More info on the skunky smell

[Cloverdalestan]

OK, from what I’ve read on this forum and others, a pungent, skunky smell In the vegetative stage is considered a positive thing. My indoor plants developed this smell at four weeks or so. It lasted about four days and suddenly disappeared. The plants appear fine at 5 weeks soon to be six, but growth has really stymied. LEDs are o. Between 18 and 19 hours a day. Seem to be stuck @ 13 inches or so . They’ve been getting Fox Farm Grow Big and Big Bloom 2x a week. Each nutrient is spaced by 48 hours. I seldom water between feedings as my meter shows the soil moist at depth until the second day after feed. As a first time grower I made the typical newbie mistakes; watering too frequently and over feeding and have the bottom yellow leaves to prove it! By the way, I have no clue as to the strain. The leaf shape would suggest Sativa .

1. Is this typical?
2. Will the smell return?
3. Is this indicative of something slowly going wrong?

Thinking of replanting one plant just as an experiment.

 

[Moshmen]

OK, from what I’ve read on this forum and others, a pungent, skunky smell In the vegetative stage is considered a positive thing. My indoor plants developed this smell at four weeks or so. It lasted about four days and suddenly disappeared. The plants appear fine at 5 weeks soon to be six, but growth has really stymied. LEDs are o. Between 18 and 19 hours a day. Seem to be stuck @ 13 inches or so . They’ve been getting Fox Farm Grow Big and Big Bloom 2x a week. Each nutrient is spaced by 48 hours. I seldom water between feedings as my meter shows the soil moist at depth until the second day after feed. As a first time grower I made the typical newbie mistakes; watering too frequently and over feeding and have the bottom yellow leaves to prove it! By the way, I have no clue as to the strain. The leaf shape would suggest Sativa .

1. Is this typical?
2. Will the smell return?
3. Is this indicative of something slowly going wrong?

Thinking of replanting one plant just as an experiment.

Pics whole plant pics in natural light will get ya better responses

 

[sambapati]

OK, from what I’ve read on this forum and others, a pungent, skunky smell In the vegetative stage is considered a positive thing. My indoor plants developed this smell at four weeks or so. It lasted about four days and suddenly disappeared. The plants appear fine at 5 weeks soon to be six, but growth has really stymied. LEDs are o. Between 18 and 19 hours a day. Seem to be stuck @ 13 inches or so . They’ve been getting Fox Farm Grow Big and Big Bloom 2x a week. Each nutrient is spaced by 48 hours. I seldom water between feedings as my meter shows the soil moist at depth until the second day after feed. As a first time grower I made the typical newbie mistakes; watering too frequently and over feeding and have the bottom yellow leaves to prove it! By the way, I have no clue as to the strain. The leaf shape would suggest Sativa .

1. Is this typical?
2. Will the smell return?
3. Is this indicative of something slowly going wrong?

Thinking of replanting one plant just as an experiment.

Without seeing a picture tough to know but guessing you should add 1 tbs epsom salt to a gallon ratio instead of your normal feed. That would help with lockout issues. Foliar feeding aloe vera is plant's natural aspirin and helps plants grow, spraying the leaf underside right before lights out. Put a regular piece of white chalk in the plant.

 

[Cloverdalestan]

Without seeing a picture tough to know but guessing you should add 1 tbs epsom salt to a gallon ratio instead of your normal feed. That would help with lockout issues. Foliar feeding aloe vera is plant's natural aspirin and helps plants grow, spraying the leaf underside right before lights out. Put a regular piece of white chalk in the plant.

Thanks for the replies. But is it normal for the pungent smell to come and go? My grow space is too dark without lights to take a decent picture. Regarding the nutrient lockout theory, I’ll check PH in a bit . If PH is in the normal range, does that eliminate lockout as potential Issue? As I said previously, I have overfed and over watered In the past , but the last 10 days , I’ve cut back significantly. New growth is a beautiful, vibrant green ; maybe I’ve corrected whatever the problems were.

 

[RippedTorn]

When I grew with bottled nutes the smell would come and go in veg, relevant to waterings/feedings. The skunky smell comes from fatty acid oxidation and enzyme metabolism. It's like going into and out of ketosis, as a high level of nitrogen seems to inhibit the plants ability to create excess fatty acids and change the enzyme profile to one that breaks down desirable funky smells and sticky metabolite rather than produce them.

Science has a long way to go in explaining plant growth, it's still this "NPK = plant food" paradigm. That's like saying Flintstones vitamins = human food. And with good weed being the lowest priority, the Cannabis plant will probably never be fully explained. (Especially since organics, flushing, skunk, taste, and psychacadelic effect are all considered myths in the modern Cannabis community.)

 

[MIMedGrower]

When I grew with bottled nutes the smell would come and go in veg, relevant to waterings/feedings. The skunky smell comes from fatty acid oxidation and enzyme metabolism. It's like going into and out of ketosis, as a high level of nitrogen seems to inhibit the plants ability to create excess fatty acids and change the enzyme profile to one that breaks down desirable funky smells and sticky metabolite rather than produce them.

Science has a long way to go in explaining plant growth, it's still this "NPK = plant food" paradigm. That's like saying Flintstones vitamins = human food. And with good weed being the lowest priority, the Cannabis plant will probably never be fully explained. (Especially since organics, flushing, skunk, taste, and psychacadelic effect are all considered myths in the modern Cannabis community.)

No. You are making this all up. And the “modern cannabis community” you keep referring to must be your neighborhood. Cause it isnt mine.

The smell is the plants reaction to different stress. Could be heat, bugs, or even nutrient stress organic or chemical salt based.

And yes smells come and go and change.

 

[KDB42]

The smell is the plants reaction to different stress. Could be heat, bugs, or even nutrient stress organic or chemical salt based.

And yes smells come and go and change.

Are you saying there might not be any smell if the plant isn't stressed or the other way around? I'm asking because my plant hasn't smelled up the room since I turned the temps down and I was kinda worring about that.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Are you saying there might not be any smell if the plant isn't stressed or the other way around? I'm asking because my plant hasn't smelled up the room since I turned the temps down and I was kinda worring about that.

Dont over think it. Plants smell and dont smell all through the phases.

And every grow and plant can be different.

If it was too hot you may have smelled terpenes burning off.

 

[KDB42]

That's exactly why I turn the temps down I was thinking that. Thank you!

 

[redshift75]

Dont over think it. Plants smell and dont smell all through the phases.

And every grow and plant can be different.

If it was too hot you may have smelled terpenes burning off.

Im with this. So many factors to this.

 

[sambapati]

When I grew with bottled nutes the smell would come and go in veg, relevant to waterings/feedings. The skunky smell comes from fatty acid oxidation and enzyme metabolism. It's like going into and out of ketosis, as a high level of nitrogen seems to inhibit the plants ability to create excess fatty acids and change the enzyme profile to one that breaks down desirable funky smells and sticky metabolite rather than produce them.

Science has a long way to go in explaining plant growth, it's still this "NPK = plant food" paradigm. That's like saying Flintstones vitamins = human food. And with good weed being the lowest priority, the Cannabis plant will probably never be fully explained. (Especially since organics, flushing, skunk, taste, and psychacadelic effect are all considered myths in the modern Cannabis community.)

Been following some cannabis skin cream companies for 3 years. R&D yes and patents and human testing but no shippable product. We know that today we know a little bit and lots of good will. Any answer would be the same as old folks underwear -- D-E-P-E-N-D-S