sticky amber balls....what pest?

[aloha]

My last harvest ended up with a few areas that had sticky little balls, like honey or amber, on the buds. Very sticky. It only affected one of 2 strains I was growing side by side...and as far as I can tell it reduced bud size, but the plants were still harvestable and loaded with crystal, etc.

Growing Indoor in beds, Sunshine #4, Advanced Nutrients, temps in the 70's, good air flow, Ph always between 6.1 and 6.3.

Both strains/cuts came from the club...the problem was on some Cherry Kush (OG X Purp Afghani) and did not affect some Sour D that was growing side by side. The Cherry Kush had some powder issues that I've never had before, which didn't affect the SD either. I got the powder cleared up quickly....but around week 6 (of 9) the Cherry Kush seemed to totally slow down growth and didn't finish right. I saw a few small sticky balls like amber or honey when I was finishing/harvesting...and when trimming I found quite a few more. No sign of bugs, etc.....???

Any ideas? I've been growing for years and never seen this before....thx

aloha Reviewed by aloha on 03-12-2011. sticky amber balls....what pest? My last harvest ended up with a few areas that had sticky little balls, like honey or amber, on the buds. Very sticky. It only affected one of 2 strains I was growing side by side...and as far as I can tell it reduced bud size, but the plants were still harvestable and loaded with crystal, etc. Growing Indoor in beds, Sunshine #4, Advanced Nutrients, temps in the 70's, good air flow, Ph always between 6.1 and 6.3. Both strains/cuts came from the club...the problem was on some Cherry Kush Rating: 5

[Rusty Trichome]

Been growing myself for quite a few years, and I let mine go to amber quite often if I'm far enough ahead of the game to wait...but have never seen that.
My unsure guess is it's either strain-dependant, or from an external source possibly. (untreated wood frame growbox dripping sap on the plants)

What I was thinking before, was that it might be a bit of dust absorbing the resin from surrounding globular heads, but with no cannabis smell it's obviously not that. Have you tried putting some on your meds and seeing what it tastes like when smoked? (just curious...not a recommendation)

Have you cut a branch to see if it ozzes the same stuff, or see if the sap turns amber? If it doesn't, it's unlikely to be cannabis sap.
If it were sap, wouldn't you be more likely to see more of it twords the inside portion of the bud, but not so much pooling (into drops) on the outside. (unless the plant is dripping on itself)

Perhaps a giant-spider pee-pool?

Wow...nice list of AN products. With AN...do you have to use ALL that stuff?

[KarolinaKronic]

On a further note, most of the time this is caused by using molasses or bud sweeteners. It does not harm the plant and can actually give a much smoother flavor but the drawback is the curing times as increased exponentially. I cure my buds in glass jars after drying for a minimum of 6 months and some go a year or more before they are at their peak. It does however make a great bud become a pure smoking delight.

Just don't go overboard or you will have to literally peel the buds out of the jar and burping the jars becomes a problem from the buds sticking together.

[aloha]

Alright...sap it is. I finally found pics of someone else's on the net...NEVER seen it before on the bud itself, at least not that I've noticed.

Sweet Golden Sap from a cannabis plant!!! - Bubbleman's Hideout

[aloha]

Here's a pic of some of this years outdoor...mmmmm

[KarolinaKronic]

It is not that you are a bad grower, it takes a great deal of work to maximize a plants potential like you have. You are on the cusp of realizing what potential can come from a plant. I have been growing on my own for 25 years and spent 10 years before that as a gofer. I did not need photos to diagnose what your issue was and I am glad your photos proved conclusively that it was indeed a resin sac. Good luck on your future work and I hope you see continued progress in your harvests.

[KarolinaKronic]

Waiting for the album photos to be approved. It is a resin pocket.

[aloha]

Thanks Rusty Trich.....I use AN Connoisseur, along with MEST, B52, Voodoo, Tarantula and Piranha (veg and 2 weeks into bloom), Sensizym, Big Bud, Bud Candy, Humic and Fulvic. I usually keep it around 2/3 strength of what AN recommends, as I have found this to work the best. I ph every feed and every water to 6.2-6.3 (My source water is from a spring, 6.1ph and 70ppm). I've been running the same nute schedule for the last 5+ years....and keep in mind that this only affected 1 strain running right alongside another that didn't show it AT ALL. I've got multiple 4x8 beds in 2 rooms....and this issue only affected 1 strain. It happened to be a mixed bed and the Cherry Kush had the issue while the Sour Diesel was clean. It definitely affected yield, tho it was still a decent harvest. No bugs in the plants visible, no bugs on sticky traps. My room is always around 78f in the day, 68f in the night. Humidity is 50-55% in veg and 45% in bloom. Vortex fans for (Filtrete filtered) intake and (Phresh-filtered) exhaust. Multiple wall fans...they've always been great producing rooms, but this is something new I've not seen before.

[Rusty Trichome]

Guess my next question would be...what additives are you giving, and are you going over the recommended doses?

[aloha]

ignore *on*