LST vs Topping - Yield Question

[Gummy Bear]

Will LST increase my yield? I have read on this site and others that topping, pinching, and FIMming will create multiple sites, but can in some cases decrease the overall yeild.

It appears that many are satisfied with the yield from the one huge main cola that usually developes as opposed to these methods, but what about LST?

In the case where LST is used, how does this affect the overall yield? Is is similiar to the results of topping where one gets more budsites, but the yield is decreased or do you get a larger harvest by using LST due to the lack of stress and recovery time?

Does anyone here swear by the LST method and use it all the time? What have your results been?

I am also looking for DETAILED pictures of the steps involving a LST grow vs. a regular grow. I am pretty sure how it works after reading a tutorial here on this site, but pictures sure do help alot too.

 

[Respect]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

search LST in the gallery

 

[Gummy Bear]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

Oh yeah. The gallery option just became available to me when I opened my account. Lurkers can not see all of the informational pictures.

I see the steps (thanks!) but interested in more of the anecdotal results from using the LST method in regards to yield.

Burn It,
Do you use LST and what have your results been?

 

[Respect]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

never and your gonna be hard pressed to find somebody with such a picture documentary of two different grows. I'm fairly positive their are multiple tutorials on LST throughout this site, at least one with tutorial pictures. You might want to search SCROG grows, or Sea of Green.

 

[RooRman]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

To me this is entirely dependent on the lights you are using. If you have lower powered lighting (CFLs or an HPS less than 400w) then LST would be better. This is because the weaker light will not have to penetrate the canopy of leaves to get to the lower bud sites when using LST. More light coverage on more budsites means better yeilds.

Topping is better when used with higher power lights (HPS of 400w or more). This will allow the plant to form two tops instead of one, thus increasing yeilds.

The reason why I would not top with weak lights is because if you cannot give adequate light to the new growth you are encouraging then your yeilds will decrease, not increase.

 

[Gummy Bear]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

So, I have a 400w HPS system. Space is of no concern whatsoever to me (other than outgrowing the light range).

Have a made a mistake in using LST?

I did not do it to save space, but to increase budsites and hopefully increase yield.

THANKS for your responses. I really do appreciate the help!!!!

 

[RooRman]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

I was just stating I wouldn't top with low power lights, LST with high power lights should work great. When you have enough wattage alot of options open up that you normally don't have with low power lights, obviously because a high power lamp will do everything a low power one will and do it much better. Cannabis is a light loving plant.

More light coverage to the lower parts of the plant will increase the size of those budsites drastically.

 

[NorCalGrower]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

Indoor plants should be topped 6 times to give at least 12 nice size tops. never top 2 weeks befor flowering as to give the topped sites time to gain gerth in the stems! one cola plants tend not to give as much a yeild. if a top molds its the only one u have with 12 or more tops one has a problem there are lots more! Outside i top and top and top and top every place where the stem branches off and has two lil branches on each side they turn into two then top them in 2 weeks and then u have 4 and so on and so on! My out door plants yield 2-5 lbs each with at least 20-40 huge top cola's each wieighin in at 15-30 grams each! Some people dont realize its in the size of the hole u dig outside and what u [put into them for how dense and number of tops a plant can hold. My holes are dug deeper than my knee and at least 4 foot round filled with all kinda goodies! I only use organics never any chemicals. I will post a hole by hole of what should go into them soon!

 

[Respect]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

^ 2-5lbs! Thats insane. I'll have to try growing outside sometime.

 

[tonystarks]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

wow! thats a lot of medicine!

 

[OnTheMove]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

i recommend LST all the time,especial for outdoors, if you grow outdoors, its a great stealth option, and its much easier to mantain a bush than a 3 m high badboy lol.. also if you are in a country where it gets misty at the end of flowering stage ad you have one or two big main colas, then most times mold will come because the bigger the bud the less air it has and more water etc (common sense)

I first grew outdoors in spain, great place to learn for outdoors, but where i was we have theives, gypsys, police, and helicopters and everybody grows, i mean everybody.. so i decided to do alot of topping, to get like 60 heads ( we can start grow in febuary there, so we have a long vegetation time) so they were stealth, short and busy with equal level heads.. from chronic i got 350g per plant dry weight, and they were 3ft wide and 2 ft high..
then after this i started to think about light ad what leaves are stoppin the light, and then got into lst, i dint know it was already a well used teqnik, i just learnt it from watching plants grow, and common scense

so now i grow Lst from the very begining then top or fim, it all depends on the plant though for me. but every plant thrives from lst , thats for sure

 

[Carcass]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

Check out this thread:
LST'd Kerala Krush indoor/outdoor grow
Plant was LST'd from the time it popped out of the ground,grown primarily indoors-2.5 oz. dry from a 10.5" plant.(Grown in a very small box,so HAD to keep her short)
Start the LST early,and give her plenty of vege time for the branches to develop.
Topping also works great,but with LST ,the plant doesn't need the "recovery" time-it just keeps right on a'growin'.
The Kerala I grew is heavy Sativa,so it took a long time to get "ripe"-an Indica strain will probably mature in half the time.

 

[OnTheMove]

Re: LST vs. Topping (Yield Question)

Check out this thread:

fck me , yeh thats the way forward!

 

[stevi10623]

lst for sure can keep the main top that way

 

[mzdbuds9753]

Can you tie buds(while still growing in flowering)back to the plant to grow into your other buds? Been looking for an answer for this everywhere. I figure it will eliminate the popcorn nugs, whilst pulling them into a more main cola.