Plants growing like a "weed"

I took my plants from veg at 18" with light 18-6 and put them under light (hps) at 12-12. in 4.5 weeks they have grown to 48+". Starting to bud but buds looking really little, maybe not buds yet just lots of hair. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? I'm using a 150w hps for 1 plant. I would like to slow the groth. Will they eventually stop growing vertically?

What you're experiencing is the flowering stretch. Plants can double in size (sometimes even more) once you flip to 12/12 light cycle. They will eventually stop stretching.

thanks for the reply....when do I start counting the weeks to harvest?

You could start when you see the first buds forming, or a random day next July. Go by trichs instead! Most go by the date they flipped, some go by first buds forming.

I'm curious about that as well, before or after the stretch?

You need to be stress training yjour plants . Just start bending it to the side from the top and tie it down, this way the branches on the side grow to the same height as the one on the top . Once you have one side growing extra big tip it over to the other side and tie it down do this until all arms are the same height. Be careful! Also start reading about something called super cropping which is where you break the tissue on the inside of the stem bend it over not breaking the outside of the stem this way you can manipulate your weed literally wherever you want your nugs to go they will go I hope this is help

hebrewdiver said:

I took my plants from veg at 18" with light 18-6 and put them under light (hps) at 12-12. in 4.5 weeks they have grown to 48+". Starting to bud but buds looking really little, maybe not buds yet just lots of hair. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? I'm using a 150w hps for 1 plant. I would like to slow the groth. Will they eventually stop growing vertically?

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Stretch usually ends around the 2-3 week point. I start counting from the day I flip 12/12. A trick to keep height down a bit is to feed a veg mix (higher N) during the first 2-3 weeks. This reduces your stretch a bit.

If your plants get to tall you can fracture their stems and the, fractured stem, will grow laterally to the light (super cropping). It takes a bit of technique. You want to bend them until they crack but not come off. They will hang and within about 48 hours they will form a callus at the break point and continue laterally.

Here's a pic of one of my supercropped branches

Here

Here's another the nugs get bigger after you bend it as well and as you can see I supported it with a little rope

You don't need a rope like in this picture it shows one bending up towards the light naturally after a couple weeks

Using a metal halide for the first two weeks of flower as well as feeding N can help keep the stretch down.

Dutchieman420 said:

Here's another the nugs get bigger after you bend it as well and as you can see I supported it with a little rope

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This looks exactly like my girl. The center stack is tall but I still have room to move the light up. I'm afraid to break the stem don't wanna hurt her she is looking so good

hebrewdiver said:

This looks exactly like my girl. The center stack is tall but I still have room to move the light up. I'm afraid to break the stem don't wanna hurt her she is looking so good

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There's no reason to be afraid to Super crop these plants are super durable and overnight they'll start bending back towards the light and it will beef up your nugs and add more THC to plant as well noticeably more

hebrewdiver said:

I took my plants from veg at 18" with light 18-6 and put them under light (hps) at 12-12. in 4.5 weeks they have grown to 48+". Starting to bud but buds looking really little, maybe not buds yet just lots of hair. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong? I'm using a 150w hps for 1 plant. I would like to slow the groth. Will they eventually stop growing vertically?

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Yo dude, this is total individual interpretation, though personally I always count first day of flowering as being at least 10 - 12 days from when I switch to 12/12 and only when at least 2 or 3 separate sets of the double white hairs are showing, so by my reckoning your plants are only 2 weeks into flower and loadsa little smalls buds only is what I'd be expecting to see on that timescale, so all sounds cool to me.

Like everyone else said, they can stretch loads first few weeks into flower, and much better supercropping advice already been given then I can add to! My only thought was, if they abit bigger than you wanted now, it does mean next time you could just cut a week or 2 off veg time now you know what sorta size you're gonna be roughly working with - possible bonus to get to harvest quicker?!? (You could also keep same veg time, do a load of LSTing & cropping, keep height perfect and end up with bumper crop, though will be bit more time-consuming, so whatever works best for you obviously)

Dutchieman420 said:

There's no reason to be afraid to Super crop these plants are super durable and overnight they'll start bending back towards the light and it will beef up your nugs and add more THC to plant as well noticeably more

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Okay....I took a big swig of White hennessy and did it. Now I'm like looking at it all the time to see what happens. I'll keep you posted. Like changing your baby's diaper for the first time

How's it going?

Thanks for the info and alone with the hennessy your tip was right on point. I bent her over, broke her down just like you said and she responded by putting out beautifully...Thanks alot Dutchieman420

Dutchieman420 said:

How's it going?

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How are these doing in your opinion.

hebrewdiver said:

How are these doing in your opinion.View attachment 3971266 View attachment 3971267 View attachment 3971268 View attachment 3971269

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Really interesting shaped buds the first couple, they look stoney! Getting pretty close to harvest time.do u have a Jewelers eye?