Advice needed about fox tails

[iminadaze]

For about a week now my girl has been growing strange looking buds off the buds. When I researched this I found out that it is fox tailing.

I have read mixed opinions on this and am reaching out to those growers who have experienced it before on their own grows.
I am not interested in an opinion of someone who has not had first hand experience with it.

She is an indica plant of an unknown strain.

As of 9-22 she is 1 month 12/12 and she veg'd for 6-7 weeks.

She is growing in a 5 gallon hempy bucket of perlite, vermiculite, and OC+

PH is 6.0 but I swing it from 6.5. to 5.8.

Room temp is kept at 77 degrees with a RH of 45%-55%

I did manage to deplete the OC+ with my flushing cycles so she is being fed FF tiger bloom and big bloom. she gets cal/mag plus every other watering and she has been getting B. rabbit molasses every watering for the last 2 weeks.

She is growing under a 400w HPS. with 17 cfl's of varying wattage, all are 2700k

Is this something I should worry about?
I read some people like it when their plant fox tails and others say that it is re-veging.
I have not had any light interuptions or heat issues, to be honest I haven't had any issues outside of the PH going down in the hempy mix which I have under control.

So What I would like to know is if I should stop this grow before something goes wrong or should I let her grow and see what those tails can yield?
I always clone my girls before the switch so there is more of her for future grows.

Thanks for any help you can give, here are a few pics to try and show the tails. They are growing out the tops, sides and bottoms of the buds.

 

[iminadaze]

I know a picture is worth a thousand words so here are some more.

I am contemplating cutting her down because i don't know what is going to happen, some tails look fine to me but some others have some bright looking leaf things coming out too and that is making me nervous. Really could use some advice here.

Even the lil popcorn buds down below are doing it.

 

[Les Doodess]

Hip.
I am for this foxtainling business.

It will decrease the leaf/calyx ratio and really increases the bag appeal as it is definitely a pretty flower

In the last week or so of flowering I try to move the colas as close to the light as I possibly can which increases the heat and can increase foxtailing.

It is just my $0.02, but here is one example that went another week or so after this picture is taken. I'll try to find a pic from when I cut it.

 

[GodSpeed]

There is not cut off time for fox tailing be ready for the long haul. doodes is right this can be a cause of many things one being excessive heat and even to might light. Most descent foxtails are in genetics passed down through generation sativa hybrids i had some on my arjans haze and everyone loved it!

 

[spazer]

whenever i have had fox tailing its been from the pots being to small an getting root bound which seems to make them a bit sensative to nuets

 

[Lucky man]

Buds look fine, don't cut it down yet.
Nuttin wrong with them buds.

 

[NCDude]

Thanks for posting

 

[NorCaliwood]

My 2 cents isn't worth a penny but I also have dealt with Foxtails. Fact I have one going now. I think we can cancel out that it happens from too little lite. Here's mine;

It's growing in a top feed hydro system with GH Flora fert's. I hope what GodSpeed said holds true and doesn't effect the stone. Mine are under 2 1000 watters. She has the room to herself for a minute. I hope the bud was as stony as the pic was. Best to ya Dude and Keep em Green

 

[UAVpilot]

I know a picture is worth a thousand words so here are some more.

I am contemplating cutting her down because i don't know what is going to happen, some tails look fine to me but some others have some bright looking leaf things coming out too and that is making me nervous. Really could use some advice here.

Even the lil popcorn buds down below are doing it.

Nobody saw the nanners in the first pic?

 

[AKgramma]

This conversation is helping me, too, because just about the time I thought the Ladies were through filling out, they started to grow more calyxes. Still forming trics, none of them amber yet, hairs about 80% amber, except for the new ones. Ladies are in the 87th day of flower, 133 days from seed.

Its a long haul, but I understand that sativa-dominant strains are slower to mature. Here's a pic of a cola from my oldest lady.

 

[Weaselcracker]

They look great AK. I don't know if I would even call that foxtailing, as much as a sort of second wind of new calyxes that I often see happen. I don't know what it is with me and my plants, but it's a rare occasion I can get one to finish in 82 days. I'm happy if I can get any to finish in 90. I'd better go strain shopping again...

 

[OldMedUser]

Nobody saw the nanners in the first pic?

I downloaded that pic to my computer to blow it up and get a good look UAVpilot and it may or may not be 'nanners. It's just one thin bit of yellow so might be a bit of dead leaf or calyx. Good eye tho. I missed it being busy looking for fotails. lol

This is a pic I took of 'nanners I had on a plant last year. and you can see the "fingers" that make it look like a bunch of bananas.

I wouldn't worry about the foxtails iminadaze. They seem to be caused by heat or just a genetic quirk but never seemed to hurt anything. I don't particularly like them but some folks do. It's happened a few times over the years.

L8r

 

[AKgramma]

They look great AK. I don't know if I would even call that foxtailing, as much as a sort of second wind of new calyxes that I often see happen. I don't know what it is with me and my plants, but it's a rare occasion I can get one to finish in 82 days. I'm happy if I can get any to finish in 90. I'd better go strain shopping again...

Thank you so much for your reply! I was hoping that others were getting the same maturation schedule I was getting. I began to suspect that this first grow was going to go past the 80-day mark other have been getting, and learned to recognize the sativa traits in this strain.

This is a sativa-heavy OG Kush from the local cannibus club. The seeds exhibited phenotypes from tall and lanky (30" after training) to short and very bushy (about 18" after a minimum of training).

The pic is oldest and tallest of the original females from those seed.

I have since cloned the short bushy female from that batch and cloned her daughters (and her granddaughters) for my perpetual grow. I like the short phenotype better for my limited space.

 

[Weaselcracker]

This is a plant which started revegging due to a timer screwup.

I gave it its wish and put it back in veg and I have it blooming somewhere now. You can see the foxtails of new growth.
I often get buds, especially the sativas, which put out tufts of pistils and look like they're about to start growing a new bud extension or two out the side. Those ones haven't bothered me.

 

[Six9]

Interesting topic. someone commented that foxtails are not necessarily attributed to lighting. is it heat or genetics?

 

[iwltfum]

Interesting topic. someone commented that foxtails are not necessarily attributed to lighting. is it heat or genetics?

I think people have varying definitions of "foxtail" which is why you are seeing alot of different opinions (mostly opinions that are 4 years old, but I don't think things have changed that much since then). I think some of the people that posted on this thread would define a "chunky" bud as having foxtailed, but others, and I tend to agree with them, think that foxtails are major spindly/fingery growths coming out of - what once was - a solid, roundish, properly shaped bud. The former seems to be genetic/good bloom cycle, the latter is generally from heat or, on occasion, nutrient/pH problems

 

[AKgramma]

Since my grow has strong sativa ancestry, I'm relieved to know that Weaselcracker has had the same experience as I: the buds getting their second wind and producing more, and the maturation rate slower than many of the quick-maturing strains out there.

As for foxtails, I don't care what they grow, as long as they are either smokable or useful for edibles and plenty of trichs. If I can prevent self-seeding, I will, by plucking out anything that looks male. According to an online dictionary, foxtailing is a horticultural term that means "bolting", like some vegetables do, in an attempt to go to seed before they die. It's generally caused by either the wrong daylength or higher temperatures than the strain is programmed for. (That's why we have trouble growing spinach here in Alaska, and have to grow Swiss Chard instead.)

Weaselcracker, that revegging pic looks scary! My third-generation clones have those twisted leaves, too. They are growing new leaves so fast, they look more like Romaine lettuce than cannibus! j/k (The little Clones that Could)

 

[AKgramma]

Hey Weaselcracker: I just got great news from my tester! (I don't smoke) He said the test bud was exactly right! A heady high that lasted a good deal of time, and that was just cut, quickly dried a bit, and smoked in a bong. Cured, it should be really, really good for the smokers in the family!

The hairs are 90% amber, but I can't tell cloudy from clear trics with these old eyes, even with a 40x loupe. And the plant has her second wind, growing new calyxes. The smoke test was the only way I had of judging when to harvest.

So, do you think I could get away with harvesting the most mature buds, even tho they're growing new calyxes? Growth isn't any different than the last pic? What has been your experience?

 

[OldMedUser]

It's my most common way to harvest AKgramma

I take all the biggest and ripest colas, usually about 1/3rd of the plant, then let the lower portions ripen up and get a little fatter. then go for the rest. The first 1/3 is about 50% of the total you'll get but letting them ripen up definitely gets some more. Takes me a couple weeks to get the top third done so the bottom gets ripening time in any case.

When I have 90% red hairs is when it's prime time for me. Fresher, more UP high is what I like.

L8r

 

[AKgramma]

It's my most common way to harvest AKgramma

I take all the biggest and ripest colas, usually about 1/3rd of the plant, then let the lower portions ripen up and get a little fatter. then go for the rest. The first 1/3 is about 50% of the total you'll get but letting them ripen up definitely gets some more. Takes me a couple weeks to get the top third done so the bottom gets ripening time in any case.

When I have 90% red hairs is when it's prime time for me. Fresher, more UP high is what I like.

L8r

Thank you so much for the confirmation! This means I can start harvesting for the smokers first, and save a plant for my medicinal use (with a later harvest). I'm keeping careful notes, so I learn what this strain can produce throughout a gradual harvest period.