Plant training: Difference between revisions

LST shouldcan be applied as soon as the plant has 2one nodesnode, as this is when it is flexible and not brittle. One of the best options with LST is to try to make the main stem grow sideways so that most of the branches aren't in the shadow of the main canopy, as they would be if the canopy iswas directly above.

Paper clips can be used to pin the stem down as it grows. This greatly reduces the height of the plant by training branches to grow laterally. This method is better suited to more compact mediums like soil, as pins require some friction to stay in place. Pinning should start as soon as there is a long enough stem to pin. You can grow a seedling in low light to increase the stem stretching in the seedling phase. This can increase the inter-nodal distance, giving your branches more space later on in flowering.

Here, the plant is kept low to the soil with blue paper clips. See how the clips can be used to twist the main stem as it grows so that all nodes can emerge parallel to the soil

Ponytailing is the process of tying leaves up in a bunch together to remove the shade they create. This also leads to the ponytailed stem receiving less light and stretching more as a result. This can be done with small cable ties or paper clips.

===DefoilatingDefoliating===

SimplyDefoliating is simply the process of removing accessexcess leaves. If there are too many leaves, the humidity can become too high and also fan leaves that do not create buds can shade other branches that will bear buds. Take care to not to prune whenexcessively once the plant is a few weeks into flowering, as thisthe leaves will not regrow, negatively impact yield.

StrippingThis is the process of stripping all small buds and leaves from a branch except those at the top of the canopy, so that the branch resembles a lollipop. The idea is that the plant will spend more resources on the cola at the top of the stem, as less is wasted on small "popcorn" buds that will not yield much as they are in the shade of the canopy. This technique is more suited to photo flowering strains, as they have more time to recover from the process. Alternatively, smaller buds can be left onto thecontinue plantgrowing toafter growan largerinitial afterharvest of the main colas, areuntil harvestedthey andare thenmature removedenough infor a second passharvest.

ScrOG or Screen of Green is a training method where a large nettrellis (screen) is placed over the cultivar so that the branches can be more easily shaped to form a flat canopy. This technique is often paired with mainlingmainlining.