1st Lemme Say Hi -Then Lets Diagnose: Mid & Lower Leaves Sick (Blotches, Brown Edges)

[NebulaHaze]

What a clever setup! Sonnyhad has a great point about the reflectivity; flat white paint is a one of the best reflective materials! There are some other ideas about reflective walls here if you wanted to check them out, too!

You mentioned you're using a 400W HPS flood light in the back, I'm just curious, have you noticed that the buds on that side are fattening more? Or are the biggest buds at the top? I'm always interested in how side lighting affects bud growth because some growers debate about whether top lighting or side lighting is better. Your plants look lush and beautiful, and you've got lots of nice looking bud sites!

[GreenArmadillo]

Oh wow, thanks. It's lovely to hear that from you. ^_^

Funnily enough i've been trying to pay attention to that very point you are asking about. I was assuming to see monster bud progress, but in actuality the buds growing there are not too different from the rest of the girls. It may be because i'm looking at the buds with the HPS light in my face, so it reduces my seeing ability, but there definitely is no exceptional progress I can report.
The plant next to the HPS is Daphne, and she is so tall that her top has actually reached the roof of my grow room, so she isn't getting any direct light, because the she's taller than the grow lights can go and her top is higher than the horizontal reach of the HPS. So I can't give you a fair comparison between top and sides.

By the way, I tried to find a fix 4 days ago to the height problem, and did something. Problem is, I don't know if I might have harmed her.
I put three stakes around the edges of the pot and tried to have her wrap around them, so as to bring down her height. It kind of worked, and I managed to get her top down to light levels, but then the top 1/4 of her main stalk bent over under the pressure. The main stalk has a crisp 90 degree angle like this now:
_
|

I'm worried about if this is dangerous or harmful to her. So far the top hasn't died, and the buds seem to be fine, but I can't help but be paranoid.
Of course the next day I tried splinting her up, but she decided to bend 90 degrees at both ends of the splint instead. =/
Hope I haven't hurt her. What do you think?

----

I've noticed the most bud progress and fattening up is with Esmerelda, the youngest plant. Not sure why. Maybe it's because I did zero plant training to her, as an experiment. Or maybe it's because I put her to the side of the room, so she get's a whole 150 watt T5 to herself.
I'll keep an eye out to see if there is any comparable progress between sides and tops next to the HPS. I'll let you know if anything stands out.

[alltatup]

Green, wear some protective sun glasses when you are in the light of the grow room. I always clip on my shades!!

[GreenArmadillo]

You can see the bend and the splint here:

[GreenArmadillo]

I actually had another question that was playing on my mind.
It's to do with height and stretching.

From reading your articles I understood that there would be a major flowering stretch for the initial period after switching to 12/12.
Now, we were to expect growth to x2 or x3 times the height of the plant at the moment of switching.
And I also understood, correct me if i'm wrong, that the stretch only lasts for a specific period. The first week or two after switching to flower, and then the plant height stabilizes because the plant starts focusing on bud production as opposed to vegetative growth and height.
Am I on the right path?

Now here is where I am slightly perplexed.
I was a bit late in flipping the switch, i'll admit that, but not too late.

In fact I flipped to 12/12 on 3/2/17. The heights of my girls were as follows:

Alicia	18"	1.5 feet
Brittania	26"	2.2 feet
Daphne	24"	2 feet
Esmerelda	16"	1.3 feet

Now it's been 47 days since (~7 weeks), and my girls are STILL growing. O_O
This is from 4 days ago

Alicia	64"	5.3 feet
Brittania	56"	4.7 feet
Daphne	81"	6.7 feet
Esmerelda	58"	4.8 feet

Now that's a LOT of growth. And they still seem to keep climbing higher every week. When will they stop the height expansion?
What are the mechanics of what's going on?

As I explained with my post above, the height is creating some issues with Daphne. The other girls are still under control, but I worry that things might get REALLY out of control.


(PS. I decided to count my weeks of flowering based on the time my girls showed clear signs of sex, not based on the time I flipped to 12/12)
(This would put me coming up to the end of week 4 flower, since I first noticed pistils on 24/2/17)
(Seems I still got me a bit of a journey ahead. The finish line seems to be coming up in the distance though. :P )

[alltatup]

GreenArmadillo did you get this figured out? You know that you never know what sativas are gonna do, right? Some sativas, as I guess you've already learned, can stretch for quite a while.

[GreenArmadillo]

Yeah, it's just like you say. To be honest, i'm not surprised now that I think about it. The chances are very high that i'm growing the seeds of a wild-grown sativa straight from the heart of the Indian motherland. The "weed" I got was very dry and shitty looking, and had been transported via unoptimal means to reach me in my country, but that's all that's available here apart from hash. And daaaamn ,the high was elevating, despite it being very poorly cared for weed. Lucky for me it had so many seeds encrusted within. That's how my growing adventure all began. =)

[GreenArmadillo]

Oh yeah, and lastly, before I forget..

Since you recommended maybe transplanting to bigger pots a couple of weeks ago, it's been nagging me. I feel like I want to, but think that I shouldn't. After all, we're flowering, and I don't wanna harm the girls or shock them.
Well lo and behold, a few days ago I water the gals, and while picking up Daphne to move her I see a few roots poking out the bottom of her drainage holes. Now this can't be a good sign I say to myself, and so yesterday I bit the bullet and did what you said I should do. I transplanted her from a 12 litre pot (~3 gallons) to a whopping 25 litre pot (~6 gallons).
Man, it looks so luxurious in comparison! So roomy. =D

I'm thinking of transplanting Esmerelda too. She's been in a 5 litre pot (~1.25 gallon) since the flip. Gonna do that the day after tomorrow. Should I put her in a 15 litre or 25 litre (4 gallons or 6 gallons)?
I'm also considering transplanting Alicia or Brittania too. They're both in 12 litres (3 gallons). What would you recommend?


These are Daphnes roots from the transplant btw:

[alltatup]

Good job, Green!! Great decision considering that she was rootbound when you did that. That means the absolute least disturbance/trauma to roots. Then you gave her room to stretch. If you think it's the same way for the others, go for it.

[NebulaHaze]

Bending is a great way to control the height! If you keep the two broken parts of the stem tightly together with a splint (which it looks like you did) it should heal up even at a 90 degree angle. If a stem is really stiff it helps to first grab the stem tightly, and wiggle it back and forth where you want to bend for 10-20 seconds before trying to actually bend it. It kind of mushes up the inside of the new "joint" while keeping the skin intact, so it's easier to bend without breaking anything.

Plants tend to get really tall and stretchy in relatively low light levels, so they may be getting so tall because they want more light. The height is also highly dependent on strain, as I'm sure you've seen from your height table!

Glad to see the transplant went so well! Can't wait to see more

[GreenArmadillo]

alltatup Sure, will make sure to wack on my sunglasses when i'm working directly in the room. Would you say HPS glasses protect the eyes, or simply correct colour perception. Was considering buying them at one point.
Yeah, I think I definitely will transplant the rest of the girls. It just looks so spacey giving them a 25 litre pot, almost 6.5 gallons of freedom for the roots. Not to mention i'm sure they'll love sitting in all that new FoxsFarm Ocean Forest, full of all those goodies. ^_^


NebulaHaze Thanks a tonne Nebula. That's such a relief to hear. I would have felt really bad if I ended up hurting the poor girl. Glad that cannabis is so resilient. It's a real hardcore survivor.

Fair enough about the height. What you say makes a lot of sense. Hopefully i'll be able to provide more sufficient lighting with my next grow. But still, this 1st time grow was a heap of fun, despite having things go slightly out of control. These gals are strong and tall, so that's a good sign if anything. =)

[alltatup]

I just put my sunglass clip-ons on my glasses, since they are the best protection against all those rays.

[GreenArmadillo]

I actually had a question relating to timeline, at this point.
What week of flowering would you say these nugs look like they're at?
And how many weeks away from harvest do you get the feel i'm at, just by looking.
Cheeeeers <3

Esmerelda





Alicia

[alltatup]

Armadillo, a lot of the pics didn't come out; in fact I just see one, and she doesn't look anywhere near ready. She hasn't started to fatten up yet.

[GreenArmadillo]

Esmerelda

[GreenArmadillo]

Alicia

[GreenArmadillo]

alltatup Man am I GLAD that you always go tmy back tat. Really appreciate you taking the time to come check up on me.

By the way, I know i'm still far away from being ready. I just kinda wanted an idea of what week of flower you'd say these are by eyeballing them.
Do they look like week 2, week 3, week 4, week 5, etc..?

I'm definitely on the slower side of progress, but that doesn't bother me at all. It's my first time growing life, and totally a learning curve.
But having an idea of what week of flower my budlets are representing now would be a great helping factor. Technically I flipped the switch on 3/2/17. So coming up to two months ago, but as you can see, these are certainly not 7 week buds, haha.

[alltatup]

No problem, brother, that's what we're all here for. If you flipped the switch on MARCH 2, you're coming up on 4 weeks flower, not 2 months!! Don't get ahead of yourself there, son!!! They look absolutely lovely!! Beautiful sativas!! I count flowering from when I switch to 12/12 and change the nutes to flower nutes. I believe that no matter what they say about the number of weeks in flowering to expect, we should all still learn how to examine the trichomes to see when they are ready to suit our tastes. You do know what to look for in the trichomes, don't you? If not, see:

http://www.growweedeasy.com/harvest

There is a guide in the middle of the page that SHOWS you what to look for.

[GreenArmadillo]

Oh my bad! I lived in the UK for a good portion of my life, so when I say 3/2/17 i'm using the British system, so that makes it the 3rd of February 2017. Should've realized most people here are accustomed to the US system.

I 100% agree with you on the whole trichome inspection factor. I plan on doing that eventually, and have read Nebulas articles on how to determine when to harvest based on trichomes. Even ordered myself TWO microscopes and a jewelers loupe in anticipation. I have them just waiting to be used.
It's still too soon tho. I still can't see frost developing on the budlets, so I got ways to go yet.

In your experienced eyes, what week of flower do the buds look like right now? Regardless of when I flipped the switch. I just wanna establish a visual reference point, if you get my meaning.
Sorry for being so damned persistent.


PS. I KNOW! I'm so stoked that these are coming out as sativas. Those long, spindly leaves just give it away. Glad you noticed. I've been in love with sativas since my noobie days of smoking many years ago. The trippy high is where it's at!!

[alltatup]

My bad, Armadillo!! I hate to be gringo-centric!! And remember: I'm only on my third grow, so I'm by no means the expert!!!!!!

So if they began to show pistils and such around mid-Feb, that puts you at around 5-6 weeks into flower, right? Since you don't know the strain, it's going to be a big surprise for you and for us!!! Those buds are just beginning to take on some shape, so they certainly have a ways to go, but I can't estimate how much longer you have to go. Perhaps someone else with much more experience growing sativas will hazard a guess.
I'm currently growing sativas for the first time, still in veg phase, and anticipating a very long flower period--at least 15-16 weeks. But I know my strain and I know what to expect. Indeed, the trippy high is da shit!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GreenArmadillo]

Sounds awesome alltatup . I totally feel you there. We gots some exciting grows on both our hands. =D
That's actually a really interesting fact I wasn't aware of. The fact that you're expecting 15-16 weeks of flower is new information to me. The average number of weeks flowering most people use is 8-10 weeks, so I kinda had that range in mind. But if sativas are known to go up to 15 weeks of flower that really puts my slow progress into perspective. If I have anything ranging from 4-9 weeks of flowering left, then that gives my buds plenty of time to fatten up. That's exciting to know! <3


By the way, I noticed some of my pistils are turning orange now. It's only a small number of them, but the orange pistils are definitely making a presence now.
What does this signify?
I honestly wasn't expecting the colour change until after I started seeing some serious frost build-up.

[alltatup]

GreenArmadillo, Ace Purple Haze x Malawi is what I'm growing; it's a landrace sativa hybrid with an especially long flowering time, but I believe that it will be worth it. Here's some info:
Type F1 HYBRID
Format Feminized
Sativa / Indica ratio 100 % sativa
THC 15-22 %
CBD Below 1 %
One of our most powerful and better yielding pure sativa haze hybrids!
Structure: Tall and thin sativa, with strong lateral branching.
Bouquet: Exotic aroma of blackberry liquour, red wine, spices, incense and wood, with citric touches. Oily and fermented background.
High: Powerful, deeply lysergic. Premium long lasting pure sativa effect.
Yield: Average - High
Purple Haze x Malawi is far from the average strain one would use to get their daily buzz on. ACE Seeds created something of high value, and crossed old school classic Purple Haze with the African Sativa New Killer Malawi. The landrace genetics of Malawi originate from the Salima region in south-east Africa, and are known for having a very long flowering time. The result of crossing these two strains is a (100%) pure Sativa F1 Haze hybrid, with remarkable features concerning effects and flavours.
It can take up to 13-15 weeks until Purple Haze x Malawi reaches full maturity. What can be seen as a disadvantage from a grower's perspective, is actually one of the reasons why the overall bud quality is way superior to what many strains can produce, including Haze strains. This strain grows into the structure of a tall and thin Sativa, and. The high will be one of the best you’ve ever experienced, very long-lasting, cerebral, and intense. Purple Haze x Malawi is a strain for expert tokers, and novices might need to look elsewhere.
Most growers will fear the challenge of growing a potent Haze hybrid that flowers in 13-15 weeks. Those who don’t will be rewarded on a large scale, not only in terms of yields, but more importantly, in terms of overall bud quality and effects. It’s not easy to weigh off a long flowering time with the quality you get in return.

I especially like the part about "no novice tokers": I hope it kicks my butt.
As for your pistils, I don't think that's abnormal. I really lowered the humidity in my grow room on my last grow, and I think it did increase the trichome production. Nebula talks about that.

See this page:

http://www.growweedeasy.com/make-buds-sparkle-with-more-trichomes#how-to-increase-glitter-on-buds

"With that being said, there are some strains that don't show much glitter even though they are very potent (for example some Sativas and Hazes, Sour Diesel) so if you think glitter is important you have to pick the right strain."

And be patient. And sing to them. ;-}

[GreenArmadillo]

Absolutely beautiful information. Rock on girl! <3

[alltatup]

heck, I just wanna get hiiiiiiiiiiiiigh... ;-}

[GreenArmadillo]

Yooooooo, EMERGENCY! I have some newdiscolourations on the leaves from the past two weeks. At first I was hoping it was just a one-off thing, but now that we're in the second week of these leaf symptoms it's time to once again roll up our sleeves and figure out what's wrong.
These leaves are not from one particular plant, just any leaf that caught my attention as being "off" from any of the girls. Unfortunately, the sick leaves seem to be increasing oh so slowly.
Any input, as always is sincerely appreciated. Let's put our healing hats on guys and gals. <3







From the looks of it, my meager guess is it's possibly phosphorous/manganese/sulfur deficiency? I'm not experienced enough to tell.

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PS. All 4 girls were transplanted to bigger pots over the past two weeks, in stages. All of them were put into some new FFOF soil.
And yeah, there were signs of the start of being rootbound.

[alltatup]

Hey Armadillo: you took em out of the pots? Did you transplant? They definitely need bigger pots.

And of course first off, did you check pH in and run off?

[GreenArmadillo]

Yeah, all of them have been transplanted now. 3 of them are now in 25 litres (6.6 gallons), and one is in a 15 litre (4 gallons). And all of them were transplanted into some new FFOF. These are the dates of said transplants:
Daphne Transplant: 21/3/17
Esmerelda Transplant: 28/3/17
Brittania Transplant: 31/3/17
Alicia Transplant: 1/4/17


These are my most recent values, from last Saturday ( I calibrated my pH pen using a 4.0 solution before taking measurments):

Mixed a 3.5 gallon batch:
pH_in = 6.4
EC_in = 1,388 uS/cm² = 1.39 mS/cm²
TDS_in = 640 ppm



This information was taken from my other thread, where I am asking about EC/TDS values and calibrations:
http://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum/...ing-to-tell-me

[GreenArmadillo]

Yeah, just as you said. From 12 litres to 25 litres (3 gals to 6.6 gals), except the last one from 12 litres to 15 litres (3 gals to 4 gals) (I ran out of space for another 25 litre pot).

And as you say, the leaf symptoms were pretty mild before the transplant, and became hard to ignore after the transplant. They are still here a few days after the transplant. I can't tell if they have stopped spreading yet. Might need another week or two to be able to assess if there's been any improvement. I really hope there has been improvement.

I potted them into Fresh Fox Ocean Forest. It's very nutrient-dense soil. And yes it was a fresh bag, so the soil was new and full of nutrient.

[GreenArmadillo]

On my other thread about the EC/TDS of my grow, some of the guys were enlightening me about nutes and their readings. It seems my run-off has been ridiculously high in ppms these past 2 weeks or so. They suggested it might be possible i've damaged the roots because of the high ppms that they've been exposed to.
There's a good chance it's all related.

Not to mention that one of the guys suggested the reason my flowering is so slow and late is probably because my sativas are not receiving as much light as they need, because they are hungry light-eaters.

I feel like the pieces of the puzzle are coming together, but up until now I still can't see the full picture. I wanna heal my girls. It makes me sad to see them showing signs of being sick. I wanna see those leaves praying and reaching up for the sky! =')

[alltatup]

Shoot, Armadillo, I know how hard it is to go through something like this; I sure did with root rot on my last grow. I have to look at the other thread; is it nute burn? My current sativa is very sensitive to too many nutes. Remember above all that you are learning: this is the stuff we gotta learn in order to become master growers.