How I perform low stress training on my plants: Lots of pics!

[Amy Gardner]

Cont/...

Day 24 it was time to start tying down some side branches. This is before.

NLa LST day 24.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 26, 2020

NLa LST day 24.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 26, 2020

After

NLa LST day 24.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 26, 2020

These next were taken the morning of day 26.

NLa LST day 26.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 26, 2020

NLa LST day 26.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 26, 2020

NLa day 26.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 26, 2020

Very bushy and very tightly spaced so far. I have removed 2-3 leaves that were just in the way of everything and am trying to leaf-tuck apart from that.

I’m not sure at what stage I should start removing the lower secondary shoots on the side branches. It feels like I should do some of that now, with some of them at least, but I don’t want to over stress the plant either.

A note that these AirPots are challenging the innovations for training. I originally just hooked a bent pipe cleaner into one of the side holes and this works well, at first. It’s easy to knock it out tho so that wasnt going to be sustainable. In the end I tied a piece of hemp string around the top and have the pipe cleaners hooked over that, it seems to work!

We are no at day 31

Northern Lights auto day 30 jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 30, 2020

Preflowers are showing but still no pistils in the tips so that’s promising indeed. It still has twisty mangled growth but is maybe showing signs of growing out of that. The variegation makes the leaves look A bit deficient. I think there’s some mottling and fade but mostly it’s the variegated markings. All the tops are coming up quite evenly at the moment. It’s due for a nice hearty drench and foliar spray a few days later.

Yesterday...

Northern Lights auto day 30.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 30, 2020

Northern Lights auto day 30.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 30, 2020

And today - the variegation is clear in this pic.

Northern Lights auto day 31.jpeg

• Amy Gardner
• May 30, 2020

Thanks Shed! This is going the best yet for me, I think

Now it’s just the ‘whack-a-mole’ routine of keeping the tops even

 

[NorthernCosmos]

Looking good, Amy. That's very similar to my own, both the look of the LST style and the strain - I'm currently finishing up 4 NL Autos.

I also have a Blackberry Gum auto and a Stardawg auto of the same age as your NLs in training right now. This time around I'll be paying much closer attention to the height of the tops. I wasn't careful enough and got a bit of a slope on my previous ones, with the original top cola, off to the side, still managing to be taller than the rest, and then the rest of the tops sloping down from that, to end up with the lowest top on the opposite side of the bucket.

34 days from seed (31 and 33 days above soil) Stardawg and Blackberry:

 

[InTheShed]

Does any of that make sense or am I overcomplicating things?

Oh my god I completely forgot to circle back here when I got to my computer . I'm sure you are well past this now, but I don't think it's possible to overcomplicate things as long as you have a clear plan in your head.

I began LST on a Northern Lights Auto from @SeedsMan a bit over 2 weeks ago, following Shed’s guide here to my best ability.

Thanks Shed! This is going the best yet for me, I think

Excellent work Amy, especially with a tight and bushy plant like the NL auto (as NortherCosmos showed with his). The only thing I want to point out as less than ideal, is that the tie on the opposite side to the bend should be higher up the stem, so the first couple of inches are vertical before the bending starts. This insures that the stem-root connection is completely unstressed, where having that angle on it can put a bit of stress on the plant. Yours obviously came through with flying colors, but since this is a tutorial thread I thought I'd mention it.

 

[Amy Gardner]

the tie on the opposite side to the bend should be higher up the stem, so the first couple of inches are vertical before the bending starts

Yes, thank you. I should have mentioned that myself. I tried to put it higher earlier on but it kept slipping. I should have used a rock, like you do and like FelipeBlu noted after i posted this in my journal . I remember it was cold out at the time and I didnt want to go out and find a rock. Thankfully, as you say, it seems to have survived!

Still super twisty. The main top is a full flower now so I’ll stop bending.

 

[steffgrowsweed]

Oh my god I completely forgot to circle back here when I got to my computer . I'm sure you are well past this now, but I don't think it's possible to overcomplicate things as long as you have a clear plan in your head.

No worries I just let them do their thing and they figured it out themselves Will flip these cuties soon.

 

[NorthernCosmos]

I should have used a rock,

Usefulness of counter tie support rock confirmed - haven't done this previously and have had a couple of the counter ties slip down to soil level.

I'll be using a rock from now on too

 

[dynamo1]

rock on

 

[InTheShed]

No worries I just let them do their thing and they figured it out themselves Will flip these cuties soon.

Looks like it's gonna be one hell of a harvest!

 

[MrSauga]

OK here we go!
Hi Shed. Can you take a look at my first LST attempt. These are with the @Weedseedsexpress beans so I want to make sure things look good before I tie the others down as they grow.
I'm assuming it has to bend more but it felt pretty stiff at that point so I kinda stopped. Also is it better to start the training when the media is wet? The rock doesn't really seem to be doing much as it slides away and is not really making contact.

Lithium OG Kush #1 LST

• MrSauga
• Jul 27, 2020
• lithium og kush weedseedsexpress

Started my first attempt at LST

Lithium OG Kush #1 LST

• MrSauga
• Jul 27, 2020
• lithium og kush weedseedsexpress

A closer look at the hook up

The bottom leaf is already lifted.

 

[MrSauga]

So I started LST on my second LOGK, assuming that the first one was correct. This is how she looks.

Lithium OG Kush #2

• MrSauga
• Jul 27, 2020
• lithium og kush weedseedsexpress

Start of LST

Lithium OG Kush #2

• MrSauga
• Jul 27, 2020
• lithium og kush weedseedsexpress

 

[BigD13]

I’m not sure about anyone else, but I’ve found that I like a bigger, more round rock than what you’re using.

I can’t really tell if you are doing it or not but I also try and follow Shed’s advice about waiting to bend until the stem will be close to even with the top edge of the pot after it's bent.

 

[MrSauga]

I’m not sure about anyone else, but I’ve found that I like a bigger, more round rock than what you’re using.

I can’t really tell if you are doing it or not but I also try and follow Shed’s advice about waiting to bend until the stem will be close to even with the top edge of the pot after it's bent.

I must have missed that point!

 

[MrSauga]

Now I wait until the stem will be close to even with the top edge of the pot after it's bent.

OK, well if I do that the branch will overhang the pot. I probably should have started sooner which would have brought the bend down lower.

 

[BigD13]

OK, well if I do that the branch will overhang the pot.

To me, it doesn’t matter if it will overhang the pot. It will eventually start growing up. You just need to make sure that it's not higher than the rest of the plant so that it will stimulate growth of the other branches.

 

[InTheShed]

I'm assuming it has to bend more but it felt pretty stiff at that point so I kinda stopped. Also is it better to start the training when the media is wet? The rock doesn't really seem to be doing much as it slides away and is not really making contact.

If you're using two ties (like you are), the rock's job is on the other side of the stem, to keep the support wire from sliding down. I want you to slide those support wires further up the stem so the bottom of the trunk has no lean at all.

And if the stem is stiff, it just takes an extra day to get it flat.

follow Shed’s advice about waiting to bend until the stem will be close to even with the top edge of the pot after it's bent.

This ^ . Thanks Big D!

To me, it doesn’t matter if it will overhang the pot. It will eventually start growing up. You just need to make sure that it's not higher than the rest of the plant so that it will stimulate growth of the other branches.

The idea is actually to get the top lower than the rest of the plant so the plant thinks it doesn't have a top at all. Level won't have the same effect on auxin distribution. That's the reason for waiting until the main stem is taller, otherwise you're always heading up toward the outside of the pot rather than down to it.

 

[MrSauga]

If you're using two ties (like you are), the rock's job is on the other side of the stem, to keep the support wire from sliding down.

If I look at the pics on page one your rock is on the same side so I'm confused. If it's just to keep the tie from sliding then I can see the rock is not ideal for the stem.


I repositioned the ties as you requested. When you say you want the top of the stem even with the edge of the pot are you referring to the bend? The radius where the plant is bent needs to be even with the edge?
Here's the pics after adjustments.

Lithium OG Kush #1

• MrSauga
• Jul 28, 2020
• lithium og kush weedseedsexpress

Lithium OG Kush #2

• MrSauga
• Jul 28, 2020
• lithium og kush weedseedsexpress

 

[732002]

MrSauga: I tend to LST later and tie as high as possible. That way you are pulling down more than sideways.
This gives more of a parabolic curve even without a rock.

 

[MrSauga]

MrSauga: I tend to LST later and tie as high as possible. That way you are pulling down more than sideways.
This gives more of a parabolic curve even without a rock.

Ya I'll probably let my other two grow taller before starting the bend. I can see why it would make more sense and probably easier to work with too. They are tied as high as possible now. The #2 plant actually has two ties on the lean side at different nodes.
Thanks.

 

[InTheShed]

If I look at the pics on page one your rock is on the same side so I'm confused. If it's just to keep the tie from sliding then I can see the rock is not ideal for the stem.

Don't get so hung up on one photograph. That rock is actually supporting the wire tie to keep it from slipping. I'm just recommending that you put yours on the opposite side.

The radius where the plant is bent needs to be even with the edge?

The bend needs to begin high enough so that you can eventually tie the top of the plant lower than the lowest growth you want to encourage.

 

[MrSauga]

The bend needs to begin high enough so that you can eventually tie the top of the plant lower than the lowest growth you want to encourage.

Should I remove the ties then and let her grow up a bit more or just keep training her down? I think it's high enough right now but hard to judge since it's my first time.