How do I bandage a broken stem?

jaymo4 · Mar 9, 2010

I was LSTing a plant and accidentally cracked the stem about 3 nodes from the top.. The plant is at 8 weeks veg and I am wondering if my make-shift scotch tape bandage will work and still be able to hold up some big buds.

I was also thinking was that the under growth would probably be fine.. Worst case scenario can I top this? Or should I just make a bunch of clones from the lower branches?

Need some advice, im a noob

poplars · Mar 9, 2010

masking tape . . . . or medical tape to let the plant breathe (from chitown).

roka · Mar 9, 2010

What strain is it? Some strains actually benefit from topping. Also, depending on your grow area, lighting situation, topping and S-cropping can help to maximize the use of your lumens... thus giving you a better yield.

The tape idea may work... but for me.. I like to just support the branch in the correct alignment. The plant then will heal itself, usually creating a nuckle. Similar to super-cropping nuckles.

Cheers

darkdestruction420 · Mar 9, 2010

make sure you wrap some gauze or cloth or something on before the tape. otherwise you will have to peel it off when the plant recovers from the break and its really bad usually.

kylecole420 · Mar 9, 2010

Super glue. Hold the stem together and superglue it.

shineon2008 · Mar 9, 2010

Dark is right it would suck to mend it only to break again when you remove the tape. How bad did it snap? prop it up with a wooden dowel if need be, and tie it to help stand up while it mends its self if the plant needs it.

fatfarmer · Mar 9, 2010

stems are like hearts , TLC and tears of pain,that will work. or go to the stem store.lol ;-)

! hope its the fire[ :fire:

]

univativegrower · Mar 9, 2010

fatfarmer said:
stems are like hearts , TLC and tears of pain,that will work. or go to the stem store.lol ! hope its the fire[ ]

couldn't you just leave the tape on?

axjnkee · Mar 9, 2010

univativegrower said:
couldn't you just leave the tape on?

yes. You also could wrap gauze around it an use an old fashion style clothespin. you know the kind that doesn't clamp.

LANERBLAZE · Mar 9, 2010

univativegrower said:
couldn't you just leave the tape on?

no... if pot plants are anything like a tree..

the stem will grow around the tape and strangle itself...
only things underneath the tape with be alive

marijuananation · Mar 9, 2010

Use a pencil, some bubblegum and a blow torch.

darkdestruction420 · Mar 10, 2010

the stem wont increase in size anymore, creating a bottleneck in yout stem preventing proper flow of energy and nutes , the tape needs to come off when it heals.

LANERBLAZE · Mar 10, 2010

darkdestruction420 said:
the stem wont increase in size anymore, creating a bottleneck in yout stem preventing proper flow of energy and nutes , the tape needs to come off when it heals.

^^^^^^^^^
BINGO

:weed:

Cachando_Rojo_Pajaro · Sep 3, 2016

soda straw for a splint and scotch tape

Gquebed · Sep 3, 2016

I did that and just left it. The next day the top had already stood back up on it's own, like nothing happened.

Indacouch · Sep 3, 2016

I use duct tape or electrical tape and obviously a stick as a splint to support the brake and if it's a larger branch/stem il wrap all that with a piece of rope when I'm done splinting it .....GL

Jah's Love · Sep 4, 2016

You don't have to do anything. I super-crop my plants (break the stems) and I've done both (taping the break and not taping. No difference between the two. The plant will heal on its own just fine. :-)

Indacouch · Sep 4, 2016

Jah's Love said:
You don't have to do anything. I super-crop my plants (break the stems) and I've done both (taping the break and not taping. No difference between the two. The plant will heal on its own just fine.

So what you suggest above tells me you've obviously never had a serious brake or split in a large plant as sometimes there's literally a thread of plant tissue holding a broken branch from coming off ....and a split that's completely separating due to weight in the branches ......not even close to a controlled super crop scenario ....you don't just leave injured plants to sit there and hope for the best ..were not talking about training brakes were talking about unwanted serious damage that needs attention .....

Indacouch · Sep 4, 2016

Oh and il post a pic of a branch I had to splint with a stick and duct tape which I never removed ...it's been on there for several months and there's no difference between the buds on it and the buds without the splint on branches of equal size .....usually brakes happen when the plant isn't supported correctly and it's putting on weight ....but this branch il post a pic of was broken badly by accident in veg and it's deep deep into flower I never removed it and it's perfectly fine ....so branches that brake from weight late in flower I would not remove the splint/tape personally ....GL OP

Jah's Love · Sep 4, 2016

No worries my friend, you are most correct concerning the seriousness of the break that I am imagining. Although I do break my stems all the way, I do it by rolling the stem between my fingers until I hear it crack. It then bends right over past 90 deg and doesn't split the stem like you describe.

In that case I recommend lots of Guerrilla glue, a hair dryer and some splints, wire ties and rubber bands! :lol: