floppy plants

Discussion in 'Sick Plants and Problems' started by a123456789999a, Jun 14, 2009.

  1. hi my first post here,

    things seem ok but a couple of plants have flopped over. as if there is no strength in the stems at all. for now i have used ultra thin kynar wire to prop them up but i have no idea what has caused this. others seem ok. i germinated ak47 then transferred to rockwool and kept rockwool moist with tapwater and weak feed of formula. as soon as the root showed from the bottom of the rockwool i transferred into 6 inch peat pots using plagrom lightmix and have been watering scarsly. the soil is a tad dry. they are about a 9 days old and seem to be growing very fast. they are under florecent lights on a 24/0 schedule. the 2 round leaves and the small 2 ganga leaves that have appeared seem quite healthy but the whole stems justs flops over. how often should i be watering them? should they be on a 18/6 schedule? am i using enough formula? lights are about 18 inches from the seedlings...is that to close or too far away? any suggestions? (complete noob here)

    thanks
     
  2. Your plants are stretching due to a light deficiency. Either add more lighting or move your lights closer to the plants.
     
  3. 24/0 or 18/6 will be fine for veging, you need to get a fan to help make the girls stronger. Also put some more soil around the stem if you have room.

    Good luck
     
  4. do u have a fan in the room?
    as there is wind in nature the stems of plants strengthen due to the wind so having a fan would probably help alot and prevent it snapping during flowering
     
  5. #5 LJB, Jun 14, 2009
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 14, 2009
    Directing a fan at the stem in order to strengthen it is a myth.

    Sure it will strengthen the stem, but it does so at the expense of growth in general, directing energy away from forming new shoots, etc.

    Plants don't need to be bowled over by a strong breeze. They need for the air around them to be exchanged at a fairly constant rate. They need fresh oxygen and co2.

    Your seedlings are stretching, as Jesus Jones said, most likely because of a lack of light intensity, but if the temperatures are too high around the canopy that can cause it as well. The plant creates more surface area in an attempt to increase the rate of transpiration and cool down. I also wonder if you're underwatering.

    Are you using FLO lamps? If so 18 inches is definitely too much distance from the plants.


    *******

    Have a look at this study:

    Wind-induced plant motion immediately increases cytosolic calcium

    *****

    I can no longer find this one on the internet:

    "Studies of the effect of artificial wind on growth and transpiration in Helianthus annulu”

    E. V. MARTIN AND F. E. CLEMENTS

    It says in part that the depressing effects of wind have long been known. Lemon trees shielded from the wind had an increase in yield of from 5 to 7 times, and an increase in tree size by a factor of 3.

    *****

    An excerpt from a lecture delivered at St. John's University - Biology Dept.

    Plant Positioning Responses (or Guidance Systems)

    Plant Physiology

     
  6. thanks for all the responces,

    i have now lowered the lights to about 6-8 inches above the tops and given them a good drink of tapwater with no feed and they have they seem to have recovered quite well :) i did put a fan in aswell but on latter reading i may remove this for the time being if it means a dramatic decrese in yield. thanks for the help :)
     
  7. Did you just say that a fan will reduce yeild???

    A fan will increase yaild if anything as the bud site can hold more bud without stress.
     

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