Top Tips for Vertical Systems

Soft Secrets
26 Sep 2013

In the follow-up to 'Pros and Cons of Vertical Growing,' we offer some helpful hints to those looking to try the technique.


In the follow-up to 'Pros and Cons of Vertical Growing,' we offer some helpful hints to those looking to try the technique.

A vertical home herb garden

So, now you have read up on the benefits and disadvantages of vertical cultivation systems. Here are a few more bits of helpful information that you should consider before purchasing or installing an expensive vertical unit.

Select the right strain
Vertical growing relies upon growing small, squat plants, so it is essential to choose a strain that stays short and stocky, with very tight internodes. The last thing you want is lanky, leafy plants that stretch out before they are fully flowered.

Practice with the strain
When using a vertical system, there is very little margin for error and it takes a fair amount of effort - and plants - to restart a grow. Thus, it is really important to have some firsthand experience with growing your chosen strain in a regular horizontal grow. This way you will know what to expect at each stage of the cycle; for example, the veg stage is very short so you need to choose a strain that roots fast and is not too susceptible to transplant shock. When the plant is switched to flower, you need a strain that does not stretch too much and can be pruned into a small, single cola.

Keep cuttings uniform
With space between each plant being very tight, it is easy for taller plants to block out all the available light to the shorter plants next to them. To prevent this from happening, you must ensure that the cuttings that you propagate to go into the system are all the same size. This means - as stated in Part I - that you need to take more cuttings than you might actually need, propagate them and select the ones that are the most uniform in size.

Futuristic-looking vertical grow system

Propagate until roots are bursting
With such a short veg period (two to three days, at most), you must ensure that your cuttings have roots bursting out of their starter media before they are placed into the slabs in the system. Try selecting a fast-rooting strain, if one is available in your area. Optimally, the clones will 'take' immediately and you will not be left hanging around, waiting for them to root out.

Use a slab with an omni-directional weave
Some types of rockwool slabs are specifically designed to be used horizontally; the actual 'wool' is woven horizontally to ensure that nutrient dripped into the slab is dispersed evenly, and there is an equal amount of resistance to the roots as they fill the slab. When you are using a vertical grow system, make sure you use a slab with an omni-directional weave, otherwise, plants at the bottom of the slab will not receive enough feed.

Maintain your temperature

If your plants stretch in the system, you will end up with more leaf than bud! The key to cultivating short, stocky plants is maintaining a consistent temperature - not just when the lights are on, but also when they are off. Invest in a max-min thermometer to record your high and low temperatures. Large fluctuations can cause your plants to stretch or the canopy to become uneven. If necessary, increase your extraction during 'lights on' and utilize an oil heater in the room during 'lights off'. Keep your day and night temperatures close to each other, and your plants will remain short.

Use a very clean mineral nutrient
Each of the vertical systems on the market feed the plants using drip irrigation; with the plants only being in the system for eight to ten weeks, you want to make it through the grow without having to deal with any blocked lines. It would be a huge pain in the ass to have to take the system apart a few weeks away from harvesting, just because a drip line is blocked. Use a 100-percent mineral nutrient and avoid using thick, gloopy flowering stimulators. Investing in a line-cleaning additive will also keep things running nice and clean.

Extraction, extraction, extraction
When you are packing a space with multiple plants, it is really important to keep your humidity in check - especially when your plants are flowering. Multiple plants growing closely together in an environment with little air flow and high humidity is a sure-fire recipe for the fungal infection that most growers call 'powdery mildew', and also Botrytis cinerea, commonly known as the dreaded 'bud rot'.

There is nothing worse than getting to the end of a successful grow and losing half of your buds because they have rotted away. Extraction is key when using vertical systems; make sure that you are replacing the air in the room at least once per minute, and be sure to have a clip fan blowing across the canopy to prevent any pockets of stale air from getting trapped among the foliage.

Be confident
Before investing some of your hard-grown money into a vertical system, you must be confident in your own growing abilities. Do not let those plants get out of hand; take control, show them who is boss and enjoy yourself.

Happy growing!

 

S
Soft Secrets