Folded drooping leaves?

[Marc Benson]

Have some leaves (new growth) that look like they've been folded. Just like it sounds...looks like they've been folded. Length wise. Some the jagged edges of the leaves are all that's folded under. Drooping a little too as are some bigger fans. Top is perfect. No problems.

Could this be a lack of light problem? Plant's are about 12" and 14" tall. Been into flowering 12/12 for 5 days. Before that 24 hours a day veg. Am using the dreaded florescents to do this grow. 220 watts of grow bulbs and warm. Using Miracle Grow 15/30/15 to flower. May go to orchid bloom. Water about every 2-3 days. Probably give them too much nuets but they haven't died yet so I must not be too far off. Both are 35 days old and live in the same 3 gallon pot filled with soil (premixed stuff with some nuets already in it). I know...one plant to a container. I've learned this now but really they aren't doing too bad. I think possibly if they don't get root bound you can adjust everything to work with two in a container, although I'd never do it again...unless it was a way bigger container. Sorry so long winded. Any thoughts?

[HARDDON]

Well sounds like you leaned some lessons....

My Advice?

Take some clones now and start over with them....you can do this within the first week of 12/12...

Or, if you wanna just finish the grow, I would really cut back on the nutes to the Schultz Catus fertilizer...2-7-7.....once a week.

Not much you can do now but hope for the best...but I would still clone and start fresh with them....

Good luck with your grow...

You'll get some buds and a buzzzz.....

Thats what its all about right?

As far as folding do they do this all the time or just a certain period prior to sleep?? Pics always help.

[Marc Benson]

Clones. My problem there is that I really don't know what this strain is. If it's what I think it's some good stuff, at least to my taste. But this is really just a learning/fun experience for me this time.

I'll give the cactus fert a try. Thanks! But you say once a week. Enlighten me a little on proper watering. Right now I water about every 2-3 days. About 5 cups and I have a little running out the bottom weap holes. I would assume you're saying to continue this watering schedule but throw in the cactus fert one of those time each week.

Also I notice on some of the pics you've posted that it looks like you trim quite a bit of the lower fan leaves. My plants right now have giant fan leaves and the secondary growth, the stuff I want to really go to town, looks to be a little slow. More light will help no doubt. Guess I need to go get some more CFL's! Or trim?

Thanks for your help HD.

[Marc Benson]

Oh and I forgot. The 'folding' leaves I think are probably normal. I saw some on the pics you posted that were similar. Probably just new growth before they get their wings and fly.

[HARDDON]

SOunds like your watering schedule is fine....

Yes the cacti fert is good...half strength / quarter strength of recommended dosage once a week.

I also use superthrive.

I dont like to cut or trim fan leaves at all.

But sometimes you have no choice....my heat was so bad the leaves became utter umbrellas over the entire plant.

The leaves growing out of the buds, the single bladed ones, were huge too so i even had to trim some of those :o

But the new flower growth has responded in a postive manner and, the smoke wont be so harsh...

If you only cut the bottom fan leaves or secondary leaves, you still will have your canopy leaves shading the lower buds.

A CFL will help those lower buds keep growing, but most of your harvest will come from the top 1/3 of the plant anyhow.

Cutting those fan leaves is a dangerous game to play with your plants....

Remember those leaves are the 'solar panels' for MJ and you take too many, you lose the power to push those buds out.....

Be very selective and try cutting them in half as opposed to cutting them all.

I had no choices....but was guided by my guru....and yes....the flowers are getting more light and sprouting new flower pods all over the place.

Pinch the stems on the leaves you wanna remove and use a sharp razor on the leaves you want to cut.

Carefully..,.. only a few at a time as well....

Post some pics....if you want.

Good Luck....

[Marc Benson]

Thanks HD! I'm just gonna let 'em go. Do some tucking and propping to get the new growth as close to the top and the lights as possible. I read where someone was using pipe cleaners to do some of this and that sounds like a good idea. Nice and soft. Also wanted you to know that I named my plants. Sarah and Barbie. What ya think? HA!

[Marc Benson]

Oh yeah and here's a pic of the girls. They're lesbians living in the same container.

[HARDDON]

Ok now i see pics...

dont mess with fan leaves..... but i would tie the main kola down now and increase light penetration.

Good potential plant there, but you're gonna need more light vs. cutting to make more light shine.

Remember, jsut cus you cut fans leaves doesnt mean more light will get to them. Lumens decrease every inch.

So cutting leaves doesnt mean more light will penetrate lower growth.

Bend the lesbian bitchs AND THEN lower the lights.

Good luck bro.

[Marc Benson]

Thanks! and sorry for all the questions. Any tips on bending? I saw a photo essay of how you're supposed to tie the base one way and then pull the top the other. Is that about it? How much should I be able to bend it? Are we talking in a U or just over a little. Wouldn't want to break the main stalk in half although I saw on one of your plants that the base of the main stalk looked like it had some damage at one time!

[HARDDON]

You can bend a plant even until the main stem bends or 'folds' in half.....you can even crush a stem...as long as you dont break or sever the life lines, MJ plants will keep on growing.

Most stalks are actually hollow in the middle at some point anyhow.

As for bending, take either a shoe string or a twisty tie and tie it under the second node from your top.

Poke or drill a small hole in your container edge.

Run the twisty tie thru there...

Tie her down just until she bends then do it about another inch or so a day.

Within a week, she should be bent over compeltely.

Her main stalk will then begin to twist and swell all over. This will accelerate the feeding of the secondary grow shoots...which is what you want.

But again, since you are in flower now....I cant honestly say I have any experience in tieing down during flower.

I would personally yank her our of flower and go another 30 days with bending and lighting....

If not, i would just leave her as she is and hope for the best...but you will need some good lights for optimal bud growth.

You have any funds for another light?

[Marc Benson]

I actually think I'll leave them alone and not bend them over as I am into flowering and the most important thing I would think is lots of light. I bought 3 more. One a 200 watt CFL, another 100 watt CFL and another 2 foot with a full spectrum 900 lumen (6500 kelvin) and a warm with 1300 lumens stuffed in it. So total I have:

2 100 watt CFL's (3600 lumens for both)
1 200 watt CFL (2600 lumens)
1 4 footer with a GrowLux and warm (80 watts) (3000? lumens)
1 2 footer with a GrowLux and warm (40 watts) (1500 lumens)
1 2 footer with the full sectrum and warm (40 watts) (2200 lumens)

So total I have 560 watts of florescents with about 13,000 lumens. Plus two good fans in there blowing things around and keeping what heat there is down to a manageable degree. About 80-81 degrees in there when closed up.

And I would let it veg more but I have height constraints that limit their finished height to about 3 feet. At 16" right now 6 days into flowering. From what people have said it should at least double that by the end.

Sound cool?

[HARDDON]

Some strains will double...Indicas wont but sativas may even triple.

I would like to see a pic of a bulb....

Based on your pics, I think you have falle for the low wattage equaling the higher output equivilancy marketing tactic.

22W = 100W is not 100W.

A true 100W CFL will put out at least 5000 lumens.

You dont have enuff lumens...

do you have funds for a different light???

About 75.00 you can get an hps that will solve this whole thing...

let me know...but you need more lumens..badly.

[Marc Benson]

I see where you're coming from as far as watts go, but lumens are listed on the bulbs as what they actually generate. So the amount of lumens I have seems to be correct. If it's enough or not I guess is the question. I've seen where others have kicked some pretty good butt with florescents alone. May not be 1 pound colas but some pretty impressive stuff non the less. Would of course rather go with what really works than half assed though, which means an hps.

I guess my problem would be heat with an hps as money isn't a concern (to a degree). Where this is all happening doesn't allow me to vent heat out as you would probably like. Closet in a bedroom. I can put fans in there and open the door, but for the dark 12 hours I have to close the door. Not a problem when I'm in town, but there'll be times when I'm not and the door needs to be closed for total darkness. With florescents it isn't a problem leaving for a few days with the door closed off totally all the time.

What would be the smallest hps I could get by with growing only one or two plants?

[BobBong]

an hps is obviously going to be better than any type of fluorescent light. but you do what you can. hps takes up alot more room, generates alot more heat and pull alot more energy. if you're not prepared to be using an HPS light, then don't. Personally, i'm in an apartment.. i use CFL's...and i've good results so far.. and i'll have even more results in 3-4 weeks from now. i won't go to an HPS or anything larger until i'm either in a larger apartment or a house to call my own. the worst thing to do is to bite off more than you can chew...you'll choke.

All i'm sayin is know your limits...and be smart.

[BobBong]

i reviewed this board and came to a pretty obvious but painful conclusion... you have two plants in the same 3 gallon container. now, usually one plant would probably not be rootbound.. but two, in the same 3 gallon pot... will be double the roots...

those roots will be very entangled.. and impossible to seperate.

you need to kill one your plants.. obviously the weaker one.. and i really suggest a repotting into a larger pot.. this will be to add new additional soil in.
the roots from the dead plant will decay and mix in with the soil.

take it or leave it :) that plant has alot of potential.. unfortunatly it just got off to the wrong start.

kill one ?? you say.. yea.. it's a cold reality... if you don't you will lose both.