Dirtbag
Supporter
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Trichs absolutely can and do grow on the bottom of leaves. And I think that's all you're seeing. Especially if you see it on the bottom of every single leaf.
Docta Haze
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Here are my thoughts after spending another hour looking at the MAC leaves:
These are not eggs.
Yes, they do look like eggs, especially when compared to certain examples of spider mite eggs online. Other examples of spider mite eggs look quite different. Furthermore, I remember spider mite eggs standing apart from sessile trichomes the last time I identified them (~2yr ago). No other mite egg resembles the exact structure I am seeing through the 60x microscope - not even the russet or cyclamen mite.
These structures resemble trichomes in their distribution and in their color. Here is the last leaf I looked at near the top of the plant. These same trichs can be spotted all over the underside and top of the leaves. They are, however, most dense at the underside of the leaf.
Because it is so much easier to identify an actual mite than their eggs, I am starting to wonder if many of the photos online pointing to their eggs are mistaken and are sometimes pointing to these sessile trichomes.
Although I did not want to go into depth defending my plants against suspected mite infestation, I am glad that I took the time to do it. I am grateful to find a more thoughtful platform at thcfarmer than I had found at microgrowery on reddit. I was encouraged to photograph my observations because of this platform, and I feel like I am more prepared to catch a mite infestation.
Perhaps these trichomes could actually be dormant eggs that have been resting for weeks. This idea sends shivers down my spine. I simply do not know enough mite biology to confidently claim it is impossible for these to be eggs. I have spent a long time trying to spot a mite, and I remain unsuccessful. Therefore, at least from all that I can observe these appear to be capitate-sessile trichomes.
These are not eggs.
Yes, they do look like eggs, especially when compared to certain examples of spider mite eggs online. Other examples of spider mite eggs look quite different. Furthermore, I remember spider mite eggs standing apart from sessile trichomes the last time I identified them (~2yr ago). No other mite egg resembles the exact structure I am seeing through the 60x microscope - not even the russet or cyclamen mite.
These structures resemble trichomes in their distribution and in their color. Here is the last leaf I looked at near the top of the plant. These same trichs can be spotted all over the underside and top of the leaves. They are, however, most dense at the underside of the leaf.
Because it is so much easier to identify an actual mite than their eggs, I am starting to wonder if many of the photos online pointing to their eggs are mistaken and are sometimes pointing to these sessile trichomes.
Although I did not want to go into depth defending my plants against suspected mite infestation, I am glad that I took the time to do it. I am grateful to find a more thoughtful platform at thcfarmer than I had found at microgrowery on reddit. I was encouraged to photograph my observations because of this platform, and I feel like I am more prepared to catch a mite infestation.
Perhaps these trichomes could actually be dormant eggs that have been resting for weeks. This idea sends shivers down my spine. I simply do not know enough mite biology to confidently claim it is impossible for these to be eggs. I have spent a long time trying to spot a mite, and I remain unsuccessful. Therefore, at least from all that I can observe these appear to be capitate-sessile trichomes.
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Dirtbag
Supporter
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Yeah, I dont think those are eggs dude. They're too evenly spaced. I think you're just looking at glands there, and I think you were probably right in your original suspicion from the start. Too much free Ca and P together likely caused a jammer.
Docta Haze
- 100
- 28
Do you know I how to unjam a jammer? Should I try to flush the jam away or break the jam apart?
I tried flushing one of my plants yesterday with 1gal of a citric acid solution (2grams) followed with 1gal of ACT and a tsp kelp. It contorted all sorts of ways after that, but now it looks great. So the flushing method seemed to help it, but also traumatize it. But I used citric acid, I'd use slf-100 next time, or reduce the citric acid dose to .5gram.
Dirtbag
Supporter
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Nah, if you were in soiless or hydro I could help you out but organics ain't really my bag of dirt.
MIMedGrower
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“Bulbous trichomes appear on the surface of the entire plant but are so small (10-15 micrometers or microns) that you won’t see them without the aid of a microscope. For reference, the width of a human hair is 40-50 microns.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/honestinvalid.com/trichomes/amp/
Bmg1982
- 144
- 43
Non glandular trichomes are all over a plant, this type of trichome does not serve any function in regards to protecting said plant from UV-B rays. That is the purpose of your glandular trichomes. Glandular trichomes such as the capitate sessile that you think you are seeing serve no purpose on the bottom side of a leaf in any plant species. Why? Because the bottom of a leaf is not subject to UV-B rays so plants will not waste energy producing glandular trichomes there. The only thing you should be seeing on the bottom of a leaf is a non-glandular trichome.
I'm done here, they're your plants, what do I care.
I'm done here, they're your plants, what do I care.
MIMedGrower
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They are bulbous trichomes. Never saw the term non glandular. They are all over the leaves on some strains. The underside of the leaves. When i was new i thought they were spider mite eggs but i just had deficiencies because i didnt know when to feed.
Docta Haze
- 100
- 28
I'm having trouble accessing that link for some reason, but thank you for sharing it! I'm trying to figure out why excess phosphorus might prevent/antagonize zinc uptake. Because my two other plants have what seem to be zinc deficiencies. I flushed one with a solution of citric acid after finding a study showing 80% of calicum phosphate could be dissolved in a 2% citric acid solution. I thought if I could flush out the calcium phosphate with 1 gal of water (for a 5gal pot size) and then follow up immediately with another gallon of ACT + kelp. Today my purple punch plant is growing with more vigor than I've ever seen it before. Its new growth tips are still yellow though, and I'm not sure yet I've fixed the issue. Too early to tell perhaps.
Docta Haze
- 100
- 28
Appreciate you holding steady! I could certainly be wrong here and wake up tomorrow with mites all over...god, I hope not. I am sharing what I am seeing and trying to describe the best I can beyond that. I trust that your intuition would be stronger than mine since you seem to have an impressive history working with plants. I only wish you could bring that intuition into my grow tent. Maybe you would find the mite that I cannot!
Bmg1982
- 144
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Non-glandular trichomes are hair-like extensions resembling leaf hairs, with a slender pointed apex. They protect the plant from its environment, mainly through physical means (e.g., restricting access to animals and insects, preventing water losses or light degradation, and fungal infection)
Bmg1982
- 144
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Bulbous trichomes are non glandular
MIMedGrower
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Sorry. I didn't realize i posted a bad link. Here is another with the same info i quoted. And i apologize. I forgot those “hairs” on the leaf were non glandular trichomes. But bulbous trichomes i have seen as i said.
Medical Marijuana 101: Trichomes
Trichomes house the key components of the plant that give it its therapeutic and psychotropic properties, known as cannabinoids.
www.medicaljane.com
Docta Haze
- 100
- 28
The leaves I have been looking at are indeed cover with these non-glandular trichomes. They also seem to have capitate-sessile trichomes. Perhaps this is not common - even among cannabis cultivars? MAC has made a name for itself partly for its sheer resin density, and I want to believe this is a example of that. I also don't want to believe I have an infestation. I'm trying to be aware of these biases, but I am also trying to be objective with my microscope.
That said, what I am showing you is what you have seen yourself during cyclamen mite infestation. This is particularly alarming. I am left to hoping that you would see it differently than I am presenting through my camera.
MIMedGrower
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I just posted to answer you above. But they are glandular according to the info but hold no canabanoids.
Beachwalker
- 7,055
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I had to delete my last post doctor because I'm still vacillating, my gut feeling is there eggs
I'm going to follow along quietly, please let us know how this ultimately turns out, hopefully this will work out for the best for you, good luck!
Dirtbag
Supporter
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I just had a look under mine with a 60x. My violator kush and platinum cookie moms have them all over the underside of the leaves. Totally look like little eggs. But they appear pretty small under my loupe. Sorry, no pic tho..
Docta Haze
- 100
- 28
What plant are you looking at exactly? How is it being grown and how old is it? Is it in vegetative? Under what spectrum?
I've just taken another leaf off of my purple punch (another extremely resinous plant...so they say), and I found another variety of what appear to me to be capitate-sessile trichomes. It could be that this infestation is full blown in my tent, but they scream out to me as being trichomes. Their distribution is just as I see it when I am checking for trichome maturity.
I purchased these clones on black friday, and they have been underneath a 300w MH, a 130w QB LED, and a 300w HPS during their time with me. If anything now I am wondering if the added UV rays from the LED influenced this.
Docta Haze
- 100
- 28
Are they in veg or flower? What spectrum of light?
Docta Haze
- 100
- 28
I'll try to report back as I work on this issue. I'll hope for it to be a nutrient based problem, and I'll keep forever watchful for those dreaded mites! Thank you for you support; I hope you have the best of grows as well!
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