Anyone have hermie issue with Reserva Privada fems?

[everydayJoe]

Hi all- new member here but long time lurker. I've done about a half dozen grows over the years and never had any hermie issues. I don't consider myself an expert but have some experience with this stuff and in general am kind of OCD about these things, so no detail goes unnoticed in my grow space.

I was (past tense...they are dead now) growing 2 fem Kosker Kushes and 1 fem OG Kush from RP, and less than 3 weeks into flowering ALL THREE starting herming up all over the place. Ball sacks galore.

I cannot think of what caused it, other than just bad genetics/breeding. All three were growing in a confirmed light proof Secret Jardin 3x3 tent, 400w MH/HPS cool tube on a timer, temps always well regulated (68-70 at night, 76-79 during day), in 5g smart pots with FFOF soil, no light burn, fed minimal nutrients (FF trio once per week at 1/4 strength starting at about 4-5 weeks old, pH'd to 6.6 each time just like I've done with all previous successful grows), no signs of nute def, nute burn, bugs or disease, topped once at 2.5 weeks into veg, put into flowering after 3.5 wks of veg...overall these were by far the healthiest and fastest growing plants I've ever had. I couldn't have been happier. Until that male balls spread everywhere.

I wish I could figure out what it was that could have caused the hermies because then I can fix it...but without knowing I feel like all I can do is redo the exact same thing except with different strains from different breeders and hope that this was the sole problem.

So has anyone else had issues with RP femmed seeds turning hermie early in flower?

Thanks for any insight.

 

[HidingInTheHaze]

OG is not usually a strain to herm, I'd say you have a light leak or something else that's causing it. Especially since 2 different strains and 3 plants are doing it at the same time.

I've actually never heard of anyone saying their OG hermed, not with the clones or any from seed. Pretty strong genetics.

I did have one of DNA's fem rocklock freebees that was a total male once but that's not related to OG.

Maybe you just got a junk batch of seeds?

 

[hush]

I've got a Stacked Kush and a Silver LA that came from freebie seeds, and I've grown them both out to completion. In fact, I just had a Silver LA harvest a few days ago. And neither of those have ever hermied on me. The mother plants admittedly don't get the best of conditions in the world, either, yet they still provide me with cuttings that flower out successfully. So I don't know what to tell you other than it can happen even to the best of breeders from time to time.

 

[everydayJoe]

Thanks to both of you for your replies.

HidingtheHaze- I wish it were a light leak, but I have stood inside the tent with the room lights and window shades open, and cannot see anything coming in. And when I stand outside the tent in the totally dark room that it is in with the light on inside the tent, I cannot see a single stray beam of light coming out. If there is a light leak, then it is undetectable by eye....and I've used this tent before with success and no herms.

I'm not usually one to blame other people for my problems, but hopefully it was just bad luck of the draw with the seeds this time around, and next round the cannabis gods will reward me for my patience. Time will tell.

 

[Kush4me]

I've grown several breeds from RP and DNA and never had issues with that

 

[hush]

Everydayjoe, there is one thing I see in your setup which allows for variables to occur... You use FFOF which is unarguably notorious for its random quality from one bag to the next. That was why I quit using it many years ago. Its something to consider. Unless you have done a complete analysis of this particular batch of soil, you can't say for sure that there isn't something funky going on in there.

In my own experience, Fox Farms has been having quality control issues for the past several years now. FWIW.

 

[everydayJoe]

kush4me- thanks for your input.

Everydayjoe, there is one thing I see in your setup which allows for variables to occur... You use FFOF which is unarguably notorious for its random quality from one bag to the next. That was why I quit using it many years ago. Its something to consider. Unless you have done a complete analysis of this particular batch of soil, you can't say for sure that there isn't something funky going on in there.

In my own experience, Fox Farms has been having quality control issues for the past several years now. FWIW.

Thanks hush, this is good information. I've been using FFOF (with additional perlite added) with good success for all my previous grows but maybe you are right that this one was an unusually bad batch. Like I said though the plants were growing super healthy and fast with no signs of nute burn or def., so maybe it was something subtle that wasn't visible to the eye.

I'll look into getting a different batch next time, or perhaps use a different type of soil altogether. Do you have any recommendations for a decent soil that one might be able to find at their local hydro store or online?

 

[hush]

What I ended up replacing it with was Sunshine Advanced Mix #4. There are no nutrients in it, so you will need to feed from the very beginning, but let's be honest, there really isn't a whole lot of food in FFOF to begin with anyway. So it's not a big deal, IMO.

Pro Mix HP is another good option, but the SAM is cheaper at my hydro store.

 

[everydayJoe]

Thanks hush, I appreciate your input. Will look into those soils.

 

[macamus33]

I have personally grown Tora Bora, OG Kush, OG#18, Confidetial Cheese, all from RP and had no herms. I run the same tent as you with a 430Watt Son-Agro HPS.
Possibly check your equipment in your tent for led lights, ie power strips, some fans, controllers etc... You probably already know this, as these small light sources can cuase herms.
I used FFOF soil many moons ago. Was a good product then, although too expensive. Now I grow TLO style and recycle/remake my own soil blend.
Could also be a bad batch of feminized seeds. It happens sometimes even to the best breeders.

 

[everydayJoe]

I have personally grown Tora Bora, OG Kush, OG#18, Confidetial Cheese, all from RP and had no herms. I run the same tent as you with a 430Watt Son-Agro HPS.
Possibly check your equipment in your tent for led lights, ie power strips, some fans, controllers etc... You probably already know this, as these small light sources can cuase herms.
I used FFOF soil many moons ago. Was a good product then, although too expensive. Now I grow TLO style and recycle/remake my own soil blend.
Could also be a bad batch of feminized seeds. It happens sometimes even to the best breeders.

Hey man thanks for chiming in. Glad you had such success with a bunch of other RP's gear. Unfortunately there aren't any LED's in the tent...all power strips are outside the tent and the one circulating fan inside the tent has no lights on it.

One thought I had though that was different in this last grow from my previous grows was my air intake system, which now feeds into PVC piping as shown below:

Is there any chance that the PVC piping is off gassing or something like that? From what I've read about such offgassing issues is that the plants will show visible signs of distress, like yellowing of leaves, which I definitely never had even a little issue with. This last grow I also have a DIY ducting muffler filled with polyester quilt batting in the air intake system....the batting shouldn't be offgassing or some weird shit like that should it?

 

[sdd420]

Just a thought...where did you get your beans? Hopefully the bay or boo because you can't trust the other sites. I was burned elsewhere hope you got breeder packs too. Peace sdd

 

[everydayJoe]

Just a thought...where did you get your beans? Hopefully the bay or boo because you can't trust the other sites. I was burned elsewhere hope you got breeder packs too. Peace sdd

Got the bean from attitude. Pick n Mix. They were removed from the original breeder packs....hmm...

 

[spaceboy]

I've grown out their Kosher and Sleestack OG and both were nice, but my buddy had a major hermie with their Silver LA.

 

[Mikenite69]

Are you using light proof ducting in your grow? I have noticed on my last grow that I need light proof ducting because that silver ducting will create hermies.

I wound up having 1 plant pop nanners and it was the plant that was right in front of my intake ducting.

If you have that silver ducting I can bet that is where you problem lies wether its on your carbon filter running out the tent if you look at that ducting you will see tiny pinholes all through it.

Peace mike

 

[acridlab]

I also have never had a problem with DNA/reserva privada..the above posts have good information, as I agree with both. Fox farm blows these days. Nothing but problems, bugs n crazy ph. That being said, try to lower your ph to 6.3. I never go over that in soil/soiless. Quality ducting is a must as someone mentioned earlier..plus,if u don't have a tds meter, try using one.. even a quarter strength solution of some nutes brands can b enough to stress plants from seed. I always stay under 500 ppm on seed grows. .5 conversion

 

[jimdandy]

On my 3rd strain from them.( Kandy Kush, Sour Kush, Kosher Kush) never a herm issue! I love their stuff. People that I let sample my meds say its been the best ive done. Good stuff!!

 

[INDODRO]

I had a hermie from their OG kush (fem) as well. Nothing else around that plant hermied either.