if u are growing any new strain or first time ........always let it go natural
this is a baseline for the strain so u know how it grows how the buds form and site numbers ..........so as u tweak things u know it is a improvement or not
ok now if u are growing soil .......NO TOPPING .......the short life of the plant can not handle it .........u can super crop (pinch the branches so a knot forms )
if u are hydro u can top .......the auto plant can be tricked into growing little longer with right feed mix (causes it to be a monster plant) ...but enough time to really get benefit out of it