Cannabis Training Techniques for Small Spaces

Quick answer

Train the plant wide, not tall. Low stress training (LST), topping, and a screen of green (SCROG) hold the canopy at one height. In a 48-inch tent with an LED bar, growers veg 4 to 6 weeks and flip to flower with the canopy 12 to 18 inches below the light. Height is the limit, not floor area.

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Match the plant to the space

Sativa-dominant cultivars can double in height after the light flip. Indica-dominant and autoflowering types stretch less. A 2x2 ft tent holds one plant in a 3 to 5 gallon pot. A 4x4 ft tent holds four plants, or one plant trained into a 3 ft wide screen.

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Low stress training (LST)

Bend the main stem toward the pot rim when the plant has 4 to 6 nodes. Tie it with soft plant wire or garden twine. The tip turns up toward the light in 24 to 48 hours. New shoots near the bend become colas. Repeat the bend every 2 to 3 days during the stretch. LST costs no recovery time and works on autoflowers.

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Topping and FIM

Topping cuts the growing tip above a node. The plant splits into two tops. Cut above node 3 or node 4 for a low, bushy frame. Wait 5 to 7 days between cuts. FIM removes about 80 percent of the tip and can produce 3 to 4 tops. Make the last cut at least 2 weeks before the light flip. Topping on an autoflower leaves little time to recover.

Screen of green (SCROG)

Set a trellis net 8 to 12 inches above the pot. Weave shoots under the net during veg. Fill 70 to 80 percent of the screen, then flip to flower. Keep tucking for the first 2 weeks of stretch. After stretch ends, stop. Buds finish at one height, 12 to 18 inches from an LED bar. This is the highest-yield method per square foot.

Super cropping

Pinch a stem between thumb and finger. Roll it until the fibers soften, then bend it sideways. The stem forms a knuckle and stays down. Use this on branches that outrun the canopy, up to week 3 of flower. Recovery takes 2 to 4 days.

Defoliation and lollipopping

Remove fan leaves that cover bud sites. Take no more than 20 percent of the leaves at one time. Lollipop the bottom third of the plant between day 14 and day 21 of flower. Lower growth gets little light and yields larf.

Order of operations

1. Week 1 to 2: top above node 3 or 4.
2. Week 2 to 5: LST every 2 to 3 days.
3. Week 3: add the trellis net, tuck shoots.
4. Week 5 to 6: flip to 12/12, keep tucking.
5. Week 7 to 8: lollipop the bottom third, light defoliation.
6. Week 9 and after: remove only leaves that block light.

Clean shears with isopropyl alcohol between plants. A plant stays in veg until the screen fills. Total height at harvest in a trained 4x4 ft tent runs 24 to 36 inches.