Why do my flowering plants wilt and die?

I have grown my ww to the flowering point, about a month in, and on 3 different times they just wilt and die.

The first time it happened I thought it was the heat, but now I don't think so.

I grow in a shed. The temps sometimes get in the 90s, but I don't think that makes them wilt and die.

The soil is fine, the nutes okay. I don't use too much.

My lights are clf and a 250 MH. I turned off the MH to reduce heat but the flowering plants died.

The only thing I suspect is that I am not letting them veg long enough. I've been vegging when they get 9 to 12 inches. I'm thinking that I should let them get to 20 inches.

Does anyone have a clue? I'm thinking of getting an easier strain to grow, perhaps ice. Anyone have a suggestions on an easier strain.

I'm really stumped on this one.

maybe your pots or containers are too small ?

Fallen Buckshot said:

maybe your pots or containers are too small ?

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I don't think so. When I pull it out, the roots are not that extensive.

Maybe it is heat? What happens to ww if it gets too hot? Does it stop growing, wilt, and die, like mind did?

its the heat i think from what info u gave.....i could be wrong though

eh i wouldn't think heat so much most of these grow in equatorial climates .. maybe humidity ? does the shed have a window if so put a fan or one of those turbine things on the roof to get the air flowing

and being inside maybe veg for a month or 2 ? unless you doing sog or scrog

I agree with the Humidity Check, being in a barn in a humid climate already would most definitely cause a problem with high heat.

Do you have any way to check your humidity?

OGKush00 said:

I agree with the Humidity Check, being in a barn in a humid climate already would most definitely cause a problem with high heat.

Do you have any way to check your humidity?

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I don't think it's the humidity. I live in the high desert in Southern Cali, and the air is very dry. The shed is a small resin shed, and I use a fan. I've insulted the roof with Reflexit to reduce heat. It does get hot for a brief time until the shadow of the house covers the shed. When I am home, I keep the door open.

But let's say it's the heat or humidity. Is there a strain I can buy that will resist the heat better?

OGKush00 said:

I agree with the Humidity Check, being in a barn in a humid climate already would most definitely cause a problem with high heat.

Do you have any way to check your humidity?

Click to expand...

I don't think it's the humidity. I live in the high desert in Southern Cali, and the air is very dry. The shed is a small resin shed, and I use a fan. I've insulted the roof with Reflexit to reduce heat. It does get hot for a brief time until the shadow of the house covers the shed. When I am home, I keep the door open.

But let's say it's the heat or humidity. Is there a strain I can buy that will resist the heat better?

OGKush00 said:

I agree with the Humidity Check, being in a barn in a humid climate already would most definitely cause a problem with high heat.

Do you have any way to check your humidity?

Click to expand...

when plants are small like that you need air to flow through. 90 is to hot to be inclosed. that will make your plants wilt. also if the leaves look burnt or crispy its becaouse of your nut or soil. if thier in planters make sure you use potting soil. i made that mistake once and they grew but when i went to flower the whole plant got crispy. also your lights can be too close and you want hps for flower. mh is good for veg.
good luck and dont give up.

Mayby some kind of insect or pest is attacking your plants. Could be related to nuts also, are you using nutes for flowering?

so wait...what lights are you using during flowering? You said you have a mh but that you turn it off during flowering...so that leaves "a cfl"?

Could it be that you are not providing the correct spectrum of light during the flowering period...or not enough light? Or both? Please let us know.

YO

RuchaYolanda said:

so wait...what lights are you using during flowering? You said you have a mh but that you turn it off during flowering...so that leaves "a cfl"?

Could it be that you are not providing the correct spectrum of light during the flowering period...or not enough light? Or both? Please let us know.

YO

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I'm beginning to believe that the plants are too small when I flower them. I read a post somewhere that said you should let the side branches grow in before you flower. And you should allow the vegging plant to reach about 20 inches in height.

I think that maybe the heat gets to them because they are too small. I think that one batch got nute burn, and that helped to wilt them.

So, my next batch, maybe haze, I will veg them much longer. I have a 250 MH and I will use that for vegging. I will use the clf's only for flowering, or maybe I'll buy an HP conversion bulb for flowering.

When the weather gets hot, how can I cool it off. I use a fan, but is that enough? Would another fan help? Should I turn it up higher when it gets above 90 degrees inside the shed?

(I do use potting soil.)

Thanks everyone for your encouragement and advice.

Nah man no way its because they were too small. 12 inches is plenty, If it was heat id think theyd die right away but it still sounds like it.
Always run fans you wouldn't believe how much they do help even when its real hot. are you doing 1/3 the recomended strength on the nutes?

Whats your water schedule like? When plants start flowering they suck 2-3 times as much water.

Make sure you use bloom nutes for flowering. I don't think its pests... theyd attack the plants when they were young. You should flower in a pot that is atleast 1-5 gallons, I use a 5 gallon bucket.

This happend to my plants as they were just about to bud and then they wilted and died because the pots were to small.

Zootime said:

This happend to my plants as they were just about to bud and then they wilted and died because the pots were to small.

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Interesting.

Okay, let's say the pots are to small. I've been using 1 to 5 gals. I have been using peat pots, seedlings grow in peat pot and then I plant peat pot and all into a bigger pot. Could the peat pots be stifling the flowering.

I say a nice ac unit for $79 at Costco. Perhaps I can have that on a timer when weather is hot.

Anyone else think that its small pots. Zootime's story sounds a lot like my story.

Water: I have been stingy on the watering. 2 times a week. When they are flowering, should I water more?

yeah flowering takes abit more water and 2 times a week may not be enuff

A couple things as I go through this thread just jump out.
1. You are not going to get shit if you're flowering with "a cfl".
2. If your temps are getting into the 90's (I suspect they may be getting much higher than you think - put a remote thermometer in there & you'll know) they will need a lot more water than they are getting - get a moisture meter & use it.
3. How's your PH? Again, get a meter & use it.
4. 5 gallon is plenty of pot, just make sure you drill holes in the bottoms so you can flush, and as for the peat pot thing, they will grow right through them no prob.

Ive grown out WW the last three go rounds & found them robust & easy to get along with as long as they get what they need.
Hope this helps.
Peace

yeah man the way my girls are drinking... no way twice a week would do it. They stay around in the high 80's which isnt really what I want
but have no choice heat rises and my own location is the attic, so I put fans on them and lots of water and they grow fine.

WeedWhisperer said:

yeah man the way my girls are drinking... no way twice a week would do it. They stay around in the high 80's which isnt really what I want
but have no choice heat rises and my own location is the attic, so I put fans on them and lots of water and they grow fine.

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Okay, everyone.

Thanks a lot, Great, I think you nailed it and gave me recommendations to cure it.

Heat and water especially. Thanks, everone.

asherahpole said:

Okay, everyone.

Thanks a lot, Great, I think you nailed it and gave me recommendations to cure it.

Heat and water especially. Thanks, everone.

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I'm replying to my posts here to give an update.

I believe that my whilting WW problem was caused by only watering twice a week, even during flowering. How did they whilt? From the top to the bottom. Three plants did that.

I have a new batch, but two of my plants whilted and died, but I watered the hell out of them. This time the plants whilted gradually, this time from BOTTOM TO TOP.

The temps have been over 100 degrees for several days, but I kept a fan on them and the small shed's door open. Sometimes the shed would get to 102, and this lasted for a few days. Now the weather is cooler. I have three ww growing, females, and the big one looks good.

My question: Will heat and too much watering cause plants to whilt from bottom to top?