Tricks to get nodes close togother?

[Tincture Sipper]

When growing in small area i want to keep the nodes real close so there is not a lot of stretching and wasted space. I know low light makes them stretch and more light can keep plant more compact. I am having good results using red spectrum lights and very small amount blue during veg and they are more compact and bushy but want even closer. Small pots seem to help too. What other tricks can you use to do this like nutrients? Not needing pruning or training tricks. thank you

 

[FreezerBoy]

If you want them closer, drop the red. Many do MH for their entire grow.

 

[mostnonymouse]

a few 6500k CFLs goes a long way IME. keep them close and you'll have nice short fat plants. I run my entire cycle with a 150 watt hps but I keep the CFLs as close as possible.

 

[Carl Carlson]

Non-Chemical Height Control

By Christopher J. Currey and Roberto G. Lopez
November 2010

http://www.greenhousegrower.com/magazine/?storyid=3893

 

[BC Chronic]

I just try to keep my plant as close to the lights as I can with good results...too much red in veg does make the plant stretch too...
AK48, which I have in veg, has VERY short node length..
good luck!!

 

[superpedro]

Here are some proved facts:

Cooler temperatures makes for low stretch. Cold dark periods can do the trick, but remember it slows down metabolism, and reduces the total amount of growth.

A peak in f-red spectrum around the middle of the light period, and no f-red the last two hours makes for very low stretch.

UV-A/B reduces stretch and creates more antocyanin(color), but also reduces the amount of chlorophyll and the total mass growth.

Mechanical stress - bending the stems back and forth a few times a day - also reduces stretch, with no negative effect.

In soil grows; Drying the soil between watering reduces stretch.

 

[VerdantGreen]

If you want them closer, drop the red. Many do MH for their entire grow.

sounds odd but afaik MH actually have more red in their spectrum (in relation to total output) than hps which are mostly green yellow and orange (and far red but not much actual red) - i need to check that

from my experience, LED's with their high ratio of red produce small compact plants with the smallest internodes, although its is of course very strain dependent.
you should read this thread about controlling stretch with a higher ratio of red to far red
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=194053

VG

 

[arcticsun]

Defoliate and have night temperatures that are 2 degrees centigrade warmer then the day temperatures w1 through 5 in flower..

 

[Tincture Sipper]

Thank you for your input all. So far I have been able to keep smaller using mostly red t5 ho flouresents and a led ufo. After reading the article linked about red to far red ratios I think the ufo is helping. The ufo is almost all red with only a few blue.

SO no nutrient tricks? I dont mind starving the plant a little or adding a lot of too much nutrient if it is sumthing that can be fixed later just before flower.