How To Prevent Marijuana Plant Stretch

There are several causes for a marijuana plant to become spindly and stretch. Often the marijuana plant appears it's reaching for the light. Marijuana plant stretch can occur in both the vegetative and marijuana flowering phase.

Many marijuana growers will allow their cannabis plants to stretch. Stretch is generally considered an unavoidable evil, but some marijuana growers prefer a bit of stretch to allow for premium marijuana buds.

Encouraging marijuana plant stretch can be a good technique to prevent budrot in susceptible marijuana strains while producing massive pot colas.

Is marijuana plant stretch a problem?

Cannabis plant stretch is a problem primarily in indoor marijuana grows because it may reduce yields in some marijuana strains. Stretch produces tall lanky marijuana plants with possibly weak and spindly stems.

The weight of marijuana buds during marijuana flower will require staking or roping to avoid damage, falling over or even snapping off. Marijuana plant stretch may be a sudden problem for weed growers with limited ceiling height in their grow tent.

Stretched cannabis plants are tall and their lower marijuana bud sites receive exponentially lower lumens than top cannabis colas.

Tall marijuana plants require more water and marijuana fertilizer.

Stretched marijuana plants may yield 30-50% less.

How can I minimize stretch?

Purchase marijuana seeds that produce compact cannabis plants. Numerous marijuana seeds are geared to remain short squat marijuana plants. Indicas tend to have minimal marijuana plant stretch compared to Sativas.

Keep lights at the optimum distance. If you notice your marijuana plants (especially seedlings) growing quickly like they're reaching for the lights then it's time to move the light lower. Improperly distanced lights is the major cause of marijuana plant stretch. Use blue-spectrum light. Many marijuana growers opt for Metal Halide light exclusively during vegetative phase to help keep marijuana plant internodal length shorter.

Use adequate spacing. Don't let your marijuana plants crowd each other. A crowded marijuana grow room will have weed plants fight each other for light by growing quickly or stretching on top of each other. Too many marijuana plants is not good.

Minimize marijuana plant stress. Stretching can be reaction to a variety of environmental stresses (light, high humidity, low/high temperatures, transplant shock, leaf loss, etc). Maintaining optimum growing conditions is your best defense against stretch.

How to fix marijuana plant stretch.

Pruning, FIM'ing and topping Pruning marijuana plants in veg and early cannabis flower flower will keep the plant from growing skyward. However, it may become a bushy plant. Some marijuana plants (like Sativa) do extremely well when they are pruned in their third to fifth week of vegetative marijuana growth. Other cannabis plants do not like to be pruned at all. Of course these marijuana strains won't be stretching. Note: Pruning in SOG systems is not recommended, as this promotes bushiness.

Turn Speed On Oscillating Fans Up A surefire method of strengthening marijuana plants is to have them blowing in the wind. So to speak. A good breeze not only is great for airflow but also to give the marijuana plant an opportunity to toughen itself. Outdoors marijuana plants are subject to all kinds of weather. Indoors they receive very little weather extremes. Diverting energy to strengthen itself the marijuana plant will stretch much less.