Continued string of failure Harvest after harvest.

[Greenpassion]

Don't know if some of you would call but months ago I started writing and with descriptions of my photos that all started to fail beginning in the 4th to 5th week of flowering. They got burnt looking leaves but they are not too close to the lights, the stems were weak and floppy and the buds fail to develop. Today I had to throw a pure power plant that didn't make it past at 7th week over the rail off my deck. I am so discouraged and so at a loss that I don't think I'm going to be able to even grow photos anymore. I followed the directions meticulously with the food, I changed my medium from promix to coast of Maine, the environment has been perfect as far as humidity moving air and Light. I have not seen any bugs at all except for a few very stray fungus gnats on occasion. I'm very depressed and discouraged about this. Things go through my mind like maybe I got a bad batch of Bloom food from Botanicare, or maybe there's something off with one of the other additives. I just don't know anymore and I'm afraid to the point where I am Frozen. On the other hand my Autos are doing fine. Same food, same soil, same light same environment. I have not had a problem with the Autos yet. just wanted to write in about the sad sad state of things here.

[Canuck147]

Stick with the autos - boost the light up to 24/7.

[Greenpassion]

18/6 isn't ok?

[Canuck147]

Sure it is -

[billyboy]

She is a thing of beauty

[duckman]

just putting this out for consideration...@Mr.Furley posted this in another thread and it sure made me think:

Cannabis has a little hiccup about the second or third week of flowering for autoflower and at about week third to fourth week for photoperiod. My opinion on this matter is that the plant is changing gears and it's need for nutrients swing leave the coco with unwanted nutrients and sends the Ph out of whack.
I found that a good Ph water only flush in the 2nd/3rd week helps strip the medium clean for a restart, you csn use your flushing agent at this point as well. I will double up on bloom and drop my grow the following feed then resume my normal schedule for the flowering need.
I see a lot of PH problems on plants in the 4th week of flower and after fighting ph problem in Flowering a couple grows, I have just add this flush and feed shift to my routine. Call it Cannabis puberty.

[HappyDaze]

Greenpassion You're not really growing in soil....most Promix is nothing but peat, with some lime thrown in to buffer the acid. You should probably be following a modified coco feeding program or put some actual dirt, compost and perlite in your pots.

[Greenpassion]

There must be a misunderstanding. I am not growing in promix. I am growing in coast of Maine soil. I was growing in promix until 2 or so months ago, and I switched to coast of Maine thinking it would alleviate some of the problems.

[Bengfan]

Agreed.

[Sww]

Maybe feed the nuts and just water in between feeding. 🙂

[s62]

Have you considered a living soil like KindSoil? If not, do. It simplifies the growing process tremendously and eliminates nutrient related concerns.

[HappyDaze]

They need fed. You haven't really committed to a nutrient program, there's lots of proven ones published, I'd pick one and follow it.

[s62]

I just grew some photos in KS and they did great! Are you sure you used the right amount of soil and followed the guidelines for how long you can veg (based on container size and amount of KS)?

[Greenpassion]

I used the right amount of is, but may have vegged a bit longer than 12 weeks. If I do end up growing photos in ks again, I'd repot into fresh ks at the start of the 12/12 stage...

[Greenpassion]

I have been using the botanicare line for over a year. Definitely committed to a nutrient program. I USED TO grow my Autos in kindsoil. I have always fed my photos with botanicare.

[HappyDaze]

Hard to know what's going on...your sig changed and the dialog doesn't match....You mean you used to grow your PHOTOS in Pro-mix and then changed to CoM? You say you've committed to a feeding schedule, but you're changing soil mid cycle and repotting at the switch. I try to do one thing at a time so I know what the effects are, positive or negative.

Each plant has different needs that a grower needs to be able to read. I don't expect different plants to perform the same under a feeding regiment. Two seeds out of the same pack will have different needs. Twelve weeks of veg?? This thing must be a tree after three months.

[Greenpassion]

okay. I changed my Sig yesterday in order to clarify what I use now.
when I wchanged from one medium To a different one, it is not mid grow. initially, with photos, I grew several rounds of plants start to finish in Promix. Then for a new grow, the new seeds I started went right into coast of Maine. Through it all I have fed the botanicare line of nutrients. No switching around.
In the very beginning a year-and-a-half ago the first plants I ever grew I used kind soil for my Auto's. After that grow was complete, the next round of seeds were planted in the Pro mix. After that group was finished I started new seeds in coast of Maine. I changed this medium because I couldn't be sure that it wasn't the promix that was giving me a problem.
I don't mean to be confusing. I've never switched around anything mid grow. And yes I do know about different plants from the same seed batch needing different amounts of this or that. The plants at 12 weeks in veg we're fairly large, but the size was more width, as I was training them, so height wasn't really a problem.
the three photos that I have in veg right now we're started in coast of Maine and will finish in coast of Maine. But what I am going to do before I flip them into 12 12, is give them a pH water flush, and then put them in fresh coast of Maine soil. Then I will move them into the 12 12 room and I'll see what happens. I do hope it will be an improvement. I know it's a lot to follow...

[HappyDaze]

My own strategy is to maintain a light feeding schedule throughout the grow to avoid unnecessary flushing, and to pot up to the finished container size mid veg. If I can avoid extreme stressors on the plants, I'm able to read the signs of what they need more easily.

[Greenpassion]

yeah HD, I have definitely lightened up on my feeding schedule. For most of the time I've been growing the last year-and-a-half I had been using the Botanicare nutrients pretty much full strength. Now they're all getting a little over half strength, and from what I've read here, autos take even less, so with them its like 1/2 strength.

[Farmall]

Just putting this out but 12 weeks in veg is a long time... I usually flip to 12/12 around 6-7 or 8 . If I don't, there is not enough height to finish properly despite training as once a bud site is in progress, I am not touching it except for the lower hidden small ones. Finished plant may be 4' tall +/- with 26-30" before the lights interfere.

[Canuck147]

Well you could change where you get your seeds. Just put in an order with Crop King Seeds - I know their selection is limited but the smoke is top shelf. And they produce their own seeds - not like some of these other middle men we have all dealt with. After they deposit my etransfer mailman should be delivering them early next week.

[alltatup]

Greenpassion, I know how you must feel, it's really frustrating. Have you considered setting up a hydroponic grow? If it isn't possible in your grow room environment, then never mind.

And I totally agree with Furley about the importance of flushing during a grow. And I agree that it's a good idea to use a flushing agent to really get those salts out. The plants really love the break from nutes and then getting fed again. At least in hydro they do...

[SoOrbudgal]

I like to use less and watch the plants. First i'd gain some confidence with 1-2 plants keep it really simple. I admire great growers and there pics. But I beat to my own drummer, do what I've found works for me. So much learned from GWE lots of different grow mediums, nutes to use. You can do it

[Smokedout]

So I don't really know what I'm talking about compared to most of you guys...but I do know that after reading and reading and trying to do it by the book so to speak my plants were struggling...I put them in kinda raised beds/tubes and use the hp promix and promix bio something. Hardly gave them nutes after that. Just feed them water like crazy and let nature do it's thing. Have had a few bug issues but tried to stay on top of them and it's not so bad. So basically the less I tried the better they grew lol....first year growing here. All Critical Kush. Here are some pics. By no means are they monsters and haven't harvested them yet but like I said just let mother nature do it's thing. My grow area should be cleaner think that would cut down on the bugs

[HappyDaze]

Dirt, rain, sun...just that easy.

Unless you live in a zone 3 climate and need to bring it all inside.

[Farmall]

Are those marigolds planted in with the plant?

[Sww]

Grow too natural isn't really best because it supplying resources evey leaf and bud site etc.will get many little green buds. Learn to train them and feed them will be better.

[Smokedout]

Yes those are marigolds....is that not a good thing? I had done some reading for trying to prevent bugs. Marigolds was suggested to help prevent against bugs. Also said when they died it released some good stuff into the soil. Basil, Dill, Sunflowers, Lavender were some other suggestions for being near your plants.... thoughts?

[MeestaFeesha]

You're good, I believe what you've created is called "guild planting"(on a light scale). Marigolds do release..I'm not sure if it's an oil or what..but it is released into the soil and does deter critters. Basil is beneficial because it is said to increase oil production in nearby plants.

A bud from way back works at the local nursery, he gave me this resource recently, as he knows I employ companion planting+ladybugs. It is not marijuana specific, but helpful.

https://sixbrotherspestcontrol.com/garden-pests-natural-guide/

[Farmall]

Oh no....there good.... I planted them with my tomatoes and the release a compound that keeps a bunch of bugs away. I grew basil too and it really really grew well.
Just couldn’t make it out in the pictures

[Greenpassion]

I grow indoors. Don't know how this turned from the initial issues to marigolds and ladybugs...

[Greenpassion]

Anyway I really do appreciate the help from you guys in the comments. The time and attention. I will keep you posted in the next couple months after I've done the soil flush, the repot, and the move into the move into 12 /12.