Browning pistils, week 5. Need help figuring out why, thanks.

[Waffles101]

Hey all. Week five of flower, things going great so far, but today I noticed some pistils browning prematurely. I've included photos so you can see them as well. I looked over every plant carefully, not seeing any hermie'd plants, no signs of mites.

The only things I can think of that could be causing this issue are the following:

1. Last week I noticed a few fungus gnats flying around. Only saw two, killed them, put down yellow sticky tabs, only caught one more over the course of the next four days. Maybe their larva are doing damage to the roots?

2. After I saw the fungus gnats I really, really let my soil dry out. No water for a six days. Maybe the lack of water and the temps at high 70s browned them a little from dehydration?

3. Overwatering with dense organic soil. I was watering every three days for a while. Four days the soil would be bone dry, three days it's a little moist still but I decided to water sooner rather than later in the cycle of dry and wet.

4. Last cycle I had a hermie. After the grow I broke my tent down, and washed it throughly down with a light bleach solution, let it air out, and then put it away for six months. This is my first grow back from that. At first I thought maybe it was just genetics but I noticed it's happened to 2/3 strains.

None of these options seem to be to be any cause for real alarm. Maybe some stray branch I missed somehow hermie'd and I'll have a few seeds.

My question is, are there any more dangerous options I missed that I need to look for? Some weird pest/mold/fungus I wouldn't know to look for that would be obvious? All the plants look very healthy outside this. A little yellowing near the bottoms but nothing unusual.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Wendull C.]

Scope for russet mites anytime you see hairs dieing pre maturely. Especially if there was no introduced pollen.

 

[James Howlett]

Russet mites do cause pistils to turn brown and shrink but usually you won't make it to week 5 before noticing. Do you have any leaves curling at the base where each finger starts? Have you brought any new plants in recently?

If fans are blowing other leaves hard into the buds that also causes brown pistils.

It could also be a hermie somewhere. Check all the inter nodes for male pollen sacks.

 

[HqFarms]

Russet mite buds don't look like that. It's hard to explain what they look like but it is not like that. What is the strain? have you grown this strain before?

It looks to me that they are starting to finish up

 

[Waffles101]

Russet mites do cause pistils to turn brown and shrink but usually you won't make it to week 5 before noticing. Do you have any leaves curling at the base where each finger starts? Have you brought any new plants in recently?

If fans are blowing other leaves hard into the buds that also causes brown pistils.

It could also be a hermie somewhere. Check all the inter nodes for male pollen sacks.

I don't think it's mites. I looked over the plants with a X60 lense, didn't see anything but I'll check more carefully tomorrow. No curling whatsoever. No new plants brought it. Just plants grown from seed inside the tent.

 

[Waffles101]

Russet mite buds don't look like that. It's hard to explain what they look like but it is not like that. What is the strain? have you grown this strain before?

It looks to me that they are starting to finish up

It's happening on more than one strain. It's going on a little on both of my Mr. Nice (G13 x Hashplant) plants, and on my Master Kush as well.

 

[HqFarms]

It's happening on more than one strain. It's going on a little on both of my Mr. Nice (G13 x Hashplant) plants, and on my Master Kush as well.

Like I said have you grown these cuts before? When you say week 5 do you mean day 29 or 34

 

[Waffles101]

Like I said have you grown these cuts before? When you say week 5 do you mean day 29 or 34

No, this is my first time growing all of these strains. Day 35 for all these ladies.

 

[Wendull C.]

Russets come from the bottom up. I only posted that to save someone some grief as a general rule.
Was off topic though.

 

[Paddi]

It looks to me that they are starting to finish up

Yes





P

 

[Waffles101]

Yes





P

I can't tell if that was sarcastic lol. If that's the case I'll stop worrying.

 

[Ready4]

Does not appear to be a damn thing wrong with those, just strains that shoot some red pistils early, they still have plenty of weeks to finish.

 

[Redbuddz]

Lack of water for 6 days caused the pistils to wither and die off. Over the next weeks be on the lookout for any fungus/mold that may form inside the colas.

 

[Waffles101]

Lack of water for 6 days caused the pistils to wither and die off. Over the next weeks be on the lookout for any fungus/mold that may form inside the colas.

I'll keep and eye out but I'd be shocked. I use a dehumidifier to keep RH under %50 at all times.

Are the plants more susceptible to molds and fungi after a dry spell?

 

[Redbuddz]

No but molds and fungi thrive on dead material and the fact that your pistils withered and died means you have some potential for mold to grow

 

[Waffles101]

Got it, thanks. I'll keep and eye out.