all hydro growers, any height advice!

ok, i am currently running a perpetual harvest, about every 4 weeks. I have been growing in peat/perlite. i have about 750 watts of mostly hps and some cfl's (flowering). my issue is, to get any kind of significant yield, im growing in 3 gallon grow bags. this is a pain for space issues because im flowering in a 1 sq.m tent. i have between 6-8 plants right now but im prepairing for 10-12 plants in DWC (im breeding because the cost of seeds is getting out of control and i have my genetic preferences). my DWC system is 17inches tall, but my tent is only 62 inches tall.

in short, im really looking for any suggestions on keeping plant height under control. i mainly grow indica dom. strains, but my new babies are a bubble gum/blueberryxkandy kush that ive fallen in love with. so it stretches a bit obviously [editbviously because of the ogk/trainwreck genes]. i know i can run a SCROG but i know experienced hydro growers are a very innovative bunch, so anything you have to contribute is very helpful. i have heard some bad health related issues with phosphoload/bushmaster. i do have the ability to play with some kind of supports or fabricate something im just kind of idealess because im so used to my normal set up. does anyone have any ideas? i may just be SOL, being my options are limited. any constructive suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I'm a hydro grower and i run a scrog to control plant numbers and height. I can fill my 4' x 4' tent scrog in about 5 weeks from seed, so I imagine by clone it would be 2 weeks. If you don't care about plant numbers, why not take cuttings, veg/harden a week or two and flower then? You can have a bunch of single cola plants that produce pretty quickly.

I control height by strain selection and veg time.

Serapis said:

I'm a hydro grower and i run a scrog to control plant numbers and height. I can fill my 4' x 4' tent scrog in about 5 weeks from seed, so I imagine by clone it would be 2 weeks. If you don't care about plant numbers, why not take cuttings, veg/harden a week or two and flower then? You can have a bunch of single cola plants that produce pretty quickly.

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i do run clones, but im constantly playing with new strains. the bubbleberryxkk is my first solid lock on the genes i was looking for. i just ordered my last seed batch for now. even with the clones having minimized as much stretch as possible its still an issue to some degree. i have a neighbor who runs scrog routinely and every now and then if he has any plant issues, he gripes about how much of a pain it is to play doctor. if thats what im limited to i will do it. i thought id just check in and see what all ideas anyone might have as an alternative. im also working on a white sharkxvortex bx'd to white widow and shes a bit stretchier. hydro is also quite a bit faster with larger yields and i guess thats whats driving the cross to true hydro growing.

point well taken. for me, personally i prefer strains that just tend to stretch and im at a 2 week veg time for clones and seedlings. not too much difference between the two.

scrog can be an issue if you have problems.

yeah thats my only concern really. ive been looking into it, and from what ive checked out ive never thought of using that plastic fencing you used. the main reason im weary of scrog is because i just had to conquer a pest infestation and that was horrible. i almost just bought chicken wire and went with it, but my neighbor told me that IF i had a problem, you dont want to go to fix it and having the wire slice the plant up like a razor blade. then again after too numerous grows to count, ive only had a handful of problems. im gunna hold off and tune in to your bubblicious (thats the first strain i started and i kept it to use in my bbxkk) and see how things go. i have a couple few weeks and as long as i decide before they go into full blown bloom i should be ok.

check out bushmaster, works for me

i have definately checked into dutchmaster phosphoload/bushmaster. after researching them both extensively i discovered that they both use the same main ingredient. while looking them both up i found countless articles from produce farmers saying how unhealthy they are if theyre used on plants that are to be consumed. they both use different trace elements, but the main ingredient having such "bad press" seriously scares me. but again, the limited options may end up having me resort to something i have shyed away from in the past. the fast growth and big harvests of hydro may end up outweighing the risks of anything else. thank you everyone for the support and ideas!

dgaf757 said:

i have definately checked into dutchmaster phosphoload/bushmaster. after researching them both extensively i discovered that they both use the same main ingredient. while looking them both up i found countless articles from produce farmers saying how unhealthy they are if theyre used on plants that are to be consumed. they both use different trace elements, but the main ingredient having such "bad press" seriously scares me. but again, the limited options may end up having me resort to something i have shyed away from in the past. the fast growth and big harvests of hydro may end up outweighing the risks of anything else. thank you everyone for the support and ideas!

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i read the same thing on bushmaster thats why i did not use it some people use it but any harmful ingredients i just wont use.

drgreentm said:

i read the same thing on bushmaster thats why i did not use it some people use it but any harmful ingredients i just wont use.

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yessir. i see a lot of people that use it, but for one reason or another i have too many people that count on me to provide safe and potent medicine. i guess that its one of those things like certain pest killers that say that if theyre used before fruits and flowers begin to form then its ok. my first response is if its not safe to use after flowering, how can it be safe before flowering... i may just say screw it and end up buying a taller tent. i have 12 foot ceilings in my grow house so i have plenty of head room to play with. i just hate the fact that if i do that, the tent(s) i have now will be useless if i end up buying a new one. wasted money doesnt sit well with me... no matter how much i have.