Chop them back and let them reveg?

I've got a group of clones (2 warlock, 1 sensi star) in soil. throughout their lifecycle they've been pretty neglected or carelessly minded (too little/too much water, not enough container size, no nutrient, little light, etc haha). their growth has been quite slow, about 1.5 montsh since rooting here, and they also seem to be pretty deficient/just wierd in general. they've stretched out quite a bit, yet there is litle new growth due to leaf necrosis. My question is should I just cut the whole plant back, basically topping every branch, flush it, let it recover and try to start from square 1? my flowering chamber is already full, harvest expected in 15 days (with 1 plant recently added just 1.5 weeks ago). If I can get any of these clones in a nice compact bush in 24 days, I'd be very happy, vs the stretched anemic plants they are now.

Are they stretched? doesnt look to bad. What deficiency is that? just N?

If you do decide to chop them back down, maybe transplant a day or two beforehand into something bigger, and then do the cutting. Let those roots get real big while your waiting for them to veg

yeah, I guess the black spots could be due to N defiency, although I added plenty of earthworm castings =/. I'll pump a bit more nitrogen into them before I give up.

They just need care, chopping them back will only do harm at this point.

NoDrama said:

They just need care, chopping them back will only do harm at this point.

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There is also the other way to look at it. If it were a perennial there would be no question. It would just be cut back.

Re-vegging is tricking an annual into playing perennial for a while. You leave enough old growth to assure quick signs of re-vegging, you re-pot (and if the plants are root-bound score/cut the root-ball up and down all around the sides and make two or three 'X' cuts across the bottom, put them in a larger pot and what is then a small plant with lesser needs has a very large root-mass to draw off of. Unless the soil is just totally depleted or a big pH problem exists, the roots can then, and do, bring in all that is needed for such a small plant and it gets better. Then you just have to worry about tweaking things so it remains better.

Brick Top said:

There is also the other way to look at it. If it were a perennial there would be no question. It would just be cut back.

Re-vegging is tricking an annual into playing perennial for a while. You leave enough old growth to assure quick signs of re-vegging, you re-pot (and if the plants are root-bound score/cut the root-ball up and down all around the sides and make two or three 'X' cuts across the bottom, put them in a larger pot and what is then a small plant with lesser needs has a very large root-mass to draw off of. Unless the soil is just totally depleted or a big pH problem exists, the roots can then, and do, bring in all that is needed for such a small plant and it gets better. Then you just have to worry about tweaking things so it remains better.

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This is kind of how I thought of it as well. rather than having 4 foot stretchy stuffs 4 weeks into flower, if i could have 2 foot bushes I'd be stoked. I've seen many a mother plant thats been chopped to all hell and look like monster bushes.

i still say one more round look at the clip.......http://youtu.be/ppQaTvgHnak

i also think thay just needs some N and also keep the light closer if you think its stretching