2 Indoor Med Plants under CFL's - Have ?'s

Hi People,

I am rather new to the game. I ahve grown before but it was just me experimenting. I want to actually try growing something respectable this time. I have 2 plants. Bothe came from seed from an unknown Medical Strain from BC. I germinated the seed and then transplanted them into 8 inch pots using a soil mixture that was recomended by the growing store. I am using 2 CFL lights. AS well as natural sunlight during the day. I am on a 24/0 light cycle but have my plants under direct sunlight for about 8 hours and than put them umder the CFL's for the rest of the day/night.
Pics are coming - but for now they are bothabout 16 inches high. THey grew straight and have 10 branches/nodes a piece and have fairly big fan leaves for the siz of the plant. MOst of the leaves are closer to the top of the plant while the bottom portion of them only have about 2 brances followed by 2 more about 2 inches up.
I want a short and bushy plant when and where shold I prune/bend the botom brances. ALso, will this help make the blantmore bushy? I heard that if I chop off a branch 2 stalks will grow out of where i cut the plant.
Is it better to cut the top or bottom brances?
Also, my grow space limits me to about 2 and 1/2 feet of vertical space. The plants have been vegging for about 3 weeks. When should I go into thte flowering stage, if I need to keep the plants short?
I feel as if the plant should have more leaves and branches before i go into flowering it, foes this matter?

Thanks - Trying Noob

Hey there,

sounds like things are coming along nicely for you !! A note on flowering... plants are known to double if not in some occasions (usually sativas or sativa dom hybrids) triple in vertical height during flowering.. so assuming all is well in your grow I'd say change over sooner than later

Hope that helps a bit,
-Tdot

For a short and bushy plant, you would have wanted to have already pinched the top off. Just the very top, new growth, if you do this. At this point, I'd loosely tie a piece of twine (not too thin) around the plants main stalk about half way up and, using my hands, push the plant down to one side as far as you feel safe in doing. They can take a lot. Just pay attention and be careful. Anyway, once you determine how far down you can tie the plant, attach the other end of the twine to the planter somehow. I use duct tape, handy already torn. This will promote side growth. After a few days, maybe re-set it, as it should be able to do down quite a bit in the end. Don't break your plant and try and blame it on the old Fish!
You might have to tie it in more than one place (on the main stalk)

Thanks. So it is too late to top the plant.
From all the pics I see my plant defiantly went through some stretching. It is not very dense at all but seems healthy and seems to be growing new leaves from the top almost every day.
Besides bending, are there any other good techniques to promote side growth and a more bushy plant?

Thanks
oh and if I bend it can I still put it into the flowering stage or should I wait a few more weeks for some side growth and than put the plant into flowering?

Thanks again

I'd wait a few weeks. Those new side buds probably won't get very big if you move too fast.
You can top at anytime . . . it's just preferred when the plants shorter. You want the strength of the root-stalk near the ground. Supports more weight. You wanna grow more of a "V" than of a "Y"

'Cuz a "Y" shaped plant (one topped tall) would tend to split at the post if you get a good crop of flowers. You could always "cast" it at the junction for more to help prevent such. I think the "cast" might need to breathe.