Most people, therefore, use special iron wire with a thick rubber layer around it. While this looks great, these big buds are more prone to mold because they are so large and dense. However, just like you would with a photoperiod variant, ensure your autos are healthy and robust before you start bending and shaping. As cannabis plants get older, their leaves become increasingly thick and bushy and resemble a Christmas tree with a pyramid shape, which is wider at the bottom and narrow at the top. Stems are usually much thicker and stiffer, which makes bending them into shape not only more difficult, but much riskier too. These won't change the fundamental process outlined above, but will offer additional insight if you get stuck. Low-stress training for autoflowers advantages and disadvantages, How to Grow Cannabis Indoors with Kyle Kushman, Grow Tent Setup: The Ultimate Guide by Kyle Kushman, How to Buy Marijuana Seeds: Quick Guide with Kyle Kushman Tips, How To Germinate Marijuana Seeds: Quick Guide with Kyle Kushman, Watering Weed: A Beginners Guide with Kyle Kushman, Transplanting Cannabis: Complete Guide with Kyle Kushman Tips, The Ultimate Super Cropping Guide with Kyle Kushman, When To Switch From Veg To Flower? Sour Crack as well. Continue checking on the progress of your LST every couple of days and adjusting plant ties accordingly. Sam North. Now that you know how to LST your autoflowers, its time to grab some autoflower seeds, get them sown, and start growing. Instead of one giant main bud, how about twenty large ones? To get the best results, start as soon as possible and continue low-stress training your autoflowers until they start to flower. Loop the string over and around the branch to fix it in place. Low-stress training methods, however, represent an ideal way to manipulate autoflowering plants and maximize their yield. Making small adjustments is fine, but the main work should already be done by this stage. Not bad for a few months' work! Another simple way to create a screen for LST autoflowers is to use plant trellis netting attached to posts. So, you want to continually bend the tallest stems down to the same level as the others, and use a twisty tie to secure it gently but firmly in position. With the advantages of low stress training clear to see, it's time to explain how and when you should start training your cannabis plants. The purpose of LST is to encourage the plant to flatten at the canopy, thus providing more even access to light, and multiple thriving bud sites. This gives them the necessary time to recover without affecting yield. This natural formation tends to result in a single dominant bud at the top of the plant, which monopolizes nutrients and hormones, leaving smaller buds on the lateral branches. Of course, the degree to which low stress training "improves" yields depends on the plant's genetics, how well other factors are balanced (light, nutrients, etc. Stop low-stress training your autoflowers as soon as the pre-flowering stage begins. The posts are placed at the corners of your grow room, with the trellis stretched between them. Transplant your seedlings to the prepared pots and avoid filling them too full with soil. It is possible to tie to all of the side branches with some cultivars, allowing for a very bushy and dense-growing autoflower. By flattening the canopy early, you maximise your plant's exposure to the sunno matter how fleeting it may be. If you are an experienced cannabis grower, you may wish to combine low stress training with the SCROG method of cultivation. Once the plants develop around 4-6 nodes, you can begin low stress training. L.S.T should be applied during the first 3-4 weeks of an autoflowering plants life cycle. Low-stress training is a very simple technique that has many benefits and can be performed multiple times if necessary. Best of luck with your LST autoflower adventures, were sure youll do great. All Rights Reserved. The more European LST style is pure LST without snapping off. The technique only needs to be applied once to be performed successfully. But, you mustn't try to shield plants by tying loosely. While not absolutely necessary, the next step to ScrOG low-stress training your autoflowers is to maximize efficiency. The aim is to expose each branch to the maximum amount of light for productive yields of dense, resinous buds. Finally, don't feel left out if you're growing outdoors. Most people use it to keep their plants height to a minimum. Low-stress training your autoflowers maintains fresh airflow around your plants. Low-stress training your autoflowers means saying goodbye to that beautiful, enormous central cola we love to show off. Secure the stem in place using the soft plant ties and the newly drilled holes. By flattening out the canopy, the entire plant also receives more light, promoting the growth of more buds and larger yields. Come back and assess your plants every day or two. With the screen in place, its time to start low-stress training your autoflowers in earnest. We'll cover this benefit in more detail shortly, but LST works with virtually all types of cannabis. Also, don't neglect to prune, giving priority to the areas around the buds. A vertical Screen of Green is a more advanced LST autoflower technique. JavaScript is disabled. It's best to check up on your plants every other day, altering the shape as necessary. Self-defence is about knowing your strengths, and celebrating your talents. By exposing more of your canopy to light, there is only one outcomemore buds. By carefully bending and tying cannabis plants, we can increase light exposure to bud sites that would usually be shrouded in darkness. Because novice growers are less likely to maintain the ideal environmental parameters required to avoid high humidity during the flowering phase, LST can actually help them avoid moldy buds by growing many uniform flowers instead of one large central cola. Cannabis plants naturally grow with apical dominance, meaning they will always produce one central cola with side branches. While you can gently bend and tie down long branches, there are other methods of carrying out low-stress training. Low stress training, or LST, is a training method that involves bending and tying stems and branches to encourage more efficient and productive growth from cannabis plants. Butwhen should I consider stopping this? The bigger the plant, the more training you'll have to do. When the plant enters its flowering stage, healthy colas will sprout upwards from the sideways-growing plant. Don't panic! Vertical growth is inhibited, and the growth spreads to the side branches in response, encouraging bud sites to form in areas that would have otherwise been dormant. No cutting off of the tips and no topping with scissors. It takes a little more setup but provides better results than low-stress training your autoflowers using the tie-down method. When the branches begin to reach through the screen, they are simply tucked back underneath. Continue by organizing your canopy by bending everything to the right places, especially the small new side branches that are now going to grow vertically. Many cannabis growers tie the stem in a circular shape around the container as it grows so it begins to coil like a snake. You are essentially bending and manipulating the stems. Younger annabis greenies typically have more pliable stems that are easier to bend, while older plants may be stiff and frangible. Supercropping or topping autoflowers to increase yields usually ends in disappointment. Stretching comes to an end after about a month, and the cannabis plants start to concentrate their energy on producing . In this case, install the screen a few inches above the current tops of the plants. Learn Step-By-Step to LST like a pro! If you're looking for recommendations, the three strains outlined below all respond incredibly well to LST. While low stress training is, as it implies, "low stress", it isn't entirely stress-free. And you can also top your photos more than once to encourage side branching. That doesn't mean that they're indestructible. Most browsers give you an explanation of how to do this in the so-called \help-function\. Thus, you can continue LST in this short period to slightly manipulate the growth. Until now, we've focused largely on photoperiod feminized strains. NOTE: 3rd option of poll should read "Stop LST 2-3 weeks into flower." 125 votes 6 Never LST. . We would like your permission to use your data for the following purposes: The functional cookies ensure that our website functions properly. This will give you the upper hand and allow you to control your plant height and growth structure with the intended results. Another variant on the vertical ScrOG creates a cylindrical screen placed around a light. window.__mirage2 = {petok:"fWo8gbYGTxgLWUWdLY23YBr_WBa5NHIV53HQCiyHYI8-1800-0"}; Think of it as a process of constantly guiding your cannabis toward your desired shape. While unmanaged plants may be visually appealing, theyre not the most efficient bud producers. Cannabis Genotype Vs. Phenotype: Understand The Differences, Top Highest THC Percentage Flowers of 2023. Growers use this low-stress training autoflower technique with vertically installed lighting for impressive results. This is usually around 2-3 weeks after germination when the plants gain their first true leaves. For newbie growers, it's a useful technique that can increase crop yields and round out cultivation skills. Cannabis plants are incredibly versatile, and by all accounts can take a fair amount of abuse. Low stress training can begin once the plant is big enough to allow you to do so, and is most effective when the plant is young. When the shoots and main stem reach a length where they can be bent and fixed, LST can be easily carried out and will yield the best results. Autoflowers only have a few weeks to develop buds, and any time spent recovering from the stress of topping will significantly impact yields. Referring to a method of training Cannabis plants that causes very little stress, and allows a grower to manipulate the shape of their canopy at will. Low-stress training autoflowers lets growers of all skill levels produce impressively productive crops of cannabis. And, even though autos are on a race against the clock to flower, there are still plenty of advantages to employing LST. LST involves gently bending and tying strategic branches and stems. You dont need to be an expert to get the benefits of low-stress training autoflowers, so why not give it a shot? This isn't recommended for autos as they simply don't have enough time to recover. Low-stress training autoflowers isnt a one-and-done process. This causes abrasion, removing the protective outer layer of tissue and opening up the plants to potential infection. Now that you know how far the branches bend, tie a string to a nearby hole, and attach it to the branch using a non-abrasive plant tie. Test the flexibility of the branches by slowly, gently bending them into place. In cannabis circles, however, low stress training is mainly used for growing weed indoors but also outdoor growers adapt methods of low-stress training. High-stress training methods can cause problems for autoflowering strains as their two-to-three month life cycle leaves little time to recover from damage. When the shoots and main stem reach a length where they can be bent and fixed, LST can be easily carried out and will yield the best results. If youre using fabric or air pots, and you should be, attaching the ties is simple. While we think the results are more than worth the extra time invested, we know some people use autoflowers for their low-maintenance qualities. In fact, it's SSH's love for growing that makes LST an invaluable ally. There are just a few considerations you need to keep in mind: Some growers use LST and topping to maximise the development of several colas. With some care and attention, its possible to double or even triple the number of buds your autoflower cannabis produces. Cookies and similar technologies are very small text documents or pieces of code that often contain a unique identifier. That being said, HST will push the potential of your plants to the limit, producing yields beyond that of LST. If you are unsure about when to stop LST, it is best to err on the side of caution and stop training within a month of beginning. A short stake is all thats required; this helps the plant resist the pull of the ties. If the thought of topping your plants is too much to bear, LST is the technique for you. Everything looks healthy and vibrant! #3 JayF, May 20, 2011 You should stop LSTing. The goal of LST is to manipulate your cannabis plant as much as possible, without causing a stress response. Finally, LST of autoflowers is easy to implement and a low-cost way of improving productivity. Date published: Friday 3rd March 2023 5:23 - News Desk. LST allows you to keep an even canopy and get as much bud as possible from your light. Some of these methods involve crushing branches, snipping stems, and removing branches entirely. You want to top plants down to the 5th or 6th node so your cannabis plant will focus essential resources on two growths rather than just the one. You can usually successfully repair a snapped branch by quickly placing a patch of duct tape around the damaged area. Bend the main stem and gently secure it to the rim of the container. Low stress training, or LST, is a training method that involves bending and tying stems and branches to encourage more efficient and productive growth from cannabis plants. 3. The solution is low stress training, and we'll take you through how to do it in this step-by-step guide. Training is a way of changing how your cannabis plants grow. When to Stop Low Stress Training? And, of course, with numerous bud sites comes a reward every grower wantsbigger yields! Start by gathering everything youre going to need to LST your autoflowers. In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know about the technique, including a step-by-stepguide and which strains benefit the most from some gentle persuasion. For autoflower growers, its highly important to note that its a high-stress training technique and autoflowers have a limited life cycle, so its essential you do it correctly because any form of stress (including topping) can slow down growth for a week or more until your plant can recover and continue growing normally.
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