long tall seedlings

[Ratlady]

Hi there! We just inherited half a dozen seedlings (approx 1 month old?) which are so tall & thin that they can't support themselves. I've staked them, & put them under our lamps; top growth is good. Should I continue like this? or should I maybe chop them off about a third of the way down & repot them (with a dunk in rooting hormone to help them on their way)? Poor little things must be 12" tall already - will their stems fill out if I keep them under lamps?

Usually do clones so not used to this problem: help! please.

Ratlady Reviewed by Ratlady on 11-15-2005. long tall seedlings Hi there! We just inherited half a dozen seedlings (approx 1 month old?) which are so tall & thin that they can't support themselves. I've staked them, & put them under our lamps; top growth is good. Should I continue like this? or should I maybe chop them off about a third of the way down & repot them (with a dunk in rooting hormone to help them on their way)? Poor little things must be 12" tall already - will their stems fill out if I keep them under lamps? Usually do clones so not Rating: 5

[Sensi Super Skunk]

The stems of your plants are too tall because of insufficient lighting/spectrum and/or because they are streching for light because of the light not being close enough (that's only if you are using fluorescents). If you are using fluorescents, they be as close as two inches from the top of the plants.
What type of lighting are you using?

[Garden Knowm]

Hi rat lady... 1972?
congrats on the new adoption..

are these 12 seperate plants in seperate containers?

if so, I would keep growing them until you can take some quality clones.. and chop the plants back,,, way back when you clone them... then grow(veg) them another 7 days and flower them..

can you post a pic?

: )

[Ratlady]

Sensi Super Skunk - like your signature! Wasn't expecting the twist.

Garden Knowm - actually 1965: I keep rats, down to 25 at present: best pet going, but sometimes creepily intelligent.


Thanks for advice guys. The light-too-high sounds about right: if I stick 'em under mine nice & close will they fill out a bit? Like I said, tops are coming on nicely so it'd be a shame to lose them. Can seedlings have too strong a lamp? We've got a 250w & a 400w (& a 1000w on loan from a mate); all guns blazin' right now: we're due to harvest! We don't know what the current crop are, so would like to rescue these stringy little fellows as they're supposed to be White Widow.

My husband (Ratman) is the user in the house - I just grow 'em. One of our rats called Patches is forever nicking his bits of resin! Another one, Shadow, waits & watches & then nips in & nicks his joint as soon as he's rolled it. Patches has always had sleepy half-closed eyes - she looks permanently stoned (she probably is!). Rats are great; every home should have one. Or 25.

Cheers guys!

[Garden Knowm]

you can over do it with light on babies.. but you'd know pretty quick.. a big problem is drying out the soil and babies don't have devleoped/deep enough enough roots to handle dry soil..


you defiunitley wont loose them... you can clone the shit out of them..

and that is what I recommend highly...

RATs.. hmmm

are they related to squirrels?

just curious cause I got squirrels in the attic?

[Ratlady]

You're lucky - I've got bats in mine!!!

[Cheesybeast]

Your lucky I've got bums in mine....