when to stop lst training when to stop lst training

Share this post. Now that you know how to LST your autoflowers, its time to grab some autoflower seeds, get them sown, and start growing. LST is most commonly performed during the vegetative period when the shoots are pliable and the plant's growth can be more easily directed. Another type of low-stress training: the screen of green. Cannabis plants are incredibly versatile, and by all accounts can take a fair amount of abuse. You could also tie the next highest branches down to enhance the LST effect. It's best to check up on your plants every other day, altering the shape as necessary. A short stake is all thats required; this helps the plant resist the pull of the ties. Growers use this low-stress training autoflower technique with vertically installed lighting for impressive results. This simple LST autoflower method requires just a few things to get up and running. Low-stress training (LST) is a method used by growers to control the height and shape of cannabis plants. You also waive any liability towards Zamnesia if you act outside your laws. Works with feminized and autoflowering strains. The advantages of low-stress training autoflowers far exceed the largely superficial disadvantages. Greetings. The ties will be looped through the holes or attached to the tomato rings, then secured to the shoots. Wait until your canopy is properly filled and uniform again and then repeat the tying process. This technique basically consists of mutilating your plant, which is why its known as HST (aka high-stress training). 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. ), Duct tape - this is invaluable in securing ties or canes or repairing accidentally snapped branches. By bending the tops, you open the lowers to more light. Date published: Friday 3rd March 2023 5:23 - News Desk. Tip: Although bamboo stakes are optional, they're great for supporting your plants, especially as the canopy gets larger. LST can be initiated when the plant's stem and shoots become long enough to be tied down. Provided plants have comfortably reached the vegetative stage (roughly 56 nodes), you can begin tying down the relevant stems and branches. The rapid life cycle of autoflower cannabis means HST is a poor fit if youre trying to increase your yields. To tie shoots down effectively, you're going to need an anchor point. The shorter life cycle also means you'll need to keep a closer eye on plants, adjusting ties and positioning more frequently to maximise results. To provide support for the bend, there is a range of options. For growers looking to redistribute the plant's energy from many growth sites to a few, the first couple of weeks of flowering can be a good time for low stress training. Keep branches strapped down, and stick to making regular, purposeful adjustments. Pierce the edge of the pot, then secure the garden ties directly to the pinsimple. A sea of equally large peaks will emerge during flowering. This is usually around 23 weeks after germination when the plants gain their first true leaves. . . Our website won't work without these cookies activated. 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. & It can also be used to help increase yeild. In the absence of these, something like pipe cleaners or shoelaces work as an acceptable substitute. Stretching comes to an end after about a month, and the cannabis plants start to concentrate their energy on producing . Thus, you can continue LST in this short period to slightly manipulate the growth. The goal of LST is to manipulate your cannabis plant as much as possible, without causing a stress response. Although simple, this method helps to boost aeration around developing flowers, expose buds to an equal amount of light exposure, and boost yields. Younger annabis greenies typically have more pliable stems that are easier to bend, while older plants may be stiff and frangible. LST can be used on both indoor and outdoor plants, optimizing space and maximizing bud output. As the secondary branches start to receive more light and grow up, you may need to LST them too. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Find out what techniques. LST is a bit like cultivating bonsai trees, as you are manipulating the shape of the plant to your will. . While doing this you want to try and keep all the buds at the same height. It's a good idea to begin low-stress training as soon as the plant is in the vegetative state and has established several robust. 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. I just finished a Mephisto Genetics Sour Livers that responded as well to LST as any plant I've grown. If the thought of topping your plants is too much to bear, LST is the technique for you. LST means Low Stress Training. Kronic, Is Weed Legal in California? Germination of seeds is illegal in many countries. However, just like you would with a photoperiod variant, ensure your autos are healthy and robust before you start bending and shaping. You must log in or register to reply here. Continue checking on the progress of your LST every couple of days and adjusting plant ties accordingly. The initials in LST autoflower stand for low-stress training. It's best to start when your plant is very young, though, with LST, it's always better late than never.. Think of it as a process of constantly guiding your cannabis toward your desired shape. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. 2. Continue to LST your autoflowers consistently throughout the vegetative stage. Breaking the apical dominance of cannabis causes it to lose much of its signature shape and symmetry. Information collected through cookies and similar technologies may include the date and time of the visit and how you use a particular website or mobile application. Then visualize the type of shape you would like your plant - it's best to stick to a simple cannabis bush for beginners. Just like their feminized counterparts, autoflowering strains can benefit from the yield-boosting properties of low stress training. Within the first month into this phase, your cannabis plant growth is still ongoing. Get some help to spread out the branches and insert them into appropriately-spaced holes, being careful not to snap or break any limbs. They sometimes wonder why bother training a plant. Low-stress training (LST) techniques are a set of plant training methods that can lead to better hormone distribution throughout the entire plant, which (when performed correctly) can boost the final yield by as much as 25%. At this point, you should have a wonderfully flat canopy ready to spring into action and produce copious amounts of bud. MrNiceSmoke Dragon Master #4 MrNiceSmoke, May 20, 2011 JayF said: You should stop LSTing. The Screen of Green or ScrOG setup is a slightly more advanced LST autoflower technique. This will give you the upper hand and allow you to control your plant height and growth structure with the intended results. This is particularly convenient when attempting to control the final height, for those who are limited with growing space, prefer a low-profile plant for decoration purposes, or plan to grow in a Sea of Green scenario. Make evenly spaced holes around the rims, or attach safety pins in the case of fabric pots. Like anything in life, there are upsides and drawbacks to implementing LST. Curious How and When to apply Low Stress Training? Constant LST, however, throughout both the vegetative and early flowering phases, can help keep mother plants healthy and capable of producing robust clones. Most Potent Autos with Insane Levels of THC and Knock Out Effects. Thicker types of wire often stick well into the ground like a tent herring, but you can also drill holes in the side of your pot or tie a band around your pot. You can usually successfully repair a snapped branch by quickly placing a patch of duct tape around the damaged area. However, that doesn't mean autos are a complete write-off. Flowering. Making small adjustments is fine, but the main work should already be done by this stage. Cannabis plants naturally grow with apical dominance, meaning they will always produce one central cola with side branches. Youll likely find stray branches starting to grow past the others, so tie down any new growth to maintain an even canopy. The art of low stress training (LST for short) is a straightforward concept. For best results, you'll need to check in on plants at least twice a week. Mind Blowing Bestsellers, The Most Productive Autos in the Game! Regular wire or string should be avoided as it may cut into the stems as they grow, causing damage. Although branches get stronger as plants get older, they're also less malleable and more prone to snapping should you try and force them into position. Better yields not only means more bang for your buck, but a bigger stash to enjoy. While this looks great, these big buds are more prone to mold because they are so large and dense. 5. Some autoflowers start flowering as soon as the fourth week, so get started as soon as possible. If youre low-stress training autoflowers with a ScrOG setup, you may find some branches difficult to get looped into the screen. 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. Low-stress training for autoflowers spreads out a plant, allowing light to reach more parts. Because indoor photoperiod plants remain in an indefinite state of vegetative growth until exposed to a reduced light cycle, they have more than enough time to fully recover before entering the flowering phase, meaning yields are unaffected. Its not a bad idea to have some bamboo or stakes handy when low-stress training your autoflowers. A screen may be made from various materials to suit your budget and setup. While you can gently bend and tie down long branches, there are other methods of carrying out low-stress training. Fig trees were trained in this way to grow along walls in Ancient Egypt, and similar methods have been used in various types of horticulture for centuries. What Is The Ideal Cannabis Feeding Schedule? By clicking Cookie settings, you can read more about the cookies we use and you can save preferences. We would like your permission to use your data for the following purposes: The functional cookies ensure that our website functions properly. To get the best results, start as soon as possible and continue low-stress training your autoflowers until they start to flower. Plants grown from regular or feminized cannabis seeds may be trained in two different ways. You will notice how the yield and amount of top buds are far superior on the plant that was tied down. This LST autoflower method aims to create a wall of growth facing your lights. By carefully bending and tying cannabis plants, we can increase light exposure to bud sites that would usually be shrouded in darkness. Low-stress training your autoflowers reduces stretching to a minimum by creating a flat growth canopy without dominant stems. If the main branches start to sag, reinforce them with bamboo using any surplus garden ties. Its important to stop at this point, as further stress, no matter how little, may negatively impact your yields. After this, you can still bend branches in different directions for light penetration, for example, but this will not result in new side branches etc. The plant then begins to take on a spider-like appearance. Some light defoliation, or removal of leaves, in the beginning can maximize light penetration. Tip: try adding a bit of aloe vera to the interior plant to improve the chances of healing even further. Ensure the ties or strings arent moving back and forth along the branches. Don't panic! Cannabis Genotype Vs. Phenotype: Understand The Differences, Top Highest THC Percentage Flowers of 2023. 2 people like this. In cannabis circles, however, low stress training is mainly used for growing weed indoors but also outdoor growers adapt methods of low-stress training. Gently bend the plant's main stem towards the edge of the pot (so the top of the plant is nearly parallel with your substrate). For best results, always bend stems when they are young and flexible. Flushing Cannabis: When, Why, And How To Flush Your Plants, Cannabis Nutrients: Everything You Should Know About Fertilizers, The Best Hydroponic Nutrient Solution Recipe For Weed, How To Make A Mix Of Marijuana Nutrients In 6 Easy Steps, Topping Cannabis: Complete Guide to Increase Yields. Now that you know why and when to start low-stress training autoflowers, all thats left is how to LST your autoflowers. You'll have to be quick and start LST as soon as plants are strong enough to handle bending without snapping. The ScrOG low-stress method encourages horizontal growth as it forces plants to grow through a suspended screen. Final Thoughts On Low Stress Training Plants training. As you move toward the inner branches, youll start to see the results of your work. Low stress training is a simple, low-impact approach to improving yields in virtually all types of cannabis plants. This causes abrasion, removing the protective outer layer of tissue and opening up the plants to potential infection. Low-stress training enables growers to fully exploit the available space and light by manipulating the growth pattern of plants. This Indica-dominant will give you extra large yield and frosty purple nugs with proper L.S.T. Not suitable for large outdoor cannabis gardens. You can leave the pegs in place, as long as they aren't too tight and digging into the stems as they get wider. There are many different training techniques to choose from. When to stop LST training. And you can also top your photos more than once to encourage side branching. We recommend starting slowly training this autoflower at around week 3 and stop when you can't notice any more growth, at this stage, she will only focus on bud production. You can use anything that is not too "sharp" because thin iron wire can easily cut through a plant. All Rights Reserved. Make sure you carefully bandage the damaged appendage, and in a week or so it should be good as new. For LSVT BIG, research demonstrated improvements lasting at least 12 weeks beyond the end of the treatment. This involves maximizing the amount of light exposure by training young cannabis plants to grow with the help of SCROG nets -(you can also use chicken wire) and by focusing high-intensity discharge lamps on the crops. Low-stress training your autoflowers might not produce one singularly impressive cola, but its a small price to pay for improved yields. Take Zkittlez Auto, for example, her rapid flowering time, huge yields, and a complex terp profile make Zkittlez Auto a must-have. Until now, we've focused largely on photoperiod feminized strains. They help stabilize the plant against the pull of the ties.