So I have one grow under my belt, still a noob. Last year I grew 4 plants roughly about 3 feet tall under 2 45w fluorescent lights. They budded, but produced very little, im assuming due to the significantly low amount of light. Here is my grow now, and I started the seedlings (4 orange kush and 2 super silver haze) under the same 2bulb fluorescent. I have a 400 watt interchangeable metal halide and HPS light coming in the mail and should be here in a few days. My concern is that in both grows, the seedlings seem to stretch much taller than everyone elses on here. I also know that this too is probably due to lack of adequate light. But when I install the Metal Halide, will the plant bush out more? How do I keep (at least the kush) from stretching tall?
Good move on the light...use the MH for veggin, but wait until the seedlings get some better roots going than they have now, maybe another week or two, until then, put a small fan blowing on them to help strengthen the stems...then get the MH on them....yes, they will stop stretching so much and bush out a lot when the MH gets them going. Save the HPS bulb for when you switch them over to 12/12 for flowering.
this morning the tallest lankiest seedling fell over. the stem is thin, this sucks, im holding it up with a pen cap twisty tied to the stem. would an excessive amount of water cause the stems to be soft? the leaves show no sign of over watering, but i think i may hold back on some water for a bit...
I start seedlings under a 1,000 watt light, so you'll be ok as far as that goes. Just start the light high, 3 or so ft above the plants, depending on your canopy/heat situation. Turn it on, and lower it gradually, resting your hand just above your plants, checking the heat of your 'canopy'.. if it's just warm to your hand after a good 30 seconds, it's fine, if it's uncomfortably hot, your plants will feel the same way so you should raise it slightly. The closer you can manage to keep your light, -without burning your plants-, the less stretch you will have to endure. Your environment, ventilation/extraction, will determin how close you can keep your light. This (and a gently oscilating fan) will allow your plants to thicken and strengthen their stalks, tighten the nodal spacing, and concentrate on developing the nodes and branches they've already created... ie more squat, bushier plants. It will give you much more control over how tall your plants get, and how soon they get there.
first..get the light about 2inch above the plants to slow the stretch...you can carefully add dirt around the stems to help support them and when you transplant them bury them about an inch up the stems to add support...get a fan on em to help stregnthen the stems..good luck
yea get that floro as close to the plants as possible. light loses intenisty inversely, so ... light A at 5 feet is a 10/10 then light a at 10 feet would be a 5/10 at twenty feet its 2.5/10 i hope that makes sense. thats why CFL and LED grows are nice, u can put lights anywhere and very close and not need to worry about heat. they also operate at any angles and are easy to mount for increased light penetration to the bottom of the plant.
when you get the mh and train the plant they will bush out....the factors in stretch are ...genetics...temp difference between lights on and off...the smaller the difference the less the stretch....how close the lights are...dont make the plants hunt the light...and heat extraction