it depends on how you're training it. i tie and tape to the pot itself, so in my case i have to wait till they're in the final pots. if you want to train it before it's in its final pot you will need to find something to attatch your ties to that's more mobile. it sounds like a pain in the ass to start training if you're going to transplant, though. the actual transplant would be a nightmare if you had branches tied and attatched to things. maybe someone who does this regularly can chime in with some words of advice, but i wouldn't do it. sounds like hell.