Plants Stretching???

[freddog23]

hey guys i always hear about plants stretching. What are the disadvantages? I mean they just seem to get bigger whats te problem with that?

 

[vh13]

hey guys i always hear about plants stretching. What are the disadvantages? I mean they just seem to get bigger whats te problem with that?

They get taller, not bigger, their proportion of mass to height ratio goes down. Which means buds are fluffier and the stems to calyxes ratio goes up. Quality suffers and the increase in yield that comes with having a larger plant diminishes the more stretched the plant becomes.

Ultimately, the problem comes down to light distribution. A tall, stretched plant with inadequate lighting only up top (why many plants stretch) will not produce much good bud anywhere except at the very top of the plant. The further away from the light are those bud sites the smaller and lower quality they'll be.

All that time spent growing the plant to a stretched height is wasted efficiency. If you were to instead encourage the same mass of growth but horizontally (either more, shorter plants, or with LST/topping) under the same light source you'll get a lot more bud of a lot higher quality.

 

[Ledhed]

The main problem is they get too tall, and the main stalk, or trunk, depending on how big you let them get, cannot support the weight once the buds start filling out and getting heavy. Lots of people seem to not like taller plants. Another reason is that the spacing between the nodes and branches is too great, thus leaving a lot of unused room where there could be more flower sites and more product. The stretched plants are usually not as strong and vigorous as a more tightly grown plant.

 

[freddog23]

so i should probable top them right?

 

[voodoofx]

If your plants stretch to 4 feet tall and is under a 600w lower buds will be at least 4 feet from the bulb. The tops would get about 90,000 lumens but the lower only about 6,500, nowhere near enough for decent buds.
If the plant is 3 feet tall lower buds would get about 10,000 lumens.
Buy Cervantes book. Not perfect but a huge help for a novice [like me].

 

[leeB]

really good advice there i must say but you made me laugh vh13 on the last line

 

[freddog23]

If your plants stretch to 4 feet tall and is under a 600w lower buds will be at least 4 feet from the bulb. The tops would get about 90,000 lumens but the lower only about 6,500, nowhere near enough for decent buds.
If the plant is 3 feet tall lower buds would get about 10,000 lumens.
Buy Cervantes book. Not perfect but a huge help for a novice [like me].

i do have the book. i definetly have learned a lot from it . i dont recall there being anything on why its bad tho. i might look back into it. but that bible is the shit lol

 

[leeB]

that bible is the dogs to be honest ive got it and it learns you alot