Just wondering how to strengthen mains and primary “tops” branches…
Is there anything besides silicon that I should be using to strengthen the bark of my plants and fill in the central pith of these plants to keep my mains from being an egg shell of plant matter around a hollow stem?
Trying to avoid the flop/crease effect the next time I attempt LST and the damn branch just snaps or falls over after the first (somewhat) gentle squeeze and twist.
Thanks!
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Hollow stems don’t mean the plant is weak, in any way. Plants that are hollow between internodes are quite strong, much like bamboo, and normally grow into the tallest plants with the largest flowers. These plants can hold a lot of weight without breaking.
Back in the ‘70’s, I used to hear my uncle and his friends talk about the correlation between hollow stems and really good weed. They also talked about breeding regular cannabis plants with hemp for various reasons.
One of my mentors for learning to grow cannabis was a master gardener and he told me that hollow stems in cannabis came from hemp plants and people have been breeding drug cannabis plants with non-drug hemp plants for generations. He said the crossings were done to create new flavor profiles, among other things like improved structure and vigor.
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in terms of strength (hollow or not) the usual advise is:
- have a fan blow gently since seedling and thru out, to encourage sturdiness, and
- adding silica. the trick is getting a good soluble source. theres ArmorSI but i believe thats not the best soluble (ive had issues with it mixing with my feritilizer). maybe PowerSI?.. also you can ammend with rice hulls and wallastonite (but solubility/time is an issue)
additionally to Silica, you can add fresh coconut water that provides cytokines which help improve cell development.
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While the nutrients may affect stem rigidity very slightly(guessing), the hollow stem indicates a plant bred for resin 
instead of fiber. The woodier the stalk, the closer it is to hemp, genes-wise. Or so sayeth the olde stoners.
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ive heard this before, and also as a way to find good males. but ive never bred so… who knows.
i think OP is just assuming hollowness = weak stems. and weak stem is the issue (flopping etc). But i believe it is a wrong assumption (i may be wrong as well). a stem can be hollow and still be sturdy as far as I know.
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I have one right now that has lost about 10 tops from me bending them too much & it’s disappointing but this one is in vigorous veg mode & just rebounds.
When the stems are full of water is when they break most easily & colder temps. Afternoon is better than morning. 
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hey bot is right on the money about my question.
The information in all these replies has been extremely educational and answers a bunch of adjacent questions.
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I break branches all the time because I’m violent. Duct tape bandage no problem. I’ve even split them right down the middle accidentally which some people do on purpose I hear.
I’ve seen hollow stems fall over as much as solid stems.
Besides, now that plastic straws are illegal, don’t you want to make your own canna-straw?
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I’m pretty sure that’s exactly the assumption here… that hollow stems are equal to plant weakness.
It actually depends on the type of plant it is. Hollow stems in some plants is a very bad thing, and a sign of much more than just plant weakness.
Hollow stems/meristems in cannabis plants are usually genetic and not necessarily the sign of weakness some may think of when they are unexpectedly encountered.
I’ve supercropped quite a few hollow stemmed cannabis plants in my day and can tell you that with a little practice you’ll be able to gauge the “crush and bend” with your fingers and never take it too far again.
It will always turn out as you intended it to. As long as at least one third of the phloem (skin) on the stem remains intact, the plant will be able to quickly heal itself without affecting its growth output. Too much damage can result in slow or stunted growth, including foliage dieback that nobody wants to experience.
Be careful when squeezing stems, gauge yourself… you are stronger than you think.
On the other hand, go ahead and abuse your plant a little… squeeze the hell out of it if you feel like it. If it’s a healthy cannabis plant, it has a natural resiliency, boosted auxin levels as well as increased vigor which creates robust, sturdy plants that can take moderate amounts of punishment, as long as you didn’t take your whole day out on it, it should be fine in a few days time… maybe give it a drink to recoup some energy after its thrashing.
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No one said Calcium???
Well that is the answer…
I do not have a link, but look into it a bit.
What is the answer for the fix?
Slownickle would be proud right now… 
The answer is gypsum.
Peace
Shag
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Gypsum…what is old is now new again.
Completely forgot we used to break up drywall scraps and mix them into the dirt back in the day.
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Pelleted lime does the same thing as the drywall man. Good for PH balance too.
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Not wanting to step on toes or the like…
I just wanna be on record here as saying, I do not recommend drywall.
It has adhesives and other unwanted elements in it.
Could ya use it in a pinch, if it was free, sure.
Is it the best solution, not in my opinion.
Peace
Shag
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Ha Ha Ha…
Like I said…back in the day. Early 90s.
…Got bro science? that’s all there was back then except the 2 handbooks.
I wouldn’t dream of using scraps today.
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Yep, it was free and it worked.
Just like peeing on the plant or wood ash.
The bro science was on the right track…but it was in the hands of stoners. 
I think one gent still suggests you boil your roots before harvest. 
You are giving away your age… 
LOL…I can remember the early 90’s, boiling my roots too. 
We can only look back and laugh. 
Didn’t boil the roots, but I recall discussions about it, also discussions 180 degrees from that where the recommendation was to put containers in buckets of ice. I did try to time transplants with full moons whenever possible.
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I’m new, so it may not even matter, but I use medical tape, cuz I don’t trust duct tape to not be made with chemicals.
I’m probably just crazy, but duct tape just smells so bad. Plus, medical tape comes off easier.
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I think you’re correct that it smells gross. Medical tape is a good idea.
I’ve also used scotch tape and electrical tape in a pinch.
If I were trying to sell you duct tape I’d say something like “it’s so strong and it’s rigid enough that you can even use it as a makeshift splint.”
And I usually remove it after a short while just long enough for them to heal. But sometimes I forget and it sits there forever 
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LOL, I knew you weren’t “trying to sell” anything… I was just mentioning my experience… but that’s not to say I don’t have duct tape in my grow room… it is ALL around my windows, holding pool noodle pieces to the door jams to keep the light out and I even fold it in thirds to make ties for plants that need support.
I brought one in to take a picture and the cat thought I was inviting her to play:
I suppose strips of old pillow cases would work but I gave them all away in a fit of “cleaning house” last year. 
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(I have similar light blocking duct tape flaps)
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