Young plants not branching... Problem or Natural?

[thex420]

Im on my first grow. I just received these two cali mist clones from a friend. They were rooted with an aero cloner and then placed in dirt. They were in their starter cups for a week and I have moved them to larger pots where they will finish with a scrog setup.

Instead of these clones showing branches with leaves at the ends they look like one large bud. Brown hairs are present and only one or two leave segments is shooting out of each node.

From the reading I have been doing the last 6 months I haven't seen young clones like this.

Can anyone tell me what is going on ?

thex420 Reviewed by thex420 on 01-04-2008. Young plants not branching... Problem or Natural? Im on my first grow. I just received these two cali mist clones from a friend. They were rooted with an aero cloner and then placed in dirt. They were in their starter cups for a week and I have moved them to larger pots where they will finish with a scrog setup. Instead of these clones showing branches with leaves at the ends they look like one large bud. Brown hairs are present and only one or two leave segments is shooting out of each node. From the reading I have been doing the Rating: 5

[Weedhound]

Could be lighting.
Could be poor soil.
Could be overwater and/or poor drainage
Could be the strain

I'd start there.

[stinkyattic]

Those clones appear to have been taken from a flowering plant. That's a major pain in the ass. IMHO, if a grower is selling clones to co-ops, he really needs to state whether they were taken in flower and as a result will need 3-5 weeks to re-veg before flowering. I'd be upset if I bought clones expecting to 'flip' them within the week, and they turned out to be in flower. Grrr.
To get branches, pinch the tip. Do not flower for 3 weeks after pinching. That plant also looks like it's sitting in cold, wet soil by the red stem and leaf shapes. There's a form at the top of the problems section, fill it out and post the results here so we can make sure you don't have any more issues.

[thex420]

Cab temps rarely drop below 75 at night, and run around 80-82 during the day. They were taken from a flowering plant, and the stems are more of a purple. I am currently using two 2700k 30w cfls and one 30w 6500k cfl. I have two more sockets available but I am keeping the light week for the first week they are in the cabinet.

By pinching, do you mean topping the plants?

[stinkyattic]

Yes, pinching is a type of topping. It's safer to pinch than to cut through the main stem, which can expose the vascular tissue of the plant to pathogens, not a great idea for an already-stressed plant such as one in the process of re-vegging and adapting to a new environment. Just pinch the very terminal bit of leaf bud, where the soft new growth is coming out, and be sure to pinch just below the thickening that is the base of the new leaves.

[thex420]

Thanks for the advice stinky, I have two plants in my scrog box. One of the plants main stem has just peaked up to the screen and the other is lacking by about 3-4 inches. With a scrog, when should I pinch? As the plant as reached the screen or sometime after ?

[thex420]

Here is the problem form so everyone can have a little more info.

Indoor Cab Grow (converted dresser)
Soil 1 gallon pots (for now)
Miracle Grow Potting Soil, and Miracle Grow Peat moss 2:1 ratio
Hydrotron for drainage
(not yet ph'ed) will next watering
Distilled Bottled Water 6.0 ph
2 Weeks in Aero Bubbler 2 Weeks in Soil
No fertilizer as of yet...
Currently 3 30W 2700k and 1 6500k cfls running in custom hoods
Temps ranging from 78-80 Lights On, 72-76 Lights off
Humidity 20-40%
18/6 Lighting Schedule
Cab vented by one 80 cfm inline fan and circulated with two pc fans
4 in inlet/outlet

[thex420]

New growth on the tops of the plants is showing normal 5 bladed fan leaves. Lower branches with single leaves stayed a purplish color, and so I have trimmed most all of them off. The clones now look like they are doing much better.