How-to : LST (Low Stress Training)
Well here we go, LST (Low Stress
Training) the ultimate way to maximize your yield.
Before we begin lets
get some knowledge on what you will be looking at.
Light Brown : Pot
Outline
Green thick Lines : Main Stem
Small Thin Lines with Green Balls
on top : Fan leafs
Yellow Lines : Side Branches
Red : Tiedown Metal
Hooks (or thread whichever item you use, i use Hooks its easier)
The
Text in the box : First digit is Step No. and Second Digit is Pot Size, below
the numbers is the type of view your looking at (either from the SIDE or from
the TOP)
Now that thats out of the way lets get it on..
Please note, you dont have to do it this way, its just the idea of how
to do LST, this is the way i did it and you can see the end result of 4 weeks of
growth this way in my signature picture where it says FIM/LST. Some may opt to
use the eggcrate method where you utilize an eggcrate around the pot and tie it
down to that with zipties instead of using string or hooks running from the pot
itself... this way you can cover more square footage and maximize your yield
even more.
Ok heres the STEPS PICTURE for you to follow along with
STEP 1 : Grow your plant from Seed or Clone to 3 or 4 leaf sets,
some use 5 but i always use 3 because after 3rd leaf set the main stem starts to
harden and it will be harder to bend over your plant properly without breaking
the main stem.
STEP 2 : Using a metal hook (i cut small sections of
cloths hanger and bend a U shape at the end as a hook) bend over your plant with
metal hook at the last internode (space between the last set of fanleafs and the
next to last) and stick the metal hook into your dirt to hold down the stem.
STEP 3 : This is really not a step, just waiting time... Take note of
how the top of the plant that was bent down will bend back upwards towards the
light, this could take anywhere from 3 hours to 1 day. Under my 1000 Watt Metal
Halide light it does it in under 3 hours.
STEP 4 : Veg and dont tie down
until you have a new leaf set. You will notice Side branching has started
already because good light is getting to the main stem areas next to each
fanleaf stem intersection with the main stem.
STEP 5 : Depending on your
starting pot size you may have to transplant. If you started out with a large
pot, repeat step 2 over and over again holding the main stem down with hooks
until you reach the end of the pot. In this illustration to save time and
drawings, i started out with a small pot and it reached the end of the pot after
the first tiedown. I repotted it into a 10 inch pot which will be my final pot
size for this plant in order for me to continue the LST Bends around the inside
edge of the pot.
STEP 6 : Now that your new leaf set has formed you have
enough length in growth since the first bend(s) to allow you to start bending
the stem horizontally around the inside edge of the pot. Use metal hooks again
to keep this bend in place. Side branches should be coming along very nicely.
STEP 7 : Continue repeating steps 4 and 6, allowing the plant to grow
and then keep tieing it down along the inside edge of pot using metal hooks (or
whatever your using) Side branches should be forming and growing up towards the
light.
STEP 8 : Continue to repeat step 7 until you are all the way
around the pot... when you reach the point where your plant first met the edge
of the plant Top the plant (cut off the very top of the plant ) and hold it down
horizontally with a metal hook.... During all this time of repeating step 7 you
should also be tieing down horizontally the new branches that have formed from
the main stem as much as possible until you use up as much space as possible
inside the pot as well , the outter branches growing over the outside edge of
the pot you can hold down as well with string to keep those tops even with the
inner branches.
STEP 9 : After you have used up all possible space
inside the pot (or your eggcrate) its time to just let it flower.. This is a
side view of how it will and should look by that time with all the side branches
growing upwards towards the light.... these will all become Collas unlike a non
LST plant will only have one colla.
During flowering and even before due
to lack of light on the main stem fan leafs which is all the way to the bottom
almost against the soil those fanleafs will die off anyways, i usually cut these
off the main stem right after the branch has grown out in that area, keeps
things neat down below where you will need good airflow during flowering.. so go
ahead and take off any fanleafs coming off the main stem that is going around
the inside edge of the pot.
Set you timer to 12/12 and watch it
bloom.
STEP 10 :Two days before we harvest, Leave the lights OFF. dont
let light touch them. When you do this, the female plants think there
dieing(winter is comming) and extract all the Resin (THC) out of there system,
thus making stronger more potent buds with the same tast.
STEP 11:
HARVEST!! if you followed step 10 the buds will be covered in THC crystals. they
will be beautiful, have a NICE SMOKE
Make sure you have just watered your
plants, they bend easier and tend not to snap.
! hope i help some
people on the method of LST and its benefits.