Bulb height to keep plants growing upwards

[dazedNconfuzed]

Hi all,

My last vert run was a bit disappointing, I vegged from seed with a vert bulb, keeping the tip of bulb an inch or two above the canopy all the way through veg, then dropping it down for flower.

Now I vegged for about 4 weeks, and found the plants grew bushier rather than upwards, and they finished no taller than 3ft above the pots.

This time I have vegged with a reflector above for about 5 weeks so far, and I have gone to vert bulb today. Im keeping the bulb 6-7 inches above the plant tops, hoping they will carry on onwards and upwards.

Anyone got any advice on this?

 

[whodare]

some strains are just bush monsters no matter what, in that case it might be better suited to a horizontal grow or a stadium of small plants like LayLow's...


my trainwreck will grow an inch a day in veg and 2-3 in flower. flip at 20 inches and i get a five foot plant easy..

my g13 is slow and bushy in veg stretches maybe 40 percent so if i flip at 20 inches itll stretch to 28-30 inches...

 

[Lowman]

seems silly to me to keep the bulb above the plants when vegging. I keep the veg bulb parallel with the top of the plant. It will still grow upwards...as will the lower branches. The idea of a vert is to create the canopy on the side of the plant....not on the top.

 

[whodare]

seems silly to me to keep the bulb above the plants when vegging. I keep the veg bulb parallel with the top of the plant. It will still grow upwards...as will the lower branches. The idea of a vert is to create the canopy on the side of the plant....not on the top.

light radiates from the source in all directions so while you may lose a few photons to the plants it does help encourage upward over sideways growth...

you dont want sideways growth in veg unless your room lets you move your shelves away from the lights, cause as soon as you flip your plants will end up in the lights...

i drop my lights into the canopy after stretch...

tip of the bulb at canopy level is pretty standard in veg...

 

[~Shhh~]

I think that a lot people veg at first using horizontal lighting as vertical lighting promotes bushy plants.

So if your vegging 4 weeks then 3 of these horizontally and 1 vertically then you will have the height. Secondary branching would have started @ 3weeks horizontal veg, which you can then encourage to grow outward by placing lights vertically. That's how I have seen most do it unless your going to veg for 6+ weeks.

 

[dazedNconfuzed]

Nice one guys, loads of great info in there fo sure

 

[Lowman]

I veg vertical with a cage around the bulb(s) and flower the same way. I find I get a much bigger canopy on the side of the plant vegging vert, than I did with a horizontal veg, then a vert flower.

 

[growingcrazy]

I veg horizontal to about 18". After that top the first node. I usually allow another 3-4 weeks veg until all the lower branches are just short of the top in height.

In flower, vertical 400 cooltube. Bulb never moves and is mounted 36" above soil.

I think that strain selection is what has made the biggest difference in my vertical grows. Some plants just suck vertical no matter what you do. Some grow perfectly even from top to bottom and love the side lighting. Find something that fits what you want.