Topping my plant

I would wait a bit, your plants seem a bit smaller on the 3week marker so they may need a bit more time. Each strain like some stressors more then the other. try and look up other diaries of the same plants and see what others did and how they reacted to it if they are using the same growing style as you. some good reading points on LST and HST if you have not allready seen them. growdiaries.com/journal/how-to-do-low-stress-training-lst-on-cannabis-plants growdiaries.com/journal/how-to-do-high-stress-training-hst-on-cannabis Good Luck!

Firstly. HST/TOPPING WILL COME WHEN IT COMES. As they are photos, HST will be great. As when to apply it. After 2-4weeks of flowering has started, you want some form of bud stru. As for topping, well, all depends what way you want your plant. Topping above the 5th node after the 6tj has appeared is fine. Or if you wanna go even smallet on 4tj after 5th in well into development. You want you plant to grow as natural and you want all long nodes for HST. So if you wanna do a combo, long nodes, 2-4wks of flowering. With photos that might even be longer, I'd have to check. Normally you shouldn't HST autos I've had mixed results when doing it. But you defo want bud on your nodes and advanced before you HST. A good photo takes around 70days in flower. So 1/3 or more into that you should have enough bud mass thats developed so when you HST what has grown will expand and so on. And increase resin/THC. If this is your first grow? I really wouldn't even mess around with HST until you get to know different signs of flowering and so on. Also your plant needs to be on good condition. Stick to topping. And LST if you are worried about height do what I did and tie the nodes down side ways that alone will be w form of HST. For LST. Well it all depends how you wanna grow. Ground grow, or just work on the 2 end sets of nodes tie them down 2/3 up the node on the first set closest to the substrate so the top can turn up towards the light and the 2nd set you can go half way that way whej they turn up they'll be behind the 1st set that's sticking out. Depending on the strain indica plants grow more of an Xmas tree shape and sativa grow upwards more often than not. Feel free to DM me and I can walk you through it as it gets closer. But you are weeks off yet from either. Also for LST. just let em take a shape as this is your first grow and then shape it, if you follow me. Good luck, happy growing buddy.

When it's on the 4th node, approximately 3 weeks old

I would hst when i atleast have 5/6 Nodes.. lst i would start when you have some branches going or when you like to start as it wont do much harm. Just make sure to give time to recover before the next lst/hst🙏