[testymctester]

I picked up this cut from a local dispensary a couple months ago hoping it would be an awesome strawberry pheno of BOGs Sour Strawberry. It came labeled as Sour Strawberry from BOG Seeds with a flower time of 10-11 weeks. I was instantly suspicious as I thought the SSK finished a bit faster than that. I crossed my fingers hoping the flower time was an uncommon ECSD trait and grabbed one.

Vegged out 2 weeks in 5 gallon smart pot with some topping and training... and off to flower.

[testymctester]

A couple weeks into flower and the zip ties are working nicely to control the canopy. The new pistils are burnt or browning though. Not sure if the pics show that too well. I have seen this before on other strains in my garden and it only shows up on soil plants.

[testymctester]

A week or so later and they grow out of it... as seen in the first picture. I had to go out of town a week later and the second picture is how I left her. The last 3 pics are from 10 days later (42 days) when I got back.

I started giving plain water and they should be done this weekend. Harvest pics to come!

[stasis]

I think You may have had a moderate BROAD MITE Infestation. The pistils get browned at the tips prematurely. New growth is sparse and yellowish, at first. Looks like they grew out, but there probably was some BM's. Check closely with 60X scope, you will probably see 'em.

Still quite hardy plant...!!! Looks great...

[testymctester]

I guess it could be broad mites, but I don't know. I was definitely caught off guard by root aphids a couple years ago. Here are a couple shots of clones rooting and one in soil after topping.

I also have 2 in a flood and drain table that have had bright white pistils throughout flower. I haven't done anything to prevent or eradicate mites, so I'm thinking my garden would be a little more devastated if it were broad, cyclamen, or russet mites?

[DocZ]

Hey tMct,
Maybe just rooting adjustments? It happens with nute-shock...
I would think you would see some spots on those dark green leaves if it were Borg of any kind. But...I've fought mites on and off for a long time, it's almost inevitable in a open-input (clones in, uncleaned) system, especially where there are continuous production/flowering rooms that don't shutdown!
Neem-on till two weeks before flower, and get those leaves even more shiny!

Lookin' Great 2Me!

[testymctester]

Thanks Doc. I have definitely used neem/aza in the past throughout veg. I have been a little lazy through the last couple rounds and just foliar sprayed compost tea a few times when they're veggin. They go into flower nice and healthy with no signs of bugs or fungus, and I've been lucky that's how they keep coming out.

I am interested in the rooting adjustments or nute-shock you mentioned. I typically let a plant root a new pot for a couple weeks before flipping and I ease into my nutes which are fed pretty light throughout flower (<800 ppm). I am in Happy Frog using Floranova Blloom and Floralicious Plus with the soil girls. I also have 2 clones off this one in hydroton with the same feed strength. Pistils burn or brown in soil, but not in hydro.

[testymctester]

Here she is around week 7...

I'm disappointed because I don't smell any strawberries and I've been feeding like she was a 10-11 week strain. I've been giving plain water now for a couple weeks trying to get the leaves to fade a bit before chopping.

It definitely looks and smells very similar to a few bubba crosses I have run before. Maybe it is an extremely sour bubble leaning pheno? Maybe it was mislabeled? Anybody with Sour Strawberry or SSK experience ever see a plant like this from BOG seeds?

[DocZ]

Hey testymctester,
You may be looking at a higher N level in soil, which can affect root adjustment and balance of myco right at the root tips while the pistils are poppin'.
I see a similar effect sometimes if I let the pots dry-out when using a bottom-bubbled "excess" runoff tray, during switch to flowering Nutes. Also if i lose the bubbler aeration and it's too wet for a day or two.
If the soil mix has not been "aged", I guess there is a quick nute/cation concentration that may even change pH.
This is worse with coco-containing soils.
I can't usually tell by pH or runoff like in Hydro, but the change to flowering lowers the overall metabolism and maybe root temps, if your lighting is set-up to cool more at "night". All this can briefly cause too much or too little dissolved Nutes or O2 and ; I'm guessing too much N in your case, particularly with the dark green!
But; as long as it corrected itself, I would not worry..as you have the frost to show for it!
Do you always water /fertilize from top in soil? With a good soil mix like you have, you may only need some rainwater and compost tea till switch, and EJ Bloom or similar No-N nute to finish, if K and P needed at all.
Good luck on the aroma; that's the toughest pheno to find, IMHO.

[testymctester]

Hey Doc, thanks again. I always water and feed from the top on the soil girls and I usually don't use any nutes in veg. I use Floranova and Floralicious because they are pretty cheap and work well in my flood and drain system, but FN Bloom does have too much N for late flowering. I guess I could find something with less or no N, or maybe just feed less FNB.

I hear ya on the strawberry pheno too. I was hoping to find something special with this Sour Strawberry, but I always have my doubts when dealing with the clubs. Regardless, it looks like a dank bubba cross or something similar. Maybe Sour Bubble related?