Been awhile since I've had to come in and ask.. but.. HELP!!!???

What's up everyone. It's FRIDAY! Thank God too... this week was draggy and seemed like it went on forever. LOL..

anyhow. Need some ideas.

I currently have two of Nirvana's 'ICE' plants going. Both feminized plants.. (from 5pack of feminized ICE beans from Nirvana).. anyhow.. one of them seems to be a little stretched. They're both only 4 days old.. the other one is isn't nearly as lanky looking as the other one.

But for now.. I've got her stabalized with a metal coat hanger. But.. the way I have the coat hanger setup.. just isn't a permanent fix. Anyone have a better idea?? She's just too tall for 4 days old.. and she's too top heavy to support herself. So I need to help her out until the roots get bigger.. and there's more of them so then she can take over and support herself.

But remember... she's still young and fragile right now. 4 days old.. 4 days into veg. So I'll need a gentle method.. that will help her.. instead of making the situation worse.

Thanks in advance to those who share their ideas.. or methods.
+rep for good ideas..

Peace.

ps-have a stoney weekend!

more info, pics, but if theres room in the top of pot just put more potting mix around to support the steam, (not even shaw if their dirt or hydro)

What kind of lights are you using? For seedlings fluorescent lights work the best, but you need to make sure they are close. If your lights are too far away that can cause stretching and thin stems. Make sure you get your lights as close as you can without it being too hot.

I have propped my little clones up before until they get stronger too. I usually use a toothpick and a small piece of thread to tie it to kind of like how you would stake up a big plant. Once it gets strong enough to support itself, I remove the thread & toothpick. The thread is only tight enough to keep the plant up straight, not too tight or you'll hurt the little seedling.

Pics would help too, as well as whether you're doing soil or hydro. If soil, you can build the dirt up around the long stem to help it stand up better, as mississippi suggested.

yeah I grow with soil... I found a better way to help support the plant. She's actually standing on her own now... but I still have her supported. And will continue to leave the support brace I made for her in there until after a few weeks.. I figure by then.. its either going to have built its strength up and have big enough roots.. and main stem to supports its self.

I thank the both of you's for your input. I'll try what you guys suggested as well.

Appreciate it ppl.

peace.

having a fan (set to low or med) blowing on the plant will help strengthen her

and what are you using for light? they stretch like that to try and get closer to the light source

one of the most clever things ive seen used to prop up a plant was the head of a plastic fork

Bury the stem deeper into the soil, it will root

"having a fan (set to low or med) blowing on the plant will help strengthen her

and what are you using for light? they stretch like that to try and get closer to the light source

one of the most clever things ive seen used to prop up a plant was the head of a plastic fork"






Man, I appreciate the info..I really do... but I'm not a noob to growing..

I would almost take this as an insult.. but I don't think you even thought about it being possible that I'm an experienced grower.. so I forgive ya.

anyhow.. uhmm I think I'm going to take out the "support thing" I made to help her stand up.. and use the soil method.


I may be experienced, but I did learn something from this that I wasn't aware of. I didn't realize that, if I were to add more soil to the pot.. thus helping the plant get more support and stability.. I didn't think it would root. I mean I kinda thought it would you know?? But wasn't 100% on it.
I'm just wondering how far up can I go.. up the main stem with extra soil.. and it still be able to root..??

How far up the stem can I go? I mean how far should I be able to go.. and not give the plant any problems. What would you guys suggest?

Like half an inch or so?? maybe an inch?? I think an extra inch of soil would be just enough and even maybe little more than needed.. to support the plant.. until its roots can catch up and get big enough and strong enough to support the plant.

Would I be alright with an inch of extra soil?

thanks.
peace.

I would do as much as you need to do it to make it strong and not look so stretched, Maybe leave at least inch, inch n half maybe from top. Hard to say with no pics.

yeah tell me about it.. my brother N law has mine at his office. he's outta town until Tuesday..

nah I don't need to go that far up do I?

She's only about 5" tall. BUT.. again she's only 4 days old now.. just starting to spit out her second set of true leafs.

I stopped typing this.. went and added 2" of soil to the mix.. took out my fork (support system)... and she's standing on her own. Nice and firm like the second plant did naturally.

What I did wrong.. was I planted the seed too shallow once germination was done. The second plant, she's doing fine. She's nice and stout looking.. and firm.. but that's because I planted her at the right depth of about 1.5 inches down.

Not the first time i've done it.. and the other factor.. that caused her to stretch was the light I use for young sprouts like these. 150watt HPS system is what I put young plants under.. and that's what caused her to stretch even further than she was originally due to being planted too shallow.

Thank you too everyone who helped...

as soon as I can get my digi back from my brother N law, I'll start a grow journal.

peace.

I don't mean to offend if you already know this, since you aren't a newb to growing, but if you don't it could help you out I think. I've been growing for quite a while, and I learn new stuff all the time.


From what I've read, HPS is not a good light for seedlings and clones. You should really use fluorescents or MH lights, because of the spectrum of light I think? The HPS has too much reds which are good for the budding phase but not for seedlings. Cool white fluorescents have more of the blues that are good for the veg phase.

Antigen said:

I don't mean to offend if you already know this, since you aren't a newb to growing, but if you don't it could help you out I think. I've been growing for quite a while, and I learn new stuff all the time.


From what I've read, HPS is not a good light for seedlings and clones. You should really use fluorescents or MH lights, because of the spectrum of light I think? The HPS has too much reds which are good for the budding phase but not for seedlings. Cool white fluorescents have more of the blues that are good for the veg phase.

Click to expand...

Huh? Oh, yeah no bro.. I appreciate anyone's input.. even if its something I already know about. Never hurts to have a reminder from time to time.
I totally agree with you as well... even though I'm an 'experienced' grower.. I still learn new stuff about growing every day.

Take for example.. out of all my grows that I've accomplished.. one thing I have never tried.. is the SCROG grow method. Which, I read a thread yesterday about someone currently doing a SCROG grow.. and I must say.. WOW! He had so many tops on that girl.. I mean there was at least 12 or 13 tops.. and they were pretty good size too man. So yeah, I'm still reading about the SCROG method.. as I would like to try that one day.

In fact, I've got a 5pack of Nirvana's 'ICE' feminized beans.. I've already got two of them started.. and as of today they are on day #7 of veg.. and doing wonderfully. So I may not try the SCROG method with either one of them, but while these two continue to mature.. and get bigger each day.. this gives me time to read up on the SCROG method.. and how its done. So, that by the time these are done.. and harvested.. I should know enough about the SCROG method to try it on a fresh 'ICE' bean... and try the SCROG method on that new fresh ICE plant.

But anyhow, yeah.. I wasn't trying to be a dick bro. I'm one of the most laid-back kinda ppl you'll ever talk to... don't like drama.. no need for it. Peace is my motto.

So again, thanks man.

just real quick.. you can use a HPS light for veg cycle.. its just not recommended. But until I get my dual spectrum bulb in.. for my 150watt system.. I gotta work with what I got ya dig?

But again, thanks man. We need more ppl like you around the site.

peace.

P.S. - The one 'ICE' plant that was a little leggy.. and stretched.. I just simply used the information that you ppl provided me.. and did what everyone suggested. I put in some extra fresh soil from the bag.. but I put enough in there to support the plant.. and this was about 3 days ago.. and she's doing great as of today. I can tell she's getting stronger.. because she's not moving around as much (when the fans move across her) as she was on the first day I put her back into my grow aquarium after putting in the xtra soil for support.

Thanks for all the help ppl.

peace.

Having the same exact problem with my Nirvana Northern Lights. I seem to think it might be because I didn't bury them deep enough. I have 2 fluoro going right on top of them and they were stretching so fast they would grow right around the bulb. Lucky it doesn't get that hot or else they'd be dead by now. My last batch hardly stretched at all. Same setup and everything. I just threw some dirt in around the side and have them proped up and think I have them stabilizes enough to hit with a fan now. Did yours work out?

sonar said:

Having the same exact problem with my Nirvana Northern Lights. I seem to think it might be because I didn't bury them deep enough. I have 2 fluoro going right on top of them and they were stretching so fast they would grow right around the bulb. Lucky it doesn't get that hot or else they'd be dead by now. My last batch hardly stretched at all. Same setup and everything. I just threw some dirt in around the side and have them proped up and think I have them stabilizes enough to hit with a fan now. Did yours work out?

Click to expand...

Yeah, worked really well actually. Better than I thought it would in fact... the only thing is now, that plant.. I'm having probs with it.

Today is day# 15 of flowering.. and of the two 'ice' plants that I have going.. only the one has shown that its a female. The one that

I had to put more soil into the pot.. to help support it.. it has yet to show its sex. I have no idea if the "adding more soil" has anything

to do with it being delayed showing its sex.. I think it has more to do with the fact that I was like 3 days late in a row.. turning off the lights

on time. So I think that may be the cause of it being delayed.. but if it doesn't show me male/female within another two weeks (which would be exactly 28 days of flowering then, then I will be forced to chop and use it for making some hash I guess.)

It sure would be nice to be able to get some freaking help around here lately. For some reason.. it seems like since everyone thinks that I'm an "experienced" grower that either I don't need the help that bad.. or.. they think.. "well, he can find the answer to his own questions". Which is messed up.. because my ass is ALWAYS helping others out around here whenever and if I can. Kinda fucked up in my opinion.. but.. what ever.

I can always move on down to another forum and find the help I need there ya know? So I'm not really worried about it.

But if anyone has grown Nirvana's feminized 'Ice' strain before.. some input or advice would be great!


Good luck on your grow man.
Peace

Adding more soil shouldn't affect when it shows sex. I've had plants not show their sex for 3 weeks before, and if I remember right I was also not controlling my light cycles correctly back then either.

It could be that, or it could just be because that plant was weaker to begin with, it might not have as good of a root system developed as the healthier plant. Dunno if that would delay it showing sex, but maybe. I would say it will show something within the next 2 weeks, given no more light issues.

You should really get a little light timer, they're like less than $10 and I've never had one work improperly. These aren't the digital ones that you have to program, it's just a little manual wheel with tabs to pick 'on' or 'off' for that time period. I know a timer was one of the biggest helps to me in keeping my light cycles on track.

Sorry, I don't have any experience with that exact strain, but I don't think you need to worry just yet.