Lst thoughts

[Marthajeep]

Hey GWE folks! It’s been over a decade since I’ve grown last and times have changed to say the least. So it’s time to grow! So I have two plants growing both around 3 weeks from germ. My setup is a 1,000w led 30” above with dimmers, my temp stays around 77 and humidity right about 50. No nutes. I’m growing RQS gorilla auto and Autoseeds dreamberry (trifoliate) both of which are just bellow 3.5 inches currently at day 20. Last night I started lst with no problems, but this is my question, I understand the point behind lst is to provide more light to the under sites, but my plants are so short and bushy that even after tying down I’m not really getting much more light to lower nodes. So is the fact that the top is being held down going to allow for the lower nodes to grow through the leaves even though they aren’t really getting much more light? I’ll include a pic of each (gorilla, gorilla side, dreamberry), post lst. Advice is much appreciated!

[Canuck147]

Plants look great - 20 days? - looks like they are ready to start shooting out pistils any day - so, not much time for lsting - personally, with my autoflowers I just cut off 2 leaves at a time, to allow the branches underneath that are being blocked by those leaves I just cut off. This allows those branches to grow up.

[Marthajeep]

Thanks Canuck how old did you wait until trimming the 2 leaves at a time?

[Canuck147]

As soon as they need it.

[SoOrbudgal]

Howdy Marthajeep welcome to the GWE forum for questions. I've grown several autos no expert by any means but I get what your sayin. Those are tight little nodes and heck those autos stiffen real quick. And sometimes strains will be tighter nodes. I got a auto going a berry ryder it was like yours until it hit flowering stretch those little arms will grow out and you can tie them down also.

I think you did a great job that's the way they are on some strains tiny little shits but she'll grow i'll show you my Berry ryder auto 1st pic and a Durban poison auto. No worries you done good she looks really healthy. One I topped Durban did not top Berry just lst and tyed down arms. Durban 2x as big.

[Marthajeep]

Thanks! Your girls look great. At how many days did you top your Durban? How old are both of them? I’m thinking I’m just going to stick with lst as this is my first autoflower grow and try topping after I’ve learned as much as possible from this grow.

[SoOrbudgal]

Hey Marthajeep I topped the Durban poison at around 1 month old. I keep track of most all I do to them on a calendar just used for my gardening. I have them sitting under the lights at 20-24" from plant top canopy. They are now 62days from seed. I don't have a high end set of lights they are mid basic LED were what I wanted to spend as i'm more of a outdoor summer grower. This is indoor winter hobby to fill my " pot pantry " LOL last summer was a weather bust for me.

[Marthajeep]

Ok folks, I figured it was about time to start feeding (day21). I have a living soil mixed into the lower third of my pots. Today I noticed what looks to me like cal/mag deficiency, yes both. It would make sense bc I have not fed and I’m using ro water (already have it for aquarium top-off). I received my roots organic veg and bloom today and also blue planet nutes organic cal/mag. I top dressed the grow and added cal/mag to my water, both at half amount directed. Thoughts?

[SoOrbudgal]

Just watch it when those roots hit that lower soil with the feed but all sounds like you got it right. Way to grow Marthjeep

[Marthajeep]

It’s been 3 days since lst. I think the deficiency progressed just a touch, but I think I caught it early and the calmag is doing its job along with with their first feeling. Still a bit concerned that they are small, but I think it’s focused on growing out the side branches and sites. I’ve read through a ton of grow diaries of the same strain and some have mentioned it tends to take off once in flower. I just started to see preflowers in the last day or two, I’m just going to leave them alone for now aside from food and water and cross my fingers that they explode soon. Funny thing is two different strains growing almost identically, at least to this point. Day 22 Gorilla 1, Dreamberry 2.

[SoOrbudgal]

Morning from So. Oregon Marthajeep how much have you been watering? Reason is I'm thinking those plants may want a good long drink of plane Ph water soil looks real dry. I tend to underwater myself for fear of root issues but i'd run at least 16oz through those an see what they do after that may make them reach up?

[Marthajeep]

Hey SoOrbudgal, I feel like I water on the heavier side. I do a good drench every other day, but by then it’s dry two knuckles down. My light is over 33” above canopy and humidity is 50@77 degrees. I’ve attributed the quick dry to the 3 gal fabric pots as the plants are quite small. You think everyday would better?

[SoOrbudgal]

No sounds good it was just looking dry must of taken pic on dry day. I use the tan fabric it's really thick like triple thick levis? Mine don't dry out maybe 4-5days then I have to lift to figure if it's dry. Nope it all sounds good...I don't know autos are small when compared to photo period. Mine looked like that and my light was about that distance at that age. I just use soil, coco fiber and perilite mixed in. It's a real light mix fluffy I don't think I used that mix before, I mix my own organics.

Did you top these or you just LST them or nothing just let them grow like a Christmas tree? That tight little node one I took paperclips to pull the arms down they are so small, I since released all tie downs. But that berry is worrying me cause it's so tightly stacked now thick center cola I worry about mold. Sorry for the ramble.

[Marthajeep]

No worries on the ramble, I’m always down for a good ramble. I just started feeding a top dressing of roots organics uprising grow at half strength. I probably should have started sooner, but everyone says you don’t need to feed in good soil until 3+ weeks, but one of the girls didn’t agree with that sentiment and started showing deficiencies. I started lst 4 days ago, and about 2 days after I noticed preflowers, which is pretty standard for an auto around 3 weeks. I’m going to keep them bound for now until the other sites catch up, but even then I may keep the main stem in bondage. We’ll see where they take me, it’s their call. Just ordered kelp to possibly do a foliar spray, but mostly for watering. Again so many mixed options on that too. Just trying to fit the adage, feed the soil, not the plant. There’s a lot of good advice around the forums, but people tend to put others in their own shoes, pretty sure that’s back asswards tbo. I’m enjoying this process of learning and discerning. In the end I know I’ll make mistakes, I know I might fail, I know people will criticize and demean, but I’ll know that I’ve learned and gained experience. That’s all I want. Maybe a little bud wouldn’t hurt. Sorry for the ramble Day 24. Gorilla then Dreamberry

[SoOrbudgal]

Every thing you are saying I agree with the approach. I beat by my own drummer, that's what it's all about learning taking what works best in each ones different. I agree feeding the soil it's how I do my outdoor grows much more flexible with my smelly soils can't do them indoor makes hubby and family shake their heads LOL but they love the smell of flowering weed !

[GreenState]

Not to hijack your thread Martha, but seemed as good a place as any to pose a question.....Has anyone ever taken a "to tall" plant and leaned it over at an angle to shorten its height? Grown it to end leaned over? My durban poison is going to give me problems I believe, I really don't want to super crop it at this stage (end wk 3 of flower).
TIA....and welcome to GWE Martha

[SoOrbudgal]

GreenState sure can do that more radical form of LST been doing that for years if you got to hide them out in the woods. As long as you have the room and won't block other plants.