Hollow stem

DutchHaze

Well-Known Member
After trimming up all my branches I was left with some nice fat trunks. I was surprised to see them hollow, like I could use it as a straw, or even make a little pipe out of it(why didn't I make a pipe out of it?). Is this from it drying out or are they hollow while they are growing? I don't know much about plants in general, is the hollow like a straw for the plant that sucks the water up to the top? Just something I was wondering about. I'm going to dump out the pots tonight and check out the root balls. I imagine I'm going to be surprised to see what that looks like as well
 

CaretakerDad

Well-Known Member
It is completely normal depending on the genetics and age of the area where you make the cut. It is a good idea if you are doing major trimming or are going to save a plant for re-vegging to cover those holes when you trim with a tree pruning sealer. :weed:
 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
Genetics..most are fairly hollow some incredibly so

I don't like it as a trait..the stems can fold and collapse with heavy buds ime
Also don't respond as well to super cropping
 

FR33MASON

Active Member
In marijuana botany, I read that there was a correlation between hollow and solid stems and potency to which the hollow stemmed plants were supposedly more potent then solid stemmed plants. I never read further into it so I don't know if there is any truth to that. I will say that my best plants have always had hollow stems.
 

woody333333

Well-Known Member
Genetics..most are fairly hollow some incredibly so

I don't like it as a trait..the stems can fold and collapse with heavy buds ime
stretching would be the no.1 cause....... whats missing is the pith.....plants store nutrients in the pith......stretchy plants grow faster than they can store those nutrients......
 

DutchHaze

Well-Known Member
Good call on that stretching, I did have a bit of stretch going at first. Classic noobie. Thanks all, love learning about the plant
 

qwizoking

Well-Known Member
I'm sure stretching does play a role I've seen that in low light plants. I do only grow landrace sativas too..but some aren't hollow at all most slightly some extremely. Some are also rubbery that I can tie in a knot and vine like while some get a bark and are woody, will easily snap. So I don't think its stretch....I also like to barely bleach the tops of certain strains I run..definitely no stretch besides the natural sativa tendencies
 

woody333333

Well-Known Member
I'm sure stretching does play a role I've seen that in low light plants. I do only grow landrace sativas too..but some aren't hollow at all most slightly some extremely. Some are also rubbery that I can tie in a knot and vine like while some get a bark and are woody, will easily snap. So I don't think its stretch....I also like to barely bleach the tops of certain strains I run..definitely no stretch besides the natural sativa tendencies
its seventh grade science.... but im not telling you it cant be genetic.........
 

CaretakerDad

Well-Known Member
stretching would be the no.1 cause....... whats missing is the pith.....plants store nutrients in the pith......stretchy plants grow faster than they can store those nutrients......
Having experienced this phenomenon outdoors I must disagree with stretching as the primary cause, I point again to genetics. :weed:
 

mr2shim

Well-Known Member
It's genetic, they're all hollow to some extent. Hemp is much less hollow than psychoactive cannabis. Stretching has nothing to do with it.
 

woody333333

Well-Known Member
Having experienced this phenomenon outdoors I must disagree with stretching as the primary cause, I point again to genetics. :weed:
I think if you check his started threads you will agree stretching was the cause.......3 feet from the light........but im not saying it cant be genetic......
 

kinddiesel

Well-Known Member
i grow indoors. some are hollow on every branch. and other plants different brands are not . so nothing to do with how you grow them its how the plant decides to grow.
 

topfuel29

Well-Known Member
Hemp strains have a solid shoot. There's more fiber in the plant.

Your Medical/Marijuana strain, strains with high Cannabinoid content will have hollow shoots.

The xylem of the plant transports water up from the roots.

The hollow shoot is a plant structure. It doesn't do anything, except be hollow.

Some people say the hollower the shoot the more potent the strain.
I don't know how much truth there is to that.

Good Luck on Your Grow.
 

giggywatts

Well-Known Member
i'm sorry but i got to bash this party. i just chopped three different strains and all three are big time hollow. now one of these strains i have grown three times now. twice indoors and once outdoors. one time indoors and the outdoor run the stems and stalk just did have a hole. it was so small that it was hard to blow through. this round indoors it was hollow by half, in other words a 1/4" dia. stem had a 1/8" hollow to it. no stretch as if anything my plants were midgets. good feedings and watering, lots of light with cfl's, hps, and sun light. so yall tell me.
 

SableZen

Well-Known Member
It's genetic, they're all hollow to some extent. Hemp is much less hollow than psychoactive cannabis. Stretching has nothing to do with it.
It's like this with a lot of plants that have been intensely cultivated and bred to produce fruit/flowers (a byproduct of selective breeding). You see a similar thing that happens with seed size (including w/ cannabis): cultivated plants often tend to produce larger sized seeds than their wild uncultivated counterparts.
 

giggywatts

Well-Known Member
i'm sorry, i don't believe that. because none of my plants outdoor last summer were hollow like that and my first indoor grow wasn't like that. the only thing that was different was i backed the fans down because of cold weather. like i said i have grown one of these strains three times now and this is the only time it was different. hell even the males were hollow this time. i have grown over the better part of the last 35 to 37 years and don't remember any being hollow by half like this, maybe it was because they always had wind blowing on them, something these didn't have.
 

mr2shim

Well-Known Member
My plants stems are always hollow. I don't really see what all the care is about. They're hollow, so the fuck what.
 
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