Advanced Cannabis Growing Techniques

Unlock the secrets of cannabis cultivation with advanced growing techniques designed to skyrocket your harvest. These methods allow you to shape and adjust the height of your cannabis plants to fit their environment, optimizing light and space for maximum yield. Whether you’re new to growing or a seasoned pro, mastering these cannabis growing techniques can turn your setup into an efficient, high-yield powerhouse. Here, we dive into how these techniques work and how to train your cannabis plants for success: 

• Low Stress Training, LST
• High Stress Training, HST
• Topping
• Fimming
• Cropping
• SOG (Sea of Green)
• SCROG (Screen of Green) 

Jack Herer Auto - LST

Discover how Low Stress Training (LST) transforms strains like Jack Herer Auto, perfect for tailoring plant growth to your space.

Low Stress Training, LST

Low Stress Training (LST) is a beginner-friendly cannabis growing technique that gently guides plant growth with minimal stress. By bending the trunk and side branches and securing them with wire or rope, you control the plant’s shape.

Start when the plant reaches 20-30 cm—bend the top downward carefully, as far as it bends, and let it rest for a few days before adjusting further. This slows the main cola’s height, boosting side branch development. Perfect for indoor grows, LST ensures lower buds get ample light, while outdoors it supports a discreet stealth grow. For a stellar main bud, trim lower branches during growth (thieving or lollipopping), channeling energy to the top. LST suits regular, feminized, and autoflowering seeds across any growing medium, making it a versatile low stress training method.

Suzy’s Tip: For a stealthy outdoor grow, LST keeps plants low and discreet, perfect for dodging curious neighbors. Indoors, it ensures lower buds bask in light, boosting overall yield. For a massive main bud, combine LST with “lollipopping” (trimming lower branches) to channel energy upward. LST works like a charm with regular, feminized, or autoflowering seeds in any medium, making it your go-to for versatile, stress-free training.

High Stress Training, HST

High Stress Training (HST) is the bold, high-reward cousin of LST, involving calculated cuts or breaks to reshape plants for bigger yields. While it’s a bit intense for autoflowers due to their short cycles, HST shines with photosensitive feminized seeds. The key? Precision and timing to ensure the plant heals stronger. Explore these HST techniques:

Topping

Topping is a simple cannabis growing technique where you remove the top shoot(s). This redirects the plant’s energy to the two shoots below, which grow into robust main buds. Repeat during the growth phase at different spots to create multiple main buds, ideal for filling a grow tent and maximizing your grow surface with topping and low stress training.

Fimming

Fimming closely resembles topping but takes a unique approach by cutting only a portion of the top shoot, rather than removing it entirely. When executed with precision, this technique encourages the main bud to split into three distinct colas, significantly boosting your overall yield. The process involves carefully snipping about 70-80% of the newest growth at the apex, stimulating the plant to redirect energy into multiple growth points. This creates a bushier structure, ideal for maximizing light exposure and bud development. For an alternative twist, fimming can be applied early in the flowering phase—around week two—where it prompts the plant to produce wider, denser buds by enhancing lateral growth during this critical stage. This quirky method originated from a grower’s mishap, with FIM standing for “F*** I Missed,” adding a humorous flair to high stress training during flowering. The accidental discovery has since become a favorite among those looking to experiment with creative cannabis growing techniques.

Cropping (Supercropping) 

Cropping, or supercropping, taps into the cannabis plant’s remarkable toughness, turning its sturdy fibers into a tool for optimizing growth and yield. This high stress training technique involves gently bending or carefully breaking the trunk and branches, allowing you to sculpt the plant’s shape to suit your grow space without causing permanent damage. When executed with care, the inner fibers remain intact, maintaining the essential juice flow to the top while triggering the plant to heal and develop thicker, stronger stems at the manipulated sites—a natural boost to structural resilience.

To master cropping, focus on soft, non-woody areas, typically found in younger growth or flexible sections of the plant. Start by grasping the stem with your thumb and forefinger, applying a gentle massaging motion to soften it—think of it like prepping dough—until it yields under pressure. Once pliable, bend it slowly to a 90-degree angle, listening for a slight crack that signals the outer layer giving way while the inner core holds. Secure the bent branch with soft ties or stakes to prevent it from springing back upright, ensuring the new shape takes hold. This method not only controls height but also enhances light distribution to lower buds, making it a game-changer for tight indoor setups or when plants stretch too close to grow lights.

Suzy’s Tip: Supercropping is your secret weapon when plants stretch too close to grow lights or outgrow your space. It not only controls height but also strengthens stems, as the plant heals with thicker, sturdier tissue. Pair with LST for a perfectly sculpted canopy that maximizes light and airflow to lower buds.

Combining LST and HST: The Mainlining Magic

For growers chasing a perfectly uniform canopy, combining LST and HST is the ultimate power move, often called “mainlining.” This technique blends the gentle guidance of LST with the bold reshaping of HST to create a plant with multiple, evenly spaced colas at the same height. Start with topping to create multiple main branches, then use LST to spread them horizontally, ensuring every bud gets equal light. Add cropping for height control, and you’ve got a symmetrical, high-yield masterpiece. Mainlining shines in setups like SOG and SCROG, where canopy uniformity is key.

Suzy’s Tip: SOG is perfect for growers craving speed, but airflow is critical with such tight plant spacing—keep fans running to prevent mold. Start small with 4 plants to test the waters and stay within legal limits, depending on your region. Fast-finishing strains like autoflowers thrive in SOG setups.

SOG (Sea of Green)

SCROG (SCReen of Green)

SCROG (Screen of Green) is a masterful blend of multiple cannabis growing techniques, designed to unlock massive yields by optimizing every inch of your grow space. This method begins by topping seedlings during the vegetative phase to encourage a flurry of side shoots, setting the stage for a bushier plant structure. Above the plant, install a SCROG net—a sturdy mesh or screen, sometimes curved upward to focus grow light more effectively—under which you guide the branches horizontally. As new shoots emerge, they naturally grow vertically through the net’s openings, developing into plump, resin-rich buds bathed in optimal light.

The art of SCROG lies in the careful, even distribution of branches beneath the net, ensuring a uniform canopy where most buds sit at the ideal distance from the lamp for maximum potency.

To refine the setup, apply thieving and lollipopping below the net, trimming away shaded or less productive growth to concentrate energy on the top buds. SCROG pairs perfectly with Suzy's Aficionado strains like Suzy's Confidential or Leila Kush, delivering huge yields even with a single plant, though the longer grow time demands patience and precision—making it a rewarding challenge for dedicated growers.

Benefits of SCROG:

SCROG maximizes light exposure, ensuring every bud gets VIP treatment from your grow lights. It’s ideal for small spaces, as even a single plant (like Suzy’s Confidential or Leila Kush) can produce massive yields. The uniform canopy boosts potency and consistency, making it a favorite for quality-driven growers.

Challenges of SCROG:

SCROG demands time, precision, and daily attention to weave branches and maintain the net. It’s not ideal for autoflowers due to their short cycles, and the setup (net, supports, and space) can be a bit of a puzzle for beginners.

Suzy’s Tip: Patience is your SCROG superpower—think of it like training a bonsai tree for buds. Pair with high-yield strains like Suzy’s Aficionado line for jaw-dropping results. Curve your SCROG net slightly upward to focus light intensity, and don’t skimp on trimming below the net for airflow and energy efficiency.