HOW TO REDUCE STRETCH

I run the 3000/3500 the entire grow. Flipped to flower at 10" tall. Shortest plant is currently 45 1/2" tall. Week 9. It was suppose to stop at 30-33"...but nope.

I might need to look into adding some 5000k to the grid.

I've grown cool weather plants in a barn with temps steady at 60f , definitely not optimal but they will grow.

SouthCross said:

I've grown males outside with a drop to 43°f over several days. The high during the day was in the high 60's. It flourished.

If I replicated the same conditions in a synthetic environment. I would have killed it.

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Likely to related to root temp.

im4satori said:

for sure the lighting type can make a difference also

I tune my dehumidifier up or down
if I set it at 40% humidity during the night itll get real warm or 60% if I need it to run less

in the winter its hard cuz the humidity is often already low (unless your in a basement)

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Definitely a big factor, it was very evident. So if you were vegging with say 5700k then immediately switch to flowering with hps, you'd see huge stretch. But easily managed by running MH for a couple of weeks if you wanted to reduce your stretch.

Lol, I did the exact same thing with my dehuey last summer to generate that negative DIF environment. Since I run my lights at night, during the day is the hottest, so running your dehuey low (or constant with a timer during lights out) generates more heat and maintains the negative DIF environment.

Winter in my area and basement can't maintain that warm environment during lights out as it gets too cold, native temps in my flower room without managing it can go as low as 45F. So in winter I run my typical 65-68F/78-80F environment.

I don't have the LED $$ yet

but you can see the growth pattern changes between T5 and HPS and the difference even between blue and red spectrum

I don't mean obvious differences from light penetration and wattage but also just in the way the plant shapes itself differently in one light type vs another

again genetics still be the largest of all factors

jarvild said:

Likely to related to root temp.

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Fabric pot sat on the grown. They were pulled from the grow space. I wanted them to die. They were outside a little over a week. There had been a recent frost. I had sat them on the south side of a wooden fence. The fence had frost one day.

These plants. unknown strain, were enjoying it. They looked better then the females in the cabinet.

Reversing that. It's currently 105° here...in the shade. If I had some sativa outback. It'd be living it up. Couldn't grow it like that inside.

id also say

ive experienced plants that seem to have no response to day night temps... most plant will but I suspect by varying degrees

im4satori said:

I don't have the LED $$ yet

but you can see the growth pattern changes between T5 and HPS and the difference even between blue and red spectrum

I don't mean obvious differences from light penetration and wattage but also just in the way the plant shapes itself differently in one light type vs another

again genetics still be the largest of all factors

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Oh yeah didn't mean to come across like LED's are doing it (affecting stretch), they're just what I'm using now, the kelvin differences should hold true across any light source if the kelvin difference is greater, you should see more stretch. Going from 6500k T5's to hps probably produces the most stretch.

Agree on the expression differences between lighting techs, they're noticeable and a big factor for sure. Every different light source I've run in flowering produces slightly different expressions in the plants and can even affect finish times. I've had some clones flowered under 3 different light techs and all expressed differently under each. CMH in flowering always finished my clones 5-7 days faster than any other source Size of leaves is usually one of the more noticeable expression differences. It's very noticeable if you're running clones indoor and then flower one outdoor, I've had some that look like completely different strains when running indoor/outdoor.

So now we have 2 takes on ways to control stretch. Temp diff and light spectrum. Nice discussion everyone.

Havent had the chance to read all that yet but the ferts and the day/night temps do make a difference.

Also I find putting clones I know to be stretchy under a MH (or similar spectrum) for the first 2-3 wks of bloom noticeably reduces stretch.

Always good to see ya adding more info satori

Edit: I see the spectrum has been touched on too. Good info everyone

jarvild said:

So now we have 2 takes on ways to control stretch. Temp diff and light spectrum. Nice discussion everyone.

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ahmmm

not really to takes, that sounds like apposing ideas....

one might use or consider both options if extremely limited on height

so id say more like two available methods

im4satori said:

I don't have the LED $$ yet

but you can see the growth pattern changes between T5 and HPS and the difference even between blue and red spectrum

I don't mean obvious differences from light penetration and wattage but also just in the way the plant shapes itself differently in one light type vs another

again genetics still be the largest of all factors

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Genetics affected and expressed by and using modern technology methods. We really are growing monsters.

I was running std hps mogel socket bulbs for years

I switched to the DE gravita bulb and couldn't be happier
(but id love the power saving consumption of the LEDs if I could afford them)

major difference over the std hps type bulb

the DE bulb light pattern is far better and it doesn't have the hot spots

even the buds on the outside of a 5x5 foot print get light and grow large colas

Ok. How does stretch effect total harvest weight/quality? If it doesn't effect it. Why is stretch bad when you can tie it down anyway?

My plants grew annoying tall but it's actually nice. I'm not going to be without smoke anytime soon. Lots of buds. Everywhere on its skinny frame. Lots of space for light that reaches the lowers. Thick bud sites 3 feet down.

SouthCross said:

Ok. How does stretch effect total harvest weight/quality? If it doesn't effect it. Why is stretch bad when you can tie it down anyway?

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I don't think stretch is bad provided its not over stretched

a stretchier plant will often times yield more and allow light to deeper penetrate

ideally id like to see long tall colas strung together

many of the short short plants that grow like heads of cabbage super dense ive seen yield less and the lower part of the plant never gets any light

im4satori said:

I don't think stretch is bad provided its not over stretched

a stretchier plant will often times yield more and allow light to deeper penetrate

ideally id like to see long tall colas strung together

many of the short short plants that grow like heads of cabbage super dense ive seen yield less and the lower part of the plant never gets any light

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Are we moving backwards trying to keep plants small and low? We can buy huge tents today. Large as hell grow spaces. Is it tradition keeping plants short?

If it produces more quality smoke. Shouldn't it be practiced?

SouthCross said:

Are we moving backwards trying to keep plants small and low? We can buy huge tents today. Large as hell grow spaces. Is it tradition keeping plants short?

If it produces more quality smoke. Shouldn't it be practiced?

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we keep them short because of the potential for light penetration

a bushy plant imo would be better grown short and small more like a sog

maybe stretchy plant do a scrog or trellis netting of just have high ceilings with a light that provides penetration

you gotta work with what variables you got and what the genetics provide its not a black or white one is better than the other

difference in kelvin temps,,, ive found this to be true also... i used to veg w 6500k mh then bloom w hps 3000k lots of stretch,, but i think this is the norm,,seems to me most growers use this mh veg hps flower and the stretch to an advantage.. then veg w 6500k mh and bloom under a mix of 3000k hps and 6500k mh, less stretch and better potency... i now have been using the 3100k cdl light for both veg and flower,,in veg i get shorter plants w/ more nodes, and in bloom plants rarely double their height,, i wanted more stretch,, i added to my bloom 2 100 watt citizen cob 4000k to my 2 3100k cdl's,, now i get the stretch i want... i know temp's play a role in this,,however my room is temperture controlled lights on temps near the floor 72*f temps at plant canopy or up by the ceiling 75*f never above,, lights off i keep the room at 62*f at the floor but the plants are at 65-68*f,, i have intake's exaughst fans and multiple oscilating fans pluss one blower that sits on the floor continually blowing the air up,,,even w all these fans there is still a temp difference from floor to ceiling...

blue light (450nm) reduces stretch, red light (600-680) increases it but stretch opens up your plant allowing more light to get past the canopy to the lower buds