Plant is getting too big.

[shanti2006]

Hi guys,

New to the forum and new to growing It's my 4th plant, but all previous ones were guys. It's Shiva Shanti II and in the pics it's around 10-15 days into flowering. It is already too big (I know, I've let it to grow too big), now the question is, what to do?

Cut it? Tie it down? Some suggested to cut 30 cm from the main stem at the top, etc.

Want to hear your opinion on this.

http://img710.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=dsc08565m.jpg

Thx

PS: Is this the wrong section?

 

[boroboro]

Two weeks into flowering -- I would tie it down instead of cutting off the top of the plant. Since you don't have a lot of room, you might try pulling the middle of the plant left, and then the top down and right. I usually do this with string and a hook bent out of stiff wire.

What light is in that closet/box? The bottom of the plant looks poorly lit. Others may chime in with a suggestion to remove the lower branches, allowing the plant's energy to concentrate on the well-lit upper buds. I'm not expert on trimming 2 weeks into flower, so I'm hesitant to jump out and say that...

 

[o.sparkles]

Don't trim. Just tie it down to the pot a little from the top. You could seriously stunt the plant if you trim it now.

 

[OrganicMeds]

Looks healthy

I would just bend the stem at 90 degree angle about 1 foot from the top, it will take a few days to heal up and the side branching will go nuts!

 

[JamieShoes]

just snap it down to a more acceptable height (I do this nearly every grow)... this method is called "supercropping" and will actually encourage bud development... search the forum for "super cropping" .. make sure you read up on the technique, don't just go snapping it first, it's really simple, but still possible to f*ck it up



good luck

edit - what OrganicMeds said

 

[VagPuncher]

Phosphoload

 

[medmaker420]

I would belittle and yell at her until she developed a complex

seems to work in many situations

 

[CalBear4Life]

I am going through the same thing, however I have a lot of plants that are too big. It is amazing how much these things stretch once switched to flower huh? Luckily a taller room is going to be available in my house in ~2 weeks, but I just started tying them down for now. Here is a pic of my first tie-downs (kinda hard to see but better than nothing):

You can see in the second one what happens when the plants grow into the lights, a little burn on my beautiful nug

 

[Mr. Greengenes]

Plant Jiu Jitsu. Bend that baby in a nice graceful arc with PJJ. That will expose much more leaf area to the light than a crude snap of the stem. More leaf area getting light=bigger yield.

 

[lysol]

just snap it down to a more acceptable height (I do this nearly every grow)... this method is called "supercropping"

No that's called topping. Super cropping should not involve any "snapping".

 

[JamieShoes]

lol no .. it isnt

I'm not talking about removing anything... just snapping the stem inside its skin/bark whatever you like to call it leaving a bend or elbow...ie super cropping..


topping is something else entirely...


edit - ahh ok I see you're just being pedantic as you have a favoured method for doing this which causes less damage but is essentially the same thing... maybe you could've shared that instead of trying to belittle my advice?...thanks for your input eh.


Here you go Shanti, here's some frankly excellent advice on a "safer method" than I use - http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=163775&highlight=supercropping

 

[Guywithoutajeep]

hey dude, just tie it down. Watch out for that stretch! Some strains like Sour D go from 1 foot to 4 feet in just 21 days. I have mine tied down and its actually better for the nugs below my canopy.

 

[shanti2006]

Thx guys.

boroboro: It's a 150W HPS in a reflector. Should I give it more light?

Well it's been a couple of days since I took those pic, buds are forming nicely (I think , will post some more pics tomorrow).

Problem: I've already tried tying it down, with the middle of the main stem pulled to the right and the top down, but I wanted to do it to quick and I broke the main step like 25 cm from the top. You know, it didn't fall off, just the walls of the stem crushed. Now I've tied it upwards, to the lamp, so the stem would heal in it's original, straight shape. Is this ok or should I not worry to much cause it will heal even if it's "snaped","bent" at 90 degrees? Side branches have already changed direction upwards and buds keep growing, but I'm afraid after a while the main stem could die from the point of the snap. What do you think?

 

[boroboro]

I've only used 400W lights, never a 150W, but that seems like a tall plant for a 150W light. That should be good, though -- now you have a lot to work with, right?

The bottom branches are probably too shaded and far away from the light to produce a lot of bud, which is why I might think about pruning the bottom-most branches. I'm no expert on pruning, though...

Can we get a photo of the 'break' in the stem? I had exactly the same kind of break when I bent a plant over during the initial flowering stretch a month ago. The stem split for about 2 inches, 2 splits, one on each side of the stem. I bent it where I wanted it, then tied and propped it up stable. The splits were pretty wide, and I could almost see through the stem, so I taped it up to keep it clean. A month later and the plant is fine, the split healed back up.

If they're happy and healthy these are pretty sturdy plants.

 

[o.sparkles]

It's a 150W HPS in a reflector. Should I give it more light?

YES! Please get more light in that baby. She is ready to BLOW UP. If she doesn't get the light she needs it's all a waste...well, not all. Get her into the sun if ever possible.

Problem: I've already tried tying it down, with the middle of the main stem pulled to the right and the top down, but I wanted to do it to quick and I broke the main step like 25 cm from the top. You know, it didn't fall off, just the walls of the stem crushed. Now I've tied it upwards, to the lamp, so the stem would heal in it's original, straight shape. Is this ok or should I not worry to much cause it will heal even if it's "snaped","bent" at 90 degrees? Side branches have already changed direction upwards and buds keep growing, but I'm afraid after a while the main stem could die from the point of the snap. What do you think?

It will take the same time to heal no matter what you do. Just take advantage of the bend and let it hang. If it is too floppy you might want to secure with some medical tape until it stiffens up in 5 or 6 days.

 

[shanti2006]

Hmm, will leave the door of the box open, since room is facing South-East, it should get some more light during the day. What I have ready is another 150W halogen lamp, should I fire it up? Or I could hang some energy-saving bulbs (not cold) to light the lower part of the plant also?

The upper leaves produces bud only, lower ones very little or none.

My brake of the stem was not so big as yours, stem did not split, I've just felt it snap and plant hung over. I suppose it will heal allright then.

 

[2Lazy]

I would avoid Halogen, I hear it's not ideal. CFL bulbs have worked well for me with side lighting, I would imagine that'd be the better use of energy.

My only other unmentioned suggestion would be to pinch the stem.

If you've ever looked at a hacked down plant the thick stems are hollow inside while the thin stems are not. Find the point on your main stalk where you imagine the Bamboo-esque tube to end and the solid thru part begins. Probably 4 inches or so from the top of the plant.

Now pinch the stem enough to feel it kind of "pop" between your fingers. Be gentle because you don't want to do damage to the interior of the stem, just the outside. It'd be like bruising your plants rather than breaking the arms and legs.

It is important not to squeeze the stem in places where it is hollow. This can create a split break which can allow disease to take a foothold.

Pinch the entire top of the main stalk, gently rolling it in your fingers for a little twist action also. Just bruise the outside.

This is about as low stress as you're going to get without just bending it over (which is what I usually do in this situation). I just wanted to give you another option.

 

[o.sparkles]

No on the halogen. Go get a couple 2X2' shop lights, the florescents with two straight bulbs. Pop 4 40 watters into those...or get a multi bulb lamp and some 26 watt cfls and position them around....anything.

A 600watt HPS...?

 

[shanti2006]

600watt HPS consumes a lot of energy. This being my first plant I've thought a 150W would be enough, maybe I've should have used something stronger Maybe next time, but have to sell old reflector or change the ballast/igniter inside. Maybe the whole reflector has to be changed because of heat issues.

 

[o.sparkles]

Well, the difference between flowering with that 150 and a 600 is HUGE. You will have very airy, fluffy, unpotent buds, almost not worth growing. If you put a 600 watt on it for the next 8 weeks you will have at least a quater lb of dense, sticky, stinky bud that will blow your mind off it's hinges.

Your call, I would say the 150 wastes more energy.