delayed harvest

hello all:

I've got a problem with my current grow. I've got some Afghani plants, whose seeds came free with an order I placed a year back. The plants are currently in month 4. I'm growing indoors with only fluorescent lights (I know, it's not preferred, but this is my second grow and if successful, I'm moving to HPS next time). All the buds have formed, with no new ones appearing, so now I'm just waiting for them to mature. The hairs are roughly 40-50% brown and I've been monitoring the cloudiness/amber color of the trichs. The problem is that they seem to have stalled in the last two weeks. They've been feed Foxfarm big bloom and were grown in Foxfarm ocean floor soil (in 5 gallon pots). I don't know what the problem is, but according to the duration of the grow, they should have been harvested by now. I'm in no hurry, but I'm worried that something may be wrong.

First of all, the trichs are mostly clear and have been for the last week, with no visible changes. The plants are still being fed with Foxfarm once a week, when I soak the soil until water comes out from the holes in the bottom. The humidity is kept constant at 50%, the lights are on a 12/12 schedule, and the temperature is dropping (the plants are in a closet in my basement). The temp never drops below 60 degrees.

Also, the stems nearest the bigger buds have started to turn red/purple. What might this mean? A natural event or sign of deficiency.

Another problem is that I'm getting an upward curling of the leaf tips on or near the bud sites. I'm not having this problem with the fan leaves, as they are yellowing as they should. However, almost ALL the smaller leaves are curling upwards at the tip and yellowing.

That seems to be all - the afghani is a hearty plant, but if something is wrong, I may just harvest now even though they're clearly early (as is seen by the clear trichs). Should I keep them going even though they show no signs of maturing any more. What can I do? Any suggestions are helpful and I would prefer not taking any pics.

thanks.

Sounds like they need to be flushed. Use GH Florakleen or flush with 3 times as much water as the size of the pots. Five gallon pots get flushed with 15 gals water. The flavor is better anyway if you flush before harvest then water only till finish!

Bubba Kushman said:

Sounds like they need to be flushed. Use GH Florakleen or flush with 3 times as much water as the size of the pots. Five gallon pots get flushed with 15 gals water. The flavor is better anyway if you flush before harvest then water only till finish!

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I was told they didn't need to be flushed if fed with only organic ferts like Foxfarm. Whaddaya think? Should I still flush? I've noticed the soil has become extremely compacted, so perhaps that has something to do with the stunted maturing of the trichs...

any more advice out there? let's hear it . . .

thanks

yes u still want to flush with organic nutes. nutes still taste bad whether they are organic or not.. organic just won't hurt your body. as for your plants finishing.. sounds like they are a couple weeks or more out yet. the leaves curling isn't really a Bad sign. leaves die and fall off during the last few weeks of flowering

are the leaves yellowing yet? pics? post pics and you'll get more responses.

whatapothead said:

yes u still want to flush with organic nutes. nutes still taste bad whether they are organic or not.. organic just won't hurt your body. as for your plants finishing.. sounds like they are a couple weeks or more out yet. the leaves curling isn't really a Bad sign. leaves die and fall off during the last few weeks of flowering

are the leaves yellowing yet? pics? post pics and you'll get more responses.

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yep - the leaves are yellowing, as they should. what about the purpling of the stems? Is that normal?

I'll start flushing tonight when I water and put some pics up as well. My last two grows were with lowryder #2 and the yield on these afghanis blows the lowryder out of the water, which is expected. I'm getting excited!

I worry more when the stems/branches don't turn purple/reddish... no worries, it's a typical genetic disposition of many strains.

Whether nutes are organic or not, they can still develop a calcium lock effect. Feel free to flush- you'll want to anyway before harvest.

You are using fluro's only, so throw out any information you've read on flowering and harvest period timing for your strain. Everything takes longer with fluro's... I use only T5HO bulbs and found my flowering timing takes anywhere from 1-4 weeks longer than I had read it should take on the seed sites

magic said:

I worry more when the stems/branches don't turn purple/reddish... no worries, it's a typical genetic disposition of many strains.

Whether nutes are organic or not, they can still develop a calcium lock effect. Feel free to flush- you'll want to anyway before harvest.

You are using fluro's only, so throw out any information you've read on flowering and harvest period timing for your strain. Everything takes longer with fluro's... I use only T5HO bulbs and found my flowering timing takes anywhere from 1-4 weeks longer than I had read it should take on the seed sites

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thanks - let the flushing begin. I don't expect the smoke and high to be as good with some indica/sativa strains I've grown, but nonetheless, it should be nice. I've never smoked afghani before.