2nd and 3rd week flowering problems

orgnlmrwiggles

orgnlmrwiggles

Well-Known Member
So i've had the same issue for a while and have searched high and low on numerous forums without any difinitive final solution. :twisted:

My issue is during my 2nd and third week. right after most, if not, all of my budsites have finally developed (like with anyones); my top branches and cola have nice sites developing. however, anything on the lower 2/3 of the plant have only leaves at the bud sites. nothing really develops on it but more leaves. any ideas, tips, answers, comments, would be much appreciated.

~id rate myself a 6 or 7 out of ten for growing knowledge, that being said im not a complete noob, but much is to be learned about any subject
 
orgnlmrwiggles

orgnlmrwiggles

Well-Known Member
jack the beanstalk said:
You aren't giving us a lot of info. Sounds like not enough light noob. Joking, details man, details.
Click to expand...
lmao :bigjoint: sorry, was in a rush before class.

first harvest :

temps :
(lights on : 56-68 degrees f)
(lights off : 45-57 degrees f)

set up:
(hydro ebb & flow)

humidity :
(50%-79%)

second harvest :
(lights on : 51-69 degrees f)
(lights off : 45-56 degrees f)

set up:
soil : patio plus (horrrrrible soil)

humidity :
(56-79%)
___________

ph on hydro usually natural PHed using our nutes and balancing them. 5.7-6.2 i think

and soil PHed to 6.5-6.8

all using tap water that comes out 7.0
___________

in one half of a 4x8x5 using a 600 watt HPS on a digital ballast.
___________

tops buds turn out nice, fat and extremely crystalized. definately one of the best weeds ive smoked, but only the top 1/3 or less of the plant turns out that way.

what else bud?
 
desertrat

desertrat

Well-Known Member
orgnlmrwiggles said:
can you possibly explain to me why (or how) my 600 watt hps is not enough light for a 4x4x5?
Click to expand...
that's enough light for the top of the canopy but the amount of light that actually reaches the lower parts of the plant is not strong enough to grow good bud. one reason people top, fim or lst their plants is to bring the lower branches up to the same height as the top branches.
 
H

hotpants69

Member
The light cant penetrate past a certain amount of leaves specially when you have to account for having it high enough so that it does not burn the top colas. Place a couple of CFLs around the bottom and that should help.
 
orgnlmrwiggles

orgnlmrwiggles

Well-Known Member
well since i am on another harvest now, i have topped. i have also cut many lower branches along with budsites on branches closest to the main stem. how many bud sites do you guys normally leave on each branch or do you just supplement light?
 
Pipe Dream

Pipe Dream

Well-Known Member
If your bottom branches aren't recieving light get some light on em or just cut off bottom branches that aren't growing well and aren't going to amount to much. Those small little buds that aren't reciving light will just be tiny little buds that aren't even really worth smokin. By cutting off some of the excess foliage, the plant will concentrate it's energy on the tops that are recieving light. Next time practice some lst or topping when your plants are in veg.
 
orgnlmrwiggles

orgnlmrwiggles

Well-Known Member
Pipe Dream said:
If your bottom branches aren't recieving light get some light on em or just cut off bottom branches that aren't growing well and aren't going to amount to much. Those small little buds that aren't reciving light will just be tiny little buds that aren't even really worth smokin. By cutting off some of the excess foliage, the plant will concentrate it's energy on the tops that are recieving light. Next time practice some lst or topping when your plants are in veg.
Click to expand...
yea on this harvest, ive tried my best to remove lower branches and bud sites that look like they wont amount to anything. i have 2 plants in 7 gallon under the 600 watt hps this time. they have been vegging for 2 months and they are about 24" high. one of the two are topped so i can tell side by side at the end what the difference is. they are still vegging at the moment, currently under a 400 watt mh, i would like to tie branches down, but idk if it would be a bad idea with the size they are already.

one thing im worried about though is my last plants with the problems turned around to look really stunted. they were in 5 gallons and only grew to be about 12-16 inches tall... and im waiting for them to finish drying so i can tell the yield, which isnt much.
 
M

McFonz

Well-Known Member
I too believe its a light issue.
If you can, get a cooltube if you don't have one already.
Looking at your temps I'd guess its pretty cold there. If so just vent the heat from the light to the bottom of the plants to keep heat in. If not, vent it out.
Cooltube lets you get the lights MUCH closer. It will give you bigger upper nugs as well as lower nugs.
upper nugs will fatten up due to increased lightning.
lower nugs will then be in a closer distance so light penetration would be higher.

With a 600W you get about 80cm (40 inches?) of effective light.
I'd make it a meter to make sure I don't waste any light.
If you put your lights 30cm above the canopy only the top 70cm will get enough light.
If its 60cm above, only the top 40 cm get enough light, etc.

Another way to maximize this issue is going colloseum - making your plants grow in a half-circle around the light.
I'm running a colloseum SCROG right now. Its way more simple than it sounds. Check it out - its in my sig :D

I plan on removing anything below the screen after the 3weeks mark - it will not get enough light.
Everything else is 40cm at most from the light. And I got a lot of nugs compared to my previous grows.



P.S.
To increase trichome production you might wanna lower your humidity.
 
krydbom

krydbom

Member
Your temperatures seem very low to me, I stay between 72-76 degree's Fahrenheit for veg and a little bit higher when I switch to flowering.
 
orgnlmrwiggles

orgnlmrwiggles

Well-Known Member
McFonz said:
I too believe its a light issue.
If you can, get a cooltube if you don't have one already.
Looking at your temps I'd guess its pretty cold there. If so just vent the heat from the light to the bottom of the plants to keep heat in. If not, vent it out.
Cooltube lets you get the lights MUCH closer. It will give you bigger upper nugs as well as lower nugs.
upper nugs will fatten up due to increased lightning.
lower nugs will then be in a closer distance so light penetration would be higher.

With a 600W you get about 80cm (40 inches?) of effective light.
I'd make it a meter to make sure I don't waste any light.
If you put your lights 30cm above the canopy only the top 70cm will get enough light.
If its 60cm above, only the top 40 cm get enough light, etc.

Another way to maximize this issue is going colloseum - making your plants grow in a half-circle around the light.
I'm running a colloseum SCROG right now. Its way more simple than it sounds. Check it out - its in my sig :D

I plan on removing anything below the screen after the 3weeks mark - it will not get enough light.
Everything else is 40cm at most from the light. And I got a lot of nugs compared to my previous grows.



P.S.
To increase trichome production you might wanna lower your humidity.
Click to expand...
thanks, if i dont have my blower blowing outside of my room, my room will hit temps of 100+. i want to bring my lights closer than the 12 inches from my tops that it is now, but im worried about the light not be spread out enough. and for your P.S. i have heard this before, but even compared to the top shelf cannabis from the medical dispensaries, the trichomes are amazing. i can't imagine how covered they will be with 30-50% humidity. for this i picked up some DampRid (refillable cylinder) to try out, hopefully this works well, any one try these before?
 
orgnlmrwiggles

orgnlmrwiggles

Well-Known Member
krydbom said:
Your temperatures seem very low to me, I stay between 72-76 degree's Fahrenheit for veg and a little bit higher when I switch to flowering.
Click to expand...
i was honestly thinking the temps are all around too low, dropping below 60 with lights on and dropped below 55 with lights off makes me cringe. :wall:
however, i have the sexiest orange and darkblack/purple grand daddy purple nugs from the low temps. but yield > color purple IMHO
 
M

McFonz

Well-Known Member
orgnlmrwiggles said:
thanks, if i dont have my blower blowing outside of my room, my room will hit temps of 100+. i want to bring my lights closer than the 12 inches from my tops that it is now, but im worried about the light not be spread out enough. and for your P.S. i have heard this before, but even compared to the top shelf cannabis from the medical dispensaries, the trichomes are amazing. i can't imagine how covered they will be with 30-50% humidity. for this i picked up some DampRid (refillable cylinder) to try out, hopefully this works well, any one try these before?
Click to expand...
12 inches is pretty normal if you'r ain't cooltubed.
I can grow at half the distance with my cooltube.

the light will be blocked by the buds that are close to it, but it will not be wasted that way.
you'l be amazed how big buds get when they get that much more light.

Again, you could SCROG and make sure most buds gets just enough light.

Lower humidity helps. look for people flowering with 5-15% RH and see what I mean.
 
M

McFonz

Well-Known Member
Thats normal growth dude.
You could either let them go another week or two while the tops are chopped or train the plant to let more light to the bottom.
 
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