Help me out with LST!

[UrbanGardener]

Hi guys,

Just wondering if anyone could lend a hand regarding LST. There is Belladonna mother plant that is going to be put under flower (make room for new Moms), it's an indica pheno that's been rejuvenated and therefore it's main stem and cola was completely cut and it has branched out from the sides. I thought this would be a good candidate for LST. So far she has had her stronger outer branches pinned down to make way for the smaller ones and the centre of the plant to come up. This was only done today. My question is, is it okay to start her on 12/12 now, will she still respond well to the training and will there be enough time to make that good even canopy, or should she be vegged for a while? I'll post a pic so you can see what she's like at the moment. Thanks heaps.

 

[UrbanGardener]

Please feel free to ask any questions or leave any feed back at all, its most appreciated, first time LST too so let's hope it goes ok!

 

[true grit]

It depends on how much she stretches in flower as to how much that will help out. If you just tied her down I would at least leave her in veg for another week or two to get some off shoot growth....

 

[Cat Jockey]

Regarding LST. I don't know who invented it in the sense of bringing it to the MJ world and naming it LST, but my first introduction to it was from this dude on the old HC boards:



Things changed after 2006 in the mj online world and since that time I have seen a whole bunch of people running around talking about LSTing their plants, when in reality all they are doing is some shaping. I don't think everyone gets what is going on physiologically within the plant and what the objectives are.

Read the posts by Delta9420 and keep in mind that thread is almost a decade old - meaning that the dude was kickin' some pretty sweet plants 10 years ago. I trust a lot of what Delta had to say. This guy also mixed his own ferts, so he had more than basic gardening knowledge.

 

[UrbanGardener]

Thanks truegrit and also catjockey for your information! I think I might leave her in veg for at least a week or so to get a nice even canopy and a bit more growth before I flower her. She's been tied down for 24 hours now and already all the growth shoots are looking vertical again which is good!

 

[mellofello]

Depends what you want man. I've tied them down then put them straight into flower before. Personally I use LST to give me 6 to 8 stems of a fairly equal height, most other stuff I trim off. I leave some of the side branching on higher up each stem but the lower stuff gets trimmed away. For me I normally tie them down then once they have had a day or two to adjust I check how even the stem are, more tieing if needed and then which to flower.

You can carry on with the LST, tying bits as needed through most of flowering.

peace

mello

 

[UrbanGardener]

Basically I just want the best yield possible for the 400w hps I have mello. I've got about 7 separate branches with growth tips tied down around the outer of the plant now and it seems to be bushing up. Should I always keep the initial anchors in place for each branch all the way through flowering? The only thing I really want to know now is how long to veg her for in regard to light getting through to where its needed. She wont stretch too much being an indica pheno but probably a bit. I'll post some pics of where she's at now.

 

[Cat Jockey]

Basically I just want the best yield possible for the 400w hps I have mello. I've got about 7 separate branches with growth tips tied down around the outer of the plant now and it seems to be bushing up. Should I always keep the initial anchors in place for each branch all the way through flowering?

Depends, but probably not. Keep in mind that LST is an alternative to Supercropping, except that it is Low Stress, no pinching and damaging of the meristem. Instead a gentle bending of the branch is done.

If you get the growing tip bent over past 90 degrees, the plant releases hormones for other growth tips to become the main one.

You are not looking for looking for merely an even canopy height, you are increasing each branch diameter with LST. Bigger branch - bigger bud.
You trick the plant into thinking a fuckin' deer a just ate the top off of it and it know needs to grow a new top. And you do it with out an damage to the plant, unlike Supercropping. LST is more than Scrog growing without a screen.

I can't pimp Delta's thread enough. Read it. It is kind of hard to make one rule for each plant - get to know yer ladies and design a regiment for each of them.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

shes looking great..I do LST religously..also think that if folks did lst to they scrogs they would see it better..I like to leave my restraints on threw the entire flower..I use to remove them early but found the branch became weaker trying to reach for the light (and not have the hold down.)..by week 7 they was falling over..I now leave them in place untill Harvest..if this is only plant going under the 400 Try and get the top of that container filled with branches..and where ya started bending it aint a bad Idea to clip away some shoots to keep the canopy even..I leave all fan leafs I can..Lokks to me like you may need another week or two to fill the top..Im a subscribe to this thread if ya dont mind..This is gonna be a Beautiful finish..Nice and GREEN..Well done you..take care and be safe

:passingjoint:

 

[ShivaSkunkPunk]

I agree with what all has been said, I have lst'd and have made adjustments thru flower to accomodate new lower shoots, so, at least a week veg after initial tie down then flip, feel free to adjust anytime to max out space/canopy, check out my test grow and my 1st grow, I did each technique and love them both, I have been using a penny to make a slight indent in the stem of the thicker branches and then bend, as I was snapping stems left and right, and if that happens don't worry, I used scotch tape or any for that matter and they healed like nothin ever happened, I have found that the stem hardens and you can remove the tie late in flower and the branch stays pretty much in place.

 

[UrbanGardener]

Cat jockey - Cheers for the info once again, I have read deltas thread, thoroughly interesting. I'm getting a bit more of an idea what LST is all about now.
4u2smoke- Thanks a lot for the encouragement and tips! It's nice to know I'm on the right track. Took her out before and clipped a few fan leaves that were in the way of new shoots and did a bit more re-securing so that the growth shoots spread evenly around the container. Please do pull up a seat and feel free to offer any advice and info as I go!
ShivaSkunkPunk - Cheers for your tips I'll check out your grows now!

 

[UrbanGardener]

Howdy all :)

Just thought I'd post a pic of the girl, few days into flower now, covering the top of the pot quite well, lots of sites emerging! Tell me what you think. Happy easter!

UG

 

[Cat Jockey]

I'm getting a bit more of an idea what LST is all about now.

Sweet. You are doing nothing more than a ScROG without chicken wire if you are not getting that growth tip past 90 degrees to release auxins in the plant. Can't stress that enough and that is where the increased yield comes from - bigger branch = bigger bud.

You can start LST on pretty small plants, which I advise. Get multiple main branches early in the plants life and close to the base of the plant.

Regarding an earlier question, I know Delta released his tie downs often. I do hydro now, but when I was a dirt farmer, I would retie plants every week. At least check them out. Not everything needs to be relesaed, but if you have a tied down branch and another branch has taken its place in size, then release it.

Like everything, mostly science mixed with a bit of a green thumb. Pay close attention to the very young plants you are LSTing as the results are easily observable.

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Looking Great UrbanGardner..Keep M green..and Happy Easter to you too my friend

 

[UrbanGardener]

Cheers Cat Jockey, I think I'm going to leave the ties in for most of if not all of flowering, I'm finding it's giving me a bit more control over the shape. It's sure been a learning curve but I reckon I'll definitely LST in the future too, all these bud sites are making me excited!
4u2sm0ke - Thanks again my friend, hope you had a good one. I'll post a pic up now, at 8 days flowering. I'm also going to upload one of when she was in early reveg and just started to shoot a little bit of growth up, so happy with how far she has come haha!

 

[4u2sm0ke]

Very Nice UG..that reveg looks like shes gonna do just fine..How was her smoke? Thanks for shareing my friend

:passingjoint:

 

[dooobster]

Great job with the LST. I love it... Makes the ladies bush out so nicely!
One thing to remember, if you're going to be leaving the ties on throughout the grow remember to not tie around the stem too tightly. Give the stem room to thicken up as it grows, you don't want the string or wire to become embedded in the stem, as this creates a weak point later on when there are big fat heavy buds that need support.

 

[UrbanGardener]

Hey 4u2sm0ke cheers for keeping an eye on the thread! She seems to be doing well =) Smoke from this pheno was nice, leaning toward the indica dom side, buds were frosty, and had a fruity skunk pungency when broken up. Fairly neutral smell on the outside. Equal head and body for me, couchlocky but mind stimulated. Potency good but not amazing.

doobster - Thanks a lot for the encouragement and for dropping by! Thats some useful info there as I've noticed the stems are certainly getting thicker and filling out their tie spaces. I'll keep an eye.

Pics are of day 17 of flower, already stinking the room up with a pungent skunk aroma with slight fruity tones hah :giggle

 

[4u2sm0ke]

:passingjoint:

 

[4u2sm0ke]

I bet this Baby is Hot..How about an update?