Bend, Don’t Break – And Watch Your Yields Explode
When it comes to boosting yield, improving light penetration, and growing better buds without stressing your plants, few techniques deliver like Low Stress Training (LST).
Unlike high-stress methods like topping or supercropping, LST gently guides your plant’s shape—creating a flatter canopy, more even growth, and ultimately, bigger, better buds.
Let’s break down why LST works, how to do it, and which strains respond best.
🌱 What Is Low Stress Training (LST)?
LST is the practice of gently bending and tying down plant branches during the vegetative stage to manipulate growth. Rather than letting your plant shoot straight up, you train it to grow outward.
Goal:
- Maximize light exposure to all bud sites
- Promote horizontal, even growth
- Control height (great for tents or stealth grows)
- Improve airflow and reduce risk of mold
Think of it like a bonsai technique for beastly buds.
🛠️ How to Perform LST (Step-by-Step)
- Start Early – Begin once your plant has 3–4 nodes and a solid root base.
- Bend the Main Stem – Gently pull it sideways and secure it with garden wire or soft ties.
- Expose Lower Branches – As the canopy evens out, more bud sites rise toward the light.
- Adjust as Needed – As branches grow, continue bending and tying for an even canopy.
- Let It Ride – Stop LST when the plant transitions into flowering.
🧠 Pro Tip: Use plant-safe clips, pipe cleaners, or coated wire—never string or anything sharp.
💡 Why LST Works So Well
When you bend the main stem, you disrupt apical dominance—that’s the natural tendency of the main top to outgrow the others. LST redistributes growth hormones (auxins), causing lower branches to grow bigger.
💥 Result:
More top-quality colas instead of one big one and a bunch of larfy lowers.
🌬️ Bonus Benefits of LST
- ✅ Prevents mold and bud rot by opening up airflow
- ✅ Controls vertical stretch—ideal for small tents or stealth grows
- ✅ Doesn’t stress or slow the plant like topping or fimming
- ✅ Perfect for autoflowers that don’t have time to recover from stress
🌸 Best Strains for LST? We’ve Got You Covered
At Original Sensible Seeds, many of our strains are LST-friendly, especially autos and fast-flowering fems:
- Black Orchid Auto – Compact and flexible, a great first LST strain
- Bruce Banner #3 Fast – Gets tall quickly; responds well to shaping
- Purple Ghost Candy – Bushy structure, ideal for multiple tops
LST turns good genetics into great results—if you let the light in.
🎯 Final Word: Shape Your Plant, Shape Your Yield
LST is more than a training technique—it’s a yield amplifier, a stealth tactic, and a bud quality booster all rolled into one.
Whether you’re growing in a closet, tent, or greenhouse, training your plant gently and early can make all the difference.
🌱 Train smarter. Grow better. Start with seeds built to perform under pressure:
👉 www.originalsensible.com