Low Stress Training (LST) Guide

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
I prefer not to top my plants due to the stress it puts on them. Dont get me wrong topping can be a great method, but it can also turn a plant hermie. I prefer not to take this risk, but topping a plant, and then LSTing the two new shoots can work and turn out amazing plants.
Topping does not stress plants any more than tieing them up with "balls and chains". Topping will not turn a plant hermie, there is no stress involved except to the noob who's never done it before. If you have any scientific evidence of such, I'd be interested. A stress situation is underwatering as opposed to re-directing hormones.

"LST" is an oxymoron, a loose (but mind engrossing term) made up in a cannabis forum. I run bi-lateral cordons on grapevines in which the fruiting wood comes off the prostrate cordon. Same thing, it's all about training.

BTW, I top almost all my plants and the only time I might get hermies is with equatorial stock like Dalat Vietnames or Mex.....that's just what they do many times.

FWIW, I'll not be a slave to my plants with such training methods as SCROG or LST, but to each his own. ;)

Thanks,
UB
 

Unnk

Well-Known Member
Topping does not stress plants any more than tieing them up with "balls and chains". Topping will not turn a plant hermie, there is no stress involved except to the noob who's never done it before. If you have any scientific evidence of such, I'd be interested. A stress situation is underwatering as opposed to re-directing hormones.

"LST" is an oxymoron, a loose (but mind engrossing term) made up in a cannabis forum. I run bi-lateral cordons on grapevines in which the fruiting wood comes off the prostrate cordon. Same thing, it's all about training.


BTW, I top almost all my plants and the only time I might get hermies is with equatorial stock like Dalat Vietnames or Mex.....that's just what they do many times.

FWIW, I'll not be a slave to my plants with such training methods as SCROG or LST, but to each his own. ;)

Thanks,
UB
i toped mine as well and and simply planting the root base in horizontaly solves the problem of having to bend them with just puting hte hanger their to stop the stem from rising up in 3 days all the hormones redirected them selves not a single sign of any stress to the planting technique i do agree though toping doesnt cause stress to the point of hermie but you can KILL a plant by over toping them to death seen it done before by my buddy who just learned about toping but not about the auxin and apical dominance and he massacered his blue mom he was just starting up and it never recovered lol
 

Rollbluntz

Well-Known Member
Topping does not stress plants any more than tieing them up with "balls and chains". Topping will not turn a plant hermie, there is no stress involved except to the noob who's never done it before. If you have any scientific evidence of such, I'd be interested. A stress situation is underwatering as opposed to re-directing hormones.

"LST" is an oxymoron, a loose (but mind engrossing term) made up in a cannabis forum. I run bi-lateral cordons on grapevines in which the fruiting wood comes off the prostrate cordon. Same thing, it's all about training.

BTW, I top almost all my plants and the only time I might get hermies is with equatorial stock like Dalat Vietnames or Mex.....that's just what they do many times.

FWIW, I'll not be a slave to my plants with such training methods as SCROG or LST, but to each his own. ;)

Thanks,
UB

Okay so I wasn't hating on topping at all man. Your a well respected grower and I have read your topping method, and I appreciate your opinion on the matter. I just don't see why you have to come in here hating on LST and calling people noobs. This whole thread is opinionated and in no way was I saying LST is better or anything like that. As for scientific? How would you define stress exactly I would like to know. When I said the hermaphrodite statement earlier, I will slightly rephrase that. Topping, if done wrong can hermie a plant, and again you are right about me not knowing the absolute way to top a plant. All I said was "I prefer not to". I may try it in the future who knows, but for now I will stick to the so called "ball and chains" instead of the "knife and axe". :P

To me if you cut a plants top off, and it has to repair itself over a few days and repair that cut, that sounds like stress to me? Don't get me wrong it does do the same thing as LST really and spreads hormones, but the plant also has to REPAIR the wounds. When I tie a plant I see no wounds for it to fix? When someone ties a plant down it corrects itself in a couple hours, so to me it sounds like the tie down has it when it comes to recovery time. But hey opinions are like assholes everyones got one right?
 

kingofqueen

Well-Known Member
:clap:Good job man ! That was well written , clear and concise , and I like that you explained different methods for tieing them down . I'm new to growing mmj but not new to growing . I agree that LST is less stress than other methods (topping,fim) . But for those who want to butcher their plants ,and invite disease and pests to achieve the same thing , go ahead wait on it to heal while our plants recover in a few hours . But thats just my opinion right?
Or is it fact ? Mabey someone will provide some research on this ? :)

This started off as a well written thread then quickly got polluted with well you know !:clap: :clap:
 

Uncle Ben

Well-Known Member
Plant doesn't repair any wounds other than sealing the cut and then redirecting the auxins to dormant buds. No stress involved. The act of sealing the wound and redirecting the auxins is two different, not related plant functions.
 

Rollbluntz

Well-Known Member
Plant doesn't repair any wounds other than sealing the cut and then redirecting the auxins to dormant buds. No stress involved. The act of sealing the wound and redirecting the auxins is two different, not related plant functions.
Alright man thanks for the replies and input.
 

Rollbluntz

Well-Known Member
can you lst a plant a good ways and fim the new shoots?
Honestly I don't know. I haven't ever tried fim'ing and I haven't read much about it but from what I do know about it I don't see why you couldn't. It seems logical it would work just like lst+topping etc. But before you try I would consult someone who knows more about the art of fim'ing than me.
 

Rollbluntz

Well-Known Member
I like to get 3 at the least 5or6 is ideal that's when dealing with space. It all depends on your space and what your shooting for but I like 5. You don't want the plant to be too sturdy lanky plants work really well. Always lst about 30 minutes after watering because I believe it helps with the bendiness
 
Ya my Lemon Skunk is just showing the third on day 23,but its growing really stuby, I have been feeding it nutes for about a week and a few days.I have it in a airstone bucket and have a top feed drip going but only turns on 2 times a day for 15 minutes, would that mean since using hydro I can start LSTn whenever or only when the top feed comes on? Should I raise my flouros to try n force vertical growth?
 

Rollbluntz

Well-Known Member
Well you could lst that plant anytime really where it's hydro. As for you vertical growth problem if the plant is healthy then I wouldn't force it to stretch out. No matter what it's putting growth into something and those nodes will eventually form.
 
True that! Thanks for all the input.I guess I may be getting antsy. Is there particular amount of space between nodes that you wait for before you lst?
 

Hudsonvalley82

Well-Known Member
I can't thank you enough for this article, it just makes so much sense, and this is my first grow on a crash course with height/stress issues. This may have just saved me, Ill post more later.
 
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