How-To : LST (Low Stress Training)

[ricard0]

Originally Posted by stevejobs

At what interval do I tie down branches? In the MS Paint Diagram it looks like he ties down at every new branch where as with some of the pictures there are only like 5 branches tied down.

I don't think you'll have to tie down at exact intervals, but rather stake/tie down as necessary to encourage the plant to grow where you want it to. Just keep staking the top/s to keep them from growing upwards until you want them to. Ideally, you'd like the top/s to wind up as tall as all the other branches that have now become quasi-tops. The plant will grow around the ties easily and towards the light. just try to maintain a even profile at the top of the plant as best you can. Hope that helps.

[kgarza]

can anyone help explain to me how much i should be watering throughout each set of these steps??

[thisisfunforme]

Originally Posted by kgarza

can anyone help explain to me how much i should be watering throughout each set of these steps??

it all depends on how big your pots are....,. temps....size of plant....soil... just stick ur finger in the soil if it moist then let it be if its dry then water your plant

[Cyproz]

i have 2 sets of leaves right now not including those rounded first 2. one of my leaf sets if full and the other just started, should i wait untill i get 3 full leaf sets or when?

[ricard0]

Originally Posted by Cyproz

i have 2 sets of leaves right now not including those rounded first 2. one of my leaf sets if full and the other just started, should i wait untill i get 3 full leaf sets or when?

I'd wait until you have about 6"-8" of main stalk to work with. Seedling stems are pretty delicate.

You could try putting your first stake in a bit high (at an angle that seems practical) and just let the plant grow into it. Maybe slowly adjusting the stake (.5" by .5" or whatever interval seems appropriate in proportion to growth) in the desired direction.

Sometimes you need to sacrifice one plant to the proverbial drawing board in order to gain a valuable lesson. The more you learn the more you can grow.

It's really not as complicated as it sounds. If you've ever had a garden, you know that plants are generally very resilient, and will adapt to the conditions supplied. Hope that helps.

[Tanker]

awsome im gonna try that

[groob4000]

hey do you think you could post me a pic or two of what this method looks like while the plant is flowering. thatd be great
your thread in very informative i am grateful. =]

[ricard0]

Originally Posted by groob4000

hey do you think you could post me a pic or two of what this method looks like while the plant is flowering. thatd be great
your thread in very informative i am grateful. =]

You could check out this thread at gardensecure.com---> http://www.gardenscure.com/420/train...t-example.html
It may help you.

Also, type "low stress training" in google images and your bound to get some results.

[albertkinz]

what timing for the light on/off should be used until you switch to 12/12

sorry i'm a noob, but great post btw

[Blake.]

Thanks, I've been looking for a simple, "spoonfed to you" type of tutorial.

[ricard0]

Originally Posted by albertkinz

what timing for the light on/off should be used until you switch to 12/12

sorry i'm a noob, but great post btw

18-on & 6-off is a typical light cycle for the vegetative stage of growth. 12-on &12-off is typical for the flowering stage of growth.

[ImBroken]

Originally Posted by ricard0

18-on & 6-off is a typical light cycle for the vegetative stage of growth. 12-on &12-off is typical for the flowering stage of growth.

can I, the grower, choose at any time when i want to end the veg state, or is that up to the plant/strain?

say if i switch from 18/6 to 12/12 am i forcing my plant to flower?

[ricard0]

Originally Posted by ImBroken

can I, the grower, choose at any time when i want to end the veg state, or is that up to the plant/strain?

say if i switch from 18/6 to 12/12 am i forcing my plant to flower?

Technically, yes. You, as the grower, can choose when you would like to flower. However, putting your own wants/needs above that of the plants doesn't always make for happy plants or happy growers.

Switching the light cycle to 12/12 is, in essence, the equivalent of forcing the plant to flower, but let's face it, it's kinda like going to prom and then renting a hotel room. No matter how coy she acts, she knows what's going to happen. LOL. OK, maybe that's a terrible analogy, but the point is, the plant knows what to expect and is prepared to adapt.

There are ideals for given strains (ie. 8 weeks of veg and 8 weeks of bloom will yield a certain harvest for a given strain). A typical plants' life is about 90-120 days for a contemporary setup and a good/hybrid strain. But you can technically force blooming to meet your needs.

Think about how long the summer is. It's an ideal life span, since that's what the plant would expect outside. Just like a tomato plant that is small, it won't yield much fruit. If you can, i'd say let the plant/s reach at least 18" before switching to 12/12.

[burtonblunt151]

how much would u say u get off of one plant if u use this method correctly?

[ricard0]

Originally Posted by burtonblunt151

how much would u say u get off of one plant if u use this method correctly?

Talk about an open-ended question. Yields depend on so much more than employing low stress training techniques correctly.

Take all the basics, light, temp, humidity, fresh air, co2, strain, nutes, containers, water quality, soil, etc., etc. into consideration and LST is the least of your yield worries. Nail the basics and then worry about LSTing.

The size of the plant is the first thing to consider when anticipating yields. Which is of course dependent upon the size of the root-ball, and the container it's in. -The leg bone's connected to the, knee bone-. Strain is another big one. Vigor and overall plant health will no doubt be reflected in the yield as well. The happier the plant the better it'll do in all aspects of growth.

You might want to check out one of the growing handbooks. They'll give you all the basic info. you'll need to HELP you calculate yields. Of course, the only true yardstick to go by is experience.

I'd say give it a try with one plant. Ideally a clone with a twin sister (as a control group) so you could see which one does better, if either. As long as you maintain equal conditions for both plants, you'll get the best results by which to compare, allowing for a real-time assessment of your experiment. Hope that helps.