Flowering Stopped?

I have some very healthy indoor plants that were in veg for two months and now flowering for over two months. Everything was going fine in the flowering stage but the buds seemed to have stopped growing about three weeks ago. All this would be fine, but they're definitely not ready. The main colas are not thick, have tons of little leaves(I know they should >>>), but you can barely see any bud growth.

I feel as though during some point I may have started letting too much light in during the dark period. Could this have stopped the growth? And if so, assuming this is the problem, how can it be remedied? Do I just leave them on 12/12, can I throw them into darkness for 24hr to reset something, or is there no chance of anymore growth so I should just harvest?

I can't post pictures (BUT WILL TRY SOON) because I don't have a camera but please hear me out.

Side notes: Plants are healthy otherwise, a good color, ventilated, and getting nutes. The hairs on the bud have turned from white-ish/clear to mostly orange/brown. The fan leaves on the tops of two plants are starting to curl inwards a little.


Any suggestions, opinions? Thanks..

Did they stall out completely, stopping all growth, or are they still growing some healthy vegetation but not flowers? I don't believe that light leaks at night or too short of a dark period would cause a plant to stall, it just can stop bud production afaik. Not 100% on that, though.

Most often, when a plant in late flowering stalls, it's from root binding. If you haven't yet, very gently pull a plant from its container and check the roots. If they've swirled around the bottom corner many times, they need more soil immediately. In this case, add at least a few inches of flowering soil to the bottom of the container, pack lightly and put the plant back in. It's ok to have the soil surface a few inches above the edge of the pot.

Hey, thanks a lot for answering.

It seems as though they have stalled completely. They have not grown vertically in 3 weeks or more. If there was a root problem, wouldn't it show in the leaves and not the flowering production?

I also meant to add that it is a closet grow. I keep it all closed up, but when the dark period is beginning for the first 4 hours I'm still up so I feel like light leaks in.

Yes light leaks kill flowering

had this happen to me before, let too much light in during the dark and the plants stalled, then new white pistels formed like it was revegged then re-flowered... then the plants turned herm...

hopefully its not that bad for you but i would keep checking for pollen sacks and hopefully your plants rebound quickly

Is there anything i can do to turn them back to flowering? Like leaving them in dark for an extended period of time? It wasn't like they were in a lit room: just a double-door closet closed, a blanket over where the doors meet, but both hinge sides of the doors uncovered, and most importantly outside the closet the room was lit. Could that do it?

What happens to plants outdoors exposed to moonlight? They don't revert, right? It seems like it wasn't much more light than that would be. But I digress.


Any tips from anyone are greatly appreciated.

Cereall said:

Yes light leaks kill flowering

had this happen to me before, let too much light in during the dark and the plants stalled, then new white pistels formed like it was revegged then re-flowered... then the plants turned herm...

hopefully its not that bad for you but i would keep checking for pollen sacks and hopefully your plants rebound quickly

Click to expand...

Could you at least yield anything in the end?

If you are going to re-veg the plant, I would cut off any flowers that are on the plants and get them back in veg under 24 hour light for several weeks before attempting to flower again. Make sure you take care of any light issues. If you have to, cover the closet door with black plastic when the lights go out so your room lights don't interfere with the plant's 'night' time.

Irie22 said:

Could you at least yield anything in the end?

Click to expand...

Yes i yielded some at the end... was semi seed filled on that plant and pulled premature


How are the hairs on your plant? starting to turn orange/red yet at all?

You might have to just pull premature and start over or chop everything off like Serapis mentioned...

Some plants are very very sensitive to light leaks, which might seam minuscule to you but your plants dont. Other strains can take larger amounts of stress and light leak and have no issue... When i had a light leak, which was very minimal... 4 out of 24 plants got affected but they got totally messed up while the others remained fine

Do you have a microscope? at least 30x? any chance your plant is mature but the hairs are just not turning any darker colors or receding? had that happen on 1 plant before where trichomes were all cloudy/ slightly amber yet still had white hairs on plant amongst a few reddish/orange hairs


MY OPINION... bite the bullet and chop down early... otherwise i feel you will be waiting a long time for the finished product which might herm out if it was affected so greatly...

Cereall said:

Yes i yielded some at the end... was semi seed filled on that plant and pulled premature


How are the hairs on your plant? starting to turn orange/red yet at all?

You might have to just pull premature and start over or chop everything off like Serapis mentioned...

Some plants are very very sensitive to light leaks, which might seam minuscule to you but your plants dont. Other strains can take larger amounts of stress and light leak and have no issue... When i had a light leak, which was very minimal... 4 out of 24 plants got affected but they got totally messed up while the others remained fine

Do you have a microscope? at least 30x? any chance your plant is mature but the hairs are just not turning any darker colors or receding? had that happen on 1 plant before where trichomes were all cloudy/ slightly amber yet still had white hairs on plant amongst a few reddish/orange hairs


MY OPINION... bite the bullet and chop down early... otherwise i feel you will be waiting a long time for the finished product which might herm out if it was affected so greatly...

Click to expand...

The majority of hairs have turned orangish/brown. I don't have a microscope.

Serapis said:

If you are going to re-veg the plant, I would cut off any flowers that are on the plants and get them back in veg under 24 hour light for several weeks before attempting to flower again. Make sure you take care of any light issues. If you have to, cover the closet door with black plastic when the lights go out so your room lights don't interfere with the plant's 'night' time.

Click to expand...

If I cut off the flowers, should I do it as intricately as possible to not harm the plant or should I just go all out and abort?

Also, sorry for all the questions, but what if I put it into 24hrs light with the flowers still on for a week or so and then go back to 12hr? Bad idea?

And one more: What about giving them full darkness for 24hrs instead? Could this throw them back into flowering? I know I keep mentioning it, but it seems slightly logical haha.

sounds like your lights are too weak to get chunky heads.

*BUDS said:

sounds like your lights are too weak to get chunky heads.

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Do you think?


I have an led light(no not the stupid ufos): Light Engine: 225 LEDs (165 Red, 60 Blue); Wavelengths: Red - 620-630 nm, Blue - 460-470 nm
and
2 CFLS

Either way, i have pics now:

Here are the pictures:

Any comments on these pictures? How do they look? I need a doctor!!!!!

Those look like indicas, and alot of indicas are considered 8 week strains.
In your case I think the lights you use are not powerful enough to get huge dense buds like an hps would give.

Also: pictures 2 and 11 show nanners. thats not a good thing chop her down. You said you've been flowering for 2 months as well. They look done...

meezy4tw said:

Those look like indicas, and alot of indicas are considered 8 week strains.
In your case I think the lights you use are not powerful enough to get huge dense buds like an hps would give.

Also: pictures 2 and 11 show nanners. thats not a good thing chop her down. You said you've been flowering for 2 months as well. They look done...

Click to expand...

What is a nanner? That thing coming out of the one plants bud? Those are from the same plant btw. I was going to ask that...

The other pic I had a question about was #9. That's a picture underneath, looking up at pistols? Could that mean veg?

Nanner is a common called name of male sex part that produces the pollen... kind of looks like little bananas

yes that thing coming out of the bud

pic 9 i dont think that means reveg... thats one of your best looking pictures... pretty crystally and nice... they just never filled out size wise

i also think your lights might not be sufficient

good to veg but i think your led is lacking... im an LED grower and yours sound like a cheap led with very low wattage from what i have seen online unless you can provide a link to where you purchased from... i use hydroponics hut LEDs and they are rock solid

I would pick up a real good led or a different kind of lighting to supplement some more... and start over that plant is just going to pollinate itself any day now

Cereall said:

Nanner is a common called name of male sex part that produces the pollen... kind of looks like little bananas

yes that thing coming out of the bud

pic 9 i dont think that means reveg... thats one of your best looking pictures... pretty crystally and nice... they just never filled out size wise

i also think your lights might not be sufficient

good to veg but i think your led is lacking... im an LED grower and yours sound like a cheap led with very low wattage from what i have seen online unless you can provide a link to where you purchased from... i use hydroponics hut LEDs and they are rock solid

I would pick up a real good led or a different kind of lighting to supplement some more... and start over that plant is just going to pollinate itself any day now

Click to expand...

My led is from earthled.

So the one with 'nanners' switched sexes? Is the bud still okay?

For the other ones, could I get more lights and let them continue longer?

Sorry for all the questions guys; just trying to learn for the future. I have read up, but there is a difference btwn reading and actually doing