i am currently 3 months into my first grow and decided to try all techniques to learn more about growing.
i have a plant...which is now going to be a mother as she is showing signs of sex (excellent!!!) which i started doing intensive LST after about 3 weeks, i've taken about a dozen clones and now have topped and fimmed several of the little brancches which have grown large due to the LST.
it's awesome fun and i sugges tyou try all techniques to learn what works best for you.
I think you should LST as i have been really impressed with the results i've been getting. I've only recently fimmed and toipped but after about 5 days i can see how it is going to look.
now that i understand how topping and fimming works, i'm not sure if it was necessary because it is possible to get exactly the same results using LST alone.
from what i have learned about LST, if i can tie the main stem of the plant to be almost horizontal at all time, the lower growth which grows out of the leaf nodes, will grow vertically and become heads just like i can see happening with fimming and topping.
the only draw back i see is that i spend at least twice as much time tending to my plants doing LST as i have to constantly re tie restraints and re tie new growth and tuck away the fan leaves which are hogging all the light. it really is a lot of work and i can see that this is only if you really want to spend a lot of time with your plants. the reason i did this in the first place is because i saw people getting great yeields with LST. i'm hoping all the effort and the extra veg time will pay off.