How-To : LST (Low Stress Training)

[heyjoe]

I have a question: If you do LST as described by DierWolf, do you need to grow in a wider pot, or would a 10 or 12 inch pot be ok?

[OkinKun]

Originally Posted by heyjoe

I have a question: If you do LST as described by DierWolf, do you need to grow in a wider pot, or would a 10 or 12 inch pot be ok?

Well, I'm gonna be using 12 inch pots, and going around the outside lip as in DierWolf's method... So I sure hope that's big enough... It's gonna be a bitch getting enough soil for those pots though. -_- Only 12 inch pots I could get, were also 10-12 deep...

[OkinKun]

I have an interesting question.

I'm gonna start off, growing the plants in smaller 4-5 inch pots, and once they get almost ready for LSTing (or whenever I end up having too, if sooner is necessary), I'll transplant into full 12inch pots...

My question is, Can I transplant the plants, at an Angle, into the bigger pot, so that they're tilted about 45 degrees? This way I wont have to forcefully bend the plants hardly at all, to start off.
Would this method work? Or would it cause some other unseen problem, with root direction or how the plant grows or something?

If this would be a viable method, I think it would simplify things, for newbie growers, when it comes to LSTing.

[drsnuggles]

I just transplanted my one plant that was doing well and am beginning an LST.

http://forum.grasscity.com/absolute-...st-no-sex.html

That is the link. This is my first time, just looking for some help and suggestions from some experienced growers. Please take a look and leave some input.

[abe9]

Originally Posted by OkinKun

I have an interesting question.

I'm gonna start off, growing the plants in smaller 4-5 inch pots, and once they get almost ready for LSTing (or whenever I end up having too, if sooner is necessary), I'll transplant into full 12inch pots...

My question is, Can I transplant the plants, at an Angle, into the bigger pot, so that they're tilted about 45 degrees? This way I wont have to forcefully bend the plants hardly at all, to start off.
Would this method work? Or would it cause some other unseen problem, with root direction or how the plant grows or something?

If this would be a viable method, I think it would simplify things, for newbie growers, when it comes to LSTing.

Im not promising anything, but if you plant it at an angle and LST it right away then it probably wont harm the plant as much. but if you plant the plant in and wait a few days before you LST it, then the plant will start to grow towards the light again and grow straight up instead of at a 45 degree angle. So what im saying is if your going to plant the plant in at a 45 degree angle, then make sure you LST it soon after you planted it. Also make sure the roots have enough soil on them because if you plant it at an angle, as the plant gets bigger, the roots will be right against the surface of the soil, so it will stunt your plants growth. Hope this helped.

[poth_ead_homer]

nice, ty man I am gona do that wit my plants!

[Nokturnal420]

So if I do this, will I be able to grow in a space that goes only about 18 inches high?

[AGP]

how do you keep the main stem from snapping when you're hooking it to the bottom?

[OkinKun]

Originally Posted by AGP

how do you keep the main stem from snapping when you're hooking it to the bottom?

You have to start early enough in the plant's life, after the 3rd or 4th leaf set. At this point, the stem should still be soft enough, to bend without breaking. Just be gentle.

I believe it says this, in the first post.

[chuq6]

Originally Posted by DierWolf

Well here we go, LST (Low Stress Training) the ultimate way to maximize your yield.

Before we begin lets get some knowledge on what you will be looking at.

Light Brown : Pot Outline
Green thick Lines : Main Stem
Small Thin Lines with Green Balls on top : Fan leafs
Yellow Lines : Side Branches
Red : Tiedown Metal Hooks (or thread whichever item you use, i use Hooks its easier)

The Text in the box : First digit is Step No. and Second Digit is Pot Size, below the numbers is the type of view your looking at (either from the SIDE or from the TOP)


Now that thats out of the way lets get it on..

Please note, you dont have to do it this way, its just the idea of how to do LST, this is the way i did it and you can see the end result of 4 weeks of growth this way in my signature picture where it says FIM/LST. Some may opt to use the eggcrate method where you utilize an eggcrate around the pot and tie it down to that with zipties instead of using string or hooks running from the pot itself... this way you can cover more square footage and maximize your yield even more.

Ok heres the STEPS PICTURE for you to follow along with.



STEP 1 : Grow your plant from Seed or Clone to 3 or 4 leaf sets, some use 5 but i always use 3 because after 3rd leaf set the main stem starts to harden and it will be harder to bend over your plant properly without breaking the main stem.

STEP 2 : Using a metal hook (i cut small sections of cloths hanger and bend a U shape at the end as a hook) bend over your plant with metal hook at the last internode (space between the last set of fanleafs and the next to last) and stick the metal hook into your dirt to hold down the stem.

STEP 3 : This is really not a step, just waiting time... Take note of how the top of the plant that was bent down will bend back upwards towards the light, this could take anywhere from 3 hours to 1 day. Under my 1000 Watt Metal Halide light it does it in under 3 hours.

STEP 4 : Veg and dont tie down until you have a new leaf set. You will notice Side branching has started already because good light is getting to the main stem areas next to each fanleaf stem intersection with the main stem.

STEP 5 : Depending on your starting pot size you may have to transplant. If you started out with a large pot, repeat step 2 over and over again holding the main stem down with hooks until you reach the end of the pot. In this illustration to save time and drawings, i started out with a small pot and it reached the end of the pot after the first tiedown. I repotted it into a 10 inch pot which will be my final pot size for this plant in order for me to continue the LST Bends around the inside edge of the pot.

STEP 6 : Now that your new leaf set has formed you have enough length in growth since the first bend(s) to allow you to start bending the stem horizontally around the inside edge of the pot. Use metal hooks again to keep this bend in place. Side branches should be coming along very nicely.

STEP 7 : Continue repeating steps 4 and 6, allowing the plant to grow and then keep tieing it down along the inside edge of pot using metal hooks (or whatever your using) Side branches should be forming and growing up towards the light.

STEP 8 : Continue to repeat step 7 until you are all the way around the pot... when you reach the point where your plant first met the edge of the plant Top the plant (cut off the very top of the plant ) and hold it down horizontally with a metal hook.... During all this time of repeating step 7 you should also be tieing down horizontally the new branches that have formed from the main stem as much as possible until you use up as much space as possible inside the pot as well , the outter branches growing over the outside edge of the pot you can hold down as well with string to keep those tops even with the inner branches.

STEP 9 : After you have used up all possible space inside the pot (or your eggcrate) its time to just let it flower.. This is a side view of how it will and should look by that time with all the side branches growing upwards towards the light.... these will all become Collas unlike a non LST plant will only have one colla.

During flowering and even before due to lack of light on the main stem fan leafs which is all the way to the bottom almost against the soil those fanleafs will die off anyways, i usually cut these off the main stem right after the branch has grown out in that area, keeps things neat down below where you will need good airflow during flowering.. so go ahead and take off any fanleafs coming off the main stem that is going around the inside edge of the pot.

Set your timer to 12/12 and watch it bloom

There is no Step 10 in the picture but we all know what that is HARVEST!!!


I hope i shed some light on the method of LST and its benefits.


Remember check my signature 3rd pic VVVVV below on how this looks before flowering

Do you have to wait for a certain height because my pots are big and it wont reach the pot yet when I tie it down? Also what if the plant keeps growing and is about to take another lap around the pot. Cause if you got a pot that is 2' in diameter I would expect It to grow more than once around thats only like.... not very high.

[Kaworu517]

I'm going to start growing my own soon and I plan on using the LST method. This is also going to be my first time growing. I know some people feel that this may be an advanced technique, but this technique fits my living arrangements alot better than building a grow box or using my closet.

That brings up some questions I have:

How many seeds do you grow in one pot? If I start the growing in a 5 gallon pot(10" to 12" wide), do I just plant one seed right in the middle, spread out 3 or 4 seeds, or put a few seeds in the middle?

Is everything else involved with growing(ventilation, fans, lights/light cycles, etc.) still the same? Basically, the only thing that's different is that I'm tying down the stem, right?

Should I/can I start growing in one big pot? Or should I start with smaller pots and then transplant them? If I do start with smaller pots, how many should I transplant into a bigger pot(5 gallon)?

How big of a pot should I use? I only plan on growing one or two plants(maybe more in the future, depends on how well this goes...) for me and a friend. Is a 5 gallon pot overkill for two plants? Is growing two plants even worth it, or should I just start out with 4 plants?


I apologize if these questions are answered in this thread or the forum, but I've been researching alot lately and haven't seen these questions answered to the extent that I feel comfortable with. I know growing is a process that promotes learning from your mistakes, but I'd prefer to learn before I make those mistakes and to make to as less mistakes as possible.

Early thanks to anyone that helps.

[OkinKun]

Originally Posted by chuq6

Do you have to wait for a certain height because my pots are big and it wont reach the pot yet when I tie it down? Also what if the plant keeps growing and is about to take another lap around the pot. Cause if you got a pot that is 2' in diameter I would expect It to grow more than once around thats only like.... not very high.

As long as the plant is old enough to tie down, you can start. I've used U shape sections of coat hanger wire, to secure the plant to it's side via the dirt.

Unless you got a real fast grower, I dono if you'll be able to reach the full circle, but when you do, just Top the plant to stop it's main growth stem, and just let the side branches grow up.

2' in diameter? or circumference? O_o lol

[Hawaiian89]

Originally Posted by Kaworu517

I'm going to start growing my own soon and I plan on using the LST method. This is also going to be my first time growing. I know some people feel that this may be an advanced technique, but this technique fits my living arrangements alot better than building a grow box or using my closet.

That brings up some questions I have:

How many seeds do you grow in one pot? If I start the growing in a 5 gallon pot(10" to 12" wide), do I just plant one seed right in the middle, spread out 3 or 4 seeds, or put a few seeds in the middle?

Is everything else involved with growing(ventilation, fans, lights/light cycles, etc.) still the same? Basically, the only thing that's different is that I'm tying down the stem, right?

Should I/can I start growing in one big pot? Or should I start with smaller pots and then transplant them? If I do start with smaller pots, how many should I transplant into a bigger pot(5 gallon)?

How big of a pot should I use? I only plan on growing one or two plants(maybe more in the future, depends on how well this goes...) for me and a friend. Is a 5 gallon pot overkill for two plants? Is growing two plants even worth it, or should I just start out with 4 plants?


I apologize if these questions are answered in this thread or the forum, but I've been researching alot lately and haven't seen these questions answered to the extent that I feel comfortable with. I know growing is a process that promotes learning from your mistakes, but I'd prefer to learn before I make those mistakes and to make to as less mistakes as possible.

Early thanks to anyone that helps.

i always reccomend on planting no more than on seed per pot

its common sense to know the more root space u get the more nutes they can take up resulting in a bigger and better plant, by planting 2 or more in one pot u arent giving enough root space for all of the plants and their potential will not be as good as it should be

[brown_hairs]

I haven't seen many use this method. I thought u only tie the top down for a short amount of time. Not let it grow tied down. Do u have a pic of a real plant that shows this lst.

[avatarjo3]

This strategy or method of growing plants is best used for Indica type plants correct?