Low-stress training, also known as LST, is a technique used by cannabis growers to optimize yield and promote even growth of plants. It involves gently bending and tying down the plant’s stem and branches to encourage horizontal growth, and break apical dominance.
What is Low-Stress Training?
Low-stress training is a cannabis plant training technique that involves manipulating the plant’s growth pattern to increase overall yield. This technique involves bending and tying down the branches of the plant, which allows for more light to reach the lower parts of the plant, improving the growth of lower buds.
This technique is called low-stress training because it doesn’t involve any aggressive or harmful techniques that could damage the plant’s growth. Instead, growers use soft wire, string, or stakes to bend the branches gently and tie them in place. This technique promotes even growth and a more uniform canopy, which is essential for maximizing yields.
How to Perform Low-Stress Training
To perform low-stress training, you’ll need some soft wire, string, or stakes. It’s best to start low-stress training when the plant is young, around two to three weeks old.
Here’s how to do it:
- Identify the main stem of the plant and gently bend it to a 90-degree angle.
- Use your wire, string, or stakes to tie down the main stem so that it remains in the bent position.
- Wait a few days for the plant to recover and adjust to the new position.
- Identify the new growth tips that have emerged as a result of the bending and tie them down in the same way.
- Continue this process until you have achieved the desired shape and even growth.
It’s important to be gentle when performing low-stress training. The goal is to gently bend the branches without damaging them, which can be done by using soft materials to tie them down.
Low-Stress Training By Stage
Vegetative
Training your cannabis plants during the vegetative stage can help promote healthy growth and increase yields. Some common training methods include topping, pruning, and low-stress training (LST). Topping involves cutting off the top of the main stem to encourage lateral growth. Pruning involves removing leaves and stems to promote airflow and light penetration. LST involves gently bending and tying down the stems to promote even growth and increase yields.
Benefits of Low-Stress Training
Low-stress training offers several benefits to cannabis growers, including:
Increased Yields
One of the most significant benefits of low-stress training is increased yields. By training the plant to grow laterally, more bud sites are exposed to light, leading to larger yields. When a cannabis plant is left to grow naturally, the top of the plant receives the most light, and the lower parts of the plant receive less. By manipulating the plant’s growth pattern with low-stress training, growers can ensure that more of the plant is exposed to light, leading to larger yields.
Improved Canopy
Another benefit of low-stress training is that it promotes even growth and a more uniform canopy. When cannabis plants are left to grow naturally, they often have uneven canopies, with some branches growing taller than others. This can lead to some buds receiving more light than others, resulting in uneven growth and smaller yields. By using low-stress training to promote even growth, growers can achieve a more uniform canopy, leading to larger yields.
Better Quality Buds
By increasing light exposure to lower buds, they can grow larger and denser, leading to better quality buds. When cannabis plants are left to grow naturally, the lower buds often receive less light, resulting in smaller and less dense buds. By using low-stress training to promote even growth and increase light exposure to lower buds, growers can produce larger, denser, and higher quality buds.