cheers rusty mate,
one thing i didn't do was rinse the spray off of the leaves. the worst plant is the one that got the primary infestation ov mites so in turn i paid more attention to it in terms ov treatment, i gave it just that little bit more. i did think it was something to do with the mites but, i didn't realise that i should have rinsed the spray off of the leaves. well you live and learn, if i have to spray any future crops then atleast i'll be armed with the knowledge i've learnt today.
as for the clay balls, no i bin them and get new each time.
all the new growth on the plant around the buds looks excellent, you are almost certainly right. i tried to upload a picture of plants and buds but, for some reason i can't up load it. if i can put one up later i will do.
cheers for the help rusty.