Topping

NCDude said:
Growing Girl...it looks like you apply the LST as well?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Very much so. When I started out with these bagseeds, I didn't know anything about LST and they got really tall, so now the 2nd generation is getting tied down hardcore. I adjust my ties every day, sometimes twice a day, because I am trying to create short and bushy plants to put under a SCROG screen soon. See my journal (link in sig) for details and feel free to ask me questions about my methods.
 
Another awesome Tutorial. Growing girls good idea with the Topping, LST and scrog I can only imagine. Got me thinking this early in the AM :surf::idea:
 
First post on 420. Just registered to say thanks to Roseman for the excellent advice. FIM'd my first grow last night and I've got new growth already. :)
 
Iplan on toping/pruning my girls when nessesary, although i cant understand how early in the veg stage i can start. can someone help
 
Re: Topping,

bizz said:
I used to think topping was a must to increase colas, but if you LST, you will increase colas and avoid the stress of topping, LST stresses them a little but they seem to bounce back quicker with LST compared to top/FIM
Click to expand...

Guess I have 2 questions - embarrassed to ask, but I don't know what LST is and I can't find reference in Cervantes' book.
Also - when I happen upon a term or acronym I don't know, is there a search mode on this site so I don't have to keep posting how much I don't know?

Any help is appreciated,
thnx
 
Hi wonderwill no need to be embarrassed everyone here is learning.

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 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 your timer to 12/12 and watch it bloom

There is no Step 10 in the picture but we all know what that is HARVEST!!!


Btw this is not my work just taken from someone else hope it helped.

You may find this intresting to read 2.

Supercropping - a tutorial
 
NEVER-MIND....
Just found answer, p3, # 35-36. I just get impatient some times...

Is there a search glossary on this site so I can find info w/o showing my ignorance?

I believe I'll be 'modifying' some girls w/in the next 30-hours. I wonder if a large, clean nail clipper might work? I've got one arm, so folding back other growth or even holding the stem is a challenge. But asking my girls to produce more bud when they are just waiting t be asked makes all the sense in the world.

Soo grateful for my guide that keeps pointing me in new directions. Old connections can be very rewarding...

Peace!
 
Whoaaaaa --

I may have to start swimming the big pond to thank you 'GodSpeed' this much help is hard to handle for some one who's been doing it alone for so long.

God, what a world!!!

:)
 
GodSpeed said:
Hi wonderwill no need to be embarrassed everyone here is learning.

Well here we go, LST (Low Stress Training) the ultimate way to maximize your yield.



Continue to repeat step 7 until you are all the way around the pot...
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 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 your timer to 12/12 and watch it bloom

There is no Step 10 in the picture but we all know what that is HARVEST!!!


Btw this is not my work just taken from someone else hope it helped.

You may find this intresting to read 2.

Supercropping - a tutorial
Click to expand...

Thank You 'G-S' -- I will definitely give a go of this on a couple of my new girls.

:)
 
ok, im just trying to make sure this is normal, but my plants have 3-5 leave sets and are only 3" tall with hardly any space at all between them, is that normal, they are all sativa/indica hybrids and im not seeing pictures of plants like them anywhere. is it just cause i have the light so close? or is that normal and i should just top the ones im going to now
 
So after you top it the first time and the main stem grows into 2 main stems, can you top those next two main stems and make 4?
Also, can you top the side branches?
 
Great!! I was just going to asking about this, we used to do Fimming, except I didn't know it was called that, we just called it pinching back LOL hell we use to do it to the 3rd set of leaves that started to come out, and on a few of the side branches to really bush her out, you just can't over do the fimming or it will cause problems one of which is weaker weed, that last part I read, I wish I could remember were because it was a good read. I never recall a problem with shock, but I guess it could, would seem to be topping would do that more than fimming..right? wrong?
 
triumfant said:
ok, im just trying to make sure this is normal, but my plants have 3-5 leave sets and are only 3" tall with hardly any space at all between them, is that normal, they are all sativa/indica hybrids and im not seeing pictures of plants like them anywhere. is it just cause i have the light so close? or is that normal and i should just top the ones im going to now
Click to expand...

This sounds like a good thing to me, weed comes in many forms, more than I ever knew LOL if it is something that came from a bank of some kind you could there, but I'm sure its all good, and when you say with hardly any space between them, you mean between one node to the other, that is just what you want, the closer they are together the more bud sites you'll have..if I'm hearing you right...good luck Peace
 

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