourself
I applaud you, genfranco for putting this out there for people to learn. Rep+ to you!