Plant training can be an important part of the growing process. Using these methods many growers increase their yields and control their plant height as well as their branches. Training is great for smaller growing spaces as well as for keeping plants healthy and happy. Though these techniques can be great for your harvest they can also be a little complicated. We are going to go over some of the most basic training techniques that can improve your crop.
Low Stress Training
Low-stress training involves bending and securing the plant in order to alter the way that it grows. Usually, you would bend the stems away from the centre of the plant. This causes the plant to grow in a wider shape that allows the plant more room to produce buds and to equally receive sunlight. In order to ensure that this really takes effect, it should be started when the plant is very young. This is primarily because young stems will bend easily whereas the older the plant gets the more likely it is to snap.
Low-stress training, otherwise known as LST, is popular because it doesn’t hurt the plant at all. There are a number of ways that growers will try to achieve a flat and even canopy but many involve cutting away parts of the plant. It also doesn’t involve a lot of equipment and is easy to do even for novices.
You will need a rubber-coated wire, plant twist ties are available from most gardening shops. Then you want to start from the centre stem and bend it down, horizontal to the sky or grow light. The idea is that the more of the stem has access to light the more bud sites will pop up. This can massively increase the yield of your plant.
Topping
Topping has the same basic concept as the hydra, cut off one head and two will grow back. Cannabis is one of the most resilient plants in the world and if you try to cut it down it tends to come back stronger. The cutting can happen an infinite number of times, but of course, at some point, the plant will just struggle for space between branches.
Usually, growers will chop the top off the main cola and allow it to split into two. Again this needs to be done when the plant is quite young so that it can quickly split and heal. The plant may become top-heavy and will need a little bit of support to keep it happy. This also exposes as much of the plant to light as possible. Since we are increasing the branches from the top the plant will spread out laterally rather than ending up with buds stuck in the undergrowth. This is not only great for increasing yield but for reducing the height of some leggier plants when they are being grown indoors.
FIMming
This techniques is very similar to topping but with a slightly different method. FIM stands for Fuck I’ve Missed and it’s called this because instead of cutting right at the top of the stem you go a little higher into the actual stem that produces leaves. The point of this is to cut off around 80% of the tip and again create more tips. However, by cutting higher you cut through two potential tips and create four. This is best done during the vegetative stage. If it’s done right and with a bit of luck one cut can create four or even more new heads.
Sea Of Green
This method is popular with large scale growing as it is the easiest way to deal with a lot of plants. It is also good for those who want a shorter flowering time and who know they are providing the best possible growing environment. Basically, the point of this system is to create an even lateral canopy to allow maximum light penetration. The more light reaches the plants the more bud sites will form and the larger the yield.
To implement Sea of Green growers will need to swap to a flowering light cycle when the plants are 5 weeks old. Potentially a few extra weeks of vegetative can be beneficially for plants. Essentially if you’re not convinced or practised at this method just wait a couple of extra weeks.
Screen of Green
This method uses mesh to create a horizontal screen above the plants. This mesh top will separate the plant stalks as they grow through it, allowing more light to reach different parts of the plants. This version of the method is better for smaller amounts of plants. Whereas Sea of Green is only beneficial for larger crops.
The mesh needs to be made out of something flexible and durable in order to last the growing period. This can be any material that fits the description, even string is absolutely fine. The gaps need to just be large enough for the stalks to grow through. The plants will need to stay at around the same height so some growers use topping in tandem with Screen of Green.
Super Cropping
We will finish up with the easiest training method. Unfortunately, this does involve harming the plant just a little in order to improve the yield. It’s almost the same basic concept as scarring, creating slight damage to make to surface grow back even stronger.
To super crop, you will need to pinch and bed the greener and more flexible of the stalks. We want the stalk to sit at a 90-degree angle. This needs to be done without breaking the skin of the stem or the stem itself. This needs to be done until a canopy has been created that will have greater access to the sun or grow lights. When the plants heal from their ordeal they will be much stronger and the yield should be significantly increased. If you do manage to actually damage the plants you may be able to save them with duct tape for a week as the break heals.
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