GG#4: Tips on Controlling Stretch

[Veek da Freak]

I've grown GG#4 a few times. It seems to stretch for a full 5 weeks, until I add my ppk. Which is too much in a grow with limited headroom. She's a fantastic plant, but many shy away from her for this reason alone. So I've resorted to bending the crap out of her as soon as she's in 12/12. Yet she's still stretching for the stars. All of my branches are bent into S's. I've heard that adding some flowering nutrients will control the stretch. Does this work? I'm wondering exactly which flowering nutrients to add, when to add, and how much?

 

[Dreminen169]

You have the right idea with the low stress training, however I’m not sure about flowering nutrients controlling stretch. This sounds like bro science to me!

 

[Veek da Freak]

Well she seems to stretch like a "Jack & the Beanstalk" plant right up until I add the PPK. About at the end of week 5.

 

[Dreminen169]

That’s about normal for all cannabis plants, their stretch is going to slow down after week 2, and by the end of week 4 they are literally just focused on just growing their flowers

 

[Veek da Freak]

Yeah? Well GG#4 is atypical then. Because her stretch is anything but typical. Anyone else?

 

[kingromano]

try to play with the day/night temp differential during the 3 st weeks of 12/12

positive DIF will reduce stretching

 

[xtsho]

More light maybe? What are you using?

 

[hotrodharley]

I've grown GG#4 a few times. It seems to stretch for a full 5 weeks, until I add my ppk. Which is too much in a grow with limited headroom. She's a fantastic plant, but many shy away from her for this reason alone. So I've resorted to bending the crap out of her as soon as she's in 12/12. Yet she's still stretching for the stars. All of my branches are bent into S's. I've heard that adding some flowering nutrients will control the stretch. Does this work? I'm wondering exactly which flowering nutrients to add, when to add, and how much?

Start topping and snapping way earlier. Like the first chance it’s possible. Young plant stage.

 

[Therrion]

A cold air dump for the first 2 hours of (lights on) has been the most effective method I've used for controlling the stretch.

 

[BucketGrower]

Add some more blue spectrum perhaps.

 

[Readytoparty]

FIM at 12/12 and 'GML top' (remove pair of uppermost leaves on each shoot as soon as they grow out stunting the growing tip) any leaves that you can cut the petiole, it'll slow them down vertically but will induce minimal stress (compared to topping). You can also crimp the growing stems to create damage that the plant will take time to recover from (if you crush 6 inches below the growing tip of each shoot, it'll stunk that shoot for a time).

Hopefully this helps.

 

[PJ Diaz]

Yeah? Well GG#4 is atypical then. Because her stretch is anything but typical. Anyone else?

I don't find that GG4 stretches excessively compared to some of my other strains. Wedding Cake shoots higher than GG4 for me. Some people will reduce N during the first couple of weeks of flower to prevent excessive stretch. Jack's makes a special formula for this period, I personally don't use it though. Stretch isn't terrible unless you are running out of room, as more stretch typically means more bud sites.

 

[JimmiP]

Start topping and snapping way earlier. Like the first chance it’s possible. Young plant stage.

That's what I did and it kept them short.

 

[JimmiP]

Also keep the temperature even as you can from light, to darkness. That helped a lot.

 

[Arkos]

that strain is garbage

I'm starting to think that too from growers pov, lot's of thin weak side branches and it's the same story with one of it's crosses... This strain won't stay.

 

[PJ Diaz]

I'm starting to think that too from growers pov, lot's of thin weak side branches and it's the same story with one of it's crosses... This strain won't stay.

But the terps..

 

[MICHI-CAN]

I don't find that GG4 stretches excessively compared to some of my other strains. Wedding Cake shoots higher than GG4 for me. Some people will reduce N during the first couple of weeks of flower to prevent excessive stretch. Jack's makes a special formula for this period, I personally don't use it though. Stretch isn't terrible unless you are running out of room, as more stretch typically means more bud sites.

Ran two original S-1's outdoors. Short but sudden stretch a few weeks before flowering. Topped out around 8' with sturdy stems. Guess it is the pheno. But GG is a beast period.

 

[PJ Diaz]

Ran two original S-1's outdoors. Short but sudden stretch a few weeks before flowering. Topped out around 8' with sturdy stems. Guess it is the pheno. But GG is a beast period.

I've never grown it from seed, only the Josey Wales cut. I'm getting close to the end of flowering now. Haven't run this cut in years, and while it does have some finicky habits, the terps remind me why I grew it exclusively for a couple of years. I ended up letting it go a few years ago when I had to move, and finally just got it back again. I'm trying to decide whether or not to keep it, because I just have too many fire strains at the moment, so might just reverse it to make seeds and preserve the genetics.

 

[MICHI-CAN]

9/20/2020. No complaints. All problems were self induced. LOL.

 

[Southernontariogrower]

put into flower before 1ft tall. They do all growing in flower, closer light less stretch. I want bud not branches. Old guerilla growers dont veg. Some 4ft when done, better flower to stem ratio. And larf isnt larf, is bud. Leds are great for this way of growing. If l had 2nd light id stack in tent do one on top of another in same footprint. About 3.5 ft each, though id like a bit more room. 4ft each would be perfect. Pots about 1ft tall so not much room.