Growing Cannabis indoors or outdoors can be an extremely rewarding hobby, especially when you hit the jackpot in terms of yield. There are many variables to consider when your goal is to produce the biggest buds and heaviest record-breaking harvests possible. In this article, we cover 5 ways to allow you to produce epic harvests using these simple plant training techniques.
Tying Down / LST
You may have seen this technique before or heard about it, called low stress technique (LST). When growing Cannabis, tying down can allow a grower to manipulate the shape and growth structure of the canopy. Using string, gardening wire or small weights in some cases, LST is an easy and hands on way to promote a more bushy and established plant prior to flowering.
The way tying down works is by temporarily tricking the tallest parts of the plant to become lower down, causing the remaining side branches to now resume apical dominance and fight to be the main crown shoot. Within 72 hours, the original tied down parts will now be growing straight upwards alongside the other side branches in a uniform fashion.
When To Apply LST
The best time to apply LST is during 18/6 as this time period allows the plants to become a bushy, uniform plant before flowering. Tying down can also be done as an emergency when some cultivars stretch too much after 12/12 and grow too close towards the grow light when growing Cannabis.
The 3 Benefits Associated
* Tying down is an excellent way to become hands on with your plants.
* LST is easy to perform, and only requires string or gardening wire.
* Yields will be increased and a reduction in the final plant height.
Topping
This can also be referred to as pinching out, and involves removing the top growth shoot, exposing the axillary shoots. Due to Cannabis plants being an apical dominant species, this means naturally they will always want to grow one tall main central cola, with a series of surrounding side branches.
Topping Cannabis plants will not only reduce height, it will also increase the number of growth sites, which can then later be pinched out, allowing even more. It is possible to continuously top plants and produce a dense, compact and large sized Cannabis plant, however a longer vegetative period of 6-8 may be required for the plants to reach their true potential when growing Cannabis indoors.
When To Apply Topping
The art of topping or pinching out your plants is to effectively double the number of growth shoots. You can start this technique from week 3 onwards all the way until an extensive 6-10 week vegetative phase.
The 3 Benefits Associated
* Topping can help dramatically reduce the final height of Cannabis plants.
* Yields can be significantly increased thanks to the high number of bud sites.
* Pinching plants will reduce the growth hormone responsible for apical dominance.
Snapping Stems
As extreme as it may sound, snapping stems or super cropping can cause plants to become very tough and produce bigger yields when growing Cannabis. The technique of purposelybreaking the inner cell wall of a branch, will cause the plants to produce growth hormone to repair the break and as a result, the repaired part will be thicker, and stronger in the same way a broken bone heals.
Not only do the plants take on a different shape, there is also a faster rate of growth when applying super cropping. You can see the size of the main stem or side branches will be much larger, allowing more nutrients to be used. Super cropping is a high stress technique, so should really be performed by growers with some experience.
When To Apply Super Cropping
When growing Cannabis, super cropping should only be performed on plants that are able to endure a high stress technique. This simply means avoid breaking the cell walls of younger immature plants and try and work with hardwood growth, as this will recover and set the easiest. Simply use your fingers and thumbs and twist and squeeze until you hear and feel the break occur.
The 3 Benefits Associated
* You should always super crop during 18/6 and never when the plants are on 12/12.
* Super cropping causes the treated side branches to become thick and tough.
* Growth hormone is sent out as a natural response to the break causing bigger plants.
Pruning
This is a common gardening technique that can be applied to all types of plants, however when effectively done with Cannabis, the yields can be significantly increased. Pruning is a technique that involves carefully removing the foliage from a certain part of your plant. When growing Cannabis plants, oftentimes the lowest parts of the plants can become neglected from direct light, producing smaller and less desirable buds.
Pruning is an excellent way to ensure that the lower popcorn buds will not exist, and all the plant’s energy will be used on only the top buds. Many growers have their own method of pruning or lolly popping their indoor or outdoor plants. Some prefer a light prune to remove the lower third, whilst others stick to a heavy prune where up to 70-80% of the original growth is removed.
When To Apply Pruning
The best time to apply pruning when growing Cannabis is during 18/6, or at least before your plants are producing buds. Many growers like to prune their plants after week 3 of 12/12, but the most important thing to consider is to not cause too much stress to your plants once flowering.
The 3 Benefits Associated
* Pruning Cannabis plants stops the chances of smaller undeveloped buds.
* Air flow around the pots and middle of the plants is dramatically improved.
* Cannabis plants will use all their energy on the top growth and focus on big buds.
Screen of Green / SCROG
Cannabis is a very diverse plant who can adapt to many scenarios, and one way to increase your yields, is to try SCROG. A time-consuming style of growing Cannabis that involves systematically feeding the plants through a screen / net. The goal is to allow all the shoots to grow under the direct light, meaning a grower can really get the most out of a small space.
You can use a net or if you really want to take it to another level, can customize a wooden frame with chicken wire, or pea netting wire. Be prepared to keep your Cannabis plants under 18/6 for around 6-10 weeks to achieve the best results and to fill the net from side to side.
When To Apply SCROG
You should aim to have the screen in place and adjusted to the correct height once your plants are into week 3 or 4 of 18/6. SCROG is a long process that incorporates all the other training methods covered above.
The Benefits Associated
* SCROG is a great way to practice topping, pruning and super cropping.
* Using a screen can allow a grower to be totally efficient with their grow space.
* Yields can become enormous when growing Cannabis using SCROG technique.
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