How to grow different strains together

By: Simon

It's easier to grow plants together which behave more or less the same way. Plants which have the same structure, same height more or less, and which exhibit the same amount of stretching. The last point is the most important reason why it may be best to not grow different strains together.

An example: we are testing a new cross now, but there are also other plants in the same room. We set the clock to 12/12 when all plants were about 35 cm tall. The test-cross plants are now 1.35 meter tall, while the other plants are 50 centimeter tall. It is awkward to have such different sized plants in the same room.

But on the other hand you can do something to keep those differences under control. That is exactly what you have to do if you want to grow three different plants together in one tent. Yes, it is possible for sure, but it demands more attention and work for you.

With only one type of plant, when all three plants in your tent are of the same strain, then you can just let them grow. 

But with three totally different plants you have to take action to keep the tall ones shorter. How?

1-You could clip/top them.

2- You could bend or squeeze the stem. 

Bending
You could bend a stem until it bends, but not breaks. You bend a green soft stem more and more until it snaps, bends, but not breaks. Young soft stems will break quite easily so this technique is more for side branches, not for the main stem of small plants.

Squeezing is a similar technique. Squeeze the stem between your fingers. You can only do this with soft green stems, not when they've become hard and woody. Roll the stem between your fingers while squeezing so that you break, squeeze, basically destroy the inside of the stem: you can feel it between your fingers. But take care, the green skin of the plant must stay intact, so be careful. 

With both these techniques the plant will stop its stretch. In tead it will repair the damage to the stem. Once that is done, it will stretch again. The plant will produce a thick structure, scar tissue, where the stem was bent or squeezed: it will look like a  knee or elbow in the stem. 

It may be an idea to use thin wooden sticks next to plants for support, or yoyo's like we call them. The real name is nico rol in the Netherlands. 

They have a string rolled up and a spring built in which pulls the string inside. A small plastic hook at the end of the string. The hook goes around the stem and the nico rol pulls the plant straight up. 

These things are great and we prefer them to wooden sticks next to a plant to keep it upright. You place them at the top of your tent on a iron wire. We have five of those wires running over every meter above the lights. 

The yoyo's hang on the wires. You can move a yoyo right above the plant and then pull it up. The yoyo's stay there and are always ready for use. When you release a hook, the strings is pulled inside the yoyo and its gone.

Anyhow, if you bend or squeeze its a good plan to support the top part of the plant. If you don't do this the plant may break at the point where you bent or squeezed it. 

The plant will try to grow straight up again. Just make sure the top part of the plant makes a 90 degree angle to the main stem. In this way you make the plant shorter. The top will grow straight again but with a bent. You can do this again if you want when the plant again seems to grow too tall. 

You basically use these techniques when you dont want to clip the main stem. When the main bud is already looking so good that its a shame to cut it away. Then you don't clip the top but bend or sqeeze. 

Clipping/topping is easier. 

Cut the main stem just under the tip. You can do this early in the plants life, like when there you can count five knots in the main stem of young seedlings. 

After clipping the side branches will take over being the highest point of the plant. In fact you will now have four to six buds which are the tallest part of that plant. 

Every clip you do requires a time to heal for the plant, and it won't grow taller for a few days during that recovery time. You could clip the side branches also if you want. Or you can bend or squeeze the side buds if they stretch too much. You just have to try to find what works for you. 

Those techniqes are to keep the tall plants shorter. The shorter plants you don't clip etc. so they will grow their natural height.

The tallest plants you try to have the same height more or less as the short plants. Then it is the most efficient. All buds are the same distance from the light and no plant is overgrowing other plants. 

In this way you can grow totally different strains in the same tent after all!