Please help her finish!

[CharlieWaffles]

Hey fellow tokers. I seem to be running into the same issue over my last few grows. I get near the end of flowering and my plant seems to stop flourishing and gets stuck. The buds don’t seem to be “thickening” or packing tight anymore. Instead of getting thick and dense the buds are “airy” and like little open popcorns. I’m sure my description is very poor but I don’t know how else to describe it.
This is my GG#4 Auto at about 20 weeks of flowering (should have been done by now). Grown in DWC 45 Litre container using GROTEK nutrients and SENSI CAL MAG Xtra. Started around 300 PPM and 5.8 PH, currently at 1000 PPM. Anymore nutes and she burns as evidenced on some leaves. Generally the plant looks good but she’s seems like she’s looked like this for 2-3 weeks now. Not sure what else to tell you. Any and all help and opinions are greatly valued!!!! Thanks!

 

[EZCalyx]

I’ve never done DWC. Too many things can easily go wrong imo. It looks like your plant is pushing decent energy into veg by making leaves. Have you considered a defoliation of the undergrowth?

It seems something is needed to get you over the hump and I am not sure what it is either.

What is your light source? I’m thinking you may be blue spectrum heavy and need more red to promote the bloom a bit more.

 

[CharlieWaffles]

I’ve never done DWC. Too many things can easily go wrong imo. It looks like your plant is pushing decent energy into veg by making leaves. Have you considered a defoliation of the undergrowth?

It seems something is needed to get you over the hump and I am not sure what it is either.

What is your light source? I’m thinking you may be blue spectrum heavy and need more red to promote the bloom a bit more.

Ok maybe I’ll defoliate some more. I’ve been at it steady but ok : )
Lights are a Viparspectra xs2000 and Bloom Grow 1500.

 

[Krissi Carbone]

@LKABudMan any thoughts for Charlie? Between you and @Rexer and @West Hippie, I'm sure someone knows something? Apologize I know absolutely nothing about DWC.

 

[CharlieWaffles]

@LKABudMan any thoughts for Charlie? Between you and @Rexer and @West Hippie, I'm sure someone knows something? Apologize I know absolutely nothing about DWC.

Thanks for tagging possible helpers @Krissi Carbone !

 

[Krissi Carbone]

Thanks for tagging possible helpers @Krissi Carbone !

Anytime Charlie, nice to see you around it's been a while since we chatted last.

I really feel bad that I'm just a soil gal and don't have any words of wisdom.

Basically she's just been stunted or stifled for what a couple weeks? Pistils are still white I see...

 

[bluter]

it looks really good to me. it seems to be building well.

first place i go when folk aren't happy with the density is genetics. it may help to run a photo version. second place i go is lighting. as mentioned the light may be carrying a significant amount of blue. the grow method / media shouldn't make much of a difference on it's own.

i'm looking at some photo GG i cured over the past yr and it's thick and chunky. i remember the buds being thick enough to be concerned over possible mold.

 

[West Hippie]

Wow the roots say the uptake of nutrients should be extra fine . Do you measure the light intensity? What do the trichs look like ?

 

[013]

dirt farmer too but a couple of thoughts come to mind,

backbuilding technique & bumping lights further to 11 / 13 or even down to 10 / 14

also have read to use fine ground malted barley to help finish flower faster in soil mix but that’s prolly a major no go in bucket of dwc water

you can search here for backbuilding technique think lightaddict dropped a tutorial few years back

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Wow the roots say the uptake of nutrients should be extra fine . Do you measure the light intensity? What do the trichs look like ?

Par meter says 1002 at tip of plant and 300 on lower bud sites. Light schedule is 18/6.
Trichomes are not ready. Only about 10% cloudy.
My concern is the plant has basically looked the same for the past 2 to 3 weeks. Roots look amazing but it doesn’t seem to be bulking up like it should be (the buds are huge but aren’t densing up like I think they should be) I’m afraid it’s just gotten stalled somehow, this is my concern, I’m doing something wrong…......?!? Hmmm

 

[CharlieWaffles]

Anytime Charlie, nice to see you around it's been a while since we chatted last.

I really feel bad that I'm just a soil gal and don't have any words of wisdom.

Basically she's just been stunted or stifled for what a couple weeks? Pistils are still white I see...

Life got busy!! Lol. Not near as much time for pursuing anymore

Yes stifled for a few weeks now. It’s so strange. Like she just stopped bulking. Now I’m thinking maybe I should change the reservoir. I was using a 45 L tote but maybe I should up it to a 70-100 L tote. Maybe the roots are too packed into the bottom of the tote and she’s suffering for it.

 

[Mayne]

hows your humidity?

Airy buds is usually from TO MUCH humidity.

 

[Krissi Carbone]

Life got busy!! Lol. Not near as much time for pursuing anymore

I feel you Charlie!

Yes stifled for a few weeks now. It’s so strange. Like she just stopped bulking. Now I’m thinking maybe I should change the reservoir. I was using a 45 L tote but maybe I should up it to a 70-100 L tote. Maybe the roots are too packed into the bottom of the tote and she’s suffering for it.

Could very well be, that's a lot of roots. Did I ask if you have ran this strain before with different results or no hiccups like this

hows your humidity?

Airy buds is usually from TO MUCH humidity.

This is true. Wow, hi @Mayne! Hope all is well!

 

[bluter]

My concern is the plant has basically looked the same for the past 2 to 3 weeks. Roots look amazing but it doesn’t seem to be bulking up like it should be (the buds are huge but aren’t densing up like I think they should be) I’m afraid it’s just gotten stalled somehow, this is my concern, I’m doing something wrong…......?!? Hmmm

it might've just paused before the final end 2wk bud swell. not everyone gets them, and you need enough of the right light for it to trigger.

 

[CharlieWaffles]

hows your humidity?

Airy buds is usually from TO MUCH humidity.

Humidity is typically between 25-35%.

 

[bluter]

Humidity is typically between 25-35%.

definitely not the humidity. i grow under low humidity a lot of times as well.

 

[Rexer]

She looks like she might have a touch too much Nitrogen. No clawing, but the color suggests to me that she's borderline chronic N tox. Happened with my GG auto as well. Though the buds swelled and tightened up at the end and I had a nice harvest.

Also, you may have been harvesting a bit early...not saying for sure that's what has been happening, but it is common enough with auto growers.

The trichs are only part of the signal that she's done. Wait for the final bud swell and mostly browned pistils before even checking trichs. Remember, they are always pushing out trichs, and they will slow down uptake of water and nutes as they get to the finish.

Beautiful roots brother.

Also, drop your PPM a bit if she's not feeding properly, see if that gets her juices flowing

 

[bluter]

She looks like she might have a touch too much Nitrogen. No clawing, but the color suggests to me that she's borderline chronic N tox. Happened with my GG auto as well. Though the buds swelled and tightened up at the end and I had a nice harvest.

Also, you may have been harvesting a bit early...not saying for sure that's what has been happening, but it is common enough with auto growers.

The trichs are only part of the signal that she's done. Wait for the final bud swell and mostly browned pistils before even checking trichs. Remember, they are always pushing out trichs, and they will slow down uptake of water and nutes as they get to the finish.

Beautiful roots brother.

Also, drop your PPM a bit if she's not feeding properly, see if that gets her juices flowing

solid post.

it does looks like it ran high n in veg and it wants a hair more pk. i'm not sure where the nutes are at,
i'd try pull back a touch on the base nutes and run a booster within target ppm.

 

[CharlieWaffles]

She looks like she might have a touch too much Nitrogen. No clawing, but the color suggests to me that she's borderline chronic N tox. Happened with my GG auto as well. Though the buds swelled and tightened up at the end and I had a nice harvest.

Also, you may have been harvesting a bit early...not saying for sure that's what has been happening, but it is common enough with auto growers.

The trichs are only part of the signal that she's done. Wait for the final bud swell and mostly browned pistils before even checking trichs. Remember, they are always pushing out trichs, and they will slow down uptake of water and nutes as they get to the finish.

Beautiful roots brother.

Also, drop your PPM a bit if she's not feeding properly, see if that gets her juices flowing

Awesome @Rexer ! I’ll dial the ppm back a bit and see about maybe not adding as much Nitrogen. Thanks!!

 

[CharlieWaffles]

solid post.

it does looks like it ran high n in veg and it wants a hair more pk. i'm not sure where the nutes are at,
i'd try pull back a touch on the base nutes and run a booster within target ppm.

Sounds good @bluter. I’ll try that and maybe adding some KoolBloom