Tennessee Tim
Well-Known Member
I top photo plants several times, most often. However , auto plants I often leave off more topping, after the first topping, never topping after they start flower. I use LST only, after they begin to flower, indeed sometimes I don't top at all on auto grows, just for the ease of it, and by growing a couple extra plants closer together in the tent have got almost as big of yields as the most diligently worked autos from the same space, doing neither, topping or LST! Still a well worked plant with it's multiple of coke bottle sized buds is so pleasing! Feed 'em, water 'em and smoke 'em! Top early,and LST well, it works! Do too much fiddling or topping to an auto and you will reduce potential yield, because they don't have the time, usually, to make up for too many interruptions/disruptions in their race to maturity! Having said that some newer varieties do have a lot longer maturation timeline and you may can top twice or maybe thrice! I have sometimes, but the LST also encourages more bud sites to develop, while not significantly slowing the race! Anyway, experiment and have fun!
Plastic bags is most likely a mistake at most stages of curing! Trim up your buds, air dry on a rack or hanging for a bit (usually about three/four days or so, depending on room humidity, in my room. Then place them in a cardboard box (or a heavy paper bag if no box) and watch the humidity levels a couple times a day. They may dry out a bit fast in a real dry room,so close up the box or double/triple bag in paper if needed. Stir/fluff up the buds when you check them. When the stems snap instead of feeling like rubber or the humidity falls to about 65 to 66% you can consider moving buds into jars and burping them/checking humidity meter two or three times a day at the minimum, at first. If the humidity rises in the jar more than the humidity level in the box was, after putting them in, open it up! Slow but carefully monitored daily until the humidity in the jar is below about 60%.
Usually, it is ok at that level of moisture to enjoy smoking them and relax a bit about mold. I live where a dehumidifier is a very helpful tool for the grow and the cure room, I use a large one with a couple gallons water capacity between emptying. I set it on the desired room humidity and empty as needed.If the cure is going too fast, I suspend the use of the dehumidifier and leave the jar sealed, just keep on monitoring the humidity in the jars. Remember, that below 50% moisture, pot begins to lose quality rapidly and pot begins to lose THC with time as well, so use it/share it as soon after cured as possible! 
I should say, I learned about curing and growing photo period plants before the days of the internet, and did not have humidity meters or ready research to reference. It use to be mostly by intuition and trial and error learning for most of us older people. There are certainly better guides available on line today than I can offer,more precise and better stated, perhaps! My observations are tested in my environment and trusted to my sometimes faltering memory! The newer auto flowering crosses have been a newer learning experience for me, but an enjoyable one, that makes it easier for more people to grow their own cannabis! No formula or outline for growing and curing is all inclusive, simply because there is too many variables and new things are still being learned , all the time! 
If one loves their crop and checks on it daily and reacts to the needs of the buds in a timely fashion, all is likely to go well! For the less experienced, read, read, read and grow ,grow and grow! Keep an open mind and experiment with techniques. You may find different methods will be better for you at different stages of your life or at various times, due to circumstances changing ,or your taste/preferences evolving!
