Flowering

I would suggest try tucking the big fan leaves underneath, before cutting them off - outdoors you get light from all angles so unless you absolutely have to remove them because of completely blocked bud sites or a mildew threat, I'd try leave them on for a while. Introducing flowering nutes is definitely a good idea - starting with less than the recommended dose in the first week at least and working up to the full dose in the following weeks. Continuing with the LST is a good idea, but in my experience with outdoor autos, it's sometimes best to just leave them to grow naturally, unless they are performing exceptionally well and look like they could handle some topping and training. Good luck!

I usually let mine grow with some LST and just remove the fan leaves covering the bud spots till they start to flower, then I’ll remove more. She will need more p during flower and less nitrogen. Pretty excited about the new nutrition I pick up today, was a box set for bloom and flower by Future Harvest. Came with carbo blast, bud start, ton o bud and bud bloom for $60 canadian. I can’t wait to see if it makes a difference. Good luck and have fun growing.

You can continue LST into the early weeks of flower and only defoliate the leaves that are covering budsites so you don't stress the plant out too much. Once you hit flower, you should add some Bloom ferts to help it pack on buds as plants typically want more Phosphorus during this time.