How I perform low stress training on my plants: Lots of pics!

Hey in the shed I know this ain’t a race place for this but I want only way I can figure out how to show me the plans
Thanks Redbare. I'll put my reply in your thread over in the FAQ section:
 
Greetings all! I've had members ask about how I do my LST (low stress training) on my plants so I thought I would do a pictorial on it. My pics are of two different plants but don't let that confuse you. It's just easier to demonstrate that way.

Let's discuss the theory behind LST for a minute. Cannabis plants grow up to the sun. They have a top (apical) cola and side branching. Most of the growth hormones (auxins) go to that apical cola, which is why an untrained plant often has a beautiful huge bud on top and then progressively smaller buds as you head toward the soil. Topping a plant tells the plant that there is no longer an apical cola (damage alert!!!) so it needs to send the auxins to other branches to assure its chances to pass on its genetics. You then end up with two tops from that one.

That's great for photo plants which you can grow as big as you want them to be before you flip them, but autos are on an internal clock. Now many growers top their autos and get great results. I don't. I try to stress autos as little as possible so I do LST.

LST is a method for tricking the plant into thinking it no longer has an apical cola without actually removing it. The method involves pulling the top down flat so that it's not higher than the rest of the plant. The plant still thinks it's lost its apical cola and begins to send the growth hormones to the rest of the branches, but there is no recovery time as there is with topping because nothing has been cut.

As each of the lower branches grows in response, it gets tied down toward the outside of the pot, allowing light and air to get to the rest of the plant, and forcing the plant to continue to evenly spread the auxins.

Let's look at some pics!

I used to start bending the plant when it was much younger. Now I wait until the stem will be close to even with the top edge of the pot after it's bent. This was my Blueberry Auto from last summer.

You can see that I used a rock to hold the stem in place as I bent it. It's important that the base of the stem be upright so you don't put stress on the stem/root connection. Now I use a rock as well as a tie holding the stem in the opposite direction to the bend. This is my current Blue Treacle:

Let's watch the progress of the Blueberry Auto as it goes from the first pic to full buddage!

You can see how I have begun to take the side branching and lay it out flat as well - away from any other growth - using the sticks and twist ties. Flattening each branch forces the plant to spread the auxins equally:

Once the branches outgrow the internal size of the pot, I tie the branches to the edge:

Once they get this far into flower there is no more to be done except watch them grow! I do not untie them until I harvest the plant.

Here is the Blueberry getting close to the end. Can you spot the apical cola? This produced over 4 ounces of dried buds. Not too shabby!

Now let's look at an auto I have currently going into the earliest stages of flower. This one is a Blue Treacle, shown in the second pic with the white wire holding the stem in place opposite the bend. Here is a top view:

And here it is from the side. You can see how flat the top is:

This plant thinks there is no apical cola and is trying its damnedest to develop a new one. Not going to let that happen! I want each cola to be the same size in the end, similar to the last Blueberry pic.

Time for a closer look at the restraints!




My main stem no longer has any room for me to get a pipe cleaner in between the bud sites. No matter! I just grabbed a top fan and tied that down!

And here you can see some of the exposed lower sites that get full light and are close to the same height as the rest of the stem...more hormones!

That's the way I do it. Post questions or comments! :cool:

I'll update this thread when the buds develop and we can see if they're as even as the Blueberry was!
Thanks Shed, very informative for a "Johnny new guy" like me
 
Greetings all! I've had members ask about how I do my LST (low stress training) on my plants so I thought I would do a pictorial on it. My pics are of two different plants but don't let that confuse you. It's just easier to demonstrate that way.

Let's discuss the theory behind LST for a minute. Cannabis plants grow up to the sun. They have a top (apical) cola and side branching. Most of the growth hormones (auxins) go to that apical cola, which is why an untrained plant often has a beautiful huge bud on top and then progressively smaller buds as you head toward the soil. Topping a plant tells the plant that there is no longer an apical cola (damage alert!!!) so it needs to send the auxins to other branches to assure its chances to pass on its genetics. You then end up with two tops from that one.

That's great for photo plants which you can grow as big as you want them to be before you flip them, but autos are on an internal clock. Now many growers top their autos and get great results. I don't. I try to stress autos as little as possible so I do LST.

LST is a method for tricking the plant into thinking it no longer has an apical cola without actually removing it. The method involves pulling the top down flat so that it's not higher than the rest of the plant. The plant still thinks it's lost its apical cola and begins to send the growth hormones to the rest of the branches, but there is no recovery time as there is with topping because nothing has been cut.

As each of the lower branches grows in response, it gets tied down toward the outside of the pot, allowing light and air to get to the rest of the plant, and forcing the plant to continue to evenly spread the auxins.

Let's look at some pics!

I used to start bending the plant when it was much younger. Now I wait until the stem will be close to even with the top edge of the pot after it's bent. This was my Blueberry Auto from last summer.

You can see that I used a rock to hold the stem in place as I bent it. It's important that the base of the stem be upright so you don't put stress on the stem/root connection. Now I use a rock as well as a tie holding the stem in the opposite direction to the bend. This is my current Blue Treacle:

Let's watch the progress of the Blueberry Auto as it goes from the first pic to full buddage!

You can see how I have begun to take the side branching and lay it out flat as well - away from any other growth - using the sticks and twist ties. Flattening each branch forces the plant to spread the auxins equally:

Once the branches outgrow the internal size of the pot, I tie the branches to the edge:

Once they get this far into flower there is no more to be done except watch them grow! I do not untie them until I harvest the plant.

Here is the Blueberry getting close to the end. Can you spot the apical cola? This produced over 4 ounces of dried buds. Not too shabby!

Now let's look at an auto I have currently going into the earliest stages of flower. This one is a Blue Treacle, shown in the second pic with the white wire holding the stem in place opposite the bend. Here is a top view:

And here it is from the side. You can see how flat the top is:

This plant thinks there is no apical cola and is trying its damnedest to develop a new one. Not going to let that happen! I want each cola to be the same size in the end, similar to the last Blueberry pic.

Time for a closer look at the restraints!




My main stem no longer has any room for me to get a pipe cleaner in between the bud sites. No matter! I just grabbed a top fan and tied that down!

And here you can see some of the exposed lower sites that get full light and are close to the same height as the rest of the stem...more hormones!

That's the way I do it. Post questions or comments! :cool:

I'll update this thread when the buds develop and we can see if they're as even as the Blueberry was!
Thank you for sharing. I'll try this
 
Greetings all! I've had members ask about how I do my LST (low stress training) on my plants so I thought I would do a pictorial on it. My pics are of two different plants but don't let that confuse you. It's just easier to demonstrate that way.

Let's discuss the theory behind LST for a minute. Cannabis plants grow up to the sun. They have a top (apical) cola and side branching. Most of the growth hormones (auxins) go to that apical cola, which is why an untrained plant often has a beautiful huge bud on top and then progressively smaller buds as you head toward the soil. Topping a plant tells the plant that there is no longer an apical cola (damage alert!!!) so it needs to send the auxins to other branches to assure its chances to pass on its genetics. You then end up with two tops from that one.

That's great for photo plants which you can grow as big as you want them to be before you flip them, but autos are on an internal clock. Now many growers top their autos and get great results. I don't. I try to stress autos as little as possible so I do LST.

LST is a method for tricking the plant into thinking it no longer has an apical cola without actually removing it. The method involves pulling the top down flat so that it's not higher than the rest of the plant. The plant still thinks it's lost its apical cola and begins to send the growth hormones to the rest of the branches, but there is no recovery time as there is with topping because nothing has been cut.

As each of the lower branches grows in response, it gets tied down toward the outside of the pot, allowing light and air to get to the rest of the plant, and forcing the plant to continue to evenly spread the auxins.

Let's look at some pics!

I used to start bending the plant when it was much younger. Now I wait until the stem will be close to even with the top edge of the pot after it's bent. This was my Blueberry Auto from last summer.

You can see that I used a rock to hold the stem in place as I bent it. It's important that the base of the stem be upright so you don't put stress on the stem/root connection. Now I use a rock as well as a tie holding the stem in the opposite direction to the bend. This is my current Blue Treacle:

Let's watch the progress of the Blueberry Auto as it goes from the first pic to full buddage!

You can see how I have begun to take the side branching and lay it out flat as well - away from any other growth - using the sticks and twist ties. Flattening each branch forces the plant to spread the auxins equally:

Once the branches outgrow the internal size of the pot, I tie the branches to the edge:

Once they get this far into flower there is no more to be done except watch them grow! I do not untie them until I harvest the plant.

Here is the Blueberry getting close to the end. Can you spot the apical cola? This produced over 4 ounces of dried buds. Not too shabby!

Now let's look at an auto I have currently going into the earliest stages of flower. This one is a Blue Treacle, shown in the second pic with the white wire holding the stem in place opposite the bend. Here is a top view:

And here it is from the side. You can see how flat the top is:

This plant thinks there is no apical cola and is trying its damnedest to develop a new one. Not going to let that happen! I want each cola to be the same size in the end, similar to the last Blueberry pic.

Time for a closer look at the restraints!




My main stem no longer has any room for me to get a pipe cleaner in between the bud sites. No matter! I just grabbed a top fan and tied that down!

And here you can see some of the exposed lower sites that get full light and are close to the same height as the rest of the stem...more hormones!

That's the way I do it. Post questions or comments! :cool:

I'll update this thread when the buds develop and we can see if they're as even as the Blueberry was!
Awesome write up! I’ve been using it on two of my Autos with great success so far!! Awesome buds coming. Thanks!
Question: When it comes to LST Photos, my new seedling, what’s the next step after topping it? Does it get bent over just like the Auto plant was? And essentially follow the same instructions? Or is there more topping? I hope this wasn’t answered already and I just missed it. Thanks in advance.
 
Awesome write up! I’ve been using it on two of my Autos with great success so far!! Awesome buds coming. Thanks!
Question: When it comes to LST Photos, my new seedling, what’s the next step after topping it? Does it get bent over just like the Auto plant was? And essentially follow the same instructions? Or is there more topping? I hope this wasn’t answered already and I just missed it. Thanks in advance.
Glad you liked the write up Charlie! I don't usually top and also lay them flat, but there's no reason you can't. At that point it seems like topping again and laying it flat might make it difficult to tame.

No reason not to though if you're feeling adventurous!

If I top I usually tie the top two nodes flat while the lowers catch up.
 
I do the same LST
heres my 2 bubba kush photo periods day 50 veg in 5 gal smart pots and a 3x3 . Lighted by 2 -54 watt optic 1 cob LED lights.

A3E581E3-B5D1-4ED8-8355-463C2357FE0A.jpeg


B70F5FBC-B63D-4585-ABCC-338096C69F71.jpeg
 
Hey there @InTheShed ! Wondering what you think of these for LSTing autos? Im getting ready to start my 2nd grow (I do autos in hydro) and was intrigued by them, and thought it might be easier to use these instead of having to tie down somewhere in my bucket (which could make changing the resevoir solution each week a bit problematic).

Thoughts? I did buy both sizes (though right after I bought them they came out with adjustable ones!).
 
Hey there @InTheShed ! Wondering what you think of these for LSTing autos? Im getting ready to start my 2nd grow (I do autos in hydro) and was intrigued by them, and thought it might be easier to use these instead of having to tie down somewhere in my bucket (which could make changing the resevoir solution each week a bit problematic).

Thoughts? I did buy both sizes (though right after I bought them they came out with adjustable ones!).
Those are probably fine but I would be hesitant to put an immediate 90º bend in a stalk. That might break the branch. My bends never start at 90º (and the plant might see that kind of bend as stress even without a break), but give them a shot and let us know how they do!
 
Thanks Verbalist! It's still good to understand the science of the technique even if you go the high tech route! :thumb:
Ikr!
Ive always been a fan of lst:ing but even tho just heard about those clips like couple months ago. Been doing it old skool.

Posted a thread on Finnish forum like 4 years ago, which is now days a famous ”LST 101” tut for beginners. It has +100K reads, but still found something kinda like new from this one.
:goodjob:
 
Looks like a Lego set!

Ha everything I do is geometric and symmetrical! hehe I drew these when deciding this grow's method.


1114210004.jpg


This time I'm doing the figure in the lower right for 16 colas... top once, keep two nodes, grow out two more nodes then top again.

1113211824.jpg
 
Ikr!
Ive always been a fan of lst:ing but even tho just heard about those clips like couple months ago. Been doing it old skool.

Posted a thread on Finnish forum like 4 years ago, which is now days a famous ”LST 101” tut for beginners. It has +100K reads, but still found something kinda like new from this one.
:goodjob:
Oh and forgot to throw my two cents. Indeed rock(s) are nice n simple solution to support main stalk.
What Ive mostly used is neoprene collars (ones used for cuttings in cloners). Theyre very flexible and when placing at least two on top of each other that does the trick and even if you fold them almost 90deg angle it holds the stalk. :)
 
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