Wise words good job.indeed u can top autos with great success.but do it young between day 14 and 20 is the perfect time.try and u will see.once u topped ur auto lady give her 1 week to grow.by this time of she is healthy and strong,she will have made some solid vertical growth and formed a new structure. Now is the time to lst.ul notice all branches will be tall enough to tie down and reach the edge of ur pot.tie down all branches to make her even and will indeed open up the middle of the plant .and will give u more dominant branches and main colas. And indeed a bigger yield.here my current flowering auto.topped and lst as just described.not badThey look real good @thebombhaha. I'm also growing my first auto and I topped it when it was only three inches tall. I didn't have much choice at the time but it was at day 21. According to @autobeast's myth-busting topping autos thread.. (found here) ..the ideal time for topping is between the 14th and 20th day. I'm not saying that those rules are hard and fast but it's something that I definitely took into consideration when I topped.
Take a look at other people's grow diaries that are growing the same strain that you're currently growing and you should have a better idea of what to expect.
Good luck!
Happy growing every1