how to make the stem thicker?

[Litz_C]

i had been growing for a year and wonder how you guys can make your plant's stem grow thicker.

right now i using hydroponic ebb and flow system and grow them out of rockwool(3x3 Hugo).

the biggest size of stem i had 4~5 cm diameter.

this is my 4th grow and it on 2rd week of flowering and feeding them with lucas formula.

now the average of my crops around 1cm diameter and 3~4 feet long and the stem seem too thin for that size.

is it the nutes problem or prune problem? i even prune them for last few week.

each plant avergae have 5~6 branch, not really brushy since i still dealing with the powerdy mildew and keep them seperate as possible.

So what teh problem here? can anyone tells?

 

[Guest]

Gotta shake em up - by hand or w/ fans. The motion builds the stems. Daily by hand, or having fan gently make em sway.

Gently tho - don't wanna snap em.

Or so I've heard - and done.

ws

 

[razerfish]

Get a fan. The plant will direct its energy to making stronger stems. Works like a champ. And it cools the air above the lamp, which helps the plants also. Don't grow without one.

 

[Litz_C]

already got 3 fans only 2 working now.

i gonna install oen more 2m or a day later.

 

[Sinfuldreams]

How long do you veg for?
You could veg longer and top the plants just before you flower.

Sin

 

[Tunefull]

Hello all

Mmm i aint done many grows myself,Nor have much experiance with diff strains...

Do u have a Sativa or indica?



With a small space i have to LST all my plants,and some strains deff have naturally stronger stems than others....

Like afghani(And a MMM2 i have) are a strong stemmed strain...(can put it thru a lot of LST)


NL Is not as strong stemmed,Would sway as i would move it around..but held the weight well(for thin looking stems)

the above are Indica's(in my limited knowledge)


I have grown some Sativa's(With not much space would not again)
These were good looking plants(got some flowering now)
But i do have to support the stems(They will fall over otherwise)




Sativa or indica
What strain?

 

[Guest]

If you want thicker stems...fans and lst, and supercropping techniques are gonna make them stronger...but if you add some silica and or enzyme peoducts into your feeding routine...you will get thicker stems.

I have noticed much thicker stems since I started using Silica Blast. The stems are thicker near the top also, which has increased my cola size since I added silica blast. I find the Cannzyme is increasing stems even more, but not quite to the extent of the silica blast.

Cheers,
SH

 

[Guest]

If you want thicker stems...fans and lst, and supercropping techniques are gonna make them stronger...but if you add some silica and or enzyme peoducts into your feeding routine...you will get thicker stems.

I have noticed much thicker stems since I started using Silica Blast. The stems are thicker near the top also, which has increased my cola size since I added silica blast. I find the Cannzyme is increasing stems even more, but not quite to the extent of the silica blast.

Cheers,
SH

SubHomeboy has it right Silica Blast will help..

 

[Litz_C]

Sinfuldreams, i vegged for 2 weeks and now i m on 3rd week of flowering.

Tunefull, i got some ak47 ,PK , and some berry skunk. Only ak is indica other is sativa. I have lil experience with LST and it hard to do it on the table and rockwool medinum.

right now i doin the shake-da-thing-up with my crops and dealin hella problem with powerdy mildew. Using de-humifier, foliar spray and etc. fungi truly pain in the ass.

 

[BigCloset]

There needs to be a fan vibrating the stems and leaves to make them grow stronger. Another reason could be the light intensity. If plants aren't close enough to the light they will stretch out towards it, causing thin stems. What is your lighting like?

 

[Litz_C]

bigcloset, i got a 1000w HPS light and only 1 feet away from my crops.

i had been adjusted the light since most of my crops almost touch the light.

 

[Sinfuldreams]

2 weeks
You can LST them, add Silica Blast, but you still need time.

Sin

 

[Guest]

wind !

 

[Albert Walker]

mycorhyzea, enzymes, bacterias, wind, more lumens

 

[BigCloset]

Hmmmm... How were your plants started? Clone or seedling? Flourescents? The early life of the plant can make a big difference on the type of plant it will become.

Although i don't use it myself, i hear that Silica Blast can increase stem growth. Maybe you should try liquid karma, it's great stuff and can increase nodes and bushiness.

How many plants do you have, and how much room do they have?

My plants (Ak47 and Skunk#1) are 3 weeks old, 10 inches tall, and their stems are 1cm diameter. Why are my stems thick? Because they were started under flourescents, causing them to become shorter and stoughter. They have also had fans blowing over them since they were young seedlings. I also make sure they get all the nutes/micros/enzymes they need by using supplements like Liquid Karma, Cal-Mag, and Superthrive and keeping the pH at a rock steady 5.8.

 

[Guest]

These were vegged 5 wks from seed.
In the first week I pinch the stems of the lil fellow all the way up the stem until it falls over. In the second week, I repeat this procedure once again. In the third week I start to twist the stalk back-n-forth, ever so slightly. During the last two weeks of veg I grap the lady by the 1st and fourth node firmly, and I twist in opposite directions until I feel a snap- this is risky, if done wrong it can split the "outer" hurd and shock the plant for a week, but if done with finesse- U will have successfully broke the "inner" hurd with no damage to the outer stock. It took me a while before I got the technique down but practice makes perfect. Works wonders for me and can increase yields bt a great deal.

 

[Litz_C]

mine start off from clones that previous cut off from a mother i made out of other clones...

i start them off with a flourescents. I think it a 480w, not really sure just rememebr it drain around 1.2 amp.

right now my stem are aroudn as thick as a index finger.

Hoping it to get bigger

 

[ChaoticEntity]

as long as the stems hold the weight there is no reason to make them thicker, I want my plants focused of flower production not unsmokable/useless stems. However if you do experience a problem with weight then a fan blowing across the tops causing a slight sway with suffice to produce strong stems. In the dozen strains I've grown I've never had or felt the need to use products to increase stem strength.

 

[-VT-]

Cool Temps and a Coarse Medium

Cool Temps and a Coarse Medium

A mentor at OG always preached cool temps for fat stalks. According to him (joecrowe) it was "probably due to the plants' ability to absorb calcium better"....I know from experience that it is true...heat = thin stalks...I documented it with pics...banter...etc....back at OG....anyway....

I never blow fans at my plants (as unpopular as it is)...I was taught by joecrowe and innersanctum that they (MJ plants) have a "self buffering climate"...and that fans disturb this. I rely on cool temps to avoid beating the shit out of 'em with fans....

I gotta admit I followed a few tree growers from OG...and kinda bought into a couple of the low stress approaches

I've found my stalks get fatter with a coarse medium, specifically lava....those stems get fat working through that lava...and that friction toughens 'em up

(Sativa high + the middle of the night = verbose embarrasing post )

peace

 

[9Lives]

i agree with ChaoticEntity you wont benefit from thicker stems..if your plants are not wilting. Thicker stems mean more dead cells...not a smart use for energy.