To LST or not?

[Erin Kerrik]

I was hoping I wouldn't have to LST this, my second grow, but am thinking I might be sorry:

one week into 12/12:

FMS Grapefruits are less than 2.5 feet high.
One FMS Cindy 99 is about 3.5 feet high, one already LSTed to about 2.5 feet
WWs are about 3.5 feet high

Grow area can be 7.5 feet high max. 12" for pots, 9" for aircooled reflectors, 4" of space below glass = plants can be 67" tall, 5.5 feet.

I've seen pics of tall colas bent to the side to make more space ... any opinions - am I going to be OK with the GF and C99 or sorry that I didn't tie them down now?

Also running 2 400W, wondering about light penetration in a 7.5 foot space - here are the GFs a couple days after being switched to 12/12 - from what I gather the GFs have the largest potential stretch.

 

[dan K]

i think its kinda too late to start training after 12/12, but i dunno 4 sure so try it if u want...i do know first hand tho that LST is a much more efficient way of training over topping....u dont lose any grow time when u bend branches the tops just adjust and bend up and the smaller branched catch up to the original tops quite fast.

 

[dan K]

I've seen pics of tall colas bent to the side to make more space ... any opinions - am I going to be OK with the GF and C99 or sorry that I didn't tie them down now?

i didnt read this til i posted my response ^^^. ive had to bend cola's about 1/2 way thru flowering SLIGHTLY to avoid heat issues and it worked out fine...i thought u meant a full blown training session on the whole plant after 12/12 is introduced.

 

[guineapig]

You might want to stake one of them and leave the other alone as a control for the experiment......

I say bend them!!!! Usually it introduces more light into the lower bud sites.....

yer pal guineapig

 

[RalphWiley]

i think its kinda too late to start training after 12/12, but i dunno 4 sure so try it if u want...

I managed to get a full loop out of my master kush plants via LST in flower. I wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it (the danger of snapping a stem seems a lot higher in flower), but by being gentle and having patience it's entirely possible to bend a plant mid-blossom. Since you've got at least two feet to work with, I think a real gentle tying and just restraining further growth will be fine.

 

[Guest]

I agree with the above post. LST is not something you just do one day, it is something you plan for, plan the shape you want your plant and where you want the bud sites so on and so forth. Late in flowering you will most likley snap or bend a branch real easily and it just isn't worth what you will get form late LSTing.

I am also growing with only a 270 watt and thought I might regret not LSTing. However it really isn't a big deal, not like topping or anything. After 3 weeks of flowering you should not touch your plants period. Right now though what I did is tied my four plants a tad bit outwar away from the light. This way the light shines right down the middle of all four of the giving great light to the smaller budsites. While I did this I did break on valuable bud site, but that is no biggy. Being in 2.5 weeks of flowering I am lucky I didn't do more damage, I am not touching them again though.

I also tied some small budsites so they would be in the light (the ones on the outside, not in the middle). I found that as I did this the tops still had more than enough light and I really wasn't losing anything. Soon my plants naturally gravitated toward the light and now I have a good 12-18 decent bud sites.

I think another thing you should do it trim. No LST need to be done with a good amount of proper trimming. Don't trim any suger leaves, but bottom fan leaves and even bottom bud sites should be trimmed as they just aren't doing anything but wasting valuable energy. Maybe trim a few leaves up top and there you go, good light penetration.

If you tie your plants just a tad outward and do the trimming, you should get real good results.

 

[Tunefull]

Hi m8/all

Lovely looking plants m8*smiles*

As other say,A simple bend is all you really "Need"to do(This late in the game)
If u only need to gain say 6 inchs.Dont try for much more(dont over work them)

I find before a watering the stems are more flexiable(Still will snap if not carefull tho)And do it gradually,Few inchs every other day(your in no real rush)


Unrealted to your questions...I would tho Take off the bottom few shoots on your stem...They wont grow into proper cola's.And could be taking energy/growth from your other cola's...Just snip any stems for the first few inchs of the stem(if u see what i mean))
THo that said they look great and would not blame u for not listening to me*smiles*

 

[Erin Kerrik]

Thanks for the input everybody.

Fuzzy & Tunefull - thanks for the trimming advice. I made cuttings of the lowest two branches when flipping to 12/12 ... planning on doing another round of trimming once I find out if I have a healthy potential mom from each.

Maybe I'm using "LST" more loosely than I should - I'm not interested in getting several large colas instead of one central cola, I'm only concerned about height (and a plant as much as desired any time with no risk other than snapping).

If the GF stretches 3x what it was when flipping to 12/12, it will be a tight, tight fit and the main stem won't be as flexible in two weeks as it is now. But I sorta think people speaking of a 3 or 4x GF stretch haven't vegged them for seven weeks like these.

I'm inclined to just let them grow and if necessary chop the cola into a "halo" as folks have been talking about here recently.

Thanks ... plan to post some week one flower pix in my grow diary tomorrow.

 

[hoyt]

maybe you should call it the shoulder lean then? but yeah i would just lean them, still needing ties though. in addition, i wouldnt trim any fans leaves. older fan leaves only take enough food to sustain life, which isnt much at all compared to the newer fan leaves that are still growing. plus, when you start flushing thell have more available food to eat and grow!

 

[Erin Kerrik]

hoyt -

That or we could call it Le TOG - "Leaning Tower of Green".

Don't worry - no fan leaves are going anywhere unless they pull off easily or fall on their own.

 

[Young Giver]

I LST'd and this was my result two major bushes...