Stretching in cannabis seedlings: why is that a problem?

Stretching in cannabis seedlings – it is no secret that rapid growth and weight gain is something every grower tries to achieve with their cannabis. However, if you notice that your young plant is rapidly stretching upwards while looking thin and weak, this type of growth indicates a problem. In this article, we will look at the phenomenon of abnormal stretching of marihuana seedlings, why it is a problem and how to fix it or prevent it from happening again.

Why is stretching an issue?

If you are a first-time grower, beware of stretching. Do the seedlings look flexible? If so, you may notice that they are unnaturally stretched. The seedlings are very fragile and their root system is not yet developed enough to support a tall plant. In addition, the main stem is thin and weak at this stage. Due to elongation.

all these factors can contribute to the young potted plants failing or even breaking. It is very unlikely that the young plant will be able to recover from this.

Optimum environment for cannabis plants

Have you just noticed that your small cannabis plants are taller than they should be? Or are you just checking to avoid this problem in the future? Either way, you’ve come to the right place.

now that we've explained why stretching is a problem and what causes it, it's time to find out what you can do about it.

Insufficient light

You may think that keeping cannabis seedlings under a strong light source, such as an LED or even an HID, will give the new growth plenty of light.

This is not entirely true. Another important factor when setting up lighting for potted seedlings is the distance between the young plant and the light source. Because its leaves are so small, it has only a small area available to absorb light, which means that the closer it is to the source, the more light the seedling will have available. This is easier to understand with an example, so consider this: a 200W lamp placed directly under the ceiling away from the seedling will be ineffective and cause it to stretch, whereas a 20W lamp placed 10cm above the young plant will give it enough light for healthy growth.

Warmth is also important

If you are trying to give the seedlings as much direct light as possible, make sure that the light source does not give off too much heat. There is a direct correlation between air temperature and the stretching of marihuana seedlings. If you can keep the temperature between 60F and 80F (15-26C), the seedling stems will become stronger. Conversely, at higher temperatures, the seedlings will stretch. To keep the situation under control, measure the temperature regularly and use fans to ensure adequate air circulation.

Ensure circulation of air

Best of all, by ensuring that the air in the grow room is not stuffy, you not only avoid the problem of overheating, but also directly train the seedling stems. Think of it as exercise for your little plants – circulating air makes them gently sway, and this daily exercise in itself is extremely useful for strengthening the stem and making it stronger.

Give the seedlings plenty of room

Did you know that children always need plenty of space to run, play and grow? It’s the same with marihuana seedlings! You need to make sure that there is at least 10 cm (4 inches) of space between the little plants. This is enough to let you know that they have much less reason to spread! Otherwise, if the seedlings are crowded together, they will not get enough nutrients from the soil and will prevent an even distribution of light, obscuring each other. Needless to say, the quality of air circulation will also suffer. So, by spacing your cuttings correctly, you eliminate the three problems responsible for plant proliferation.

Proper treatment of leguminous cannabis seedlings

Is all lost if your seedlings have already stretched? Of course not! Clever growers have come up with a few tricks to help your seedling legs.

Method One: Staking

One way to treat abnormally growing seedlings is to give them extra support. This can be any type of stick – bamboo, a plastic straw (a great way to reuse it!) or even a pencil. Having some sort of vertical support will help the seedlings avoid falling over. If your weed plant is particularly thin and wobbly, you can also gently tie it to a pole. However, be careful not to cause additional stress as this will cause even more stretching!

Second method: burying seedlings

The most proven way to fix low-growing seedlings is to bury them deeper. Think of it as normal transplanting with one key difference – you should always be mindful of how tender the seedlings are. If you want to bury a green seedling deeper, make sure the soil has completely dried out and then dig up the cannabis seedling. Prepare a new, deeper hole and place the marihuana seedling in it. Loosely cover this hole with soil and voila! Now the soil itself will help the seedling to become stronger and more robust.

In conclusion

We all want the cannabis plants we look forward to to be strong and healthy from day one. However, sometimes we find that starting a crop is difficult, for example with a weak, leggy seedling. Hopefully, you now know not to worry about this. If you deal with this problem early enough, it will not affect the rest of the growing season.

Remember that a weak seedling never means a weak cannabis! If you decide to grow your own cannabis plants, always buy good quality, fresh cannabis seeds. You can check out seeds from Nukaseeds.