First timer - ready to LST?

Hello good ILGM people! After a small setback with my first pass (likely too much light and water at seedling stage…plus I think Jiffy peat pots did not help) I have some good progress with pass #2! Looking for advice on whether to start LST on this baby or wait. WW Auto in mid-Week 3 in Happy Frog. Looks like four nodes in with 5th starting to sprout, about 6 inches tall. Any advice welcome!

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You’re doing well. Nice looking plant.

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Healthy looking LST in a week maybe maybe less. Keep a fan on it it really makes stem thick

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I started training mine around that size. I have a grow journal currently on day 43 have trained my plant almost every day if you want to check it out.

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I’m feeling really panicked right now because I started training mind at day 20. Mine were nowhere as thick as yours I did it to expose the Bud sites because the fan leaves were so big. But they are still alive and growing. Hope I didn’t hurt the babies too much.

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Besides looking thirsty in the last pic they look good

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Thanks for confirming I just watered I thought it was a little early but now I know to go with my gut.

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You can get it started. Anchor the base like @mont did and bend in the opposite direction. keep after it as it grows.

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@MONT Thanks for the pics. I’m a noob but looks good to me.

Thanks all @beardless @MidwestGuy @Oheeeoh @Suckerpunch @MONT

Here’s the after pics of my first LST based on all the great advice. Look OK? One question… What to do with the shoots that end up on the underside of the trained plant (farther from light)? Leave them alone or prune them so energy goes to the shoots which are more exposed to the light?

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They should come up through the canopy. If they’re being blocked by leaves just tuck the leaves out of the way

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Great question. On one of my recent grows I tried to answer that question.
This is a jack herer auto that I trained in a circular pattern around the rim of the pot.


When I harvested the plant I kept track of what I cut and its location on the plant.


This is what was cut from the upper portion of the plant

And from the lower part

Branch 4 was huge - you can see the knuckle where the branch meets the main stem


row
The growth on the outside and topside of the stem were generally more productive than those from the underside. I don’t know if it is a matter of light or the distance it had to grow at an early stage in order to reach the light. I debated if I should remove #9 as it grew. Decided to leave it and see what it amounted to. Small compared to the rest but not terrible.

If a first node branch is on the underside, I would remove it. (I usually remove the first and second branches (growth points anyway). Some times you can twist the stem enough to have the stems coming from the sides rather than top and bottom. Twist a little and tie the upper branch for leverage. The opposite side I will devise something to lift it up and try to get it as parallel to the soil as possible.
This isn’t the best example but gives you an idea


I have also lifted a branch using heavy wire and plant ties.

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This is fantastic! Thank you very much @beardless

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I tuck leaves under if they are blocking lower nodes. If tucking doesn’t work, I don’t have a problem cutting off a few leaves. Just don’t do more than a few and you should be fine.

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@beardless That is impressive organization, visuals, and data.

I always take my plant out of the tent and set it on a table for LST. Then, when I’m done training I stand directly over the plant and look down towards the dirt/main stem. The second perspective often times will show you something you missed when you were working on the plant from the side.

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Thanks I enjoy documenting what I do or encounter with pictures. Then sharing them when they may help. The training stuff is mostly passing along what members helped me with.

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Almost at 3 weeks, Do you think these are ready for LST? I also have another like the big back one just stem is smaller. The other one is like the skinny front.

Thanks in advanced

@HappyGoLucky21 I see abt 3 nodes, correct? I think most wait until node 4 or 5 begin.