# Advanced LST - old school Bonsai style



## fdd2blk (Mar 13, 2008)

a good friend of mine thought me this technique years ago. it's actually very simple and quite effective. 


start with some simple stainless steel wire which should be available at any hardware store.



add a pair of clippers and a nice tall clone.



pull a length of wire longer than the branch you plan to work with. clip it.





now comes the gentle part. 

ever so carefully wrap the wire in loose loops around the full length of the stem.







by leaving the wires long you can allow for future growth. 


now comes the fun part.

now that the branch is wired you can simply bend it into the desired shape you seek. 









these plants are being vegged under 500 watts of MH. they will be placed outside in the ground in about a month. i will be building a screen for them to grow thru. gonna be some nice little hedges by the time i'm done.


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## WormSlayer (Mar 13, 2008)

Awesome, look forward to seeing how it flowers up! I was just talking to a friend about bonsai plants a couple of hours ago


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## Manny Ramirez (Mar 13, 2008)

very good idea that was......


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## TheOrangeJuicer (Mar 13, 2008)

that is a brilliant idea


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## Bamm Bamm (Mar 13, 2008)

Its really cool to check out in person how crazy the plants are growing all these directions I was amazed staring at them for days yesterday.. I hope they don't term hermie on ya=)


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## greatdayn19 (Mar 14, 2008)

sick im doing the same thing with my diesel which is a sativa phenotype will post pictures soon


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## rollingafatty (Mar 14, 2008)

i might try LST on an ouside plant...just tie a piece of that wire to a heavy rock and just bend the plant over


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## t0k3s (Mar 14, 2008)

rollingafatty said:


> i might try LST on an ouside plant...just tie a piece of that wire to a heavy rock and just bend the plant over


just dont trip the wire


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## fdd2blk (Mar 15, 2008)

you all realize these will go in the ground outside in about a month? 




  



if you wrap the wire around a pencil then slide the pencil out you can make a screw. hold the stem and wire between your fingers and twirl and push. it will screw down wrapping around the stem as it goes. then just bend it around the main stalk to hold in place. i can make any shape i desire.


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## girlyhits (Mar 15, 2008)

This is a beautiful and simplistic idea - you rock for sharing it  I like being able to place the branches exactly where i want them for space and maximizing light indoors as well. I'm gonna try it out on future plants.


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## GoodFriend (Mar 15, 2008)

10 ft plants my friend... they're gonna be bushes when you put them out... haha...


so basically... your LST'ing your plants... =]

i do the bonzais for my moms...


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## fdd2blk (Mar 15, 2008)

lumberjack_ian said:


> 10 ft plants my friend... they're gonna be bushes when you put them out... haha...
> 
> 
> so basically... your LST'ing your plants... =]
> ...



i'm putting them in the ground and throwing a screen over them. scrog.


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## GoodFriend (Mar 15, 2008)

fdd2blk said:


> i'm putting them in the ground and throwing a screen over them. scrog.


haha

that'll be interesting


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## BIGMIKE13 (Mar 15, 2008)

i think he is using the wire for lightning rods....he does grow trees......


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## t0k3s (Mar 15, 2008)

BIGMIKE13 said:


> i think he is using the wire for lightning rods....he does grow trees......


franken weed


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## Coors (Mar 18, 2008)

I like it!!!!


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## oskiwosky (Mar 21, 2008)

i wanna try


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## buster7467 (Mar 21, 2008)

I did this technique on my plants today. It was so simple but i would have never even thought about doing it like this. I am finaly able to position all the bud sites in direct light from the hps. I consider it something like a SCROG but you are able to remove the plants from the grow room when needed. Can't do that with a SCROG. Thanks for posting how to do this.


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## mexiblunt (Mar 21, 2008)

Thanks for sharing. great idea! As you've seen with the sideways daze and some other training I've done you know I'm not afraid lol, but this looks like an even better way than I've seen before. Can't wait till next hmmm oct/nov


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## buster7467 (Mar 21, 2008)

Yea, this has to be the easiest way of LST that i have seen. The only problem that i had was when i was putting my last plant back in the grow room. A branch from the plant right next to it got tangled with the plant i was moving and i broke one of the lower branches clean off. It was a big one. Oh well, i accept the setbacks like that while i am learning new things. I am going to do this to all of my grows in the future.


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## doctorRobert (Mar 21, 2008)

how strong does the wire have to be, how big will the plants get? I might do this when I do my next grow just clip then wire then in the dirt next to em, how will this effect the when they get big? are you puttin' this in your herb garden fdd?


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## hungryman1986 (Mar 21, 2008)

dude i am more than excited to see how these plants develop. i am doing a current classical LST grow right now and am excited about that but looking at this....this seems much easier to do/maintain


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## fdd2blk (Mar 21, 2008)

doctorRobert said:


> how strong does the wire have to be, how big will the plants get? I might do this when I do my next grow just clip then wire then in the dirt next to em, how will this effect the when they get big? are you puttin' this in your herb garden fdd?


in the ground, yes.


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## edux10 (Mar 21, 2008)

Thats really cool. I saw a high times where they had a garden of bonsi. It would be cool to keep it as a mom and take a lot of clippings and get the branches really thick..


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## hungryman1986 (Mar 21, 2008)

i am a little confused as to how this ties into the screen. to be honest i don't even understand what the screen does.


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## fdd2blk (Mar 21, 2008)

hungryman1986 said:


> i am a little confused as to how this ties into the screen. to be honest i don't even understand what the screen does.




the screen will be a 3 x 3 foot square laid flat on legs about 3 feet above the ground. it will be like a coffee table with a screen top. i will place it over the plant. as the plant grows i will weave the branches thru the screen to spread and support them. then they will start to grow side branches which will grow straight up. by the time it flowers it should be a table full of colas.


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## fdd2blk (Mar 22, 2008)

looking good.......


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## GoodFriend (Mar 22, 2008)

fdd2blk said:


> looking good.......View attachment 88710 View attachment 88711


i must ask... what exactly inspired you to do an outdoor scrog in the first place?


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## hungryman1986 (Mar 22, 2008)

totally understand now thanks and yes looking nice can't wait to see the table full of colas....are you putting just the one plant under the screen or are there going to be more?


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## fdd2blk (Mar 22, 2008)

lumberjack_ian said:


> i must ask... what exactly inspired you to do an outdoor scrog in the first place?



because i never have.


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## pasadenabri (Mar 22, 2008)

Nice Easter Bunny FDD!!! I have seen that avatar a few times and I didn't notice what it was...Thanks for sharing the technique!


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## ripper (Mar 23, 2008)

thats fookin brilliant! Be much easier than using twine, i'll defo use it in my current grow cause im low on height.


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## Tokesalot (Mar 23, 2008)

mmmm. scrog+lst. sounds hawt


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## willgrow1day (Mar 25, 2008)

nice...........


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## Coors (Apr 8, 2008)

Hey FDD, How is this one coming along?


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## fdd2blk (Apr 8, 2008)

Coors said:


> Hey FDD, How is this one coming along?


they are in the ground. jump to here........https://www.rollitup.org/outdoor-growing/45900-fdd-s-starting-early-outdoor.html


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## White Widow Woman (Apr 26, 2008)

This was an awesome tutorial - sorta LST meets bonsai... lol

Anyway I gave it a try on a couple of my plants last week, using just the little plastic coated twist ties that come in the 100 ft rolls from the garden center. Normally, I just bend my plants over in 1 direction and tie them down, then pull in the opposite direction with another piece of twist tie.

But I used your technique this time and I am loving it. My plants look like little bonsai plants and I have a crap load of growing shoot all over the place, cause I FIMed them before starting the tie-down.

Super awesome info!!! It's been added to my knowledgebase...

Widow


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## kochab (Apr 27, 2008)

so these wires dont become a problem when the plant gets to be 8ft tall and the stalks are huge. I mean like a rope or chain thats grown into a tree or something?


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## fdd2blk (Apr 27, 2008)

kochab said:


> so these wires dont become a problem when the plant gets to be 8ft tall and the stalks are huge. I mean like a rope or chain thats grown into a tree or something?



i'm scrogging them thru a screen. i will remove the wire once they reach the screen.


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## kochab (Apr 28, 2008)

fdd2blk said:


> i'm scrogging them thru a screen. i will remove the wire once they reach the screen.


hmm. if that turns out alright I might use some of that scrog out in the bush where I plant.
Ive done the scrog before but it seemed like too much of a hassel to fuck with anymore because it only helped a little (the time i did it it was indoors though....)
im interested in seeing an outdoor scrog. Ive heard that they give good results but I havent ever seen one done myself.

good luck with that too by the way


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## raeman1990 (May 1, 2008)

this is just sick... so much easier to posistion than tying hundreds of strings


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## 40acres (May 1, 2008)

I want to actually try to form one of the shapes with the plant. I think a cascade would be really cool. I often thought about it with cfl's because you can maneuver them.


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## fdd2blk (May 1, 2008)

40acres said:


> I want to actually try to form one of the shapes with the plant. I think a cascade would be really cool. I often thought about it with cfl's because you can maneuver them.


make a giraffe.


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## The Stig (May 1, 2008)

nice now I now what to do with some of my spare clones, thanks fdd 

Big bud bonsai coming soon haha


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## 40acres (May 1, 2008)

wtf? 


that was pretty good.


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## PlasmaRadio (May 3, 2008)

Brilliant. I definitely going to use this technique, also I think this post deserves a bump.

Hollah!


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## regrets (May 3, 2008)

hey there fdd, I know you are a busy man and always so helpful on this site, but could you either post an updated pic of this plant on this thread or give us a page number for that thread you sent us to. It's just a bit difficult to look through 50 pages of a thread to find a picture of this specific plant. Beautifully simple idea.


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## Seamaiden (May 3, 2008)

I had a friend (head of security for Disneyland of all things) who was a masterful aquarist and even better grower. He bonsai'd all his plants, but did most of it via trimming. They were literally dwarfed Cannabis, with dwarf-sized buds and everything.

This is actually a variation of what I'm thinking of trying, although at times ScrOG seems a bit easier, too. Fortunately I don't have to make up my mind just yet.


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## 40acres (May 3, 2008)

I am growing in a smaller space, and want to use the most of it. I am trying sog in the bottom middle section, and i am lst'ing to capture any of the light from the top and the sides. Kinda like a canopy around the sides and sides of the top.Seems to be working pretty good for me.


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## t0k3s (May 4, 2008)

regrets said:


> hey there fdd, I know you are a busy man and always so helpful on this site, but could you either post an updated pic of this plant on this thread or give us a page number for that thread you sent us to. It's just a bit difficult to look through 50 pages of a thread to find a picture of this specific plant. Beautifully simple idea.


 this page,third post.has and array of good pictures


https://www.rollitup.org/outdoor-growing/45900-fdd-s-starting-early-outdoor-59.html


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## fdd2blk (May 4, 2008)

regrets said:


> hey there fdd, I know you are a busy man and always so helpful on this site, but could you either post an updated pic of this plant on this thread or give us a page number for that thread you sent us to. It's just a bit difficult to look through 50 pages of a thread to find a picture of this specific plant. Beautifully simple idea.


i have 7 of them in the ground that i'm doing this to. just go to the last page. they are my outdoor plants for the year. 
https://www.rollitup.org/outdoor-growing/45900-fdd-s-starting-early-outdoor-20.html


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## Juntistik (Oct 14, 2008)

Hey Fdd, could this technique be used two weeks into flowering on a 3-4 ft tall sativa? someone i know is really running out of space and needs to do something quick, this method seems much safer/easier than trying to attach it to something ground level at this point


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## fdd2blk (Oct 14, 2008)

Juntistik said:


> Hey Fdd, could this technique be used two weeks into flowering on a 3-4 ft tall sativa? someone i know is really running out of space and needs to do something quick, this method seems much safer/easier than trying to attach it to something ground level at this point



i doubt it. the branches will be to stiff to bend.


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## Tamzi (Oct 14, 2008)

hi FDD 

i would love too ask a few questions. 

i myself am doing an LST plant it was seeded on 9th september and 7 days ago started showing female pre flowers. i have my female in an 8 inch pot only and did not expect her too flower within a month. to be honnest i could have an autoflower but i am not sure. the plant had never seen a 12/12 and only ever grown under a 15hr light regime with 2x 20w CFL. 

my plant if was growing skywards would be around 1.5 foot high. as soon as i noticed the pre flowers i also noted the plant producing alot of side shoots and these are nearly as tall as the main top, plant has been trained around the outside of the 8 inch round pot. but these side shoots i am worried about. they just keep growing higher and higher.

is it possible too train these young sideshoots coming from the nodes. at the moment i have been putting all my effort into keeping the plant as low as possible. i also have problem with large fan leaves also looking/climbing towards the lights and cutting off light too the lower nodes. i am realy out of my depth now so would like your advice on what i should do. im realy scared of trying too tie down the very fragile side shoots. they are around 2 - 3 inch high. the whole plant itself is no more than 3 inch high maxium and i am growing out of space real quick in this pot. would i be safe too re pot her when she is flowering ? should i remove these side shoots and clone them or will they make new cola's/tops.

soil grow
babybio 10-4-1 ferts
LST from 1 week old with a max hight of 3 inches ( whole plant)
8 inch pot 
12/12 over 4 days now

tamzi


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## fdd2blk (Oct 14, 2008)

Tamzi said:


> hi FDD
> 
> i would love too ask a few questions.
> 
> ...


you can tie the side shoots down or take cuttings, either will work.

those leaves aren't blocking light they are collecting light. the plant uses this to grow.

you can repot it as well.


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## Tamzi (Oct 14, 2008)

awesome and thank you FDD 

only the first 3 nodes have sideshoots around 3 inch high. the other side shoots are showing but are taking longer too grow, they are no way anywhere in high too the others. i try keeping the top of plant higher than the sideshoots. i was told plant puts energy too the tallest point so this should be the top. but all the lower (3nodes) shoots are outgrowing everything else. took your advice and tied down the taller sideshoots

thank you 

Tamzi


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## CaNNaBiZNeSS (Oct 15, 2008)

thats exactly what i did, its actually the first thing that came into my mind for stress training, and i dont think i would do it any other way now? it worked out quite well


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## CaNNaBiZNeSS (Oct 15, 2008)

oh yeah, and fucking right faded i cant even believe you actually finished trimming, it must have taken hours on end, upon hours.


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## "SICC" (Nov 29, 2008)

nice FDD


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## kaste (Nov 30, 2008)

This method is also used 4 bending flexible water pipes so they don't brake


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## funkdocKT (Dec 1, 2008)

very cool...seen LST done much simpler but good none the less...


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## Dr. Greenhorn (Apr 24, 2009)

had to ressurect this thread again!!!just in time for long season too!!thats sharp Fdd....real sharp. ScROG, here I come!!!


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## fdd2blk (Apr 24, 2009)

i forgot all about this. cool way to grow. maybe if i get some heavy wire i can do it outside.


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## Dr. Greenhorn (Apr 24, 2009)

what I'm trying to learn, you allready forgot....go figure?! LOL


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## t0k3s (Apr 24, 2009)

fdd2blk said:


> i forgot all about this. cool way to grow. maybe if i get some heavy wire i can do it outside.


That would be tight as hell,a 7ft bonsai tree would turn some heads


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## dirt clean (Apr 24, 2009)

reps fdd for the wire idea. I have been just using zip with notches to tie the plant to itself at 180 degree angles. This wil be better.

edit: never mind the reps, I must spread it around.


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## t0k3s (Apr 24, 2009)

dirt clean said:


> reps fdd for the wire idea. I have been just using zip with notches to tie the plant to itself at 180 degree angles. This wil be better.
> 
> edit: never mind the reps, I must spread it around.


Safety wire works good,its sold at any hard ware store or home improvement store


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## brick20 (Apr 26, 2009)

fdd2blk said:


> a good friend of mine thought me this technique years ago. It's actually very simple and quite effective.
> 
> 
> Start with some simple stainless steel wire which should be available at any hardware store.
> ...


yep, ill be using this in the future


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