LST - Straight Line, One Topping

[Lockedin]

I'm a few weeks into veg on these OG Kush, and I thought I'd show how I'm doing LST - so others can copy it when it succeeds --- or avoid if it's a spectacular failure.

The plan is to bend the plant over at an angle and train the branches out sideways. Grow to around 30 branches each and flip.

I pinch the main stalk firmly and start gently rocking back & forth in the direction I want the stalk to lean - increase pressure slowly until the stalk begins to move a bit easier (avoid making it floppy).
---Of course, the plant will tilt back up towards the lights - wait until there's enough space to bend a new node - bend it to maintain a flat-ish canopy.

I'm trying to avoid stunting their growth this round - Light supercropping is working well so far, but I have plant wire & a way to tie her down once her head & branches clear the edges of the pot.

The small plant was started yesterday - no supercropping - just bent it to a 90 degree angle, knowing it would be standing straight again this morning.
This morning I bent the stalk again - it loosened up slightly on its own, but I expect it to be vertical again this evening - then I'll supercrop it lightly.

The large plant is a whorled phyllotaxy (3 branches per node) - it's growing insanely fast compared to it's siblings. It lost the 3 node pattern for a while, but it seems to be returning - there's A LOT of branches to manage - Appx 21 so far --- hoping she'll be a monster!

***** NOTE - After last round, I swore I'd let them get taller before starting LST. I did - and then started the bend at the same place! She's gonna look like a weed vine.

 

[Umpty Candy]

Are you topping them at all? This for tall sativas or what? More intel needed..

 

[Lockedin]

Are you topping them at all? This for tall sativas or what? More intel needed..

I'm doing a terrible job describing it!
The idea is to:
1. Speed - take advantage of the fast recovery times of LST (I'm super-cropping, so there is a little recovery involved).
2. Speed - staying focused on keeping / training ALL branches minimizes recovery times.
3. Volume - last grow the largest, chunkiest buds were on the plants that I tried this on, so I'm expanding on something that worked last time.
4. Simplicity - I mostly watch, gently direct, plan - watch.

Visualize growing the classic, natural "Christmas Tree" shape of a plant - a rough cone in the 3-D world.
Take that cone and flatten it into 2-D - Like a cardboard cutout of a Christmas Tree.
Bend that cardboard cutout 90 degrees. - Like a flat, Christmas Tree shaped table.
Once the branches get close to where I want them I'll top it; let it recover and flip to 12/12.
They'll probably get a haircut around then as well, so hopefully the design will become clearer then as the plant gets exposed.

I'm considering scrogging it - the branches will need support after being spread like that.

Almost all branches will be kept - rough guess is about 30 branches before "topping".
- Branches will be trained out to the sides for max exposure. Downward facing branches will be U-turned and trained along the stalk.
- Hoping to keep most of the secondary bud sites as well - all larf & sugar leaves will be processed.

Clear as mud!
Hopefully the pictures are clearer than my descriptions - I'll take more tonight w / some close ups to help show what I think I'm doing.

 

[Lockedin]

Are you topping them at all? This for tall sativas or what? More intel needed..

It would probably be more appropriate for sativas.
The OG that I have in the tent was kind of leggy on the last round, so I figured I'd try it.

It's not so much for height - the idea is to get direct light on as many growth sites as possible while not holding back the plant at all by removing leaves, branches or even topping until shortly before the flip.
So the low grow height is a side effect of that thought process more than a goal unto itself. However, I did not intend to end up almost on the soil (again...).

The flat Christmas Tree shape is still prominent on one plant when viewed from above - the "top" of the plant is on the right.
Short or downward facing branches (2 so far) are being trained "down" along the stalk.
The canopy is easy to keep flat.

The other (a less likely candidate to grow like this IMHO) is getting rounder - the node spacing is tighter.
This plant has around 25-6 branches - tougher to train / count with the higher density.


Overall
It seems that they are growing faster than my last couple grows.
I think that I still tilted the plants too severely too early...

 

[Umpty Candy]

Brilliant info Lockedin, now an old fart like me understands clearly what you mean. I like this idea very much, and will try it later on in the future when my grow setup is ready.. I can already see this useful on balcony grows, or with wider than deep tents, even thinking of managing real slow leggy sativas this way BEFORE training the to a vertical trellis in limited space.. Plants stay healthy this way, no slow down to speak of, yield must be great too..? Thx for sharing your expertise.

 

[Lockedin]

No expertise here - this is my 4th grow.

I kept looking at SCROG grows, and I'd tried 4 way topping (which removes 2/3 of branches just for organization), it took a little while to recover (still effective though)

Then I looked at LST - but most circle the pot. IMHO that path crowds the center too much.
So I tried this method last grow, but didn't figure out how to spread the branches past the pot's edge.

Progress - growing fast & healthy. I'm keeping every leaf for now - but that doesn't mean I'm kind to them! they're all tucked under branches and each other until I start making some clearance decisions a week or two before the flip.

Overhead shot (freshly tied down, excused the inverted leaves) - (top of plant at top of shot)
- the plant's structure is pretty exposed for now, but will disappear again as secondary sites start growing out more.
- the site just above center is being trained "down" along the otherwise bare stalk.
- The "top" and some branches have cleared the edge of the pot, Christmas Tree shape is becoming rounder as the lowest branches accelerate.

Side shot - I laid a trellis UNDER the 5g pot and used #36 Bank line & soft ties to keep the main stalk at the angle I want.
Dog hair - get a Malamute they said, hardly shed at all they said....)

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

LST for the win!
The grow im working right now is one of the few times i haven't used very aggressive LST.
I use big bags of soil and start the training at week 2, veg for a minimum of 6+ weeks, flip and continue training down under the nets 3 weeks into flower.
Never top intentionally though a top may snap here and there from aggressive traing.
Very big yields from this technique!

 

[Lockedin]

LST for the win!
The grow im working right now is one of the few times i haven't used very aggressive LST.
I use big bags of soil and start the training at week 2, veg for a minimum of 6+ weeks, flip and continue training down under the nets 3 weeks into flower.
Never top intentionally though a top may snap here and there from aggressive traing.
Very big yields from this technique!

Thanks for chiming in, @Skunky Dunk Farms !

I was thinking on that today at lights on - I noticed branches that are allowed to grow above the main stalk all seem to think that they're mains
(especially the "bottom" branches)

With that in mind - should I avoid topping?

 

[Amarok]

should I avoid topping?

I find that topping often isn't needed.

With some strains, LST isn't even needed, just a bit of targeted defoliation. I remove the fan leaves from the main top to expose the side branches to light and they often catch right up and break apical dominance. That said, I do usually employ LST to open up the plant and make better use of space.

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

Thanks for chiming in, @Skunky Dunk Farms !

I was thinking on that today at lights on - I noticed branches that are allowed to grow above the main stalk all seem to think that they're mains
(especially the "bottom" branches)

With that in mind - should I avoid topping?

Im old fashioned i guess, i want all of my plant there when im done.
The main meristem always gives to biggest flower cluster, but by aggressively keeping "all" tops low you create a vast blanket of "tops" that are all confused and trying to be the top dog or cola. I always end up with many, many large colas.
I say always, but it is a result of having all tops flush in the canopy and plenty of soil to do the heavy work.
No i dont top.

 

[Lockedin]

I say always, but it is a result of having all tops flush in the canopy and plenty of soil to do the heavy work.
No i dont top.

No topping - makes sense.

I'm going to be setting up a 4x8 soon.
I'm planning to start vegging in the 4x4, flowering in the 4x8. Starting to think perpetual.

Is there a pot size that you favor?
I'm currently in 5g fabric, but with a dedicated veg tent I can see longer veg / bigger plants coming. Thinking 7 or 10g.

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

No topping - makes sense.

I'm going to be setting up a 4x8 soon.
I'm planning to start vegging in the 4x4, flowering in the 4x8. Starting to think perpetual.

Is there a pot size that you favor?
I'm currently in 5g fabric, but with a dedicated veg tent I can see longer veg / bigger plants coming. Thinking 7 or 10g.

More bottom, more top.
I use 90 gallon Smart pot long bags, they are 2x6x2.

 

[Lockedin]

Update 03/16 --- Haircut for one.

The plant that I've been featuring took to LST like a champ - node spacing and leaf size have been perfect to the point that I've only removed 2 shade leaves so far since seed.
Lights were on - filtered to B&W. She overhangs the pot by about 6 inches. Flat Christmas Tree shape is still showing.


I haven't featured plant number two yet because even though she's got a heavy lean to the stalk - she's growing perfectly round.
Other than LST & a bit of supercropping, I haven't pruned or removed anything --- until today!
Before - very bushy. You can spot individual growth sites, but can't see branches or the stalk. I think there's 20-24, but I can't see them - even at ground level.
( 5W LED flashlight shining through foliage )


I removed:
all leaves touching the ground (circulation / maintnance)
most leaves shading growth sites (Light)
3 branches that were going nowhere (maintenance)

After removing that I recounted and came up with 24 branches.
I don't think this pant is OG Kush - it's MUCH denser. Probably mixed up a Strawberry Kush seed.

 

[Amarok]

Looking good.

 

[Amarok]

Just noticed this, and it illustrates what I'd mentioned earlier so I grabbed a pic. This is the Do-Si-Dos Cake fem that Jewels included as a bonus in our swap. As you can see, it hasn't been topped, but the two main sides have caught right up due to selective defoliation. The main top is still praying and quickly pushing out new growth.



I just recently exposed the lower branches and I expect they will have a growth spurt shortly.

 

[Lockedin]

The plants are now under 11.5 on / 12.5 off (The Strawberry Kush seems less prone to herming under that schedule.)

The largest plant's main stalk is extending about 12" over the edge of the pot; she's getting bushy again; I'll give them another haircut in about a week.
The other plants are all progressing well and taking training like champs.
Training will continue until the end of the stretch; then all restraints will be released and the girls will finish without me screwing with them (much).

EDITs
- In all the overhead shots the "bottom" of the plant is on the bottom of the picture.
- the plant on the right has exploded - the "bottom" branch seems to think it's the main stalk now - fun to see what happens when you keep the plant so flat - apical dominance seems to move to whichever bud site is highest.



Huh - thought I took pictures of all - guess that dispensary Gorilla Glue was stronger than I thought!

 

[Madmax 2]

Hi mate..liking your grow so far..i love doing tropism.this is the only way i grow outdoors using the plants own stimulus called auxins.that are found on the dark side where the cell elongate from.the more you lst the more auxins = bigger plant..id love to do an huge mofo lst indoors but i made my room too small lol..