Plant Snapped At Main Stem!!! Please HELP!

TheTrippyHippie · Jul 18, 2014

So, today I went outside and saw my baby broke as a joke. She snapped right at the spot i topped her. I read a lot about tape and it will start to grow back but all the foliage around the break and the tops had become limp and lifeless.

What measures can i take to ensure this plant survives and makes a speedy recovery?

MightyMike530 · Jul 18, 2014

Oh fuck, that looks pretty bad. I don't think tape will fix that. Looks like she topped herself again, on her own.

GroErr · Jul 18, 2014

Had a similar break recently on one of my outdoor plants and a main stem I had bent to the limit - wind storm I think is what cracked it (more like a weak tornado than a wind storm). Taped it together and it took about a week to seal and 2 weeks to fully mend, definitely worth a try. Now that it's healed it looks like it was a blessing in disguise, like an unintended super-crop, lots of new growth coming off it

Edit: Pic

BDOGKush · Jul 18, 2014

You need to get that branch tied back in place, if you do it before too much time has passed, it will mend itself. I recently had a mainlined plant split right in half down the main stem, right down to the soil line, I saved it by mending it and supporting the break. Babied it for a couple weeks and she has made a great recovery.

If that area has already started to become woody, I'd steralize a razor blade and shave the inside of the break to expose some live tissue and then mend it.

Keep in mind that the plant will have a harder time getting nutes and water above the break, that's why I baby them when this happens. You will probably lose foliage but just keep your cool.

ayr0n · Jul 18, 2014

GroErr said:
Had a similar break recently on one of my outdoor plants and a main stem I had bent to the limit - wind storm I think is what cracked it (more like a weak tornado than a wind storm). Taped it together and it took about a week to seal and 2 weeks to fully mend, definitely worth a try. Now that it's healed it looks like it was a blessing in disguise, like an unintended super-crop, lots of new growth coming off it

Edit: Pic
View attachment 3206835

Plants' ability to mend themselves when we provide a little bit of a "helping hand" is amazing.

BigTexan · Jul 18, 2014

had one happen first week in flower used masking tape she is still growing fine on week 5 you just have to do it and try keep them tied together so it wont happen again.

BDOGKush · Jul 18, 2014

Cannabis is a tough ass plant, it's crazy what they can bounce back from.

TheTrippyHippie · Jul 18, 2014

I'm having a trusted friend come and help me as it's tricky to do having to prop it up and having in place. Id rather wait a couple hours and have it mended correctly.

I will use your advice with the razor. I was really upset to see this

BDOGKush · Jul 18, 2014

This may help you also, explains what I was describing better than I can.

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/info/reattaching-broken-stems.htm

Edit: though it doesn't go into much detail of actually splicing. You only need to shave off a thin layer if there isn't any living connective tissue exposed, if there is just mend it and support it.

BobBitchen · Jul 18, 2014

Blindnslow · Jul 18, 2014

I wanna see a follow up on that when she heals a little. I've bent them in 1/2 before and with some support she grew fine.. But never would have thought that could be saved. I would have said F^&* and cut it off.

TheTrippyHippie · Jul 18, 2014

Thank you everyone for the helpful tips and advice. How long do you think until the foilage will bounce back? I'm assuming the leaves will show life before the stem mends, correct?

MightyMike530 · Jul 18, 2014

I'm interested to see your results, keep posting pics as this thing heals. Good luck!

An yeah, it is crazy what these plants can be put through and still survive. :cool:

Bugeye · Jul 18, 2014

TheTrippyHippie said:
Thank you everyone for the helpful tips and advice. How long do you think until the foilage will bounce back? I'm assuming the leaves will show life before the stem mends, correct?

Get off of RIU and go fix it. This isn't something you take your sweet time to fix. Take some string and pull it up into place by tieing it to the branch on the other side. Then tape it, then zip tie it if you have some. The longer you wait the less chance it can be fixed.

GroErr · Jul 18, 2014

TheTrippyHippie said:
Thank you everyone for the helpful tips and advice. How long do you think until the foilage will bounce back? I'm assuming the leaves will show life before the stem mends, correct?

Yeah as mentioned by others tape/mend it and provide some support while it's mending you should be good. Mine took about a week to re-seal the wound, about 2 weeks to fully mend the area...

greasemonkeymann · Jul 18, 2014

I honestly wouldn't worry much, do what you can, but you are outside, and you have a ways to go until it flowers, just let it do it's thing, if it recovers, than cool, if not, well then you'll have more tops.
no biggie

Happygirl · Jul 18, 2014

Good luck girlfriend pretty bad split but like minded other's this is one tough plant.

Tranquileyes · Jul 18, 2014

Don't fret yo. Happened to me last year at the base of the mainstem. I agree with the 'unintentional supercrop' comment, if you can manage to nurse it back to health that spot will nub up like crazy. I also agree with tying the two tops together for support, and splinting the break site.

However, I suggest using a twine like product instead of tape. Twine will expand slightly with the stem once growth resumes, tipping you off that you may loosen/remove the twine. I've had success using hemp twine. Wrapped it around the stem several times, using a strong straight branch as a splint.

Like I said, don't fret. At the very least, you'll come out of this situation as a more knowledgable grower..

knucklehead bob · Jul 18, 2014

Prop it up the best you can , it's a weed . This one took a header perfectly up-side down ending in a three way split to the surface of the medium 5 weeks into flower . After I doctored her up , she didn't skip a beat .

Ebb&flo99 · Jul 20, 2014

Mine broke at the stock and they were about 5'tall from a wind storm. I treated the wound with this, 1gallon of distilled or RO with Superthrive. life cloning solution, and sm-90, and pro-tek silica. Then water heavily with nutes and silica for a few days to help the plant rebuild. Then bandaged them back together with plant tape. And they grew up just fine. It supercropped the hell out of them. Here's a few pics of after it healed. Pretty much every branch broke off and only held on by the skin, and somehow recovered.

Plant Snapped At Main Stem!!! Please HELP!

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