One plant is significantly smaller. What would you do?

RookieMuffin

Well-Known Member
Hello I need some insight on how you would deal with this situation.

I don't want to kill the smaller plant and I also don't want only 1g yield off of it.

I had some problems with my plants and the result is that one plant is significantly smaller than the other plant.

You can think about it this way: One plant looks like a small seedling and one plant looks like a 1.5 month old plant. Both germinated around the same time but one plant didn't grew at all due to some problems.

Anyway... I want her to catch up a little bit.

So my plan is to put the bigger plant in her own grow area with very low light condition so that she doesn't grow very fast AND to put the smaller plant in her own grow area with high light condition so that she catches up a little bit... I don't want the small plant to be as big as the big plant but I want her to catch up a little bit!

I also want to scrogg the big plant while the small plant catches up in height. Maybe until they both are about the same height. Easy 12 inches difference in height between both plants!

What do you think? Is this a good plan to let the small plant catch up in a higher light condition and the bigger plant slowing down in a low light condition?

Right now the small plant doesn't get a lot of light because the big plant grows above her and steals all the light from her... And there is not enough space in the grow area to give the smaller more space and more light... That's why I want to put the big one in another area with less light and keep the small plant in the area with the big light so she can get some of the light while the big plant is out of the way.

What would you do?

And what about when 2-3 weeks are gone and I put them back in the same area and initiate the flower stage... Will the big plant with the low light condition get a shock when she comes back to the big light?

Or is there no way the small plant can catch up enough so it doesn't matter and I should let them grow as it is right now (but then I will have only 1 gram on one plant and 100 on the other lol)
 

RookieMuffin

Well-Known Member
I know they look deficient. I have another thread for that problem which seems to be solved by now.

Look at the plant on the front... she is so damn small.

She is also bent because the other plant grows into her space... I already tucked the leaves of the big plant under the leaves of the small plant to get some more light to the small plant.

smallplant_bigplant_frontal.JPG
 

RookieMuffin

Well-Known Member
Use a small crate, or bucket to prop it up on. Whatever you can use that supports the weight when watered. I recommend using a tray to avoid it getting wet.

Edit: is another space available for the short play so you don't have to prune back the others?
^^^^ small plastic crate can be a plant riser.
I grow in DWC and right now they are in the same nutrient tank. I can't put them in seperate nutrient tanks right now due to not enough space in the grow area. So it's not possible to raise one plant higher than the other right now.

BUT as I said in the first post... I'm thinking about building another grow area. So that I have another grow space. One I can put the bigger plant in (and dim the light low so that it doesn't grow as much) and one I can put the smaller plant an (and set higher light wattage to let her grow faster).

Maybe I can also scrogg the big plant in the other area so that she doesn't grow taller in the time the smaller plant catches up in height...

What do you think is this a good idea?

In 2-3 weeks when the small plant is grown in hight a bit I can put them in the flower area together and maybe by then they are around the same height...?

If you look at the picture in my second post you can see that the plant in the front is so small it doesn't even have made branches yet. It's just the main stem with some leaves on it. Basically it's a cut right now... and the bigger plant in the back is alrady big and branched out... I could make cuts out of the bigger plant. I can't do it with the smaller plant so yeah it's not just smaller in height it's also not as developed as the big plant. The small plant was stunt for a long time compared to the big plant.
 
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medidedicated

Well-Known Member
What does it look like overhead? Does the main light have some side to side empty space? Pics of the other plant? In short, based on title of thread and that picture, knowing its in a water bucket which I never done…. I would hang a mini 150wat cmh or hps or decent led over it. Like a wattage reflecting what you are minimally hoping from it. Or else idk, might not be far behind to catch up, it is hydro after all.

New growers are timid to bend the plant over and trust that the side growth will catch up and stop the vertical growth to maximize results. I see you suggested yourself that already, I would! If it doesn’t block the other light. I use coco so we are almost in the same ball park.
 

DoubleAtotheRON

Well-Known Member
Growing from seed right? You ever hear the term "She's a bad seed"?....That's what you got, just a bad pheno. It will never be as big as your others from the same seed pack. So, what you decided to do with her is up to you. Personally, I'd shit can it. and use the rest of the space to train the others.
 

HydroKid239

Well-Known Member
Growing from seed right? You ever hear the term "She's a bad seed"?....That's what you got, just a bad pheno. It will never be as big as your others from the same seed pack. So, what you decided to do with her is up to you. Personally, I'd shit can it. and use the rest of the space to train the others.
That’s where I’m at. Removing it & opening up the others may be the best bet.
 

HydroKid239

Well-Known Member
I grow in DWC and right now they are in the same nutrient tank. I can't put them in seperate nutrient tanks right now due to not enough space in the grow area. So it's not possible to raise one plant higher than the other right now.

BUT as I said in the first post... I'm thinking about building another grow area. So that I have another grow space. One I can put the bigger plant in (and dim the light low so that it doesn't grow as much) and one I can put the smaller plant an (and set higher light wattage to let her grow faster).

Maybe I can also scrogg the big plant in the other area so that she doesn't grow taller in the time the smaller plant catches up in height...

What do you think is this a good idea?

In 2-3 weeks when the small plant is grown in hight a bit I can put them in the flower area together and maybe by then they are around the same height...?

If you look at the picture in my second post you can see that the plant in the front is so small it doesn't even have made branches yet. It's just the main stem with some leaves on it. Basically it's a cut right now... and the bigger plant in the back is alrady big and branched out... I could make cuts out of the bigger plant. I can't do it with the smaller plant so yeah it's not just smaller in height it's also not as developed as the big plant. The small plant was stunt for a long time compared to the big plant.
I’d probably remove it all together. Either trash it, or set it up in another area if that were possible. I’m in a situation now myself where I’ll be setting up a small tent in a cold basement because I don’t want to flip everything. The only space I have left is going to be a doozy. The wife said the kitchen is off limits to stinky plants lol.
 

RookieMuffin

Well-Known Member
What does it look like overhead? Does the main light have some side to side empty space? Pics of the other plant? In short, based on title of thread and that picture, knowing its in a water bucket which I never done…. I would hang a mini 150wat cmh or hps or decent led over it. Like a wattage reflecting what you are minimally hoping from it. Or else idk, might not be far behind to catch up, it is hydro after all.

New growers are timid to bend the plant over and trust that the side growth will catch up and stop the vertical growth to maximize results. I see you suggested yourself that already, I would! If it doesn’t block the other light. I use coco so we are almost in the same ball park.
Thanks! Can't hang a second light in there... But I will build another grow space so I can put the big plant in and scrogging it while the small plant can catch up in the other area with more light!

Growing from seed right? You ever hear the term "She's a bad seed"?....That's what you got, just a bad pheno. It will never be as big as your others from the same seed pack. So, what you decided to do with her is up to you. Personally, I'd shit can it. and use the rest of the space to train the others.
Actually she was the first to sprout and the fastest to grow.... until she was fucked with and she got to stressed out and was stunt from then on because the problem for her was solved over a month later... So yeah first she was the winner seed but then she had the wrong treatment and it went downhill. That's why the other plants are way bigger. Because the small plant was stunt for a long time after bad environment/treatment.

But thanks for your thoughts! I will keep it in mind and will ditch her if things don't change soon. Thank you!

That’s where I’m at. Removing it & opening up the others may be the best bet.
I’d probably remove it all together. Either trash it, or set it up in another area if that were possible. I’m in a situation now myself where I’ll be setting up a small tent in a cold basement because I don’t want to flip everything. The only space I have left is going to be a doozy. The wife said the kitchen is off limits to stinky plants lol.
Thank you too will keep the ditching in mind... But I'm also about to build another grow space where I can put the big plant in and scrog the big plant and keep the small plant a little longer and see if she makes it into a good plant in the next 2-3 weeks. If not I will ditch her and flip the other big plant.

I’m seeing magnesium deficiency.
It's managed by now. It was light stress that looked like magnesium deficiency. Plant some weeks ago was deficient all over even on the new growth... Now only the old already damaged leaves still look like it. The new growth is all healthy by now.
 
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