Topping vs. LST vs. Natural

[HerbalBeast]

Just like the title says, which way is best of all this? Arguments are welcome. The reason I've created this thread/poll is to see different opinions and arguments about which way is best.

I have no idea, I'm only thinking that LST is good but you can brake the plants, topping is nice and bushy but it can stress plant to become a male, and natural could be harder to maintain if the branches are thin and the buds get heavy. I don't know...

PS: By "Natural" I only mean that you don't temper with the plant. You can however add nutes and lights and everything else, just not temper with it's physical state

Peace

 

[supaleeb]

Natural with _some_ topping.

 

[HerbalBeast]

why? I mean, I myself would prefer to go LST and that's it. But the only reason I would do this, is because I would have complete control over the height I want them to reach + I won't stress them as much as with topping...

 

[SCARHOLE]

I just did my own comparison of FIM, topping lst.

Heres what i noticed.

MY natural plants are the fastest an looking like they will yeild more IMO.
But i only vegged for 2 weeks.

But if you got a few extra weeks, grow one tell the 4th node ,cut the top an use it as a clone. It will double that plants yeild.
The mama will will grow 4 tops, be sure to wire em together around stem, the weight of budds can split the stem.

Lst is perfect if you got a natural plant thats wanting to stretch to much.

Next i need to compare a scrog an a sog in my lil box.

 

[HerbalBeast]

interesting... so you say natural is better eh? ... nice. Let me know how the scrog/sog goes. I'm still a noob with this, only on my 2nd grow here, had 3 healthy girls on my 1st but not much yield. Difference now is a few more lights and nutes but nothing special.

 

[SCARHOLE]

I believe if you make her a bush an veg the bush tell shes huge as hell, shell out yeild a reg plant the same size.

But if you make her a little bush with 2 weeks veg the natural plant will out yield her i believe.

 

[cowboylogic]

No single method is best. Each has its advantages. Varies strain to strain. It more about making better use of you light and space ect... I wouldnt confine myself to one single method. Thats one of the great parts of gardening, experimentation to get the most out of a particular plant under particular conditions.

 

[Grumpy Old Dreamer]

LSTing definitely produces more shoots and growth than Natural growth, and is better than topping as there is no interruption to the flow of growth hormones.
LSTing can result in broken plants, although I would think the borken plants is not "Low Stress Training".
I have started ZSTing my plants.
What the fuck is ZSTing you may ask?
ZERO STRESS TRAINING
I attach a training frame made from galvanised wire to my pots (which are square pots) and then I lay the pots on their side and the plants bend towards the light ... then I attach them to the frame.
I exert ZERO stress on the plant and cannot break or snap the plant.
Once they are attached to the frame I can stand the pot upright (for a few days) and lay it down again later.

Have a look at the latest postings in the thread in my signature for an idea about what I am talking about.

 

[HerbalBeast]

LSTing definitely produces more shoots and growth than Natural growth, and is better than topping as there is no interruption to the flow of growth hormones.
LSTing can result in broken plants, although I would think the borken plants is not "Low Stress Training".
I have started ZSTing my plants.
What the fuck is ZSTing you may ask?
ZERO STRESS TRAINING
I attach a training frame made from galvanised wire to my pots (which are square pots) and then I lay the pots on their side and the plants bend towards the light ... then I attach them to the frame.
I exert ZERO stress on the plant and cannot break or snap the plant.
Once they are attached to the frame I can stand the pot upright (for a few days) and lay it down again later.

Have a look at the latest postings in the thread in my signature for an idea about what I am talking about.

Damn man you sure know your farming. +rep for experience now this ZST should be added in the poll but maybe next one. In the mean time you should patent your idea before someone else takes the credit. I'm going to consider doing this, but maybe with future grows as now all my pots are round

The race looks tight so far...

 

[SCARHOLE]

Good idea, movin the pot around to make it grow what ever way you want early on. Pluss rep ill have to try it some day. Ill be watchn your fem seed grow, i got to learn more about it.

Ive never treid "lollypoping" my small plants during flower, i just cant bring myself to cut off the bottom half the plants shoots, or cut on much unless im cloning. I got to try it also.

 

[HerbalBeast]

never heard of lollypoping either... damn I'm such a noob

 

[HerbalBeast]

ba-da-bump

 

[lazycrazy]

I've grown natural, topped, Lst'ed. topped and Lst'ed.

Natural yields far far less.

LST only takes a lot of time to do correctly but has awesome yields

Topped only yields less than LST

Topped and then LST'ed is the best by far. It takes much less work to achieve same height for all stems and yields excellently, as much as only LST. What I do is top them once early (5th node is removed) and then at l8 vegging I start spreading the stems with LST and tie them down to achieve same height. I continue this up until stretching in early flowering has stopped.

 

[HerbalBeast]

yo lazy, did you notice any problems with slow growth when topping? Also, how many times do you top the main stem before you let it heal? I'm still reading on that

 

[bird mcbride]

Just like the title says, which way is best of all this? Arguments are welcome. The reason I've created this thread/poll is to see different opinions and arguments about which way is best.

I have no idea, I'm only thinking that LST is good but you can brake the plants, topping is nice and bushy but it can stress plant to become a male, and natural could be harder to maintain if the branches are thin and the buds get heavy. I don't know...

PS: By "Natural" I only mean that you don't temper with the plant. You can however add nutes and lights and everything else, just not temper with it's physical state

Peace

I'm sorry, but I have a cloned mom that we have had from seed fifteen years ago. She has been topped unknown amount of times and she's still a girl. None of my moms have ever turned into a male.

 

[HerbalBeast]

bird I only grow from seed for now... never cloned yet, still a rookie. That's why I wondered about hormone problems when first developing sex. Thing is I've read in some places that the sex of a plant is already set before they sprout but I don't know...

 

[bird mcbride]

I've grown natural, topped, Lst'ed. topped and Lst'ed.

Natural yields far far less.

LST only takes a lot of time to do correctly but has awesome yields

Topped only yields less than LST

Topped and then LST'ed is the best by far. It takes much less work to achieve same height for all stems and yields excellently, as much as only LST. What I do is top them once early (5th node is removed) and then at l8 vegging I start spreading the stems with LST and tie them down to achieve same height. I continue this up until stretching in early flowering has stopped.

I know longer tie my plants down and I don't top unless it's a seedling and the top is taken for cloning. I grow in a F&D table filled with lava rock and clay gravel, mixed. After the plants get about two feet high I tip them outwards from the table by tipping them by the roots when the table is flooded. This helps to maximize the lighting to the entire plant. Much like tying them down.

 

[bird mcbride]

bird I only grow from seed for now... never cloned yet, still a rookie. That's why I wondered about hormone problems when first developing sex. Thing is I've read in some places that the sex of a plant is already set before they sprout but I don't know...

I can only resolve that the sex is designed into the seed. I can't speak for auto's on this subject because auto's are a cross between some plant in Siberia and a potplant.

 

[HerbalBeast]

I've been hearing that a lot lately... I will do a little experiment next time I buy seeds I'll buy feminised, and after germination I will stress one really bad and see if she herms or turns male... few more months before that happens but it's oK

 

[grow space]

My personal opinion that i have done myself is that the best way to me is to top at pretty early age, get a nice bush going, and then lst the shit out of it!!!Works great and gives u i believe more yield