2 issues with Autogrow

[Airmancheeze]

Hello. This is my first post but I searched through the forum and found some similar issues but this is a unique situation that I have not seen on here.

I am on my third grow so I am still very new. This is my first time growing auto flowers and 3 of the ladies are doing just fine. A little underfed but that was kinda on purpose.

The fourth lady is rather difficult. She has not switched to flower or even shown signs of pre flower. The others transitioned almost 4 weeks ago all at the same time. And also she has been drooping for nearly 3 weeks. I thought maybe I was over watering or maybe had a nutrient imbalance because she was not in flower and did not need the same nutrients. So I fed with plain water on the next feeding and the checked the ph of the coco/perlite. Right at 6.2. I then let the pot go completely dry to ensure there was no overwatering.( thats why there is some slight fading) 5 days later the pot was dry(check by lifting) and I watered/fed with half strength nutrients. She is still drooping but with good color.

I am pretty sure this was a photo period plant that I got from the same shipment from the breeder as the other in this picture.
however I cannot figure out how to get this girl healthy.
Anyone have any ideas?
using CalMag, General Hydroponics trio. Soft water PH to 6.1

[Tedtheclown]

You might be right. Could be a photo. Light schedule?

[Tedtheclown]

Try giving it a lil down time, maybe 4 hours no light. Ive been letting mine rest for 3 hours every day no light, i believe it helps.

[RetiredGuy]

I’m running autos on 18/6 and some nights they get droopy before lights out, but always look fine in the morning. I don’t believe the ones I am growing would do good with light on 24 hrs.

[gbauto]

The 24 hr light cycle will cause some drooping.
While it does appear that this particular plant isn't exhibiting auto traits from Ruderalis, it may be just a hiccup in the genetics.
KIck it down to 18 or 20 hrs and it should be a little happier.
It'll probably need less than 14 hrs to flower.

[JeffInCanada]

Sometimes for whatever reason auto seeds won't autoflower. Could be what you said too, you got a photo by mistake. It looks like a different strain. No matter...if you can't move that plant to another area you will have to drop the ON hours. I've had to switch "auto seeds" to 12/12 to get them to flower before and I was surprised by how good the end results still were. Start with 4 off, wait a week, looks for any signs. I know it's a slow process. I grow autos all time and I grow on 18-6 most of the time. It may have to go to 12-12 though. Grow the other flowering plants out as you experiment with this stubborn one. It'll just take longer than the others. Good news is, that plant looks pretty good & has a ton of great positioned bud-sites. Once she does start budding up she'll be wicked eh

[ZigZag]

I usually start autos at 12/12 for the first week after they emerge. Then take it up to 18/6 and then 20/4. Once they're about half way flowered I cut them back to 18/6. It works great for me. I'd try cutting the light back to rest them for 4 hrs. I've had plants that looked great and perky in the morning and got droopier after about 18hrs of light (whenI had them on a 24/24 schedule). Giving them a rest and increasing air flow did the trick every time. I think think they just start to photosynthesize so much and pull all the water they can get into their leaves which makes them heavy, so they droop. Then when the lights are out, photosynthesis stops, the water evaporates from the leaves and they are perky in the morning. This most often happened between the 3rd to 4th week of veg when they were really putting on weight. Less water may help too but it may also slow growth.Some autos can take 10 weeks to mature, even more depending on genetics. I always add 2 weeks to the grow time because that's what usually seems to be the case. Then I'm surprised if they're ready before that! Hope you do have an auto fem and not a photoperiod plant. Keep a close eye on it to make sure it isn't a hermie_ I've had a few of them in auto-fems. Weird but it happens.

[Airmancheeze]

What do you guys think about the drooping leaves? Think maybe the problem will fix its self once it transitioned to flower?

[JeffInCanada]

Drooping leaves usually have something to do with watering. Have a read of this is you haven't already. https://www.growweedeasy.com/how-often-water-marijuana

[CaptainWiese91]

Droopy leaves can be a lot of things. But in my experience of a plant keeps dropping. No matter if it’s dry in the pot or wet. Small water feeding or big water feeding. You have root problems..
9/10 times I have a droopy plant, and nothing gets better with change of watering practices. I had root problems..

if the light is far away you can rule that out also.

[Airmancheeze]

Sounds like i need to try some hydroguard

[PeterMatanzas]

yes, good catch

[CaptainWiese91]

Never used hydroguard. But heard a lot of good reviews on it.
I added root juice from biobizz and already saw changes in my plant after 7-8 days. So I was sure I had root problems.

[Airmancheeze]

Well for some unknown reason to me the drooping fixed its self. Checked on the plants this morning and to my surprise she was thriving once again. Switching the light cycle over to 18/6 starting tonight. See if we can't get her to flower.

[JeffInCanada]

That's good news! Like Rwise said, you may have to go hard on the dark time to get it to flip. Have fun with it. If you are not in a hurry, increase the dark time gradually. See what it takes to flip her. Side note: sometimes I see drooping leaves on a plant an hour or two before darkness. This is not a watering issue. Not sure if this is when you noticed drooping leaves but I thought I would add that.

[ZigZag]

Good to hear! But if that plant is not an auto you will have to cut the light back to at least 14/10 to get it to flower. When I start the bloom cycle I reduce the photoperiod from 20/4 to 16/8 for 4-5 days and then to 14/10 for a week and then 12/12 until they're just about finished. Then the last 3 days only 4 hrs of light.
Maybe it just late to the party? Fingers crossed....

[CaptainWiese91]

No need for reducing the light, little by little.
Just switch to 12/12 when you want to make them go into flower.

[Rwise]

I dont think 18/6 will get it, 14/10 or 13/11 might, but 12/12s will work for sure.

[Airmancheeze]

Thanks for the help everyone. Decided to just flip it 12/12 to start and see how goes. I have another small 2 x 3 tent i use for veg so I can keep cycling plants. That being said i got 4 more photos that will be ready to transition to flower in about 45 days or so. So I am already going to have to train and crop for a bit to keep everything under control until this one finishes up. The delay definitely through off my timing lol.

[JeffInCanada]

Good luck Airmancheeze Keep us posted!! Them autos are going to get stinky soon. I love that smell LOL. Enjoy the grow!

[Airmancheeze]

Ok so I flipped to 12/12 and she is finally showing pistols. Pretty sure it was a phot period. As for the drooping I have come to the conclusion it was too much light intensity due to the inverted leaf veins. This started when the plant began to flower and stretched even closer to the light. So I had to really LST her to try and even out the canopy. She is starting to take over the tent but everything is healthy and off to the races. Thanks for the help everyone.

[Airmancheeze]

So after another week the flowers are starting to show up and the plant looks to have made a solid recovery from the light stress.

Bright side is this plant is massive although it is 4 weeks behind the others. So unfortunately this plant will get about 4 weeks to itself to finish in the tent which is a waste of light but should be a huge yielder.

[SoOrbudgal]

Good for you for figuring it out. She is going to be huge but think of all that light she get an not share. Long strong colas, big fat ones for ya

[ZigZag]

Plant genetics can be just as crazy as ours...sometimes you just never can be sure what's gonna happen! very good to see she has finally decided to get with the program. Congrats!
Just like SoOrbudgal said_ she willl get all the light she needs, pump up those colas!

[Airmancheeze]

2 more weeks and we are on cruise control. Just switched my others to plain water for the last 2 weeks while they finish than the big girl gets the tent for the home stretch. Can't come soon enough running out of room.

[JeffInCanada]

Everything's working out almost like you planned it that way She's gonna be a beast!

[Catfish22]

What strain are those?