LST question

There are a variety of ways to "do" LST. How long has it been bent? If more than 2-3 days I wouldn't vary from what you have already.

A really effective approach, and relatively simple, is when the plant is 12" or more tall pinch and crush it around halfway up then bend it in half, so the top goes all the way down to the soil near where the stem is coming out of the soil (like a person bent over at the waist with their legs straight touching their toes). Tie the top to the trunk but not all the way at the top, leave a couple of inches. Leave it like that, and after a couple of days the top should turn back up towards the light.

Untie it after a total of about 10 days, so it stays in the bent position. The top, which you had tied pointing straight down, should by now have turned back to the light and grown longer. Tie the top to the nearest edge of the pot. Then bring the bend in the plant, which at the moment is the tallest point of the plant, down to the opposite side of the pot from where the top is tied down, and tie the bend down there.

So you have the main stem coming up out of the soil about 2-3", making a 90 degree bend and going parallel to the soil to the pot edge, then making a 180 bend and going straight across to the other side of the pot.

Next, when the branches are long enough tie them out to the remaining side edges of the pot. Once tied there all the branch top will turn up to the light, and everything will now grow up, giving you a circle of buds all around the perimeter of the pot. Tertiary branches can be tied back toward the center, filling in the middle area of the pot.

There are many different ways to tie a plant down. The key is to create more spots that will act like a top. Good luck.

 

yeah I know +rep for toast for always being there

 

wholly crap i've gotta see how a plant grows when its been bent in HALF??!!

you dont want the stem to crease AT ALL ... have you ever harvested a classic christmas tree style plant ?
the inner stalk is hollow like a straw on a healthy plant ..so the "flow" of water, sugar, offgasses ect... is un-interupted and by folding the stalk this is suffacating that flow... DONT CRUSH THAT STRAW...BEND GENTLY ..

 

When I said to "crush" the stem I didn't mean to suggest pulverizing it. The idea is to pinch it until you hear some snapping, to break down the fibers, then you have created a weak spot where you can bend it. The pinched area will heal over in a few days with a sheathing and ultimately will be stronger than other parts of the stem. I know, the first time you do it you will be sick to your stomach and convinced you have f*cked up your grow, but the plant will do fine for the bending.

Like I said before, this is just one variation among many on LST. You don't have to pinch/crush to LST, you could just take it to a 90 degree angle so it is parallel to the soil, tie the top to the edge of the pot, and then tie out the branhes all around. This does fill the plant out around half to two-thirds of the pot but not very much directly opposite of where you tied the top. The benefit of the method I described is it fills in all the way around the pot sooner.

Given enough time either method will fill out all around the pot fully.

 

i repot 2times in soil. 1st when it blows roots out of the peat plug,or small germ pot, to a 5 gal bucket at about 3 weeks (tops) here i lay the plant on its side burying to 1st set of real leaves (so it looks like a palm tree blown down on the beach)
then gently pin it close to the dirt with hangers twigs whatever doesnt break the stem. i usually leave a little dirt out so theres 2.5 inches to the top of the pot so i can run it 1/4 to 1/2the circumferance of it. making a spiral of sorts. pinning the branches accross the pot or where ever they fit .
when they go to bud is the important step KEEPING THE CANOPY GROWING EVEN is the key .. tricking the plant into thinking that there is no more main cola , it seems to bulk ALL tops equally in potentcy ang weight..
if you let the main cola always stand taller it will be bigger n more potent