I tried to get this up sooner, but the RIU database was apparently down this morning. Plants are looking and smelling quite nice, though I'm still experiencing some top leaf droopage in tall girl, and similar developments are beginning to take place on shorty. After doing a little research, I came across a condition commonly referred to as "the claw." I think this most accurately describes what is happening in my plants (though it was difficult to find information about it and its not in those "marijuana plant problem" compendiums found online).
The causes are heat stress, ph imbalance/fluctuation, over-nuteing, and root-bound. My pots are big enough I don't think its root bound, the ph could be off but I don't think its fluctuating, over-nuteing is certainly a possibility and I'm been fighting the heat the whole time. So, it sounds like a combination of factors.
Though the ph may be off, I'm not showing any signs of nutrient lockout (at least not discolored or spotty leaves or weird leaf twisting), and the problem is still confined to the top few nodes, though it may be slowing moving down to the lower foliage. I could certainly have overnuted them--I just always want to feed those juicy buds! I think it is more likely that I'm getting a salt buildup in the soil, so I will flush when they wake up tonight and see if that helps.
On a related note, trichomes are beginning to appear around the little budsites
. And, no sign of those possible pollen sacks! I'm thinking the irregular calyx thing was right on (at least I'll keep hoping!) though I continue to monitor the situation closely.
Anyway, things are starting to look real nice, and I think I'm actually going to get some quality bud when this is all said and done! Take a look for yourselves...
We begin with tall girl and her "claws." Some of the top leaves are still laying flat, and the lower ones still look good, so I'm not too concerned about it just yet. But I am still going to flush and try to better monitor my ph
Here's the top--beginning to fill in nicely.
This one's a little blurry, but its a lower bud with trichomes and her first orange hairs!
Here's a nice shot of one of the middle nodes...frosty...
Next, we have wide girl...minor clawing beginning to show on the foliage growth around the stem
Here's a better view of the clawing. I guess she is doing it more than I thought.
Here's her top. Looking good. Much thinner pistils than tall girl.
Here's a couple central buds beginning to get frosty
Shorty. Still short. Starting to see some clawing up top, but minor as of right now.
Here's shorty's top. Looked like it was developing a little cluster of something that I hope is not pollen sacks. She's never shown signs of hermie to this point, so I think its just new calyxes or something. The picture doesn't show it too well.
My little awkward looking family...
Oh, and can't forget about the babies!
I must say that this part of the growing experience is without a doubt the most fun! I'm still 30+ days away from harvest, which is kind of a bummer, but I can totally wait. And by then the next round will be ready to flower and I'll have a fresh harvest in another ~9 weeks! And maybe, just maybe, I'll get that blue cheese and violator kush I've been salivating over...