New grower; Frosting on new flowers, powdery mildew or trichomes

[BlueCrabGuy]

Wow, you guys are great. Thanks for all your information!

I spent a lot of time filling up the tent (main-linning) which has required me to thin the fan leaves a bunch of times. The fan leaves are getting big again and taking a bunch of room and casting shadows. I didn't know if I could reduce the fan leaves while the plants are flowering. I will try to find fan leaves that I can cut out. Any recommendations on the number of leaves to cut out? I'll look for leaves covering bud sights. I won't cut the ones on the edges.

Should I cut some of the buds out? I Lolly-popped the plant but there are some stems that look like I can cut that have flowers. The flowers that are covered right now (but soon to be uncovered).

Thanks!
BC

 

[billoddy66]

T

@Captspaulding
I've had a little wave of whitelfys make themselves quickly at home in week 4/5 of flower. Any tips on what to do? Removed the worst affected leaves-eggs wise and wondering if i have options of spraying anything at all this la

Well buddy, that is tough, white flies are gross little shits ain’t they? Normally I’m a captain jacks dead bug guy, but you are def past the point I would suggest any type foliar spraying. You may just have to be a crazy person and picks them of and stick them in soapy water until you can squish em all, and I would spot wash as needed. I get them here on a lot of my pilot plants. They love those here. How much of your crop is affected % wise?

Thanks mate. Maybe 5% of plants have them

A friend recommended v weak concentration of dish soap mixed with water and spray away onto the eggs to suffocate them what do you reckon this late in flower though?

 

[Captspaulding]

Wow, you guys are great. Thanks for all your information!

I spent a lot of time filling up the tent (main-linning) which has required me to thin the fan leaves a bunch of times. The fan leaves are getting big again and taking a bunch of room and casting shadows. I didn't know if I could reduce the fan leaves while the plants are flowering. I will try to find fan leaves that I can cut out. Any recommendations on the number of leaves to cut out? I'll look for leaves covering bud sights. I won't cut the ones on the edges.

Should I cut some of the buds out? I Lolly-popped the plant but there are some stems that look like I can cut that have flowers. The flowers that are covered right now (but soon to be uncovered).

Thanks!
BC

Just don’t be overly heavy handed, use you best judgment. If they are low and larfy, I don’t see why not, just do it all at once so your healing time isn’t prolonged.

 

[Captspaulding]

T



Thanks mate. Maybe 5% of plants have them

A friend recommended v weak concentration of dish soap mixed with water and spray away onto the eggs to suffocate them what do you reckon this late in flower though?

I mean, it’s not a bad suggestion, the light soap mix. I would just be super careful while spraying leaves, maybe take a piece of cardboard to block flowers while you spot treat leaves?

 

[billoddy66]

Wow, you guys are great. Thanks for all your information!

I spent a lot of time filling up the tent (main-linning) which has required me to thin the fan leaves a bunch of times. The fan leaves are getting big again and taking a bunch of room and casting shadows. I didn't know if I could reduce the fan leaves while the plants are flowering. I will try to find fan leaves that I can cut out. Any recommendations on the number of leaves to cut out? I'll look for leaves covering bud sights. I won't cut the ones on the edges.

Should I cut some of the buds out? I Lolly-popped the plant but there are some stems that look like I can cut that have flowers. The flowers that are covered right now (but soon to be uncovered).

Thanks!
BC

Hard to say numbers but I wouldn't be worried taking off 10% for example. Some say 15% defoilation in one go won't stress the plant but maybe go less to be safe as they are a bit faded

A lot of people taking off almost all fan leaves at 21 says and 42 days with no bad effects but this isn't something I'd try as a beginner or if plants aren't looking perfect before hand (schwazzing)

Personally I'd be comfortable taking off stuff at bottom that is flower if its v small and has no shape to it in week 4. If it just looks like fluff with some pistils coming out and its never going to get ligth and you want to focus on prime buds rather than larf I'd get rid of it

 

[billoddy66]

Hard to say numbers but I wouldn't be worried taking off 10% for example. Some say 15% defoilation in one go won't stress the plant but maybe go less to be safe as they are a bit faded

A lot of people taking off almost all fan leaves at 21 says and 42 days with no bad effects but this isn't something I'd try as a beginner or if plants aren't looking perfect before hand (schwazzing)

Personally I'd be comfortable taking off stuff at bottom that is flower if its v small and has no shape to it in week 4. If it just looks like fluff with some pistils coming out and its never going to get ligth and you want to focus on prime buds rather than larf I'd get rid of it

21 days and 42 days flower

As long as the plants are happy i think you can get away with quite a bit of defoliation but yeah be cautious if they're not looking perfect

 

[Captspaulding]

Yeah people are religious about 21 days, the logic makes sense. I just always snagged one or 2 here and there as needed, as long as the plant is vigorous.

 

[Bullmark69]

I’m jumping in a little late and I have to say you’ve gotten some great advice.
IMO the plants look really healthy and vibrant, just maybe a little on the light side…meaning a lighter shade of green.
May growers cut out too much N during flower, when in fact the most N is needed during the transition from veg through the first couple of weeks of flower.
As for the VPD issue, it’s hard to argue against the published numbers. But one has to be careful running their RH as high as the VPD chart suggests (in flower). You gotta have great airflow and make sure your plants aren’t packed into the grow space like sardines.
I like to run around 80-82F during veg with RH in the 60s. I’ll drop the temp down to 78ish and the RH to 50% for the first half of flower, then take it down to 75F & 45% to finish out. That last week or so I’ll even lower the RH more. The last thing, and I mean dead last thing u want at the end of a long grow is bud rot, mold, mildew etc.
Just be aware that the plant may transpire a little more with lower RH and watch out for burn.
Your chart is thorough but too much info for my tiny brain. I’ve attached another that is way more general but easy to understand. You’ll see the need for N in early flower is higher than most people think.
It’s helped me a ton. Good luck, you’ve got a nice grow cooking.

 

[Captspaulding]

I try to tell folks, a little bit of surplus n into flower is the way to roll. Either that or a light top dress.

 

[socks4free]

Well buddy, that is tough, white flies are gross little shits ain’t they? Normally I’m a captain jacks dead bug guy, but you are def past the point I would suggest any type foliar spraying. You may just have to be a crazy person and picks them of and stick them in soapy water until you can squish em all, and I would spot wash as needed. I get them here on a lot of my pilot plants. They love those here. How much of your crop is affected % wise?

You wash buds in soapy water? How does.tbat work out?

The last couple years at harvest I've been washing my buds In a bucket of water/hydrogen peroxide as I tend to see a little bit of wpm through my grows. I use Dr zymes through the growing even in flowering so I don't tend to see much on them at harvest if any but I wash anyways after the first year I did this and saw how much dirt and bugs came off I have just been doing it as a precaution now lol. It's worked very good.

 

[Captspaulding]

You wash buds in soapy water? How does.tbat work out?

The last couple years at harvest I've been washing my buds In a bucket of water/hydrogen peroxide as I tend to see a little bit of wpm through my grows. I use Dr zymes through the growing even in flowering so I don't tend to see much on them at harvest if any but I wash anyways after the first year I did this and saw how much dirt and bugs came off I have just been doing it as a precaution now lol. It's worked very good.

No I don’t do that, I don’t foliar spray unless it’s to treat for bugs, never past week 2 of flower. I was saying pick the flies off and stick them in a cup of soapy water. Until you can kill them.

 

[Captspaulding]

You wash buds in soapy water? How does.tbat work out?

The last couple years at harvest I've been washing my buds In a bucket of water/hydrogen peroxide as I tend to see a little bit of wpm through my grows. I use Dr zymes through the growing even in flowering so I don't tend to see much on them at harvest if any but I wash anyways after the first year I did this and saw how much dirt and bugs came off I have just been doing it as a precaution now lol. It's worked very good.

Where did you see me say I wash buds in soapy water? I’m confused

 

[socks4free]

Where did you see me say I wash buds in soapy water? I’m confused

I must of been misreading your message then

 

[Captspaulding]

I must of been misreading your message then

I was fixin to say, washing buds in soapy water seems counterintuitive I would only touch leaves if anything, but even then I’d be a bit freaked, I’m just trying to offer the fella any type of mitigation to keeping spray off of flowers altogether, hence the cardboard shield I suggested. White flies are pretty gnarly. The shit they leave behind on the plants it’s gross. The really go for flat open spots on the plants, and not nooks and crannies for the most part. So hopefully he can clean them off fairly easily.

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

Yes, it’s not a crazy fade or anything. They look decent. Just a bit light. That 20% reduction should be good. Your familiar with the term “the leaves are praying” I assume, well when they want more light, they will almost go vertical to reach for it…..

I'm going to disagree with you a little bit about praying leaves. Sometimes, they want more light, such as near the end of the dark period and for a while after the lights come on. Other times, praying can mean they are protecting themselves from too much light. If there are other signs of light stress, then chances are they're protecting themselves.

 

[Captspaulding]

Just my experience bud. normally my leaves will lay down and taco. Try to hide.

 

[BlueCrabGuy]

View attachment 2026852I’m jumping in a little late and I have to say you’ve gotten some great advice.
IMO the plants look really healthy and vibrant, just maybe a little on the light side…meaning a lighter shade of green.
May growers cut out too much N during flower, when in fact the most N is needed during the transition from veg through the first couple of weeks of flower.
As for the VPD issue, it’s hard to argue against the published numbers. But one has to be careful running their RH as high as the VPD chart suggests (in flower). You gotta have great airflow and make sure your plants aren’t packed into the grow space like sardines.
I like to run around 80-82F during veg with RH in the 60s. I’ll drop the temp down to 78ish and the RH to 50% for the first half of flower, then take it down to 75F & 45% to finish out. That last week or so I’ll even lower the RH more. The last thing, and I mean dead last thing u want at the end of a long grow is bud rot, mold, mildew etc.
Just be aware that the plant may transpire a little more with lower RH and watch out for burn.
Your chart is thorough but too much info for my tiny brain. I’ve attached another that is way more general but easy to understand. You’ll see the need for N in early flower is higher than most people think.
It’s helped me a ton. Good luck, you’ve got a nice grow cooking.

Thanks Bullmark69

 

[BlueCrabGuy]

You wash buds in soapy water? How does.tbat work out?

The last couple years at harvest I've been washing my buds In a bucket of water/hydrogen peroxide as I tend to see a little bit of wpm through my grows. I use Dr zymes through the growing even in flowering so I don't tend to see much on them at harvest if any but I wash anyways after the first year I did this and saw how much dirt and bugs came off I have just been doing it as a precaution now lol. It's worked very good.

Thanks for contributing to the discussion socks4free. When do you wash your buds? Before drying, after drying and trimming, after aging? Can you describe how you wash them? Are you talking about indoor or outdoor plants?

Thanks socks4free,
BC

 

[socks4free]

I was fixin to say, washing buds in soapy water seems counterintuitive I would only touch leaves if anything, but even then I’d be a bit freaked, I’m just trying to offer the fella any type of mitigation to keeping spray off of flowers altogether, hence the cardboard shield I suggested. White flies are pretty gnarly. The shit they leave behind on the plants it’s gross. The really go for flat open spots on the plants, and not nooks and crannies for the most part. So hopefully he can clean them off fairly easily.

Yeah I've never used soapy water to clean my buds. Only water/hydrogen peroxide during harvest to get rid of any wpm/bugs/dirt on the buds. Soap seems like it would not work out so great lol

 

[Captspaulding]

Yeah I've never used soapy water to clean my buds. Only water/hydrogen peroxide during harvest to get rid of any wpm/bugs/dirt on the buds. Soap seems like it would not work out so great lol

It’s used in a down and dirty flush recipe from time to time (I don’t flush) outside of that, the logic seems applicable, but I’m not sure I’d do it. But if your gonna, be as proactive as possible to protect flowers. Full stop.