buds browning too early?

[dbushking]

Gday guys,

 

an outdoor plant has started flowering about 2-3 weeks ago and the white hairs on some of the buds are already starting to turn brown? I thought that when they brown it is time to pick them? and i thought it took 6-8weeks for this to happen?

 

i have sprinked ash from the fire place around the base a couple of times

 

the buds are still small/skinny and so i dont want to harvest yet

 

also, will the plant be affected if i was to cut a few of the budding stems off?

 

Any help greatly appreciated!

[SukonmiSkunk]

they may just be effected by heat .. or even a chill... i would just let them go..

 

any pics?

[Reverend]

have you put to much wood ash on your plants, it can make the soil very acidic.

[dbushking]

It has been very rainy weather, it is in northern NSW.

 

I have put quite alot of ash and black bits of wood around the base of the plant, I thought this was good for bud development?

 

Would i be able to harvest around a third of the plant without affecting the rest?

[dbushking]

Oh sorry Skunk, no pics, will try and get a few next week

[TheTreeBoundRat]

Hey bushking. Heavy Rain damages the pistils, turning them brown on some strains more than others. Dont worry about it too much cause they should still fill out and pack on weight ok. Just watch for mold etc

cheers

[euphoric]

I wouldnt worry to much dbushkinh,my area is wickedly cold at night with very hot days.I have allways had hairs browning early,but the heads still swell up like hulk hogans forearm.Unless of course you havent grown that strain before,and they could be a small variety of head type.

[freddie]

have you put to much wood ash on your plants, it can make the soil very acidic.

 

Sorry gills, not trying to be a smart arse but wood ash is alkaline, not acid.

EDIT: Wood ash is also a good source of P and I think K. Exactly what you would want for your plants when they are flowering.

 

Also in some varieties the white hairs change colours naturally well before mayurity. What is more of an indication of maturity or problems is if they are still firm or if they appear wizened. I hope you haven't harvested yet dbushking.

Edited March 7, 2008 by freddie

[gouger]

I'll agree with freddie^ wood ash is high in Potassium and is good at flowering stages.. Too much of it makes the soil too weak though it is really difficult to change the ph of existing soil.. all you can change is the topsoil really. Charcoal is great for moisture retention and returning humus to topsoils.

 

Yes hot windy spells can cause browning of pistils.. so too can some males within a kilometre.

Heliothis can bore his way right through all your buds which will cause them all to die wherever heliothis has been eating.. This will also mould in moist weather

[Reverend]

Sorry Freddie you are correct, I was actually thinking of azaleas at the time, and yes wood ash is good for growing, but sometimes to much of a good thing can be detrimental have you checked your soil for ph levels, a cheap meter can be purchased

at garden stores.