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Accidently stripped off the skin while pulling sucker branches

'Boogieman'

Well-known member
I have always just pulled lower branches with my hands, plants are guerilla in the ground, I will use a cutter from now on but stripping the lower sucker branches I accidently some how stripped the skin off all around the base it just pulled off in one go. Did I just accidently girdle my plant cutting off its water supply like stripping bark off a tree?
 

Gantz

Smoke weed and prosper
Veteran
I've snapped them in half and quickly tied them back together. They survive when you move fast. A little scratch isn't gonna do much.
 

iTarzan

Well-known member
Did it go all the way around the stem or just a strip on one side? Just a strip is ok. The other way is girdled and the plant will die.
 

Switcher56

Comfortably numb!
Did it go all the way around the stem or just a strip on one side? Just a strip is ok. The other way is girdled and the plant will die.
No it won't! Ever heard of air layering? If you do girdle the plant, air layer it. It may just save the plant were it might have been lost otherwise. If in flower of course you will need a mild fert solutions for the "air layered" roots and when erady chop off the top. Feed with a mild solution until the plant has demonstrated it has survived the ordeal. Improvise, adapt and overcome. Never give up :)
 

iTarzan

Well-known member
Hey there Switcher! When you air layer you only cut half way through the stem or only scrape one side. You don't girdle it. If it is girdled he could just cut it at the girdle area and try to root the top.
 

therevverend

Well-known member
Veteran
If you strip the bark about 65% of the way around a tree or cannabis plant it will usually die. I've seen grey mold girdle almost completely around a ganja plant. As long as there's a strip of clean green bark the plant doesn't die.
Never, ever, snap off branches by hand. Always use snips, clips, razors, a knife, or whatever. You want a sharp clean cut. You'd think I'd have learned by now but I did the same shit earlier this year. It's clippers only for me.
Anytime you break the skin like that you're at risk of a fungal infection. I've tore the skin in July. Then three months later in flowering after a rain storm had grey mold attack the wound.
Most of the time you're okay though. You can tape or tie it up and it'll heal in a couple days if it's a bad one. Cannabis plants are fast healers and can take a lot of damage.
This is pruning season I'm going to be removing branches the next few days. It's dangerous, wish I didn't have to. Keep an eye on old wounds, broken branches, scrapes and such. Boytritis is always waiting for an opportunity. The stumps of old branches and leaves are places it loves to attack.
 
Oh yes, I forgot to mention! Jorge cervantes recommends duct tape to hold broken branches in place. Or in this case, bark. The plant will heal up if the two surfaces are contacting.
 

'Boogieman'

Well-known member
It stripped all the way around the bark, it already looked like the skin was cracking when I pulled off one sucker a little strip went down the base then all the skin pulled off the base from that little strip it came off way to easily today im going out I will take pictures
 

DenverJim

Active member
Not nesessairly. I took a plant outdoors and bent it twisted it and mangled the stem. came backa couple of days later and it was growing on its side. I girdled a branch of a Hunk plant before harvest and nothing happened. Do I took pruners and cut into the bare stem allaroun still nothing. I harvied a week or so later all branches looked the same. I'm going to try on an outside plant next. Although some baby cannabis remember we call it pot, tea, reefer, and don't forget WEED.
 
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'Boogieman'

Well-known member
The plant was harvested mid October, it lived and looked fine but did suffer from some bud rot and seemed to yellow much faster towards the end of flowering.
 
I had rats this year chew the outer layer off the bottom stalk and whatever branches they could reach. My dumb ass didn’t think it was doing anything bad til one at a time HALF my plants died. I put out chewable poison, water buckets by each pot, and rubbed Trifecta crop control around where they could reach. The Trifecta worked the best I think. Gotta stay on top of that next year for sure.
 
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