Stratching with no side branches

Hi there!

I’m a beginner grower, I have two clones of Durban Poison in 45gal smart pots, one of them is doing quite well, doesn’t suffer too much hot weather and lack of water, has developed side branches and the leaves are mostly nice and green.

The other one its the opposite, it’s only developing one main stem stretching with no side branches and lower leaves are getting yellow a then dye, this plant is also suffering a lot the hot weather and lack of water, would it be safe to top it to stimulate side branches growth? Or is better to let it grow to avoid to much stress as it seems already stressed?

They have been transplanted about 15 days ago.

This is my second grow ever, last year I’ve been able to do lst and I was happy with the results, these clones though have quite hard and thick stem and I’m quite afraid of bending it because it seems it could easily snap, is it better to leave them free to grow instead of risk to throw everything away?

I’ll attach some pics hoping they might help, the plants are easy to distinguish.

Thank you all

What soil are you using? Did you make one batch and divide it up? Or two separate batches? Or is it pre made soil? Is it soil less and your adding nutrients through watering? What are you watering with? Rainwater? Tap? RO? Sewer?

How often are you watering? Are you watering? Or letting nature do it's thing?

GOT_BUD? said:

What soil are you using? Did you make one batch and divide it up? Or two separate batches? Or is it pre made soil? Is it soil less and your adding nutrients through watering? What are you watering with? Rainwater? Tap? RO? Sewer?

How often are you watering? Are you watering? Or letting nature do it's thing?

Click to expand...

I’m using SoHum living soil, which is pre amended, watering with water from mi garden, non tap but from a fountain, and/or water from my dehumidifier, in both cases I pull down the ph between 6 and 7, when it’s raining of course I let nature do it’s job. Usually I water only when the soil feels dry, but in this case, because the pots are quite big, I have to water a little bit and more often, also due to a period of hot and rainless weather.

No nutes.

15 days from transplant is still within the stress recovery zone. Give it a few more weeks and they should bush out.I wouldn't top , a main chunky cola is a good trait to have in my book.Maybe just a super cropping technique by pinching the main stem. You could mulch and cover crop so you don't lose moisture from the sun hitting the soil directly. Make a foliar spray with aloe and spray once a week, they should grow a few inches in a day or two after application .

I think you're just underwatering. That soilmix looks plenty drain-ey enough, I see perlite all over the top. I would suggest stop worrying about overwatering, just soak 'em every day!

And top dress to hold the perlite in place. Agree with watering, as others said.