Top or Transplant first?

Most people only apply LST to autos. Photos you can do whatever you want as you have an unlimited veg time.

So generally speaking, if you plan to do a lot of work on the plants and use all the growing techniques like repotting, LST, ScrOG, etc., you should choose a photo as a beginner. If you want to do less work on the plants, I would recommend an autoflower. It's really difficult to say what to do first in general. For example, I don't need to repot if I start in a big pot right away. On the other hand, if I let it germinate in a seedling cube, I won't do any topping before I've repotted it. I can only add that growing is really fun, and you will definitely enjoy it, no matter which seeds you ultimately choose. Have fun with your grow!

If it’s a photoperiod, you have more flexibility. In most cases, it’s best to transplant first — if the roots are already circling or fully filling the pot, topping can stress the plant further. A smooth transplant into a larger pot gives the roots room to expand, and once it’s recovered and growing strong again, you can top. If the plant is getting too tall already, you can top sooner — just try not to stack both stressors at once. Let the plant’s condition decide the timing. With autos it's risky, at least for me, some do the topping in a standard. Nonetheless, also let the plant/genetic decide. If you have something really small and fast, you'll probably cut into preflower or the genetic is small anyway

Hey 👋 With photoperiod plants, the order doesn't play a big role from what I know. The important thing is that not everything happens at once to avoid stressing the plant too much. For autoflowering strains, repotting is not recommended. Topping is also discouraged since the growth period is too short... you don't have time to correct potential mistakes. It's better to look into LST & other training methods that, as asinoriu mentioned below, don't require cuts or anything on your plant. Good luck 👊🖖🍀

There are way better techniques to manipulate plant than cutting of its parts, especially with autos. Transplantation is generally not recomended to autos too. I was in stupid situation with my recent grow, some girls were veging 80 days, some 30, scrog still even out all of them. At same time i had one girl standing in shade, no topping was done to her and she still is same height and spread as others. Leaf tucking, exposing side branches to light - already can do wonders. Have a look. growdiaries.com/diaries/278964-grow-journal-by-asnoriu

Never at the same time. I always like to give 10-14 days between operations.........transplant then wait 10-14 days then top or top then wait 10-14 days and transplant. Which you do first is up to you, I don't think it really matters, but if the seedling is outgrowing its pot, transplant then top. If the seedling is not rootbound, top then transplant. For me, I usually transplant, then when she is settled in, top. P.S. - although I refuse to grow autos these days, I would not top any auto personally.

I'd stick to simple training with an autoflower. Dealer's choice on the photoperiod. When you top, you typically only cut off a node and a half, so it's wasting much time as far as what you prune off, but with an autoflower on a biological timer you don't control, it's still losing 'something.' You probably wouldn't notice a difference with a handful of autoflowers if you topped them once and just kep canopy as even as it allows you to. I recommend having a plan with a specific target canopy in mind. Work backward from what you want to avoid an overcrowded canopy. Shoot for 3 colas per sq ft. that'l tell you how many colas you want per plant. Work backward from that to form the most efficient plan to get there with the least amounted of wasted time/resources possible. As far as what to do first it depends on the timing... While not required, it's probably better to let a plant heal a few days before transplanting. Stress upon stress is something to avoid. Or, if you transplant, wait 5-7 days before topping. Let this roots develop a bit. As you work out a plan for your target canopy, avoid doubling up on the stress when possible. Which you do first is a matter of context... whichever fits the plan better. I top the first time before i transplant, but the 2nd topping time is at least 5 days after i transplant. I shoot for 8 colas per plant. Potting up isn't as stressful as cutting the plant.