Extremely small buds - What do I do?

[Jscott326]

I am a new grower and I have harvested about 6-7 plants now but I am still having problems and the buds continue to be airy, very small ( buds smaller than a nickel) I have a 4x4 tent for grow and one for flower I have a 4ft 8 tube T5 light 432 watts according to the box I just recently set up a co2 system and I use Humboldt nutrients at the recommended dosages and then when the resin glands have just turned a little brown I run the flush through it for a few days and then I place in complete darkness for 24 hours then I chop it down and hang upside down until the branches make a snapping sound then I trim and put into mason jars

I'm trying to grow about 9-12 plants at a time and I just got another identical light fixture for each tent so I will have 800+ watts will this help or am I just attempting too many plants at a time I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong it seems just when I figure out the answer. To one problem another pops up.

 

[moptrf]

Re: Extremely small buds , what do I do?

What colour is the T5, maybe use a 600 hps to help flower.

 

[Croatsan]

Re: Extremely small buds , what do I do?

Hi Jscott326

Lack of CO2 could be the reason for airy buds, but your CO2 system is not going to be effective with your type and the intensity of light. That being said, if you use it, then you're probably sealing up your tent and shutting down the exhaust during lights on, right? If so, you might have high temperatures and not enough ventilation in your grow space.

I believe your light is too weak for flowering and that might be the main reason for your airy buds. Couple that with not enough air movement and high temps, throw in eventual root problems due to small pots... There can be many reasons for airy buds, but my money is on the light.

Best

 

[Richard Richardson]

Re: Extremely small buds , what do I do?

I have a 4ft 8 tube T5 light 432 watts

I place in complete darkness for 24 hours

I'm trying to grow about 9-12 plants at a time

I just can't figure out what I'm doing wrong

Tube lighting cannot get close enough to be effective, their range is too short because they emit diffused light.

You need a direct lighting system if you want big, solid buds.

Cfls will also work, in spite of their diffused light, but only if you have lots of them placed around each plant.

Fluorescents have to be individually positioned to be around 2 inches away from the leaves and buds.

Your best option for flowering is to supplement what you have now with HPS or at least a cheap LED light.

Also, don't bother with the 24 hours of darkness thing, just chop them in the morning

 

[Major PITA]

I agree with the ^above^. You need more light. T-5's work OK for veg, but when flowering hits, you need HPS or LEDs. Try to hit about 50 watts (true watts) per square foot of grow space.

 

[Fuzzy Duck]

As the rest have said it is the light source !


Those T5's are more likely veg bulbs/tubes set at around 6400K (kelvin) it is basically a colour spectrum of light mainly blue which these mainly put out but will have a lower % off other colours.

Not going to cut the ice for flowering tho.


Flowering bulbs on average are around 2100K these put out more red light spectrum to which helps promote flowering... CFL flowering bulbs are 3000k, never seen T5 tubes for flowering tho.


How ever with a tent your size a 600w hps should be just fine ya get better results, just may need to keep a tab on temperature & perhaps sort out better air flow etc to keep temps down.

 

[TropicGrow]

Aside from the lighting issues being addressed by other replies, Id like to ask when are you boosting your PK during your flowering? I was was much in the same situation as you having harvested maybe 10 plants but they weren't as dense as I'd like. They were sugary as hell, tasted delicious, just wasn't getting enough! Although Im growing in LED, I was pretty sure that they weren't suppose to be that fluffy. I also noticed some nugs that were really airy (i mean i could see right through these) were badly proportioned - What I mean by this was that when looking at the nugs close up (I really wish I snapped a shot some time ago) the stems would be nice and fully formed but the flower part of the bud itself seemed like it grew, just didn't increase size as much as it should've.

So back to my question about PK boosting.. In my situation I was off with my pk boosting by a little bit. I had to go through a few more grows to find the particular time during flowering to pk boost, which for my ogs seemed to be 4th week of true flower and then more PK boost toward the last two weeks of my flowering cycle right before flushing.

Ive tried to go with simple cookie cutter grow charts and lucas formula. Ive found that though its a good starting point to practice and learn about your plants on some base nutes schedule like lucas formula, your not really going to maximize its potential. Growing effectively really requires you to make small adjustments and additions to ensure that your latest grow is always better then the last.

Also what helped my yield (because og is a well known strain for producing popcorn nugs) was to do a lot of super cropping and LST. spread this plant out, get more nutrients flowing to those colas, and of course keeping a nice even canopy to maximize those colas. Hope you find this useful.

 

[Croatsan]

IMO, you're approaching the problem from the wrong side. The airy buds problem could be caused by many factors but none of them is connected to your nutes.

First of those factors is genetics. There are strains with airy buds and, although, even the fluffy buds need love, try to avoid them by simply choosing the right strain.

Second one is light (or lack of it thereof). Light quantity and light quality (the right spectrum). Not enough light equals airy buds. Period. It, also, equals some other things but for the purpose of this conversation I've left them out.

Third one is heat. Too high a temperature in your growspace is also one of the culprits. Every bit as important as the light.

Fourth one is air. Proper ventilation and air flow is essential.

Your nutes are, believe it or not, the least important factor in the equation. If your plant doesn't show any sign of overfeeding or starvation, then she's developing nicely. Your plant won't punish you with fluffy buds for not giving her enough Phosphorus. She will show you, mostly on her leaves, what's bothering her.

PK Boost is just what the name says - a boost. And as such works in synergy with all of the other ingredients and elements of your grow. I have a feeling you're expecting a bit too much from it. It's not gonna make your buds more compact. When you decide to start feeding it to your plants is pretty clear - during the middle and later stages of the flowering period.

And if you decide to skip it entirely, I assure you, nothing of significance is going to happen in respect to the airy buds.

The plants below were fed just the essentials - root complex, grow, bloom and micro. And nothing else. And they've developed some impressive buds. But they were of a good genetics to begin with, under 800W hps, with controlled heat and good air flow.

Bottom line, there's nothing wrong with the Lucas formula. It's not something you absorb in your early stages as a grower and then move on to more advanced techniques. It's a tried and tested system that works. And the reason that works is, among other things, its simplicity.

Of course, for it to work, all the other aspects of your grow must be dialed in.

 

[TropicGrow]

IMO, you're approaching the problem from the wrong side. The airy buds problem could be caused by many factors but none of them is connected to your nutes.

First of those factors is genetics. There are strains with airy buds and, although, even the fluffy buds need love, try to avoid them by simply choosing the right strain.

Second one is light (or lack of it thereof). Light quantity and light quality (the right spectrum). Not enough light equals airy buds. Period. It, also, equals some other things but for the purpose of this conversation I've left them out.

Third one is heat. Too high a temperature in your growspace is also one of the culprits. Every bit as important as the light.

Fourth one is air. Proper ventilation and air flow is essential.

Your nutes are, believe it or not, the least important factor in the equation. If your plant doesn't show any sign of overfeeding or starvation, then she's developing nicely. Your plant won't punish you with fluffy buds for not giving her enough Phosphorus. She will show you, mostly on her leaves, what's bothering her.

PK Boost is just what the name says - a boost. And as such works in synergy with all of the other ingredients and elements of your grow. I have a feeling you're expecting a bit too much from it. It's not gonna make your buds more compact. When you decide to start feeding it to your plants is pretty clear - during the middle and later stages of the flowering period.

And if you decide to skip it entirely, I assure you, nothing of significance is going to happen in respect to the airy buds.

The plants below were fed just the essentials - root complex, grow, bloom and micro. And nothing else. And they've developed some impressive buds. But they were of a good genetics to begin with, under 800W hps, with controlled heat and good air flow.

Bottom line, there's nothing wrong with the Lucas formula. It's not something you absorb in your early stages as a grower and then move on to more advanced techniques. It's a tried and tested system that works. And the reason that works is, among other things, its simplicity.

Of course, for it to work, all the other aspects of your grow must be dialed in.

Well noted on this. maybe my case was coincidental, this explanation definitely seems on point.