Poor yield and stretching

[bakelite]

I’m having trouble getting decent yields with my plants. I’ve been growing for over 10 years and have grown over 30 different strains from seed including some high yielders such as White Russian, Sour Boggle, Pot of Gold etc. The quality of the grows are great, but they just don’t yield. I believe the issue to be related to stretch which I am having trouble managing.

I flower under (2) 250hps bulbs. The bulbs are in vented hoods so I am able to get the plants pretty close to the light source. In the summer they run about 80deg F night, 78 lights on. In the winter they run lower-mid 70’s during the night, 78 with lights on. I’d read that minimizing the day/night temperature swing can help reduce stretch in plants, but I’ve yet to see any benefit in reducing stretch with my setup. Due to height restrictions, I’m forced to keep my plants under 24” tall.

My soil base is amended Ocean Forest or amended Black Gold. I’ve tried pre-amending and also using just bottle ferts and get similar results. I grow in ½ gallon square pots. I’ve grown in 1 gallon and 1.6 gallon pots as well, but I get similar results either way.

As far as training goes, I’ve tried modular SCROG and extensive LST training to keep the plants short, only to have the new shoots stretch like a bastard and produce small buds when switched to 12/12. The stretch occurs even though some of the plants are within 5” of the arc tube during 12/12

Right now I’m growing in a large armoire, but I’m toying with the idea of getting a grow tent that’ll allow for better height and maybe use (1) 600 watt hps to bloom.

My yields range from 7-13 grams per plant with a total of 12 plants which equates to 0.16 to 0.28 grams/watt.
Help me grow some squat, bushy plants! Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

-bakelite

 

[who dat is]

I would start by getting bigger containers for your plants. That can contribute to stretchier plants as it is a different form of stress. If you are worried about additional height with larger pots then I would focus on using some that are wider but short or making your own little wide bed.

 

[I wood]

new bulbs or increasing co2 would both probably help.

 

[bakelite]

Thx for the feedback guys. I have tried larger containers in the past, but may have to reconsider. As far a bulbs they get replaced on a regular basis.

 

[who dat is]

What does your feeding regimen look like too? If you are running organics then you will definitely want bigger pots. If you are running synthetics then maybe you are using too much Nitrogen?

 

[bakelite]

What does your feeding regimen look like too? If you are running organics then you will definitely want bigger pots. If you are running synthetics then maybe you are using too much Nitrogen?

I use organic for the most part. Fishbone meal, Happy Frog All Purpose Dry fertilizer mixed into the bottom of the pot (kinda like supersoil). I've also used liquid nutes either in addition to amendments or as a primary nutrient. I use mostly Biothrive Bloom, Biothrive Grow, Drammatic O (fish hydrolysate) and sometimes Roots Organics HP2 (liquid quano).

 

[bakelite]

The vast majority of my plants lose all of their yellow fan leaves so excess nitrogen, to me at least shouldn't be an issue

 

[who dat is]

Yes, I would definitely focus on stuffing some larger pots in there then. I think you will notice a large difference.

 

[bakelite]

Yes, I will definitely focus on stuffing some larger pots in there then. I think you will notice a large difference.

I'll focus more on that with my next grow (got seedlings going and cuttings being rooted right now)

 

[Sensi Smoke]

Grow your plants until they have five main center nodes, top all of them and then allow a week of growth on the tops. take cord and tie the plants down horizontal flat along the surface of the soil but just above. Bend the plants over in the direction where the lower growing branches are exposed. Secure the plants in this position and continue vege growth from there on. This techniqe promotes very bush plants, with many main colas, up to 50 main colas if you have the time and added training on top.

 

[PoweredByLove]

magnesium. the thing people ovelook the most. flowering plants need a lot of magnesium during the earlier parts of flower. add more mag during weeks 2-6 and i guarantee you will have bigger buds next time.

 

[bakelite]

Grow your plants until they have five main center nodes, top all of them and then allow a week of growth on the tops. take cord and tie the plants down horizontal flat along the surface of the soil but just above. Bend the plants over in the direction where the lower growing branches are exposed. Secure the plants in this position and continue vege growth from there on. This techniqe promotes very bush plants, with many main colas, up to 50 main colas if you have the time and added training on top.

Thx for the suggestion Sensi. I think training will be necessary in order for me to reach my goal.

 

[bakelite]

magnesium. the thing people ovelook the most. flowering plants need a lot of magnesium during the earlier parts of flower. add more mag during weeks 2-6 and i guarantee you will have bigger buds next time.

How much epsom salt/ gal water are you adding?

 

[slownickel]

Do you have a soil analysis?

In all those goodies mentioned, didn't see much calcium.

Most growers fall down right there. Without enough calcium, there is no big yield ever.

We are all of habit. Maybe you keep making the same mistake.

There is no way to be successful without a good soil analysis. And even then, there are good and there are mediocre labs.

 

[windycitysmoker]

Got some pics ?

 

[paranoidnz]

Hi guys, my question is very similar, but totally different, im having the opposite problem, so we may be able to find something together,
this is my first grow, got 9 ladies growing, planted from seed just over 3 weeks ago, only up to my fifth set of leaves, which the top are the second set of the bunch with a complete 5 leaf, my problem is im worried that they arent creating enough space between each of the nodes, im talking about nearly right on top of each other maybe on average about 1 cm apart, i think the biggest gap i have on one of them is 3cm, will they spread out when i switch light cycles?
im vegging under 300 MH light and a 250 true watt Led 23 hrs a day,
(got my shades in this upside v angle so they get hit with both lights
will switch to a 600 hps and add 2 led red light bloomers to the current Led lights when its time to switch

another question, i didnt think vegging plants smelt, specially that young, but when i opened the tent yesterday i was like HAYYYY whats that smell, it was very faint, but the plants are still babies

 

[packerfan79]

Hi guys, my question is very similar, but totally different, im having the opposite problem, so we may be able to find something together,
this is my first grow, got 9 ladies growing, planted from seed just over 3 weeks ago, only up to my fifth set of leaves, which the top are the second set of the bunch with a complete 5 leaf, my problem is im worried that they arent creating enough space between each of the nodes, im talking about nearly right on top of each other maybe on average about 1 cm apart, i think the biggest gap i have on one of them is 3cm, will they spread out when i switch light cycles?
im vegging under 300 MH light and a 250 true watt Led 23 hrs a day,
(got my shades in this upside v angle so they get hit with both lights
will switch to a 600 hps and add 2 led red light bloomers to the current Led lights when its time to switch

another question, i didnt think vegging plants smelt, specially that young, but when i opened the tent yesterday i was like HAYYYY whats that smell, it was very faint, but the plants are still babies

Sounds like a good structure, hopefully they will keep stacking monster colas

 

[sdd420]

24 inch height restriction is not conducive to yield. Get a tent with six foot ceiling or so . I like the 4x4 or 3x3 tents, for you 3x3 would work with the 500 watts of lighting pretty damn good peace sdd

 

[bakelite]

Do you have a soil analysis?

In all those goodies mentioned, didn't see much calcium.

Most growers fall down right there. Without enough calcium, there is no big yield ever.

We are all of habit. Maybe you keep making the same mistake.

There is no way to be successful without a good soil analysis. And even then, there are good and there are mediocre labs.

I haven't had and analysis done. As far as calcium goes I guess I rely on dolomite lime and a bit from the fish bone meal. The Happy Frog dry ferts that i've been mixing into the bottom of my pots has 8% calcium. Perhaps I should be using more?

I'll try to get some pics up tomorrow

 

[Fly by Night]

Tough yielding in small space like the armoire, how's many air exchanges you gettin? Turbo whew