Gifted 2 mystery plants with issues, need help!

[GreenAlchemist]

Update:
Finally fed them today, looking pretty droopy this morning, so did a low feed (I’m not sure what the previous owners did for feeding or schedule, so I’m starting low and raising nutrient levels as needed)

Re-amended the soil with diatomaceous earth, and noticed some white patches (PM) near the lower back that I either missed or didn’t spray well, so I did another spray when the lights went out with a baking soda/soap/oil solution I mixed up earlier.

Thrips are still there (but getting much harder to find, and the kill count keeps dropping) so I’ll do a final thrip spray in a couple days to knock them out completely (hopefully)

Really hoping my efforts pay off on this one and I don’t see these issues come back in flower!

[SoOrbudgal]

Best of luck with your recovery on these plants. They do look better

[GreenAlchemist]

Woke up today and checked on the tent,
this time It wasn’t looking the most promising..

Can anyone share what might be happening to the nodes / newer growth? I haven’t seen this before.
It appears to be dying, and I fear my Foliar sprays may have been the culprit.. is this correct? (I Foliar spray when the lights shut off to avoid issues)

(also adding a few pics of the PM issue, I fear I’m losing the battle)

ugh.. what a nightmare to deal with! Never accepting unknown plants again..

[DeadlyFruit]

I suspect you are correct, the foliage spray may be drying the new growth, but it will hopefully bounce back once you are done with it. Just a thought but is there any chance the WPM is not as bad as you think and the white you are now seeing is residual dried soap from the spray? Maybe try washing a leaf with plain water and see if it comes off? I know WPM is tough to get rid of so I could be wrong but trying to take a optimistic approach 🙂

[GreenAlchemist]

Thanks for the words of encouragement, definitely some ups and downs with this one! Just need to stay positive/optimistic like you mentioned

Ooh right, so many late night sprayings I completely forgot that there will be some residue left! I’ll get in there this evening and do a light leaf wash, see how that goes. That will also give me time to look it over and see how many thrips I have left to conquer.

I’ve been giving them a rest the last couple days just to let the dust settle so to speak. They were droopy again this morning so just a watering and keeping an eye.

Hoping to put this grow on cruise control soon!

[alltatup]

GreenAlchemist You're doing a great job with them, and clearly they want to live and thrive. You already know this, but I'ma say it anyway:

Be patient and give them time. If you succeed in eliminating all the issues and can flip them to flower, they are going to reward you. It's exciting to watch the process!!!

[GreenAlchemist]

Thanks for the encouragement!
I need to remember that, and that these issues don’t get fixed overnight and will need treatment / future prevention constantly.

They seem to be much better today and really lush, few burn spots from a Foliar spray I did (went 5 minutes before lights shut off and that was enough light to burn a bit) lesson learned! Lol

The dust has had time to settle, still a few thrips but I gotta really search for them. Hoping one more spray with thrip killer will do the trick.

Thanks again for the positive feedback, it’s felt like a rollercoaster ride since I took them over

[UndergroundFarmer]

Hang in there! I just went through a week of grower's hell and didn't lose any plants somehow.

I've fought thrips before. I used a Spinosad spray sold as Capt. Jack's Dead Bug to knock them out cold during two different grows. It may be a good investment if you ever decide to take in more strays.
And yes, I can't mention the name of that stuff without thinking of King of the Hill!

[GreenAlchemist]

Thanks! It’s Incredible how resilient they can be eh?

Ooh The miracle spray Captain Jacks, I’ve heard only great things about it!
Unfortunately all spinosad products are banned in Canada. :/

Wish I could find some, as everyone I’ve heard who used Cpt. Jacks swears by it!

I’ve tried a few homemade solutions, but not as affective at all. Really need to stay on top of it and spray multiple times a week for results you can notice.

[UndergroundFarmer]

Too bad about the ban! Before I found Capt. Jack's, I was using some stuff called Lost Coast Plant Therapy which wasn't too cheap but the plants liked it while they were in veg. Trouble is, it didn't quite knock out the thrips completely.

And yes, Tangie is tougher than I expected. It seems the two that went into the seedling tray rerooted from the base of the stem like a cutting would. I put the two of them back in the hydro setup just today.

[GreenAlchemist]

Update:
Now that the dust has settled, definitely know I burned the leaves with a Foliar spray, but they are still growing and popping new leaves.

went to my local store and bought some sticky traps (yellow and blue) and thought I’d ask them about products or things they’d recommend regarding these girls/issues.
They were helpful.. but also kept saying “just trash them and start over”

They kept saying I’m only going to see this happen again in flower and get little to nothing back. Too much money, too much time, blah blah blah..

I don’t feel like giving up or trashing them, just because it isn’t going “my way”. Staying on the optimistic side!

The plus side:
hardly any thrips (really have to look them over to find one to squish) will still continue treatment until they’re all good.

Powdery Mildew seems all gone, will still do another leaf wash / spray to make sure it’s completely gone.

another week or so and we can add a scrog net and canopy train them better! Just want to get all spraying done before they’re tied in place.

Feeling pretty good/confident with them, if anyone has had a thrip or PM issue, let me know, love to hear what’s worked for you or your story with it!
Cheers
-GA-

[JeffInCanada]

They're going to be great! Those weed store guys are wacked...definitely worth putting the work into these girls. If you only posted the 3rd pic, I would have no idea of the foliar spray burn...at least you know what it is. These girls are happy to be right where they are, in good hands

[Rwise]

Good for you hanging in there! May you be rewarded with a nice harvest.
A note on spinosad, dont use it on buds, just as Neem oil is not safe on buds, spinosad is not either, thus the banns on it.
If they were outside I would say ladybugs and praying mantis.

[alltatup]

Alchie, you DO have a dehumidifier, I hope. If I were in the same position, I'd definitely have the dehumid. running.

Did you tell us what spray you're using for the thrips?

[GreenAlchemist]

Absolutely! I have a dehumidifier tucked into the corner near the intake, really helped keep the Rh below 50% even after spraying. I have it always on as the Rh raises a bit at night by 5-10% or more if it rains.

For the thrips I’ve only used the home-made solutions I mentioned earlier (baking soda, potassium bicarbonate, h2o2 + water) but I have 2 harder hitters “Bug B Gon” and doktor dooms thrip killer, haven’t used them yet, as I wanted to see if the other methods would work thinning them out. Now that they’re almost impossible to find, I feel confident a good heavy hitter will knock them out completely

[SoOrbudgal]

Good news for your grow GreenAlchemist

[GreenAlchemist]

Update:
decided to give them a little lovin today
Brewed a compost tea 24hrs earlier w/ dechlorinated tap water (which also sat for 24hrs prior)
Ingredients:
- 2.5 TBSP Of unsulfured black strap molasses (added first)
- 2.5 Cups of EWC
- 2 TBSP alfalfa meal
- 2 TBSP of kelp meal
- 1 TBSP bat guano
put in an unbleached cheese-cloth bag, And left to brew. Used an air pump + air stone to get the water bubbling and oxygen flowering through.

After that finished brewing, I put 2 Cups of EWC, 2 TBSP of Bloom 2-8-4, 1/2 TBSP of Insect Frass, and 1/4 TBSP of mycorrhizae Fungi onto the topsoil of each, and scratched it in making sure to mix thoroughly. Watered in with the compost tea to get the soil alive and thriving with the good stuff!

Will do a Foliar spray this evening when the lights turn off, as it can help with PM and pest issues

[GreenAlchemist]

This little dehumidifier’s been quite a trooper honestly!

Though, I agree you’re right. I have a larger one (and a larger humidifier) in my wish list, but money’s a little tight for my lady and I lately. For now I just have 2 small ones in the tent workin like crazy, but it’s gettin the job done until I can upgrade

[alltatup]

This ain't no cheap hobby, I always say!!! Just keep doin what you're doin, I really and truly believe that you're going to see great buds on these girls because they are like a rescue dog or cat, and I believe that they KNOW that you have rescued them from disease and pest attacks. I never say such things just to be polite: if a plant looks mediocre or weak, I won't make false compliments. But these girls are going to be BEASTS, I just know it.

[GreenAlchemist]

Oh straight up! I look at it as investing ahah.

Thanks a lot eh! Really appreciate the feedback, been worried and stressed the first week but feeling super good about it now after they responded so well! It feels like a rescue mission for sure

[GreenAlchemist]

Update:
Went to check ‘em today and noticed they are quite happy and growing along.

It’s been now 4 days since I’ve seen any thrip life! Checking everything over (Score)
Also, PM looks to be completely gone as well. Sprayed last night just to be sure (potassium bicarbonate solution)

Going to veg them out another week (to make sure it’s all gone and not coming back) and then it’s scrog and flip time!

almost “out of the woods” so to speak lol.
cant wait to see the Bud structure on these girls.

PS. My stoned ass misread the tag for “GC” but it actually reads “WC” so hoping they meant “Wedding Cake”! Really liked that one

[GreenAlchemist]

Update:
Canopy training day:
Decided to add the scrog net, really wanted to have it in position before the flip, and make sure I have a game plan for node placement.
(Will spray once more the day before flip to make sure we got it all)

They have a few damaged leaves from a previous spray (5 minutes before lights shut off, so they got a light burn, lesson learned!) but are still exploding with growth, super excited to see the buds start forming!

PS:
A huge shoutout and Thank you to everyone who commented/liked/encouraged or just subbed for the journey! Really awesome community here. Will continue to post updates through flower and make this my “grow journal”.
The greatest fertilizer, are the footprints we leave in our garden.
-GA-

[alltatup]

I've got a front row seat, I can't wait to see them bud!!!

[GreenAlchemist]

Update time:
well.. it’s back. Both actually..

did my morning checkup and noticed a thrip (squished it) but when there’s a thrip, there’s probably 10 more hiding.

went to see if I could locate anymore and boom.. PM regrowing on fan leaves. Feeling pretty bummed, but I hand washed the PM and cut the leaves off. Little more defoliation to make sure I have good airflow throughout (had a couple stale spots which is where the PM came back)

going to spray tonight with another heavier solution (potassium bicarbonate, eco-soap and canola oil)
hopefully that gets them good before the flip, need to do that soon before they outveg my tent size.

oh boy, the patience with these ones.. anyone have any advice/ideas on these? Always open to suggestions or info.
staying positive!
cheers, GA.

[GreenAlchemist]

I’ll see if I can locate it on amazon ca. Couldn’t find it locally unfortunately.

Building up a good “pest prevention” shelf to use in the future as well, as PM can also be spotted outside in my new yard. Super nervous about it because I just moved here last month and my previous grow room / house was free of sooo many pests/fungi. Taking some getting used to with all the new steps/preventative measures

[alltatup]

Sorry to hear the issues are back!!! What is the humidity in the room? I always say, This ain't no cheap hobby. You need a big dehumidifier.

[GreenAlchemist]

Humidity has been around 30-40% and only spikes higher to 50-60% for about 20 minutes or so after a watering/Foliar spray and back down to mid 30’s after that. Agreed, Definitely looking into a larger dehumidifier! Lol, Don’t want to have those sharp jumps after for too long

[UndergroundFarmer]

Sticky traps to catch some of the adults and slow down their breeding might help. Bootleg spinosad is the only other thing I could recommend.

[GreenAlchemist]

Update:
Just finished doing a Foliar spray with apple cider vinegar.
Sprayed up, down, in and out, drenched them and then gave them a light shake after to get any heavy excess liquid off the leaves.

Noticed a couple spots coming back again on the “WC”, but the smaller “GOD” plant is still PM and thrip free. So I’m thinking of setting up a 3x3 tent across the room to separate them, and see if giving them each their own space with adequate airflow and space to thrive will help.
(by now I fear it will be a little too crowded and lop sided with them both stretching and flowering in one. I want to have a good even canopy)

Will continue to treat, and spray until the flip. Did some research and found that diffusing tea tree essential oil can help kill PM or other fungi in the air or on any surfaces it contacts. Going to purchase a diffuser and set it outside the tent to diffuse and hope it helps. (I should note I will be using a diffuser and not a humidifier, as I do not want to raise the Rh%)

[alltatup]

Hi Alchie, I'm rooting for you and the girls. Leaf transpiration can be rough in vegetation because they get so leafy so fast. I'm always a little bit on tenderhooks during the later stages of vegetation because I always find leaves stuck together and sweating, so I defoliate at that point, and simply tuck various leaves, to keep them from flopping all sweating on top of each other.

So in my environment, which consists of two grow boxes, the goal is to keep them growing nice and strong, but defoliate enough to cut down on the leaf transpiration, which creates a lot of humidity. These are among the challenges of indoor growing.

[GreenAlchemist]

Update:
Some changes in the grow room were made.
I figured my best way to kick PM’s ass is to split the plants up in separate tents. (The idea is to keep them from transferring it to one another, and giving them both adequate airflow)

“WC” is in the 4x4 still with more room to grow, and the “GOD” is in the 3x3 filling it out nicely. Had to re-adjust the trellis net and add another to the 3x3, and get everything settled and ready for the flip. Sprayed again last night with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Will continue to spray, but also looking into spraying with pure tea tree oil mixed in water (I’m still researching this method, but reading great results! Anyone try this? I’d love to hear how it’s worked for you or any feedback, as there isn’t much on it yet in forums)

Some of the things I changed:
- More airflow! Picked up 2 more fans, one that oscillates and hits the canopy well. (No more stale spots!)
- Essential oil diffuser (with 100% pure tea tree oil, 5 drops per 500ml of water).
- larger dehumidifier

feeling better about them now that I’ve crossed my T’s and dotted my I’s. Any tips or thoughts are always welcome!!

also..
alltatup Also put my AC unit in there and just noticed it has a Dehumidifier setting! Much better than the dinkies I have going currently. Going to find the manual and go through/set it up. Thanks for making me think about Rh% and a better dehu! Really appreciate the advice *thumbs up*

[alltatup]

They look awesome, Alchie. It sounds like a darn good plan to me. If I had a dollar for every dollar I've spent over the past 5 years growing weed, I'd be a very rich woman. Well, maybe not rich, but I'd have enough for a good down payment on a BMW...