Curbing the stretch

BIGDAMBUD1 · Nov 28, 2013

Hey guys/gals
Here's one that's open to discussion..I stumbled onto this weirdness...kinda...sorta...and it may hold no merit...but nontheless I'm gonna try it again and see...I had a girl that I liked hanging around as a cut mom, she would stretch like hell the first few wks in....I decided to part ways with her and threw her in a small spot with limited height...so she starts that same stretch as usual....to keep her from getting burned in the top, I move the lights out from directly over the top and placed them out more over the sides angled, and left the top slightly shaded if you will, compared to the rest of the plant...stretch has stopped and the plant is doing well...I've left this now for 2 wks in and she is growing well...setting well...etc...minimal stretch...could this possibly be a way to slow stretch maybe on some strains...Idk...but it tamed this girl....taking pics would be tough so here's a rough sketch to get the idea...

sky high · Nov 29, 2013

Yo Big Dam....

I did something similar with my current run in bloom. Had a single 1K burning off to the side of the main array of lights with some late-finishers under it.... and decided to save a few days electricity/see what would happen to the 15 plants going into 12/12 if I didn't top light em and just let the ambient light hit em.

The result? Far less stretch.....like 6" over 12-18". The drawback is that the plants didn't start to fill in much until the 3K above em was lit 2 weeks in.....and they will take a bit longer to finish... but gotta say it helped a shitload with the stretch/to keep em bushy/etc....and I'm good with the results...even with the slight setback. (no rush here to get crops to market...we'z over that shit).

good luck.

Nesta B · Nov 30, 2013

BIGDAMBUD1 said:
Hey guys/gals
Here's one that's open to discussion..I stumbled onto this weirdness...kinda...sorta...and it may hold no merit...but nontheless I'm gonna try it again and see...I had a girl that I liked hanging around as a cut mom, she would stretch like hell the first few wks in....I decided to part ways with her and threw her in a small spot with limited height...so she starts that same stretch as usual....to keep her from getting burned in the top, I move the lights out from directly over the top and placed them out more over the sides angled, and left the top slightly shaded if you will, compared to the rest of the plant...stretch has stopped and the plant is doing well...I've left this now for 2 wks in and she is growing well...setting well...etc...minimal stretch...could this possibly be a way to slow stretch maybe on some strains...Idk...but it tamed this girl....taking pics would be tough so here's a rough sketch to get the idea...View attachment 355331

I've had problems with the stretch on the first 2 weeks of flowering so I switched to hortilux super blue for veg and first two weeks of flowering. The metal halide keeps them shorter and stout.

Mr_GreenGenes · Nov 30, 2013

Good info bro. MGG

urbanfog · Nov 30, 2013

first time ive run 2x600 mh for the first cpl weeks of flip to avoid extra stretch, seems to be working well. Today is day 6 of flip and already filling in a nice scrog, after another week Ill swap to HPS bulbs

ronvmpc · Dec 7, 2013

Top Em. Super crop Em Ty Em down. I have a chem that would double the size of the others in there but we tame her and she stays the same height as the others in the room and puts out way more because she loves being super cropped. Long story short. Mad training.
She's in the middle. My queen. :) ( this was taken a while ago and now has her own room)
U can see all my plants are always super cropped

Dr.Trichome · Dec 17, 2013

Here is the easy, no cost way.
Ready.
It's weird.
36 hrs of dark before 12-12.
Sounds crazy. But it works. Starts flowering in5-7 days. Works with topping. No herms that I ever saw.
Cuts a week or so in bloom time, and cuts the stretch. Which makes me recalculate my structuring, for a lot less stretch.

woodsmaneh · Dec 18, 2013

A good way to control stretch is by using what they call the DEF, the DEF is the difference in day vs night temps. A lower night temp than day will promote more stem growth and the difference in temp between the two is called the DEF. So using the DEF to control stem growth (stretch) is a great way of controlling stretch. So for less stretch keep temps within 5 degrees of day and night and for more stretch 7 to 10 degrees. This works best in young plants.

pussOGbrah · Dec 18, 2013

woodsmaneh said:
A good way to control stretch is by using what they call the DEF, the DEF is the difference in day vs night temps. A lower night temp than day will promote more stem growth and the difference in temp between the two is called the DEF. So using the DEF to control stem growth (stretch) is a great way of controlling stretch. So for less stretch keep temps within 5 degrees of day and night and for more stretch 7 to 10 degrees. This works best in young plants.

exactly what i was gonna post warm nights close to day temp =less stretch.

cold temps lately...my current round had really cold night temps, 80f days...got 3" stretch minimum each day..:nailbiting:. My og's are almost 6 ft tall and their trellised lol

CelticEBE · Dec 18, 2013

Like woods and pussOG I do my best to keep the day and night temps as close as possible. I have definitely noticed a difference. Pinching and supercropping work...but only so much. I have tried the 36 hours of darkness before flip and never really noticed a big difference. Mr Dizzle was a big fan of that.

I've heard that foliars with kelp or fasilitor (double strength) help out a lot, but I have not tried them yet.

I think I am going to give the MH for the first two weeks a shot soon. This is something that I feel is very key with certain strains. I have a lanky WiFi that really puts out huge frosty nugs, but the node spacing is whack after she is done with her stretch. If I could get her to stack more the yields would be off the hook.

Curbing the stretch

Curbing the stretch

BIGDAMBUD1

sky high

Nesta B

Mr_GreenGenes

urbanfog

ronvmpc

Dr.Trichome

woodsmaneh

pussOGbrah

CelticEBE

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