# LST

> LST (low-stress training) bends and ties stems so the plant grows wide and flat, exposing more bud sites to light without cutting or breaking tissue.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/lst.html
- Also written: low-stress training, low stress training, tie-down, tying down, bending branches
- Glossary category: Cultivation and training · Evidence: Grower practice
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Low-stress training is the gradual bending and tying of stems so the main top is pulled down and sideways and lower branches rise to the same height. The plant does not lose any tissue, so recovery time is minimal. The goal is an even, [flat canopy](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/even-canopy.md) where many [tops](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/top-shelf.md) share the same light.

## In practice

Start once the plant has 4-5 nodes and the stem is flexible. Bend the main stem over and anchor it to the pot rim with [soft ties](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/plant-ties.md), then keep pulling up-turning tips outward every day or two. Stems bend best in the warm part of the light period, and a turgid plant snaps more easily than a slightly dry one. Keep LST going into the first two to three weeks of flower, while the plant [stretches](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/stretch.md).

LST is the preferred technique for [autoflowers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/autoflower.md): it adds yield without the recovery pause of cutting.

## Don't confuse with

- **HST**: [high-stress training](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hst.md), which deliberately damages tissue (topping, [supercropping](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/supercropping.md)).
- **SCROG**: a screen-based system that uses LST-style tucking as its method.

## Related terms

[HST](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hst.md), [Topping](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/topping.md), [SCROG](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/scrog.md), [Plant ties](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/plant-ties.md), [Even canopy](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/even-canopy.md)

## Read more

- [LST: low-stress training](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/training/lst.md)

## Sources

1. Danziger N, Bernstein N, 2021. Shape matters: plant architecture affects chemical uniformity in large-size medical cannabis plants. Plants 10(9):1834. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8468686/