New Grower - Advice - Is This Normal??

WileyWasp · Jul 31, 2021

Hey everyone!

This is my first time growing and I need some advice. I have two plants and I believe they are about 3.5 months old, but I could be wrong. I got them when they were about 4-6 weeks old, from a friend and that is what he told me.

I just pulled them apart because they were crowding eachother. The areas that were crowded look like they are further along and starting to flower.
Since I am a new grower, I really don't know what to look for to tell when they are starting to flower.

When should I switch nutrients to help in the flowering process? Is it too early right now?

The first photo is of them when they were closer together.
The next photo is of them separated.
And the last photos are close ups of where I think they are starting to flower.

Also, some leaves have spots, which can be seen on the close ups, what's up with that?

Should I be plucking the large fan leaves?

Do plants start flowering from the bottom? Thats what mine look like right now, but that could be because they are getting less light.

Any other advice or input is greatly appreciated! Literally anything you might have to say is welcome!

Thanks!!

FoggyForest · Jul 31, 2021

To me, they look like they're roughly 10 to 14 days into the flowering stage.

The fan-leaves with spots are from some pest, but it doesn't look bad enough that I would worry. Overall they look very healthy and you've done a great job.

If you're fertilizing synthetically, I'd wait another week or two before switching to flower nutes.
If you're fertilizing with organic amendments however, I would scratch in some flower mix right now, as they take longer to break down and become available to the plant. I use Dr. Earth Flower Girl

Plants should be flowering faster from the tops, much slower on the bottom. Many growers remove the bottom 1/3 of the flowering sites altogether as they wont finish on time with the rest of the plant, and don't catch much sunlight anyway. This also consolidates more energy from the plant to go towards producing the best flowers at the top.

Pushrod Monkey · Jul 31, 2021

It’s safe to start bloom feeds. And to cut back a bit on the nitrogen.

WileyWasp · Jul 31, 2021

FoggyForest said:
To me, they look like they're roughly 10 to 14 days into the flowering stage.

The fan-leaves with spots are from some pest, but it doesn't look bad enough that I would worry. Overall they look very healthy and you've done a great job.

If you're fertilizing synthetically, I'd wait another week or two before switching to flower nutes.
If you're fertilizing with organic amendments however, I would scratch in some flower mix right now, as they take longer to break down and become available to the plant. I use Dr. Earth Flower Girl

Plants should be flowering faster from the tops, much slower on the bottom. Many growers remove the bottom 1/3 of the flowering sites altogether as they wont finish on time with the rest of the plant, and don't catch much sunlight anyway. This also consolidates more energy from the plant to go towards producing the best flowers at the top.

Thank you for your reply! I am fertilizing synthetically, and I will use your advice and wait a bit until I switch. I appreciate your input, you helped a lot!

mancorn · Jul 31, 2021

The plants went into flower and then revegged and why you’re seeing the premature flowering (along with the 3 bladed leaves). The spots show a serious bug problem, either thrips or mites - I’d guess both. You need to get a jewelers loupe and inspect the underside of the leaves and then spray for the target pest before the plants go into full flower.

GNick55 · Jul 31, 2021

mancorn said:
The plants went into flower and then revegged and why you’re seeing the premature flowering (along with the 3 bladed leaves). The spots show a serious bug problem, either thrips or mites - I’d guess both. You need to get a jewelers loupe and inspect the underside of the leaves and then spray for the target pest before the plants go into full flower.

^^^ this.. the 3 bladed leaves are probably from the stress of the pest, better get that fixed soon!

Santa.ClausHOHOHO · Aug 2, 2021

Look for little white, green or black specks on the underside of the leaves. Look through a magnifier and you will be surprised. 2 beady little eyes and legs.
You can overcome them if treated now and properly.

Unklefrosty · Aug 2, 2021

I would bet my career these pests are Thrips. It could also be leafhoppers which are harder to get rid of but my money is on thrips. Spray spinosad and milbemectin as a 2 action treatment seperately every 3 days until signs desist. Foliar spray kelp extract and fulvic acid to help get over the stress and spray silica along with. Use all 3 as a preventative measure. Kelp is full of auxins and cytokinins. They act as plant protection. Silica helps build more robust tissue so they biting insects have a hard time. Also keeps powdery midlew at bay.

Plants are looking good though. They just need bloom stimulus and off they go.

WileyWasp · Aug 2, 2021

Unklefrosty said:
I would bet my career these pests are Thrips. It could also be leafhoppers which are harder to get rid of but my money is on thrips. Spray spinosad and milbemectin as a 2 action treatment seperately every 3 days until signs desist. Foliar spray kelp extract and fulvic acid to help get over the stress and spray silica along with. Use all 3 as a preventative measure. Kelp is full of auxins and cytokinins. They act as plant protection. Silica helps build more robust tissue so they biting insects have a hard time. Also keeps powdery midlew at bay.

Plants are looking good though. They just need bloom stimulus and off they go.

Thank you for the help. A friend told me to spray the plants with Neem oil so I did. Will this do the same to kill the pest and protect the plant?

Badcableman · Aug 2, 2021

Could be reveg from heat and humidity stress. This summer has been crap for growing outdoors with regards to higher than normal temps and high humidity. My last female (admittedly started from seed at least a month late) looks like this. Throwing 1, 3, and 5-lobed fan leaves. Trying to salvage at least something from her. :/

Unklefrosty · Aug 12, 2021

WileyWasp said:
Thank you for the help. A friend told me to spray the plants with Neem oil so I did. Will this do the same to kill the pest and protect the plant?

Hey Bro. I would avoid using neem oil as the active ingredient azederachtin has been linked to a syndrome which isn't very nice. Neem will work but one action of treatment usually sees the return of the pest in question unless you use something harsh like a heavy insecticide. Milbemectin is made from fermented bacteria and spinosad is also bacteria. There is something else you can use if you can find it. Metharizium 69. It's a fungus that infests insects and grows from the inside out, essentially killing them. In short however if you can't find any of these the neem will work as long as you apply 1-2 times a week at 5ml per Litre. It's also readily available and cheap for a new grower.

IPM ( Integrated Pest Management ) is something that should be implemented to avoid such infestations. Cover all your bases and add a fungicide, a miticide, some type of insecticide and some Kelp/Fulvic acid foliar sprays. MIx your Fulvic and kelp to a 5:2 ratio Fulvic to Kelp. It helps work as a plant protection agent and is a great bio stimulant.

Good luck brother.

Badcableman · Aug 12, 2021

Badcableman said:
Could be reveg from heat and humidity stress. This summer has been crap for growing outdoors with regards to higher than normal temps and high humidity. My last female (admittedly started from seed at least a month late) looks like this. Throwing 1, 3, and 5-lobed fan leaves. Trying to salvage at least something from her. :/

As things turn out, according to info I received last week from the seed breeder, my plant isn't stunted or revegging at all... She's a DR. GRINSPOON (100% sativa cross, I'm sure)!! NO WONDER she's not growing as I was anticipating... i guess I'll know in November!!

Pushrod Monkey · Aug 12, 2021

Badcableman said:
As things turn out, according to info I received last week from the seed breeder, my plant isn't stunted or revegging at all... She's a DR. GRINSPOON (100% sativa cross, I'm sure)!! NO WONDER she's not growing as I was anticipating... i guess I'll know in November!!

Were you not aware of the strain until today?

Badcableman · Aug 12, 2021

Pushrod Monkey said:
Were you not aware of the strain until today?

No Sir, I was totally unaware. Backstory: 1st ever grow. Nearly all medical dispensaries in MI don't sell seed. Making a long story short, I popped 6 seeds from a free magical mystery seed tube I received from a west coast seed breeder. Through culling (for varying reasons) I ended up with this sole female (sadly I culled a male of this same strain).

After looking at all the phenomenal pics of experienced growers' plants, I knew something wasn't just quite right. My plant didn't look like everyone else's. I know I started her a month late. After posting a few photos here on THCF, I just assumed she was stunted by all the terrible heat and humidity this season, and that she'd gone into revegging. Happily, that appears to not be the case at all.

In desperation, I sent photos to the seed breeder. He immediately responded that he had bred a DR GRINSPOON male with a giant 100% Purple Sativa. He said seeds from that pairing were included in my seed tube. Hence, she's a 100% sativa cross showing strong GRINSPOON characteristics. Smelled strongly of skunk and showed sex early in veg. Now smells more lemony. Trichomes are loaded with pinene (strong pine or turpentine odor if touched).

Now I know why. Beginner's mistakes. Beginner's luck.

Pushrod Monkey · Aug 13, 2021

Badcableman said:
No Sir, I was totally unaware. Backstory: 1st ever grow. Nearly all medical dispensaries in MI don't sell seed. Making a long story short, I popped 6 seeds from a free magical mystery seed tube I received from a west coast seed breeder. Through culling (for varying reasons) I ended up with this sole female (sadly I culled a male of this same strain).

After looking at all the phenomenal pics of experienced growers' plants, I knew something wasn't just quite right. My plant didn't look like everyone else's. I know I started her a month late. After posting a few photos here on THCF, I just assumed she was stunted by all the terrible heat and humidity this season, and that she'd gone into revegging. Happily, that appears to not be the case at all.

In desperation, I sent photos to the seed breeder. He immediately responded that he had bred a DR GRINSPOON male with a giant 100% Purple Sativa. He said seeds from that pairing were included in my seed tube. Hence, she's a 100% sativa cross showing strong GRINSPOON characteristics. Smelled strongly of skunk and showed sex early in veg. Now smells more lemony. Trichomes are loaded with pinene (strong pine or turpentine odor if touched).

Now I know why. Beginner's mistakes. Beginner's luck.

Got a friend in California who specializes in Grinspoon. You’re pretty lucky getting a female.

Badcableman · Aug 13, 2021

Pushrod Monkey said:
Got a friend in California who specializes in Grinspoon. You’re pretty lucky getting a female.

"If I knew then what I knew now"... Being a dumb noob, I culled the male. I'd have kept them both together and let them do their thing, just for the seeds.

I hope she lives up to her potential & reputation.

Texasdigger35 · Aug 13, 2021

GNick55 said:
^^^ this.. the 3 bladed leaves are probably from the stress of the pest, better get that fixed soon!

I've always noticed the plant decreases blade count as it shifts into flower stretch. Down from 7s to 5s to 3s then finally 1s indicating you're weeks into flower. Looks normal to me. Now if I saw 1s then 3s above it that would indicate revegg.

GNick55 · Aug 13, 2021

Texasdigger35 said:
I've always noticed the plant decreases blade count as it shifts into flower stretch. Down from 7s to 5s to 3s then finally 1s indicating you're weeks into flower. Looks normal to me. Now if I saw 1s then 3s above it that would indicate revegg.

i’ve never had a plant decrease in leaf blades as it goes through flowering..
that’s a sign of stress in most strains..

Pushrod Monkey · Aug 13, 2021

GNick55 said:
i’ve never had a plant decrease in leaf blades as it goes through flowering..
that’s a sign of stress in most strains..

Agree. Sitting here picking off small 5 and 7 blade leaves from a drying bud. These are the last of the fan leaves produced. Not sugar leaves but off the main stem.

Texasdigger35 · Aug 13, 2021

Really? Hmmmmmm. Im outdoors n its hottt but can always see a regression in fingers as it flowers. The last leaves produced are not sevens or fives for me thats for sure. Its hot and they prolly don't like. Its around 95 a lot of days. But overall not showing other big stress signs. I can post a fresh pic when I'm there but is budding and in week 4, def not going back in veg but thats not to say its not stressed. Ima need to look into this further. I've just used this as indication of starting to flower

New Grower - Advice - Is This Normal??

New Grower - Advice - Is This Normal??

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