Just snapped a stem at the trunk!

[Gardinhackle]

Oh oh! I got a bit aggressive with LST and bent a branch so much it broke at the crotch of the stem! I taped it back together immediately and so far looks ok!

What are the chances it will survive? and will it stress the plant at this stage? Its a photoperiod still in vigorous veg!

Thank in advance for your advice!

Hackle!

 

[garybo]

Hard to read a crystal ball to predict the outcome, having said that, herb is very rugged and has the desire to live. Personally, I'd give your plant a 50/50 chance.

Good luck

 

[Morda Grown]

Last year I had my main stem crack and was hanging by a thread. I taped it up with a make shift splint and took it all the way to flower. This year I had a pest issue and slit my main stem up 5 nodes, ended up topping it 3 nodes down from the top. I then taped up the cut that was left and it is now in pre flower. Hang in there, I think you have a good chance of success.

 

[Sueet]

I had one where the main stem split straight up the center, 3ft of break, I just leaned both pieces together against the wall, and that plant finished for me 3-4 weeks later.. I didn't even tape it, or tie it up, these girls are called weed for a reason

 

[Bill284]

Oh oh! I got a bit aggressive with LST and bent a branch so much it broke at the crotch of the stem! I taped it back together immediately and so far looks ok!

What are the chances it will survive? and will it stress the plant at this stage? Its a photoperiod still in vigorous veg!

Thank in advance for your advice!

Hackle!

Hello @Gardinhackle hope your well my friend.
Generally if you rejoin her back together before it dries and there is some still attached for nutrient circ it will grow back stronger than before.
But it doesn't hurt to leave tape and maybe a zip tie on for a week or two.
Good luck.
Bill

 

[copperrein]

I split main stems pretty regularly. If your break runs parallel to the plant's vascularity (the little plant veins that move the plant blood from the soil up into the plant) you should be fine. Think of the mainstem like a stick of string cheese. You can tear the string cheese along the length and you'll end up with two halves with fully intact cheesy strings. If you rip it in half across the strings...you now have sad short cheese strings.

You want lots of continuous fat cheese strings. So long as they stay continuous the plant can still use them to move plant blood.

 

[Gardinhackle]

Thanks for the replies and vote of confidence!

These are pics were taken this morning, so based on how it looks I'm guessing it will be ok from your comments. The leaves are still upright and look fresh as you can see in the pic.

Anyway, I owe it to this forum for the save as I had read here some time ago to tape a wound immediately if it ever happened and that's what I did.

So, can I remove the tape an a few weeks then?

Hackle!

 

[Bill284]

Thanks for the replies and vote of confidence!

These are pics were taken this morning, so based on how it looks I'm guessing it will be ok from your comments. The leaves are still upright and look fresh as you can see in the pic.

Anyway, I owe it to this forum for the save as I had read here some time ago to tape a wound immediately if it ever happened and that's what I did.

So, can I remove the tape an a few weeks then?

Hackle!

Yes give it a couple weeks to grow a good knuckle and you can remove tape.
You don't have to though.
I tape and support any joint i think may potentially fail.
Then leave it on until harvest.
Looks like fek but I don't care.
Don't loose any branches anymore.
Bill

 

[Morda Grown]

I just leave my tape on as well. When I tried to remove it last year, it just re-damaged the area. Just said to my self so be it, re-tapped it and left it alone.

 

[Gardinhackle]

When I tried to remove it last year, it just re-damaged the area.

Oh wow, don't want that! Thanks guys I'll leave it on!

 

[copperrein]

Aaaand I rarely tape the actual break. If the whole plant is flopping over I'll tie the two halves up a ways from the break like arborists do with old trees that threaten to split in half. In time you'll learn the plants are like toddlers: they can throw themselves off their bike and skin both knees and not even notice. You change up their snack or daily routine or socks and you get a freakin tantrum.

 

[garybo]

Thanks for the replies and vote of confidence!

These are pics were taken this morning, so based on how it looks I'm guessing it will be ok from your comments. The leaves are still upright and look fresh as you can see in the pic.

Anyway, I owe it to this forum for the save as I had read here some time ago to tape a wound immediately if it ever happened and that's what I did.

So, can I remove the tape an a few weeks then?

Hackle!

Thanks for the feedback, always nice to have closure.

 

[JakeDog]

Been there, done that. Made a splint, worked well. Hardy plant can take more than one might think. Best of luck. Like grafting a tree branch.

 

[Gardinhackle]

Just an update, The branch is fine....like it never happened! These plants are amazing, any other plant that branch would have been toast. It probably would have without the splint mind you.

 

[copperrein]

Just an update, The branch is fine....like it never happened! These plants are amazing, any other plant that branch would have been toast. It probably would have without the splint mind you.

Can't remember if I showed you this but the trunk of one of my plants:

DSC_0030.jpg

• copperrein
• Jul 20, 2021

The plant

DSC_0033-1.jpg

• copperrein
• Jul 20, 2021

 

[Morda Grown]

Can't remember if I showed you this but the trunk of one of my plants:

DSC_0030.jpg

• copperrein
• Jul 20, 2021

The plant

DSC_0033-1.jpg

• copperrein
• Jul 20, 2021

It always amazes me how these plants overcome damage and keep on going. Here are a couple shot of one of my stalks from this year. This is all the same plant.

This poor plant has been through a lot but, is now in flower. From the initial borer hole (first pic) in the stem that started everything, the sugury looking for the worm, to nute issues. I expected it to die off long ago but just keep on going.

 

[copperrein]

It always amazes me how these plants overcome damage and keep on going. Here are a couple shot of one of my stalks from this year. This is all the same plant.

This poor plant has been through a lot but, is now in flower. From the initial borer hole (first pic) in the stem that started everything, the sugury looking for the worm, to nute issues. I expected it to die off long ago but just keep on going.

OMG you got the borer out? That's so badass! Amazing plant!
Do you happen to have surgery photos? Did you just split the stem or?

 

[Morda Grown]

OMG you got the borer out? That's so badass! Amazing plant!
Do you happen to have surgery photos? Did you just split the stem or?

Nope I never found the worm which was very odd. I kinda have a journal the progress in this thread with photos.

Anyone know what may have caused this?

I check my plants 3 to 4 times a day, today on my first walk I found this... Being and outdoor grow I check my plants a lot, I have not seen any bugs except a few leaf hoppers. We do have a lot of tent caterpillars this year as well though I have not seen any on this plant. This hole goes all...

www.420magazine.com

I used an x-acto knife and split it between nodes forcing it open looking for the worm.

 

[cannanewb]

Good job. As an aggressive tie down artist growing outdoors, you would not believe the number of stalk surgeries I have performed over the years. If I've done 1 I've done 30 and only lost one. I would run that tape a little higher where they are outdoors wind is the enemy. If the break runs across the stalk it requires more work, you need to cut both pieces of the stalk at a gradual angles 2 to 3 inches so you can tape them together tightly with electrical tape. I have only lost one of these. Murphy's law I was in the hospital stroking out when the wind storm took off a main cola and by the time I found it there was a bug crawling crawling out of the main stalk. I did the surgery to no avail, too late. Cannabis is the toughest plant I have ever seen, so damage can be a pain but not the end of the world.

 

[Seniorweeder]

Sorry for the late response, I just found this article. The folks here are magically intelligent and have given U all the encouragement U should need, I just wanted to add my 2 cents. Last Winter on my indoor grow, I actually dropped my LED light on top of my baby . Yesssss I was beside myself, but by having a ton of Veggie gardening under my belt with similar issues, I took control.

If U look close U can see where I used an automobile hose clamp on top of some Duct Tape to cushion it a bit to hold up the two main branches, then to add strength to the branches I mixed/poured "Epoxy" on the joint. I let her stay that way to harvest with no issues what so ever! Like someone earlier mentioned if the split is vertical it's an easy fix. Just amazing to me!