Low Stress Training (LST) Technique

Low Stress Training STEP 1 : Grow your plant in your pc grow box from Seed or Clone to 2 or 3 leaf sets, some use 5 but I always use 3 because after the 3rd leaf set the main stem starts to harden and it will be harder to bend your plant over properly without breaking the main stem.

Low Stress Training STEP 2 : Using the mesh shelf in the pc grow box, bend the plant through the wire so that it is horizontal.

Low Stress Training STEP 3 : This is really not a step, just waiting time... Take note of how the top of the plant that was bent down will bend back upwards towards the light, this could take anywhere from 3 hours to 1 day.

Low Stress Training STEP 4 : Veg and don't tie down until you have a new leaf set. You will notice Side branching has started already because good light is getting to the main stem areas next to each leaf stem intersection with the main stem.

Low Stress Training STEP 5 : Depending on your starting pot size in your grow box you may have to transplant. If you started out with a large pot, repeat step 2 over and over again holding the main stem down with hooks until you reach the end of the pot.

Low Stress Training STEP 6 : Now that your new leaf set has formed you have enough length in growth since the first bend(s) to allow you to start bending the stem horizontally around the mesh shelf. Side branches should be coming along very nicely.

Low Stress Training STEP 7 : Continue repeating steps 4 and 6, allowing the plant to grow and then keep tying it down along the mesh shelf, Side branches should be forming and growing up towards the light.

Low Stress Training STEP 8 : Continue to repeat step 7 until you are all the way to the end of the shelf...  During all this time of repeating step 7 you should also be tying down horizontally the new branches that have formed from the main stem as much as possible until you use up as much space as possible inside the grow box, the outer branches growing over the outside edge you can hold down as well with string to keep those tops even with the inner branches.

Low Stress Training STEP 9 : After you have used up all possible space on the mesh shelf its time to just let it flower in your pc grow box..  these will all become Collas unlike a non LST plant which will only have one colla.

During flowering and even before due to lack of light on the main stem leafs which is all the way to the bottom almost against the soil those leafs will die off anyways, I usually cut these off the main stem right after the branch has grown out in that area, keeps things neat down below where you will need good airflow during flowering.. so go ahead and take off any leafs coming off the main stem that is going around the inside edge of the pot.

Set you timer to 12/12 and watch it bloom.


Make sure you have just watered your plants, they bend easier and tend not to snap.