New member here. My first grow was in 1980 with homemade hydroponic drip system using Miracle Grow, shop lights, dry ice and ferrets for CO2. Sold my “Sensi” for $275/oz and was a hot item on campus believe it or not even though it looked and smelled like hay hahahaha. That was when sensimilla just started to show up. My seeds were from $35/oz. bag seeds from the best of what I thought was from Columbia but who knows. Got out of growing for an Army Infantry career, family and honeybee business and started growing again (legal this time) after we moved to Colorado for pain management, depression and fun.
WOW-have things changed. You kids took it and ran. Way to grow (pun intended). However, I’m often lost and the question I have, might show it.
This last grow of Blue Dream and Golden Goat produced very little trichomes both in number and size. The buds are huge (growing in 15 gallon pots with supplemented (Llama shit) store bought Grow Warehouse Moonshine 64 dirt). I’ve also fed throughout flower GH full line except for their sugar which is Nutri+ Carborator. I also used Bio Ag Ful-Power, Photosynthesis Plus, Mammoth, Recharge, MOAB, and Mendocino Avalanche always trying to run at 1/2 to full strength usually running around 1500 ppm on the 700 scale. I kept my ph at a level so my runoff ended at around 6.1 to 6.3 except at the first 3 weeks when I starting measuring and noticed the runoff was way high (7.0 to 8.5). My starting water is at 0-50 ppm and has a high ph 8.5 to 9.2. Why such a high ph is something I don’t understand as well. I am collecting all but 1/2 gallon/week back from the mini-splits and dehumidifiers and then bring the pH down after mixing my nutes. I would love to hear your thoughts on using recycled water coming from the mini’s and dehumids. The problem girls are finishing up a 2 week flush now. I run my rooms at 74 to 76 degrees F, 40-45% RH. I stayed at VPD of 1.2 during Veg and first 5 weeks of flower. I switched to dual CMH with blurple led supplementation all on a light rail at about the same time. I cut down the humidity and changed the lights from double ended HPS because at the 5 week mark because they looked like they had zero trichome production and was hoping these changes might help. I am running sealed rooms with CO2 at 1300 to 1500 ppm. I also have two other 15 gallon plants (same cut of Blue Dream and Purple Elephant) in flower but about 6 weeks behind the two problem ladies and they seem to be doing very well with trich production. These girls had no Llama poop. I’ve ran these cuts for a couple years without anything like this happening. When looking at the trichomes under magnification there are some there but they are reduced in number. Also, the trichomes are really short and seem to have hardly no stalk under the head of the trichome.
I don’t know what happened-really stumped. I am thinking that the Llama shit, Moonshine 64 (first time I’ve used it) or the high pH at the first of the flower might have thrown them out of whack. That’s the only things I can think of that is different from the past grows and the ones that are 6 weeks behind these.
I know I’ve been long and windy but thanks for indulging an old soldier. The older I get the windier I get. I love and greatly appreciate you guys and your show and wish you continued success. I know you will have something I will learn from. Thanks and a big hooah to my brothers that are growing.
A high ph can be a sign of extra nitrogen buildup. Did you run the mix without nutrient at all? Says had enough for 2-4 weeks of growth without additional feeding. Also the compost you added was likely high in nitrogen as well and held onto the nutrient feedings. So im thinking all that nitrogen just told the plant to veg out, instead of diverting energy to secondary metabolites. Were the buds more leafy? Possibly a flush at this point or switching to water only earlier than you usually would.
I just trimmed them down. I’m trying everything. It has sort of turned into an experiment on what works at this point. They were much more leafier than normal. I think you might be onto something with the nitrogen forming more leaves than secondary metabolites. I flushed several time heavily with ph’d water until I brought the runoff down to decent levels in ph and now ppm. I have been on just water and enzymes for almost two weeks now. Bottom leaves are there and yellowing good. What trichomes I have are mostly cloudy. Thanks.
From everything you’ve said, I’d say either the genetics are weak, the mother plant has reached her expiration (perhaps some sort of pathogenic pressure build up over time), or perhaps your plants have been pollinated? I’m sure I’m not of much help here, but have u taken a closer look to make sure it’s not seeded? The problem u present is way past my level of internet helping, but I wish u luck.
They’re not pollinated. But your first two thoughts are interesting. I have heard of pathogenic problems being systemic and therefore passed onto clones but didn’t think or know of anything to cause low trichome production. I cycle my mom’s pretty regularly. I’m not sure if that was it. Thanks a bunch.
My thought was that they are spending all their energy staying alive and fighting the pathogens rather than producing trichomes. But I had another thought here — you’ve done some heavy leaf stripping there, even cutting blades in half. Is it possible they just don’t have enough stomata to breath in co2? And not enough fan leaves to photosynthesize?
Where are all the fan leaves ? You cut the energy level down that would feed the trichomes production system. Those fan leaves are the plants storage system.
I just trimmed some of the leaves back toward the top. They were much bushier/leafy than ever before. I wanted to get some light down to the lower buds and try to pull them forward some. Thanks for the advice.
Yeah but it looks like there are 0 fan leaves on the plant, and even the small blades have been cut in half. Low stomata count, low ability for photosynthesis.
I hear ya but I just trimmed these in prep for harvest. They haven’t been like but for a week. Thanks though.
New Grower here. there are 2 causes for low trichomes. First being within the nutrience. Phosphorus and potassium are both required for good flower growth. second The light spectrum may not support the wide anough range of uvials. all White blue Green and Red lights. red helps with flowering.. Since your set up solid may try using something more along the lines of BioStimulent like Kelp teas as firtilzer. its has god Tier microbes and Nutrience vaule amino acid protein and growth hormons. \
At this point, not much I can do. But kelp is something I want to get more serious about. Also thought about adding a hops double ender in between the cmh’s. Thanks much.