This isn’t an easy topic to cover all of. As is with everyone, I am still learning and perfecting my techniques.
Now, this is a thread on LST, and I emphasize the low stress part, because although a little stress can be good (aka low), a lot of stress can and will be BAD. I don’t support topping, the FIM technique, sticking nails through the stems or any such SIN. Ill get more into this on the very next reply.
It's a process of trial and error (yes, we are all human here) and although some may prefer to use different materials and slightly different methods, done correctly, it’s all yields the same results.
Imo, with indoor growing, all I’m attempting to do is replicate Mother Nature. This is no easy task, but hey, we got to start somewhere.
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Ok, so there is this bear right? A BIG bear. No Winnie the Pooh crap, but like Im a big bear that weighs a lot bear. A grizzly if that so suits you. Now, this bear does what he wants to, because lets face it, that’s what bears do (what, are you going to tell him not to?) So this bear is walking through the woods and decides that its time to itch his back. He looks around for a tree, but :
: doest see one. Ok, well then he'll just have to get on his back and wiggle around (what, dogs do it) ::wiggle wiggle here:: ::wiggle wiggle there:: and he’s on his way. What Fred didn’t notice (what, I cant name the bear? you have a problem with the name Fred?) is that in his gluttonous actions he managed to bump into miss Mary Jane. As she got bumped, she got tangled in some such manner that she’s bending over and got caught in that position.
So then, there we have it; Mother Nature threw this plant a curve (or a big Fred, ::shrugs:: ). That’s fine, she will adapt, and that’s where this thread begins.
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Well, as it turns out, this new position isn’t so bad. In this position, she is slightly stressed and is forced to strengthen herself to support her weight. Well, that’s nice, because with a thicker crown and branches, she can support her weight better, and can uptake more nutrients faster and at a greater amount.
Well then! Lookie here, now that she’s bent over like so, her lower branches are now exposed to the light better, hell, this might even work out to her advantage.
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Ok, so I got a little silly. That’s ok, I’m sure you are beginning to see what I’m getting at. In nature, stuff like this happens. It’s to be expected, and once again, all I’m trying to do, is bring the outdoors in.
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Now, lets talk about the practical reasons we train. Indoors, we only have so much light (our HID's) and we need to use what we have as efficiently as possible.
Think of it this way, as a plant grows, we have to either raise the light, or drop the plant, because with indoor growing, there is such thing as a plant being too close to the light (heat problems, lummen burn etc.)
If we don’t train, as the plant grows, and the light moves, the only part of the plant that continues to get optimum lighting is the part of the plant that’s closest to the light (the plant top). So think about it, the bottom part of the plant that doesn’t move becomes farther and farther from the light source.
Obviously, this isn’t a good thing; this leads to the plant being nice on top, and crap on the bottom. So how do we get around this? Well, we could do it the hard and expensive way and try to get multiple smaller HID's and light the plant all along the plant vertically. Nah, why makes things so difficult for yourself? How about we simply manipulate the plant ever so cleverly so that every part of the plant is the highest and lowest part of the plant att he same time. Kind of hard to imagine? Ok, just spread out the plant. TIE down the tallest parts of the plant to the same level of the shorter parts of the plant so we have an even plane.
This is all we are attempting to do. To get an even single plane of plant so all of the plant gets equally fantastic lighting, and in the process strengthens itself for the coming buds.
Sounds like fun doesn’t it? It is, this gets addicting, trust me. It all makes so much sense when you think about it. I’m a logical guy, and hell, this makes SENSE. Think about it.
So with the idea explained, and the gay real life example told, we can actually begin. And you know what they say, pictures tell a thousand words.
(Lets just hope the words are better chosen than mine were)