Help Wanted, Weed Not Cloudy

[The3rdman]

Fellow Growers,

Organic grower here. I have an ongoing problem with my grows and looking for help to fix it. I am on a new grow – today is day 3 day of flower.

For some reason, the trichomes on my plants are NOT getting cloudy and therefore, the final product is not psychoactive. I am hoping someone has heard of this problem before and can tell me what is going on here.

This is not a one-time occurrence. I been having this problem for a little while now and cannot figure it out.

In my opinion, this is not an issue with harvesting too early or late, inadequate lighting, light leaks, etc. It is about a normal grow from seed to harvest without any major issues except for the fact the trichomes do not become cloudy and the end product is non-psychoactive.

If someone has seen this before or knows someone who may have knowledge of such an unusual occurrence, please let me know. Thank you.
__________________________________________________ _____________

Additional Information.
First day flower: 1-11-2023
Soil: Happy Frog with some Compost, 4-4-4 and 2-8-4 dry amendments added.
Current Strains:7-9 week Indica Strains Original Glue, Black Domina.
Lighting: Vivo-sun LED Grow Lighting 400 Watts + 100 Watts (500 watts at the wall).
Water pH Range: 6-2 thru Humidity Range: 30% - 50%.
Temperature Range: 70-80.

[BU2B]

Welcome to GWE and thanks for the post! 👋🏼
I was going to ask about your seed source and strains but you answered that question. This is a strange one - are they autos? Photos?
There is a fine line but light degrades trichomes and darkness develops them. What is your light schedule? My suggestion ? Let the plant tell you when it’s ready not the seed supplier. Finishing times are average of averages. Count flowering from when flowers actually appear not from when you switch to 12/12. Use supplier guidelines as guidelines and listen to your plants. You can quit growing them at any time - but - they are mature when trichomes are at least cloudy with your preference of amber. Most plants will look done before they are. A mature bud will meet the flowering specs of at least 8 weeks with cloudy trichomes throughout. If you hold on just a bit after you’re sure the buds are done you will see new white pistils forming among the already mature ones that have darkened; once those appear your flower is done and ready to harvest when your desired amount of amber develops.

best wishes and Happy Pharming! ✌️

[BU2B]

I don’t know if you’ve ever grown or been around CBD/hemp plants but seed source is a REAL concern as hemp will look like, flower like, often even smell like their THC heavy cousins but actually produce very little THC themselves.

[Puglover1]

I thought about CBD/hemp also.

(black domina was the best wax I ever bought)

[Bluey]

Can you post photos of the flowers taken a week or two before they stop developing and when you suspect development of trichomes cease please?

[crucialbunny]

I'm confused. You say first day of flower was 3 days ago and you're concerned that you don't have cloudy trichomes yet? Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't it take a couple weeks before they begin getting cloudy? It's been my experience that plants will continue to produce new trichomes throughout flower and bud process. Sorry if I've misunderstood what you're try to convey here.

[BU2B]

I think he's saying this has been an ongoing issue and that he's on day 3 of flowering of the current grow and would like to avoid the problem this grow if possible

[Blowdout2269]

^
This is also how I read it. With the hyphen. Hope I'm right.

[The3rdman]

BU2B is correct.

[Franklin]

Really hope for your sake it's not the hop latent viroid: https://www.marijuanaventure.com/dec...dding-disease/
Do a Google search for cannabis dudding.
Apparently this has been a real issue over the last year or two, exploding in the marijuana farms. Viruses and viroids can actually be carried in seeds too, or be in your soil or your environment and so every time you plant new seeds they could be dudding again? There are some geneticists trying to work on identifying strains that are resistant to it, with the thought that basically some marijuana strains might go away forever because this thyroid will just destroy them. It's my understanding that happened in the hop industry: there are hop varieties that they just can't grow anymore because of the viroid.

[The3rdman]

I don't think so. I have used different seed sites plus I cannot find any commentary on the internet where growers are complaining of this type of issue.

Could it be an uptake issue like phosphorus, for example? I was going to try TPS Signal this time.

[BU2B]

very interesteenk - gnus to me. TPS makes good products - in the process of switching to their entire line, but if your plants have been healthy up to this point the Signal while enhancing terpene production wont make a huge difference to the plants genetic tendencies; namely THC/Trichome production.

[Mr.furley]

Can anyone else back the non-pychoactive claim or is it just yourself?

[n1netyn1ne]

This can be a factor... I for instance.. am fully bias against my own grown... LOL.. but friends tell me it's GOOOD.. and not to worry..... that will mean it will just keep getting better and better... lol

[BU2B]

this is a head scratcher for me... I always get high, and been doing so for almost 50 years, sometimes more, sometimes less but if the weed is weed and not hemp it always gets me high. now, if it's not good I have to smoke more, but it still works ??? I'm stumped. Here's an idea- how about some photo's and much of a DETAILED description of each as possible, it looks to me like the dr's are in the house but they need your help to come to a proper diagnosis.

Not to be offensive, so please don't take this wrong But... KISS - the question was "Can anyone else back the non-pychoactive claim or is it just yourself?" in other words do other people get high off your buds bud or is your answer correct? "This is a problem the *I* have with my personal grows." ?

[The3rdman]

SoOrbudgal: I'm in an illegal state so the only weed I get high from would have to come from my personal grow. The last time I smoked weed that got me high was in 1982 when I was in the military.

My problem is trichomes are not maturing to a cloudy state. It cannot be pychoactive if not cloudy.

[Mr.furley]

The3rdman I'm not a Doctor nor am I giving medical advice.
Iv heard of a couple people that have had problems with not getting high and having a Vitamin D deficiency, coincidence. it seem that what iv heard also links up with the people that don't get effects off edibles. Just worth mentioning.

As far as not getting "cloudy" if it's consistently happening and from different seed suppliers then I'd have to say you are doing some. In a nutshell- CBG is the the pre cursor acid to all cannabinoid, found when clear from there thing are transformed to all your other Cbd's, Thc's and such.... this is the stage that you find "Cloudy" when you Thc is peak ripe, after that the amber is the degrading of the Thc to Cbn. Nutrients help plants develop but don't create Thc, that's genetics and to some degree the plants natural reaction to UV light.

you haven't mentioned Autos? Or Photos? Nor the length of time that you flower for? Only that you Know what you are doing.

Without pictures of plants and from you description this would be my only guesses.

Blowdout2269 it's because you didn't dig deep enough, they're in a pineapple under the sea living right next door to the Grammar Nazi.🤣

[Mr.furley]

The3rdman
It is also worth noting that if it's clear it can still be psychoactive. Clear or early Tri's make people paranoid, are racy and speedy feeling.

[The3rdman]

The cloudy issue is definitely related to something I'm doing/not doing. I do photoperiods. In my last grow, I had two 7-9 week strains. I ran them for 12 weeks. There wasn't much change in the trichomes from week 9 to 12. Trichome development looked promising at week 6 but did not seem to mature much beyond that. It does get aromatic. Also, the weed itself is not very sticky. When trimming, I don't get much resin on my shears. The plants from last grow were robust and produced about 12 ounces of flower.

I was going to start photographs after the stretch as there is not much to see just now.

[Mr.furley]

Understandable and fair, most likely your going to get a better answer with pictures then the "in my my head" view. Not sticky huh? What about you light height from plants, you burning off the terps and cromes?? Maybe detail us more of that info.

Pictures of the current grow could also be helpful just for a idea of the full set up. Someone else asked, but anybody else ever smoke you weed for a review?

[The3rdman]

The lighting is full spectrum LED, 5000 watts, 18 inches from canopy as recommended by the manufacturer. I also use a LUX meter to check light distribution. Nobody except spouse knows I grow.

[SoOrbudgal]

Well i hope this next few questions won't offend you but here's a list of I wanna know questions : Name of light please and true watts from the wall. Could be it's not strong enough. How old are your plants right BEFORE you flip light to 12/12 for bloom? The seed seller is what i interpet as 90days after you see first showing of hairs or beginning budlets. I do not count 6 wks of vegging at all. They can go 120 days in flower. You may just be shorting yourself do to light and or not being patient enough. Weak light takes longer to ripen.

[The3rdman]

SoOrbudgal,
The lights are Vivo-sun LED VS1000 and VS4000. Some say 5000-Watts and others say what counts is how much wattage is at the wall (500 Watts). The lights are very bright.

I go 12/12 when plants are about 12 inches. The age of the plants at flip are about 5 weeks.

I am not harvesting too soon and plants are receiving plenty of light.

[Bluey]

The lighting is full spectrum LED, 5000 watts, 18 inches from canopy as recommended by the manufacturer.

I think I see the issue...5000w of light 18" above canopy will burn your buds before you can.

I grow in a 45 sq ft area and am only using 2000w give or take at 26" above canopy.

What model and brand of light/s are you using and what is your canopy size...approx is fine.

[The3rdman]

The wall voltage of the lights is 500 watts for a 2 x 5 while the manufacturer states 5000-watts. A little confusing whether to specify watts from the wall or the light rating from the supplier when discussing light intensity. But 500-watt LED seems much brighter than a 600-watt HPS.

[Bluey]

The3rdman 500w LED is plenty for that canopy. 18" may be too close. I know spiderfarmer recommend a flowering height of 12 to 18" for their new SF7000 and I know if I did that I would fry my buds to bits....at 18" it's about 1600ųmols in the centre....try a bit higher on the light like 24"

[Franklin]

My thoughts are still dudding due to continual viral infections from contaminated equipment or not waiting long enough in flower. Or wait... Are you inhaling? 😁

I'm a little unclear as to whether ANY of your grows have had potent weed?

As pointed out above, the 7 to 9 weeks is for flowering period, not for the full run.

[The3rdman]

I don't think so. I have used pre-2021 (2018, 2019, 2020) seeds and I think you said this dudding issue is from 2021?

[Franklin]

It's a virus, been around for decades but really hitting marijuana grows hard right now. If you get it in your grow system it's like getting a virus in your house, mostly everyone's going to get sick, you keep bringing people into your house and they'll keep getting sick

[n1netyn1ne]

Hello,
I'm no expert myself but

Have you checked pH of ALL the water going in?. (i've recently stepped up my own game.. as correctly pH'ed water going IN makes the world of difference.. like insane difference..)

GWE site says for Soil the pH of water going in.. should be between 6.0 - 7.0 pH...
but otherwise i myself aimed for tighter levels between range of 5.8 to 6.3 pH. (either way .. they do seem to like it slightly acidic)

For your past grows... have the flower buds been plumping up and stacking up nicely? (you want them filling up with that resin..then the trics should get cloudy) or do they remain thin and airy buds with clear trics? ...if thin and airy... maybe a nutrient lockout was preventing full development and delaying tric ripening.

flowering nutrients will be different than veg growth nutrients... and they all get absorbed at different pH levels...even that TPS Signal needs correct pH of 5.8-6.0.... if the pH is wrong for proper nutes adsorption .. nothing gets absorbed properly.

lighting spectrum is also a huge factor in any photosynthesis... i would measure the actual wattage being drawn from the wall..or it might not be the best color spectrum to trigger full blooms.

I agree as mentioned any pics from the current setup or past grows will surely help in review the situation.

[The3rdman]

The buds are very dense.

Watering pH between 6.2 - 6.7.

[Blowdout2269]

The3rdman - I've previously been lurking on this discussion. But, I feel inclined to make a suggestion.

You have recieved a lot of helpful advice from our members, as swell as questions. Many questions. Questions that have gone unanswered. My suggestion is to read the previous responses and answer some questions. This is very likely to result in a plethora of helpful information. Good luck!

[The3rdman]

I go thru the threads periodically and catch up. Thanks for the suggestion.

[The3rdman]

What about soil and water pH - mine is between 6.6 - 6.8 and my watering pH is between 6.2 - 6.7. I use Happy Frog with a little compost and some dry ferts.

[Mr.furley]

No soil or pH problem isn't going to stop a cannabis plant from producing Cloudy tricrome, shitty crispy half dead plants yes which you have stated you don't have.

Once again this is either genetic or user error.

Pictures?

[SoOrbudgal]

Yep it's time to see what you claim

[The3rdman]

Here are a couple of photos (day 5 flower).

Wasn't sure to import these as thumbnail, small, etc. so I did medium.

[Bluey]

Did you make your own net?

[The3rdman]

yes, I did.