Plants are truly amazing in the way they can grow and adapt to their environment, and through effective training techniques, you can unlock the full potential of cannabis plants. Plant training refers to techniques used by growers to manipulate the shape and structure of their plants to optimize growth, improve airflow, and maximize light exposure.
Training Cannabis Plants for Increased Yield
The goal of training is to increase yields by encouraging more even growth (in addition to the main cola), allowing lower parts of the plant to receive light, and promoting the development of multiple main colas. By controlling how the plant grows, cultivators can ensure that each part of the plant gets the nutrients and light it needs, leading to more robust and productive plants.
Training techniques can range from low-stress training (LST), which involves gently bending branches, to high-stress training (HST), which includes methods like topping or pruning to alter the plant’s growth patterns. These methods help plants grow horizontally instead of vertically, reducing the plant’s height and maximizing the space available in a grow area.
When to Start Training Your Cannabis Plant
Timing is everything when it comes to training cannabis plants. Starting at the right growth stage ensures the plant responds well to the training and can recover properly, leading to healthier growth and better yields.
Ideal Growth Stages for Different Techniques
Most plant training methods should be initiated during the vegetative stage when the plant is still actively developing and can quickly recover from stress. Here’s a breakdown of when to apply different techniques:
- Low-Stress Training (LST): LST can be started as early as 3-4 weeks into the vegetative stage, once the plant has developed a few sets of leaves. The goal is to gradually bend and secure branches to create an even canopy. Because LST is gentle, you can continue to adjust and train the plant throughout its vegetative growth without causing significant stress.
- Topping or Fimming (High-Stress Training): These methods should ideally be done once the plant has at least 4-5 nodes (sets of leaves along the stem), typically after 3-5 weeks in the vegetative stage. Topping is the process of cutting the main stem to encourage lateral growth, while fimming is a less precise cut that can result in more colas. After topping or fimming, give the plant time to recover and watch for new growth.
- Super Cropping (HST): This technique involves bending and slightly damaging the branches to strengthen them. It can be done later in the vegetative stage, once the plant has developed sturdy branches. It’s usually done around 5-7 weeks of vegetative growth, allowing time for the plant to recover before it enters the flowering stage.
- Screen of Green (ScrOG) or Sea of Green (SOG): These advanced techniques are often applied early in the vegetative stage and continue throughout to manipulate the plant’s growth structure, creating an even canopy. Timing for these methods depends on the overall growing plan but should be started when the plants are still manageable in size.
Understanding Plant Growth Patterns and Apical Dominance
To train cannabis plants effectively, it’s important to understand apical dominance, a natural growth pattern in which the plant directs most of its energy toward the top, or apical, bud (also known as the main cola). In an untrained plant, the apical bud tends to grow taller than the rest of the plant, dominating nutrient distribution and light access.
By using training techniques like topping or LST, growers can break apical dominance, encouraging the cannabis plant to focus energy on multiple growth points rather than just the main cola. This leads to a bushier plant with multiple bud sites, resulting in a larger yield. Manipulating this natural growth pattern helps the lower branches to receive adequate light and grow strong buds, rather than leaving them shaded and less productive.
It is important to start training at the right time and understand how your plant naturally grows to manipulate it effectively for maximum yield.
Low-Stress Training (LST)
Low-stress training (LST) is a plant training method that involves gently manipulating the plant’s structure to achieve optimal growth without causing significant stress to the plant. Unlike more aggressive techniques, LST doesn’t involve cutting or damaging the plant, which helps minimize recovery time and reduces the risk of stunted growth.
The core idea behind LST is to bend and secure the branches of the cannabis plant to create a more even, horizontal canopy. By spreading out the branches, you allow more light to penetrate the plant, leading to better growth in the lower parts of the plant. Growers typically use soft ties, garden wire, or string to gently hold down branches in the desired direction. Stakes can be used in the soil to provide more control over the plant’s growth by securing main stems or guiding branches away from each other, helping to prevent overcrowding.
Advantages of LST
- Promotes Even Canopy: One of the main advantages of LST is that it helps create an even canopy. This ensures that all parts of the plant receive equal exposure to light, which maximizes photosynthesis and encourages more uniform growth across the plant.
- Reduces Risk of Plant Shock: Since LST doesn’t involve cutting or damaging the plant, there’s minimal risk of shocking the plant, which can happen with more aggressive training methods. This means the plant can continue growing steadily without a recovery period, making LST an ideal option for beginners or those looking for a low-risk training technique.
Tips for Effective LST:
- Start Early in the Vegetative Stage: The earlier you start training, the easier it is to shape the plant without causing damage. Begin when the plant is young and flexible, usually around 3-4 weeks into the vegetative stage.
- Be Gentle to Avoid Snapping Branches: While bending, it’s important to handle the plant with care to avoid snapping the branches. Use soft ties and never bend a branch too far at once. Gradual adjustments over time will help keep the plant healthy and growing strong.
High-Stress Training (HST)
High-Stress Training (HST) refers to more aggressive plant training techniques that involve cutting, pinching, or significantly stressing the plant. The purpose of HST is to force the plant to redirect its energy toward new growth points, often leading to increased bud sites and ultimately bigger yields. However, because these techniques cause stress, plants may need time to recover.
HST Techniques:
- Topping: Topping is one of the most common HST methods. It involves cutting off the main growth tip (apical bud) of the plant to encourage lateral growth and the development of more bud sites. After topping, the plant diverts its energy to the side branches, resulting in a bushier shape with more colas.
- Fimming: Fimming (short for “F*** I Missed”) is a variation of topping, but it involves cutting only about 70-80% of the main growth tip rather than removing it entirely. This less precise cut stimulates the growth of multiple new shoots, potentially leading to more bud sites than topping. Fimming is often seen as a way to get similar results to topping without the sharp cut.
- Super Cropping: Super cropping is a technique where you gently crush or pinch the stems of the plant between your fingers to weaken them slightly without breaking them. This technique encourages the plant to grow stronger and redirect its energy to different parts, increasing overall bud production. After a super crop, the plant builds a thicker, stronger stem to support heavier buds.
Risks and Benefits of HST:
- Significantly Increases Yields: HST methods like topping and super cropping result in increased light exposure to lower branches and a larger number of colas, which significantly boosts yields.
- Higher Risk of Plant Stress: While HST techniques are highly effective for yield increases, they do come with risks. Cutting or damaging the plant can cause shock, which may lead to slower growth or, in extreme cases, stunt the plant’s development. Plants must be healthy before performing HST and need more recovery time, which can extend the overall growth cycle.
High-stress training techniques are best for experienced growers or those willing to take a more hands-on approach to maximize their yield. When used correctly, these methods can help cannabis plants produce more robust flowers and higher overall yields.
Advanced Cannabis Training Techniques
Screen of Green (ScrOG) – this method involves using a screen or mesh to spread out the plant canopy, maximizing light distribution across the entire plant. This technique allows growers to control how the plant grows, training it to expand horizontally rather than vertically. ScrOG is ideal for indoor growers with limited space and allows for more even light exposure, encouraging the growth of multiple buds across the plant.
Sea of Green (SOG) – This is another popular training method that involves growing many small cannabis plants instead of a few large ones. The idea is to pack multiple plants into a grow space and put them into flowering early to get faster harvests. This technique is often used to achieve quick turnover and maximize yield in a short period.
While ScrOG focuses on training a few plants to grow horizontally with an even canopy, SOG is more about speed and quantity. In SOG, growers focus on minimizing training by growing many small plants with minimal manipulation.
Mainlining and Manifolding
Mainlining is a structured method of training cannabis plants designed to create multiple main colas. The goal of mainlining is to produce a symmetrical plant with evenly distributed nutrient flow, maximizing the plant’s energy and boosting yields. Mainlining can be seen as a hybrid between topping and low-stress training (LST), creating a manifold structure that supports multiple, evenly-sized colas.
Steps to Create a Manifold:
- Topping the Plant:
The first step is to top the plant when it has about 4-5 nodes (sets of leaves). This cuts off the main growth tip, encouraging the plant to focus on lateral growth instead of vertical. - Training Branches Symmetrically:
After topping, train the new growth symmetrically by bending and securing the branches with ties or stakes. You should aim for an even, balanced structure, allowing for equal nutrient distribution to each branch. - Continue Training:
As the plant grows, continue to top and train additional branches, creating a network of even colas that will flower simultaneously.
Mainlining creates a more balanced plant structure, ensuring that nutrients are evenly distributed to all parts of the plant. This improves the overall health of the plant and results in bigger, more evenly-sized buds. By encouraging multiple main colas, mainlining can significantly boost yields compared to plants that only develop one dominant cola. Mainlining ensures that every bud site gets equal attention and resources.
Pruning and Defoliation
Pruning is an essential cannabis training technique that involves removing unnecessary or unwanted growth, such as lower branches or small buds that won’t receive enough light to fully develop. The purpose of pruning is to focus the plant’s energy on the upper, more productive bud sites. This leads to larger, higher-quality flowers and improves airflow around the plant, reducing the risk of mold and pests.
Defoliation is the strategic removal of leaves to improve light penetration and airflow. Large fan leaves can block light from reaching lower bud sites, and removing them allows more light to reach all parts of the plant. It also helps create better airflow, which is essential for preventing issues like mold and mildew in dense, bushy plants.
Over-defoliation may shock the plant, slowing down growth or reducing yields. Only remove what’s necessary for better light and airflow and allow the plant some time to recover before continuing with further training or defoliation.
Tips to Successfully Train Cannabis Plants
- Monitor Plant Health: Keep a close eye on your plants, checking for signs of stress or damage after each training session.
- Avoid Over-Stressing: Stick to one technique at a time to prevent overwhelming the plant. Introducing too many methods at once can stunt growth.
- Use Clean Tools: Always sterilize your tools before making any cuts to avoid spreading diseases or infections.
- Patience is Key: Give your plants enough time to recover between training sessions for optimal results and to prevent long-term damage.
Training cannabis plants is a powerful way to improve yields, promote healthier growth, and make the most of your growing space. Growers can experiment with different techniques to find what works best for them and over time, plant training becomes a key part of successful cannabis cultivation. As always, start with quality cannabis seeds for quality cannabis plants.
Mosca Seeds brings over 15 years of expertise in cannabis genetics, offering a wide variety of high-quality seeds to support successful cultivation. With the right training techniques, you can maximize your plant’s potential and yields. Check out the Seed Bazaar for premium cannabis seeds to start your next grow.