I hope this little tute will help some of ya'll with your shaping/LST worries.

The object is to have something like this (pic1) when you go to 12/12. This plant is 30+"'s across and less than a foot tall.
I called her Henry. She's dead, but sacrificed her life so I could ensure a thriving WRhino strain.




I use these tools, plus duct tape

Using too thin a material around a branch can cause contusions, abrasions, etc . . . open bark skin invites disease.






This is the plant we'll shape/train. See how the lower growth wouldn't be getting enough light to be productive?


Your indica plants would almost always be bushier than the sativa pictured, thus even less light would reach bottom.




Note the tallest branch and bring it into the general area it will be. This will be your tallest point (ideally). Common sense should dictate how far down you can make your initial tie without breaking the branch at the stalk or causing it to crease.
The plant doesn't mind, in fact, appreciates the new space. Be firm, but gentle.








Get your tie and tape ready. Tying anything around a bushy branch can be tough. Tape allows one handed secured loop.





Back to the plant, bring your tallest branch into position.
Note strip(s) of tape handy on container.







OK, Now let's take that tape, wrap the string loose around the stem to make a loop then the tape around the string to hold it together. See that most of the branch is still in my hand, behind my thumb. I'll be holding it in position to gauge my tie length needs.







Now pull the branch down and fix it to the planter w/tape.








It'll look like this when you release the branch, perhaps







Ok, now . . . let's grab the biggest branch on the other side and line it up with the height of the already tied-down branch.
The closest hand is on the secured branch, the other sizing up the next target.





Now, simply do this too all branches long enough to matter in the canopy. The smaller stuff will catch up now that they have light. You'll end up with something like these next pics. First, right after finishing. 2nd next day.



Here's a closer shot from above . . . see the ties? I even duct taped the junction (see?) so the plant might not split down the middle if it gets too laden with goodies!





and finally, here's a day later and a few days after that . . . see how the need for light causes the branches to start reaching to eventually become a even-ish canopy? As growth continues, you can adjust the ties to keep things as you wish.





That's it! With a little practice, you too can do this anytime you want.
Fred42days . . . same plant as one at top, before 100 gm cured harvest, under plain fluros.

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. . . if I die before I wake, feed Jake . . . he's been a good dog . . .

haha that sucks

Great thread, lots of help

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http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...-3-cheeze.html
http://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...ml#post1368590

very nice tutorial and bush produced. +rep for mrfishy

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Organic Scroghttp://www.rollitup.org/grow-journal...flowering.html SHROOM GROWhttp://www.rollitup.org/hallucinator...ml#post1287714

MrFishy nice thats good info I love tying up my plants does it stress the plant much? meaning will it slow it down at all? The reason I ask is I start to train mine when their clones, that makes topping them lets say annoying, and they end up on one side growing along the ground...leads to plant tipping in flower..with your way the plant has some size when you start to train and remains round and dosen't need support..anyway is it streefull or not really noticable? will try just started to train replacement for my other girl Thanx

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Play safe

Nice mr fishy... how long did you vegg before lst and how long after?

edit: it looks like it was flowering already ..

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1st hydro grow, Seedsman White Widow fem.

That plant's a sativa I didn't want, thus the later-than-preferred shaping. I was gonna tie it down for my kid anyway, so decided to snap a few pix cuz' people wonder.
It also was never lit or outside . . . a clone I had from a disappointing strain. Just grown by not-particularly bright windows.

I noticed no real slowdown. Just the time it takes for the canopy to even up as the tethered branches reach for sun/light.
Here's a plant (pic) of a WRhino I'm keeping outdoors. Two days ago, it was about 6-8 flower spikes (cola branches). Tied her down. Doing great. Pic 36 hours old.

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. . . if I die before I wake, feed Jake . . . he's been a good dog . . .

Thanks for posting this tute, very interesting. + rep

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Good seed, dirt, light, water, what's the big deal?

heck yeah thats what I was thinking just the few days for them to right themselfs guess I'm going to give it a run. thanks again

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Play safe

Great tutorial MrFishy, +rep.

And I agree, Cr8z13 please move your info to a new thread. It's good info but it doesn't belong here.

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Grow 006 - Generic seeds: 4 White Widow, 2 Mazar/Afgan, 1 Bubblegum