LST training in detail; why bushes are better

[smokinrav]

(Bear with me, this thread may take all day to finish since most of it's posts have to be approved before they show)

(Lightning took out my internet. Posting from my phone. I'll finish when I can :sigh: )

Bushes are ideal plants to grow for anyone who has a small HID flower light ( 400 watts and under) or uses fluoros. Smaller lights and fluoros emit the most intense light for only a short distance, so keeping as much vegetative growth in the light's sweet spot is a must to make your lights most efficient. SCROGgers take maximum advantage of this by weaving tops through a screen so only tops are exposed to the light. Well, training attempts to achieve the same goals only with a less work intensive method that will make more use of your small lights limited effectiveness

In the first pic, the plant is tied over so the top is beyond a right angle to the soil. This redistributes a hormone called auxins which are responsible for the dominant growth on the plant. Sending auxins to all branching along the stem makes most if not all nodes grow out evenly.

 

[smokinrav]

After a few days to a week, you can release the plant from it's top down position. Then tie the plant back down to a planter with screws or something in the side as tie down points. This pic shows the vertical support.

 

[smokinrav]

planter is reversed to show the tie pulling the top more horizontal.

 

[smokinrav]

After a few days, the top has grown over the nodes because it still wants to be the top of the plant. We'll convince it otherwise.

 

[smokinrav]

I like to raise the base tie a node because it eases the stress on the curvature of the plant. After that, pull the plant over so the top lifts almost upright again. Note that branch on the very bottom for later. It is now receiving it's share of auxins, something it usually would never see and be trimmed out by any grower seeing it on a single cola plant.

 

[smokinrav]

Now tie the top back down below the nodes. It will become necessary to also raise the top's tie on the plant because the top is still gettting longer.

 

[smokinrav]

Once again, after a couple of days, the top has worked it's way up. Note the growth of the nodes along her spine now. THis is the response we're looking for. This indicates training will be done soon.

 

[smokinrav]

Raise the base tie a node for stress relief and pull the plant up.

 

[smokinrav]

Raise the top tie a node and pull horizontal

 

[smokinrav]

A couple more days later, re-training will not be necessary since the top isn't growing over the nodes anymore.

 

[smokinrav]

An example of the auxins at work. Here is that lowest node on the plant, almost buried under the topsoil. Usually if I need another top, I'll tie a branch like this to the mainstem so it is fully vertical.

 

[smokinrav]

Ready for flowering. A plant like this takes maybe two weeks after initial training to reach this point, so about three weeks from rooted clone to 12/12. Under my old 400 HPS, this plant would end up 18"-24" tall, fill in one square foot of floorspace and yield 28 - 35 grams dried

 

[OctoberDee]

I usually top my plants but seeing as I'm using a small light (400w) and space I'll do LST next round... I've done it before just didn't realize the training had a name (at the time). I was using a stress weed seed just for a little fun I twisted it in a circular shape around the edges of the bucket it was in, good yield, bad weed. The plant grew quite long and branched like crazy. I'm interested in the what I've seen as super-cropping by means of pitching the branches to an almost broken state and letting the plant re-distribute the energy forcing the plant to redirect to other branches and creating more larger bud sites. Anyone do/try?

 

[ogplatinum]

Heres what i did with my Sour D mom, tied her down for 3 weeks, topped her and let her go. She's a nice eraser head mommie now. : )

 

[whackin]

Ready for flowering. A plant like this takes maybe two weeks after initial training to reach this point, so about three weeks from rooted clone to 12/12. Under my old 400 HPS, this plant would end up 18"-24" tall, fill in one square foot of floorspace and yield 28 - 35 grams dried

 

[whackin]

First post. Thanks for the tie down info. I'll use it on my next grow.

 

[crimsonecho]

I usually top my plants but seeing as I'm using a small light (400w) and space I'll do LST next round... I've done it before just didn't realize the training had a name (at the time). I was using a stress weed seed just for a little fun I twisted it in a circular shape around the edges of the bucket it was in, good yield, bad weed. The plant grew quite long and branched like crazy. I'm interested in the what I've seen as super-cropping by means of pitching the branches to an almost broken state and letting the plant re-distribute the energy forcing the plant to redirect to other branches and creating more larger bud sites. Anyone do/try?

When plant heals that wound it makes it at least twice as thick and that gives your plant a wider and better network to move nutrients and it makes huge buds. It is a good technique. Also love lst.

 

[sativablast]

so does crushing the main stem from seedlings or clones, thick stems and branches