Low-Stress Training Vs. Lollipopping: Which is Better When Growing Cannabis?

In the world of cannabis growing, the possibilities can seem endless, from the strains to choose from to the ways you can grow it. Once you’ve settled on how you’re going to grow your cannabis, whether that be indoors, outdoors, in traditional soil, or even hydroponically, you’ve probably already considered possible techniques to enhance your crops. Here, we’re going to look at low-stress training (LST) vs lollipopping, two popular cannabis growing techniques, to determine which is better for optimizing your harvest.

Low-Stress Training Vs. Lollipopping – Is One Better than the Other?

When it comes to growing techniques for cannabis, the goal is always to produce the heartiest and most potent buds possible while increasing the overall number of buds the plant has.

The best way to do this is to increase sunlight exposure to the plant – but ensuring the whole plant gets the needed sunlight can seem impossible. There are a ton of ways you can go about remedying this problem, but low-stress training and lollipopping are two of the ways that experienced cultivators will swear by.

But is one better than the other? Can the techniques be used together? Today, we’re comparing lst vs lollipopping to help you find the best way to prune your cannabis plants.

What is Low Stress Training (LST) With Cannabis?

Low-stress training is the process of guiding the branches of the cannabis plant toward sunlight, often with the use of tie-downs to avoid unnecessarily pruning the plant. This allows you to shape the plant, helping it to grow laterally (bushier) rather than vertically (taller) so that more of the plant will receive sunlight.

What is “Lollipopping” When Growing Cannabis?

Lollipopping is the process of removing the bottom third or so of the branches on the cannabis plant that don’t get as much sun and generally produce smaller buds. Doing this allows the remaining buds growing at the top of the plant to thrive off all the sunlight and nutrients. When you’re done, the plant often resembles a lollipop.

Low-Stress Training is Perfect for Growing Outdoor Plants

For those who have the option to grow their plants outdoors, low-stress training is usually the way to go, as it doesn’t require additional pruning. Rather, you’re assisting the plant in growing toward the sun, which it does naturally anyway. Plants grown outdoors with the LST method will see overall increased yields, with larger buds and higher trichome content on the lower branches than if you left them alone.

Lollipopping is Best for Indoor Grown Cannabis Plants

Indoor grown plants may benefit from going with the lollipop method because it allows for easier access to grow lights, especially if growing in a confined space where lateral growth would eventually be stunted. Plants that are grown with the lollipopping method usually produce larger, denser buds that have more visible cola and trichomes.

Is Low-Stress Training or Lollipopping Better for Cannabis Plans?

Every grower or cultivation expert will have their opinion on whether low stress training or lollipopping is the better choice. The truth is, while LST may be more beneficial to outdoor grows and lollipopping makes the most sense for indoor or hydroponic grows, either method can be utilized in any kind of cannabis garden.

There are even growers that combine the techniques, allowing them to avoid cutting off as much of the bottom layer of the plant. The goal with both LST and lollipopping is to ensure your buds get the most sunlight and nutrients possible – so as long as that’s what you keep in mind, you should choose the technique or combination of techniques that makes the most sense for your set up.