topping/cloning when growing from seed

I was wondering how long you should wait to top your plant or take a clone when growing from seed?

it depends on how your growing that seed. lets say for soil and hps light with 4weeks veg id top at week 3. veg on a week and flower. I dont like topping unless its obvious its going to be really really tall. thats usually hard to tell early on so lst is prefered. Dunno when you would do all of this with cfl lights but I guess unless ya got tons of cfls running the plants take a little longer to get to the same size as an hps grow..coz of that topping might be done further into the grow. have to check that out actually incase it a cfl run next grow!..

well as for taking clones.. anytime there are big enough side branches to clone from. maybe from week 3 right into week 2 of flowering at the most. after week 2 of flowering cutting things aint great and clones take longer to root anyway

i always top once. clones are best taken from a mature plant.