The principle behind L.S.T is to take the tallest point of your autoflowering plant and bend it down to a height in the canopy that is in line with the side branches. But you can get creative. I LST my plants up to the last few days. LST can be used on both indoor and outdoor plants, optimizing space and maximizing bud output. Is There a Difference Between LST and HST? Cannabis Low-Stress Training for Higher Yields But, you mustn't try to shield plants by tying loosely. Youll be surprised at how quickly your trained stems and branches turn back toward the light. Youre almost ready to go out there and grow some seriously productive cannabis using low-stress training for autoflowers. Also known as Kronic from The Cannabis Kronicles, Derek LaRose is a young ambitious cultivator and a staple educator for indoor cultivation. Flowering. Top tips on low stress training autoflowering plants, Low Stress Training (LST) Autoflowering Guide, The Lifecycle of the Autoflowering Cannabis Plant, Fast Buds Wins the American Autoflower Cup 2023. If you're looking for recommendations, the three strains outlined below all respond incredibly well to LST. Start LST your autoflowers into the screen with the outer branches first. As new shoots appear, they will need to be bent and tied down. It also helps to pick genetically stable strains with well-established attributes. You can repeat this process as long as your vegetative plant is growing, although you want to ease up when you spot signs of pre-flowering. What Is The Ideal Cannabis Feeding Schedule? The main element of the ScrOG autoflower method is the screen. As every "LST grow" is different, we get an enormous range of questions about this subject. Get started early, and the reward is a motherload of buds! The Best T5 Grow Lights for Indoor Cannabis Growing, Cannabis Heat Stress Prevention, Causes & Solutions. By purchasing, you are indicating that you have reached the age of majority where you live, and are aware of your local laws. Learn how to use this simple low stress training technique with our step-by-step guide. As they quickly grow, your crops reach the screen where youll attach the branches. In cannabis circles, however, low stress training is mainly used for growing weed indoors but also outdoor growers adapt methods of low-stress training. Make sure you use stretchy plant tape, pipe cleaners, or rubber-coated wire as they are more gentle on shoots and stems. . We want to make self defence fun, so we've created a curriculum that uses the m. Another variant on the vertical ScrOG creates a cylindrical screen placed around a light. training. Snapping stems and branches during LST is entirely possible, with the risk increasing the older a plant gets. Look carefully to see if the stem bends smoothly and do not try to bend it. Its important to stop at this point, as further stress, no matter how little, may negatively impact your yields. Use safety pins or clips for fabric pots, while air pots are studded with easily accessible holes. Air pot users, feel free to skip this step, as your pots come ready for low-stress training autoflowers. Theres a lot of upkeep required, meaning this is an LST autoflower method best suited to enthusiastic and experienced cultivators. MrNiceSmoke Dragon Master #4 MrNiceSmoke, May 20, 2011 JayF said: You should stop LSTing. If the thought of topping your plants is too much to bear, LST is the technique for you. Autoflowers only have a few weeks to develop buds, and any time spent recovering from the stress of topping will significantly impact yields. NOTE: 3rd option of poll should read "Stop LST 2-3 weeks into flower." 125 votes 6 Never LST. Plants will move as they grow, and loose plant ties can rub and damage them. In fact, it's SSH's love for growing that makes LST an invaluable ally. Butwhen should I consider stopping this? Low-Stress Training (LST) Cannabis Step-By-Step - MSNL Blog Low stress training (LST) is a method used by growers to increase their yields and manipulate the plants' overall size and shape. By carefully bending and tying cannabis plants, we can increase light exposure to bud sites that would usually be shrouded in darkness. Training is a way of changing how your cannabis plants grow. Supercropping or topping autoflowers to increase yields usually ends in disappointment. If you have fabric or smart-style pots, just use a safety pin instead. Younger annabis greenies typically have more pliable stems that are easier to bend, while older plants may be stiff and frangible. Secure the stem in place using the soft plant ties and the newly drilled holes. & This will give you the upper hand and allow you to control your plant height and growth structure with the intended results. A community connecting cannabis consumers, patients, retailers, doctors, and brands since 2008. Start by gathering everything youre going to need to LST your autoflowers. LST is generally not initiated on plants that are mature and fully flowering. If youre using regular pots, youll need something to make holes around the rim. The art of low stress training (LST for short) is a straightforward concept. As long as the branch is still attached, you can repair it using duct tape and a small splint. When to stop LST grow question by Dpablos - GrowDiaries The culmination of all these benefits of low-stress training autoflowers is vastly increased productivity. At Zamnesia we use cookies to ensure that our website functions properly, to save your preferences and to gain insight into visitor behaviour. Sour Crack as well. Now is the time to stake your plants central stem for stability. You also waive any liability towards Zamnesia if you act outside your laws. However, just like you would with a photoperiod variant, ensure your autos are healthy and robust before you start bending and shaping. Sam North. This stretching wastes energy that could be used in flower production and may result in weak, gangly plants. This technique basically consists of mutilating your plant, which is why its known as HST (aka high-stress training). As the title suggests, LST is about putting cannabis plants through the least amount of stress possible, while still influencing how they develop. 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. The advantages of low-stress training autoflowers far exceed the largely superficial disadvantages. The technique decreases the risk of over-stressing the plant, allowing it to adjust to the training measures and adapt more rapidly. Some growers highly value the trait of apical dominance. Create an account or sign in to comment. Another type of low-stress training: the screen of green. 38 Continue LST until harvest. 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). Thus, you can continue LST in this short period to slightly manipulate the growth. Cookies and similar technologies are very small text documents or pieces of code that often contain a unique identifier. However, youll be happy to know that the pros vastly outweigh the cons. Curious How and When to apply Low Stress Training? The easiest branches to work with are the younger, newer ones. High stress training, on the other hand, includes topping, mainlining, and FIM trimming to achieve the same result. You will need to tend, monitor, and maintain cannabis plants throughout their development. You get the most out of low stress training by starting if your cannabis plant is just a seedling. How is low-stress training performed on cannabis plants? Shaping the rest of your plant isn't an exact science as there's no telling how fast a strain will grow and how it'll develop. LST is a bit like cultivating bonsai trees, as you are manipulating the shape of the plant to your will. Even if you never top the plant, you can simply bend it in the direction you want it to go. Growers attempt to curb this tendency in their cannabis through training. The screen is then installed one of two ways. 3. As for LST I only stop when branches get too thick to bend easily, I grow in little spaces though continuous LST is much needed. Test the flexibility of the branches by slowly, gently bending them into place. 24 hours after bending, the branch will start to grow up again, but it will start as low as the rest of the branches. Here's how to do it. Nor do you want to be fiddling pointlessly with small seedlings that have no nodes. 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. Applying plant training techniques at the right times, with the right cultivar can really increase the size of the canopy, the growth structure and overall yield. By topping plants once they reach 56 nodes, you'll encourage growth hormone into the top branches, not just the main stem. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Always do your research and see which strains the seed banks recommend for Sea of Green, SCROG, and L.S.T. Number of Nodes You could use bamboo canes or drill small holes near the rim of the pots. 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. LST causes so little stress that it can, in principle, be used throughout the culture. It's best to start when your plant is very young, though, with LST, it's always better late than never.. As long as you're willing to put in the time adjusting your canopy as you go, it couldn't be easier. Low-stress training autoflowers isnt a one-and-done process. If the main branches start to sag, reinforce them with bamboo using any surplus garden ties. Fortunately, very few materials are needed, and those that are you'll easily find at local garden centres or online. Around a month into your plants' flowering season, autoflower low stress training often ends. 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