Who can make the Sun Shine?

[Rooster]

Hey cannabuds,

I finally transferred the girls to their outside location. The question I present to you is this: Would my yields increase exponentially if I were to use LST and tie my plants down, creating a bushier plant with more potential colas? Please, Please, PLEASE sprinkle me with knowledge.

[Beach_Town_Brit]

Hi Rooster, as I understand it sunlight is a pretty 360 degree light source and typically plant training works because it creates even access to an overhead light so I don't think you'd see the same benefit from training as an indoor grow does. All I ever do for training outdoor plants is top at the 5th node and remove the first two nodes (that's for photo period plants).

I'd be tempted to raise the plants (and greenhouse) off the ground a bit too to help with bug abatement.

[Rooster]

How high should raise the girls Off the ground?

[Beach_Town_Brit]

I'm not sure if there's an optimal height or not but I think an overhang helps. The idea is to create a extra separation between your lawn/garden and the plants to discourage wandering bugs from finding your plants. A pallet with some ply on top should work, the ply would give you a surface to spread salt and diatomaceous earth to further discourage bugs and slugs.

Looks like others below do recommend LST for outdoor too. If you're going to be working on your plants regularly then your back and knees will likely appreciate raising them up to desk height or so.

[Canuck147]

LST will help absolutely - Candy Man makes the Sun Shine.

[Rooster]

I was hoping you would say that. I've only been able to theorize up till now, so I will definitely experiment with them.

[Canuck147]

hehehe Rooster - sorry -but I meant Sammy Davis Jr.'s song "The Candy Man"

[Rooster]

Lol, nah I know what you meant. I was hoping someone would catch it. We're on the same page

[9fingerleafs]

I grew for years outdoors unaware of training and It's the only thing I regret. The more you can spread the plant the more you going to harvest. I've seen (on videos of course) how with the proper training and some raised bed plants that up to 10 pounds of dry harvest doing 3 staged harvests

[Canuck147]

Raising them up lessens chance of moldy shit or something growing underneath.

[Rooster]

9, Mr. Cervante's has opened my eyes. Thanks for the good info.

[9fingerleafs]

You are welcomed. Good luck

[bobsakamoto]

beware the wind....i've had it wreck some raised outdoor plants...learned to either make a wind break or adjust the platform accordingly.

[Rooster]

wind burn?

[bobsakamoto]

nah, i meant when the wind whipped up suddenly like before a storm say and managed to knock em over/roll off their platform...

[Rooster]

hmmmmm..... maybe I should weigh the pots down somehow

[oldjarhead100]

Ive never liked to use pots outside for that reason[wind blowing them over). I have found that if you dig a 5 gal hole and add your grow medium. You can spread the D earth around the plant. I spray with Neem oil every 14 days and haven't had any bug problems over the last 4 years of outside grow.

[Jibblerjoe]

Will the oil stop those worms from getting the flowers and stems? Nasty buggars

[Rooster]

is neem oil something I can get at a grocery store?