Low stress training has been used in agriculture for centuries and is one aspect in the process of making bonsai trees. As a very easy to perform technique, LST is now widely recognised across the cannabis industry for its advantages in the grow room.
A cannabis plant's structure is normally tall, with one long cola that extends past a number of lower, surrounding branches. These lower branches do not have as much access to light and often end up producing smaller buds. LST can help to solve this 'problem' and we want to show you how. This article teaches you how you can use low stress training to get the most out of your space without hurting your ladies.
Low stress training (LST) is a technique used by growers to manipulate the shape and size of their cannabis plants by bending and tying branches to increase efficiency and yields. Performing LST results in a short but wide plant structure with a flat canopy, which means buds can make better use of the light and space available to them.
Although commonly used together, LST does not wound a plant like high stress techniques (HST) such as topping or defoliation do. It is a gradual process that does not involve cutting and is more about guiding the plant rather than removing foliage.
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High Stress Training (HST) |
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Whether one is growing indoors or outdoors, there are a few reasons why you might choose to apply training techniques to your garden. Let's take a look at some of the benefits of LST and how it could improve your grow.
Low stress training is simple to do provided you use the correct materials. Fortunately, LST isn't complicated and just requires consistency on your part. You need to be constantly making adjustments to the positioning of branches so they grow in the right direction and end up being the same height.
Growers will often 'top' their cannabis plant before starting LST which involves snipping off the newest shoot of the main stem. Topping breaks the upward growth pattern and helps to reduce plant height so lateral branches have a chance to catch up in height.
A cannabis plant focuses growth at the top bud through a hormone called auxin, which determines the vertical structure of the main cola. This means the goal of LST is to manipulate the plant so auxin is distributed more evenly across the canopy, creating more top buds.
LST should be performed during the vegetative stage, and can begin as early as you want once the plant has a few sets of leaves. The plant will grow regardless of whether we do LST or not, so essentially we are just giving it a path to follow. Growth may be slightly slower, but the point is to increase light distribution and bud production, which is worth the effort.
5 Steps to Perform LST on Cannabis Plants:
If LST has been applied properly during vegging, the canopy will be levelled by flowering so it is not really necessary to do further manipulation. You may need to do additional training during the explosive stretch at the beginning of flowering, so keep an eye out on the canopy and make small adjustments if needed.
It is not recommended to use LST after the first 2 or 3 weeks of the flowering phase because plants need to focus their energy on bud production. Stems are more rigid during flowering, and there is a higher risk of them snapping if they are bent, which would affect the overall yield.
Low Stress Technique (LST) by MELs_Garden from GrowDiaries
If you are thinking about trying LST, it is a good idea to prepare your containers or pots before starting the grow. Planning ahead can give you an idea of how you might want to tie branches down or support growth along the way.
Pots - Holes can be drilled around the rim of the pot and used to hold branches in place using soft ties. Alternatively, you can use bamboo sticks or a wire ring fixed around the edge of the grow medium or on the outside of the pot.
ScrOG - This technique uses a growing net to keep plants positioned at a certain level. Branches can be 'held down' by the net or fed through it to even out the canopy.
Choose plants that can handle LST - Some strains are better suited to training techniques. Select resilient plants that are not prone to difficulties when put under stress.
Don't worry if a branch snaps when you bend it. Cannabis plants can survive this type of damage unless the branch has completely broken off. Bandage the wound with masking tape, give it some support, and it should heal (and possibly be even stronger than it was before).
If you know your strains well, trying some low stress techniques in your garden can definitely pay off. As well as giving you full control over the size and shape of your garden, you are able to harvest even more big buds at the end of it, making it a great practice for any horticulturalist.
Did you find this article useful? Share your thoughts and ideas about low stress training in the comments section below!
Apical dominance. Current Biology. - Barbier, Francois & Dun, Elizabeth & Beveridge, Christine. (2017).
Auxin and Sexuality in Cannabis sativa. Physiologia Plantarum. - Heslop‐Harrison, J. (2006)
This article was updated September 2020.