Top pick: low-stress training (LST) plus one early topping. That pairing spreads the canopy so more flower sites sit in direct light, and it asks far less of your schedule than a screen or a strict defoliation calendar. The criteria behind that call are the ones that decide every training choice: how much extra veg time a method costs, how much daily handling it demands, whether plant count limits or tent height force you to train instead of adding plants, and how much recovery risk you accept when a session goes wrong.
Choosing a method: the four criteria
- Veg time cost. Cutting and bending both stall growth for a few days. In a short veg cycle that stall is the whole decision.
- Daily handling. LST needs re-tying every few days. Topping is a one-time task. A screen sits in between.
- Space and plant count. Where plant counts are capped, training one plant wide beats running more plants narrow.
- Stress and recovery. High-stress methods can snap stems. Low-stress methods rarely set a plant back.
Low-stress training (LST)
You bend the main stem and side branches outward and tie them down so the canopy stays flat. Start when the plant has four to six nodes and the stems still flex. Nothing is cut, so the plant keeps growing through the process.
Training Cannabis in Flower: What Not to Do
Pros
- No open wounds and almost no recovery stall
- Fits short tents because it builds width instead of height
- Reversible, and you can adjust ties as stems thicken
Cons
- Needs soft ties and re-checking every few days
- Stems kink if you bend them past the point of resistance
- Awkward in a crowded tent where you cannot reach the back
Use it if you can spend ten minutes every few days and want the widest margin for error.
what does topping do to cannabis plants
Topping and FIM
Topping removes the growing tip above a node, which breaks apical dominance and pushes the two shoots below it to compete as co-leaders. FIM cuts partway through the tip and often produces four or more shoots instead of two.
what does topping do to cannabis plants
Pros
- One cut, done, no ongoing hardware
- Turns a single main cola into a multi-cola canopy
- Cheap and easy to repeat on a schedule
Cons
- Two to five days of stalled vertical growth after each cut
- Poor timing close to flower can cost you yield instead of adding it
- Autoflowering plants have little veg time to spare for recovery
Use it if you have a normal veg window and want results from a single session rather than a routine.
Screen of green (ScrOG)
A horizontal screen holds branches at one height while they stretch, filling the footprint with even tops. Buds form at the same distance from the light, which is the main reason growers see more uniform colas.
Pros
- Most even canopy and light spread of any method here
- The screen supports heavy colas without stakes
- Strong fit for low ceilings and wide, shallow spaces
Cons
- You commit to one layout for the whole run
- Moving or rotating the pot becomes difficult
- Cleaning up growth under the screen is a chore
Use it if your plants stay in one place and you want the canopy solved for you.
Supercropping and other high-stress methods
Supercropping rolls and pinches a stem until the inner tissue softens, then bends it over. The branch heals into a knuckle and the stem thickens.
Pros
- Fixes a plant that outgrew its headroom in minutes
- No tools, no ties, no screen
- Thicker stems hold weight later
Cons
- Real risk of snapping a branch off
- Slower recovery than LST, with visible stress
- Risky once flowering has started
Use it if you are already in trouble with height and need a fast correction.
Defoliation and lollipopping
Defoliation removes selected fan leaves during veg or early flower. Lollipopping strips the lower third of growth that will never reach the light.
Pros
- Better airflow, which lowers mold pressure in dense tents
- Light reaches bud sites that were shaded
- Makes pest and mold inspection much easier
Cons
- Leaves are the plant's engine, so heavy stripping slows growth
- Timing and severity matter more than the technique itself
- Not a substitute for fixing a crowded canopy
Use it if your canopy is dense enough that lower growth is already failing.
Putting it together
- Top once when the plant has five or six nodes, then let it recover.
- Begin LST as soon as the new shoots are long enough to tie outward.
- Lollipop the bottom third just before you flip to flower.
- Defoliate lightly around day 18 to 21 of flower, then leave the plant alone.
- Supercrop only if a branch breaks the ceiling.
Where convenience decides
If your time is limited, LST plus a single topping gives most of the canopy benefit with the least ongoing work and the lowest chance of a costly mistake. A screen wins on evenness but ties you to a fixed layout. High-stress methods win on speed and lose on risk. Pick by the schedule you can actually keep, not by the biggest possible canopy on paper.