Few questions for outdoors w/ Pics (Southwestern Ontario)

**LaosUnited** · 08-03-2010, 08:53 PM

First time grower more so experimenting

I have a female on my hands and have a few questions:

a) I would say this is pushing almost 4ft due to the pot size of 5.5L is there a plateau for the plant? I don't want it to be like 8ft

if not what is the best practice to prevent it from growing anymore?

b) I'm starting to see the white pistils which I guess indicates the flowering stage should I add more bone meal? Initially I bought some soil with some minimal nutes and mixed in my Blood and Bone meal at the same time I went by the recommended amounts for a 5.5L pot looks healthy to me

c) Also the top of my plant looks like it's going all squirrely! Should I be worried? Is my plant is getting too big for the pot size? It looks like its a bit crooked should I just put a stake in there + rope to hold it in place?

Thanks in advance for the professional assistance!

**dunkin73** · 08-04-2010, 12:23 AM

Very healthy looking plant! Answer to question number one is your pot/container is fine! I have grown much bigger plants in that same size pot! You can research Low Stress Training on this site, it's as easy as taking string and gently tying the main stem to the side of the pot, bending it ever so gently so as not to break or snap it. Use tape or whatever means of holding the string to the side of the pot or some other external anchor. It will allow side growth and keep the plant shorter. It is currently stretching due to it flowering, sometimes they double in height.

Two, for flowering/budding use ferts higher in Phosphorous. Try not to give any nitrogen, so yes, you can use bone-meal, which is mostly phosphorous. You can give small amount mixed into a tea/slurry, that is what I do.

Three, the top of the plant will always look like that, it is new vegetative growth and that is how it looks, especially when budding.

Excellent job so far. I used the same size pots but they are square and have a few drainage holes in the bottom. I also add bone and blood meal when mixing up the soil. This year I am going to try molasses, blackstrap molasses for bloom. I hear it works well with increasing bud size. Good luck and good grow!!

**LaosUnited** · 08-04-2010, 12:49 AM

Thx Dunkin! Do you recommend me to top off my plant only If I am content with the height? Any pros or cons to this? I know from researching it will increase the bushiness and grow another two nodes!?!

**dunkin73** · 08-04-2010, 01:43 AM

Personal preference but I let it go naturally! You really don't increase yield, you just get two main colas, not one. I like one big main cola. Some will argue you increase yield but I don't have enough experience with topping. I topped one plant this year and it was a male, it stresses the plant, maybe it turned male, who knows. I just leave them be, just like nature would allow. LST (low stress training) is not "topping", it's tying down the main stem so it bends ever so slightly, that you can do without cutting or topping. Check out the threads on how to do it, it's super easy and will not allow your plant to get too tall. Good luck and enjoy the buds, I sure did on my two grows!

**dunkin73** · 08-04-2010, 01:47 AM

Oh shit I forgot, topping now is not recommended! It is already budding and it's growth will not be significant enough to have two main colas, plus it may stress the plant. Just tie it down, "LST" it so it bends. DO NOT TOP IT, it could turn hermie. It is in the budding phase, vegetative growth slows because the buds are forming. Peace!

**LaosUnited** · 08-04-2010, 07:28 AM

Awesome.. Thx again for the helpful tips. Luckily I came across this forum for some info, I'll look into the LST or hell i'll just let it shoot upto the heavens.

**pickleslinger** · 08-04-2010, 03:40 PM

Plants triple in size when they flower. Its the big stretch

**pickleslinger** · 08-04-2010, 03:41 PM

If its already started to flower your gonna send it into shock by topping it.Tie it down a couple inches a day

**LaosUnited** · 08-04-2010, 09:04 PM

I will definitely tie it down now... I think I'll skip the bone meal i've heard it takes a while to break down know that I only have till October at the latest before harvesting. I went out and purchased liquid nutrients Schultz Bloom Builder
5-30-5 hopefully this will enhance the flowering stage.

**dunkin73** · 08-05-2010, 07:47 PM

I used Schultz plant food for my first grow for vegging, and used it sparingly, my bagseed beauty reeked skunky and you could even smell her from outside the house, she was only four feet tall but I got about two ounces of some skunky, stanky orange haired bud!! The high was incredible, spacey and energetic!
My second grow I used Miracle Grow Blooming Food for Rose Plants, I had another bagseed beauty which smelled of licorice and got three to four ounces of pink haired buds from her, my friends couldn't believe the taste, the high was out of this world. You felt like you could take on the world! Energetic but with a peace of mind, like you were psychic, LOL!
This year I am using the Rose Plant Food from Miracle Grow again, I have six ladies all of which are budding. One sativa who is 7 feet tall and ther rest are bagseed indica/sativa mix. They are all doing well. The soil is a mix of miracle grow organic, miracle grow moisture control and regular topsoil, all mixed with blood and bonemeal. I use the nutes sparingly, only when the bottom leaves start to slightly turn yellowish. They green up a day or two after a feed. I always flush the last two weeks before harvest to ensure the chemicals are washed out. Good Luck, schultz's makes a good product!