You’ll notice in crops pith autolysis is more of a brown necrotic condition. It doesn’t look healthy, it looks diseased. My hollow stems are white and perfect circles. You really only see it on new growth, main stems, usually seed plants. Over time they harden up and fill in. More common on fast growing stretchy plants, it doesn’t happen on slower growing, thicker broadleaf plants.
During rapid stretch phase in flower most plants’ new growth will be temporarily hollow, IME.
Hmmm
And I had read multiple times that hollow stems were correlated with high cannabinoid content. And a desirable trait to select for…
I see it more in plants that are growing extremely fast. Or those that have an over abundant amount of side branches. I have seen the stems as thin as paper but the plant holds up find.
It doesn’t effect the smoke. And those plants yield more every time.
I isolated seeds from one and it produces others just like it. I breed a few together into a separate line. That line regularly produces self topping polyploidy phenos thay yield 50% more.
Hollow stems mean fast growing, could also be a silica thing or even a boron def. Or even genetics theres so much that could cause a hollow stem youll never know til its done producing bud or its to late and the plant dies. In my early days i had some do this that were great smoke and some just stopped producing half way thru
I think this WAY more important to grain crops to prevent lodging. They will lose much when the grain plants are laid over. I think for our favs not so much. For me and mine, a non issue.
And we have no selenium in our soil. We had to add to the feed.
I have never thought a hollow stem was a problem, when they grow to trees there solid but branches are still hollow, I dunno, look good and smoke good.
HempCrete uses the pith. It’s probably important to hemp.
But for growing dank you want it hollow, for more nutrients.
That’s not true. The phloem is responsible for moving nutrients throughout the plant. Plants don’t (and couldn’t) drink/feed like a straw. The phloem is on the outside of the stem not the inside.
But I read it on the internet?
So what does the middle part do then. After seeing this video I’m convinced it’s supposed to be there:
Maybe some black market pith cartel is sucking it out while we sleep? It’s worth a G per pallet Wholesale Hemp Hurd | Hemptopia
I had a Pith Helmet Once!
Frikkin Science, Alway’s There To Ruin A Conversation.
I used to see it growing up - handling finished product . . . . . Always wondered wtf if something Weird was on the lol. Looks so precisely done like it was done on purpose . We must of had some crazy theories lol
wow, so glad i brought this up. i at first thought it was cut n dry. glad to see there are many ideas on the subject.
@HalOstem is this thread somehow correlated to your username ?
Welcome to OG, I’m the class clown 
Just kiddin, I was reading something you posted earlier and was like 
Was gunna ask earlier
It’s correlated to a boron deficiency. 
It’s always a boron deficiency!
Noticed hardening up on the stalks/stems of my fogdogs today think once they finish stretching and are devoting energy to producing flower they thicken up inside to support themselves and increase nutrient uptake. Just a thought though
That’s why I wash my fabric pots with Borax!
Exactly what I was thinking…
Also, most stems are pretty hollow… Although Ill almost bet the woody inside stems are directly related to taller, much heftier plants and their own ability to hold their own weight, not 3’ tent plants.
It is natural in many plants, seemingly especially Sativas in my experience. I recall a discussion long ago about it being related to too much Nitrogen causing the plant to grow too quickly? Hollow stems allow bugs and fungi to thrive hidden within a plant.
I have also read that potent plants have hollow stems. Plants are either grown for fiber or for drugs…(and of course sometimes both in regions like the Himalayas.)
I had been growing my uncles 75’ Afghani for about a quarter century when I read Hollow stems mean potent plants. I always had potent plants come out every season but generally only about a quarter of them would be very potent and I had never paid attention to the stalks of my chosen breeders. After reading about Hollow stems in Skunk magazine in an article by the Rev I decided to use hollow stem males and females for my breeding That season. Now nearly every plant is potent and overall my strain is better. Sure could be a coincidence but I don’t think so.