Trying to LST

[Keewee101]

I have got a strawberry kush plant going and I'm trying to give LST a go.
Problem is the plant is so "chunky" the leaves are really wide and the stems are fat and don't bend at all.
Is my light to close making it a squat plant? The plant itself is healthy
Do you do the majority of the training during the stretch on flowering switch?

[r3m1]

never on flower stage. i may not know a lot on LST but i am learning as well so anyone's input is great, especially if im doing it wrong. how far is your light and what kind of light led sodium clf etc.. i am using a t5 and im about 36 inches away from the plants (i found where i can keep temp and humidity in a good zone and its at 36 inches) basically seeing yours are staying small and bushy id wait and maybe move your lights up a few inches to cause the plants to slightly strech and be able to bend the stems to preform LST. from what the article states you need to top the plant and then bend it to cause the lower nodes to grow as a branch causing new nodes. if this is incorrect anyone please correct me. I however didn't top my plants and i had two standing over 16 inches which every plant has grown a full canopy, with a few new nodes each.
basically look how a Christmas tree forms they fill in on the bottoms by growing out well the can plants grow up to the light so lower branches cant make it up and out to the light due to the top being so full. so was most growers do is top the top part of the plant and cause the plant to stop vertical growth and grow new nodes that will take over the vertical growth. this leads to more yield per plant.

[Keewee101]

I'm using a 400w hps. I might try moving it up a bit but I'm thinking that maybe it's just that strain.

[r3m1]

how far away because i know that those lights need to be a lot further away than most lights.

[r3m1]

http://www.growweedeasy.com/hps-grow-lights-setup look at this on the lights as i feel that the plants see them as they are close enough for the amount of light they need
Need a tall grow space - Since HID bulbs must be kept relatively far from your plants, MH/HPS grow lights can only be used even when the grow space is taller than 4 feet (1.2 meters), though 5+ feet (1.5+ meters) of height is recommended for the best results.

[Keewee101]

It's about 20-25 inches away and the tent is plenty tall enough with an exhaust fan running to control heat.

[r3m1]

height is about right hps from what i have read is more so for flowering which may be causing them to be as bushy as they are. place your hand just about the plants for a min and if your hand feels to warm try moving up a few inches until its not. you want to keep the temp just right so the plants don't burn up but yet giving enough light, never is their to much light tho. can you switch your ballast over to a mh bulb? MH bulbs are more so for veg, not to say their is an issue with any of the plants. sounds like you have a perfect set up and id leave them be as they are bushy and the stems are nice and thick two things you would like to see from the plants.

MH lights are generally used in the vegetative stage of growth (when plants are young and growing just stems and leaves), while HPS lights are considered optimal for use during the flowering stage when cannabis plants are producing buds. HPS lights can be used for the entire grow and will still get great results. Modern ballasts often allow a grower to interchange MH and HPS bulbs, but it's important you look for this feature if you want to use a combination of both MH and HPS. Learn more.

[Sonnyhad]

You start LST when plants are young and in the veg stage. Sounds like you are past that stage, are you?

[Keewee101]

Nah it's only 3weeks up. Think it's just this particular plant

[Royal Nugs]

LST is fine in flowering. I do it just about every day. It gets harder to find a spot that's not covered in resin or developing buds as you progress into flower sometimes. You should have a majority of your training done by the time you flower. Then, the only LST you should need to do is keeping bud sites from overlapping/crowding.

Couple this with strategic defoliation and you're on the way to extracting the full potential of your plant.

[Tika]

Same as Royal says and adding a note: i wire/LST after I have watered and drained to waste. Branches seem more flexible.

[Keewee101]

[Keewee101]

So that's the 2 plants I have going. 2.5 weeks old.
The one on the left the stem was thick as soon as it popped up. Now it's nearly the size of my index finger...3 times the size of the other plant and they are the same height

[Royal Nugs]

Sounds like one rooted much faster/better than the other. They're the same strain?

[Keewee101]

No different, strawberry kush is the fatty and the other is Jack Herer.
I have started LST on the jack easy enough.

[Royal Nugs]

If she won't bend, you may need to supercrop her to get her to train. Remember, you're the boss

[Royal Nugs]

Can we get a whole plant picture please?

[Keewee101]

[Potted]

Royal nugs got it right good luck