I'm talking smaaaall...I'm using one of those Aerogarden units, and the plant itself probably has about 15" to use for actual growth before I have to start thinking about splicing the wires and getting more supplimental lighting, etc.
I'd like to use the unit without having to do this. So i'm looking to grow very small plants from seed. Can anyone enlighten me on the best way to do this?
I'm looking for a way to stunt the vertical & horizontal growth as much as possible once it starts flowering...but also to not ruin the buds in the process...to create little mini bonzai pot plants that stay small, but not really bushy since I don't have room for a lot of growth horizontally either.
Here is my current plan of attack to achieve this, I would really welcome and appreciate any advice:
- Let plants grow to about 8-10 inches in vegative growth
- Chop them all in half (to about 4-5 inches), removing any lower branches and some fan leaves about 3-5 days before flowering, and planning on going with a typical 8(ish) week flowering period.
- Hoping and praying that the plants stay small enough...and assuming that I will get some males, I will thin those guys out to make more room for any females.
Thanks in advance for any advice!
When you go to 12/12 the plants will almost triple in height before they stop vertical growth. One of the most important thing in internode height control is temperature. If you can maintain 77 fah during the day and 72 at night you're going to reduce stretch as much as possible. Heres something worth looking at:
"The easiest and most under-used way to control internodal stretch is temperature control. Plant internodal length is directly related to the difference between day and night temperatures the warmer your day cycle is as compared to your night cycle, the greater your internode length will be. The opposite also holds true; the closer your day and night temperatures, the shorter your internodes will be. Ever notice how as the warmer summer months approach, your plants begin to stretch? Part of this problem may lie in an overall hotter grow-room, but a larger factor is the increased difference between day and night temperatures.
Lets look at putting this to play in your grow room. Maximum temperatures should ideally never rise above 26°C, so you must do everything you can to prevent your room getting too hot (run lights at night, use exhaust fans, air conditioners, etc). An ideal temperature range is 24-25°C when the lights are on, and 22°C when the lights are off.
The temperature technique is most effective under a 12/12 light regime, which is ideal as this is when cannabis stretches the most. When the light cycle is brought to 12/12 we will raise the night temperature to the daytime level of 24-25°C. Space heaters on timers work well for this, and max/min type thermometers are ideal for
tracking temperatures.
It is during the first 2-3 weeks of the flower cycle that most strains begin to lengthen internodes, making it a very important time to control temperature, as this is when the framework for future colas is built. After this 2-3 week window we need to drop the night temperature back down to 22°C, as this is where the plant is happiest.
As floral development begins we need to keep in mind that the total size of your buds is determined largely by average daily temperature, provided it does not exceed optimal. So if you are letting your day temperatures drop below 24°C or your night drop below 22°C, you are costing yourself in overall weight and harvest.
Once your buds have reached optimal size and and you have begun the flushing period, you may consider dropping temperature down to 17-19°C for the final week or two. This drop in temperature triggers anthocyanin production, which intensifies the colour of the floral clusters and makes for a showier bud, especially with "purple" varieties. This final temperature change is not always feasible and can be omitted.
For extreme height control you may even use warmer night temperature than day, but be very careful when running settings like this, as even a zero difference between night and day temperatures will lead to leaf chlorosis (yellowing) after 2-3 weeks.
Some things you will notice while using this technique are a change in the leaf angle, upwards during warm days and downwards during warm nights. There is also the chlorosis if this is done for too long. Neither of these symptoms is nutrient related and will fix themselves when the temperature is changed back."
Your seedling would have grown a main taproot going straight down if not for the limitations of your system. Roots will grow however they can. Your system will limit a seedling to a short tap root that has to curl around. That will stunt the vigor of the plant, as well as possibly influence the sex determination. There's a theory that inhibiting the growth of the taproot will cause more males.
