The Advantages Of Training Cannabis Plants

When it comes to bumping up the final yield of a Cannabis plant, there are several factors that can influence this. Large-yielding genetics and high-strength nutrients are two ways, and another is plant training that comes in the forms of high and low-stress techniques. In this article, we explain the advantages of plant training, cover the multiple versions, explain mistakes to avoid, including our top tips to help take those yields to the next level 

The Different Types

If you are new to growing Cannabis then the idea of training Cannabis plants will be new. There are many benefits of applying the right technique to the right cultivar, however it is good to know the difference between low stress and high stress.

Low-Stress Training Methods (L.S.T)

Commonly referred to as L.S.T, low-stress methods do not actually cause the plants any physical harm or trauma. By using twine, metal wire or small weights, the growth structure of the canopy will become manipulated as the crown shoot responsible for apical dominance and vertical growth is tied down.

As the main crown shoot is now tied below the rest of the side branches, there is a shift in energy allowing the side branches and other shoots to grow as the dominant new crown shoot. It takes around 3-5 before the tied down shoot returns upright, encouraging a much more bushy and laterally dominant canopy.

High Stress Training (H.S.T)

When it comes to high-stress techniques, this involves being hands-on with your plants, removing foliage, and even breaking the branches. There are many ways that H.S.T can be performed and it is imperative plants are given time to fully recover, heal, and grow back.

Topping or Pinching

• A technique that involves removing the crown shoot to expose the lower axillary shoots.
• Vertical growth is reduced and the growth hormone Auxin turned off.
• The benefits are multiple top shoots instead of one tall difficult to control the main cola.

Top Tip: Never pinch Cannabis plants once flowering has begun, as the stress may cause the plants to temporarily stunt growth, or the worst-case begins to hermaphrodite.

Super Cropping

• Purposely breaking the inner cell walls of the branches to cause much stronger.
• Growth repair hormone is also emitted throughout the plant.
• The vigor, resistance, and growth structure will significantly improve.

Top Tip: Make sure that the stems and branches you are about to pop or break, are mature enough and well developed enough to recover. Performing this technique on younger plants may not work very well and cause the stems to split.

Pruning

Top Tip: After you have successfully pruned the lower half of your plants, the airflow will dramatically improve also. This will increase CO2 uptake and reduce the possibility of insects and pathogens. 

When To Apply

Training should be applied only during the vegetative phase of 18/6. During this time is when Cannabis plants will focus on foliage and vegetative growth prior to flowering.

Top Tip: It is recommended to give plants an extended vegetative time if applying L.S.T.

The 5 Benefits Associated With Training Cannabis Plants

1. The growth structure can be manipulated to produce more laterally dominant plants, allowing for all of the side branches to grow uniform. By topping plants and pruning prior to flowering, the final result will be top-heavy buds with no main cola.
2. Vertical height can often become a serious problem for beginner growers and especially those with limited grow space. By reducing the production of the growth hormone responsible for vertical growth, the concerns of tall and lanky plants will be eliminated.
3. As you become more familiar with your plant and comfortable applying different techniques, you will find using both low and high-stress methods will be highly advantageous to the production capabilities of your plants.
4. It is possible to take things one step further and incorporate a screen (SCROG) into the mix. By topping, tying down, and pruning large-sized plants during 18/6, the outcome will be a very large yielding plant that is growing as efficiently as possible.
5. Different cultivars may react better than others, so it may be a learning curve finding out which are the best candidates. You will be highly rewarded by doing your research and will often find the largest producing varieties on the market are extremely well adapted to plant training.

Conclusion

We recommend starting off learning about one technique at a time, as knowing when to train the plants and which are best suited is a balancing act. Having patience and allowing the plants to fully recover is fundamental to growing tough and vigorous Cannabis plants. Good luck applying plant training techniques in your garden!