Room issue

[SunnySativa]

So hypotheically speaking.....i ran into a room problem in my closet. I cant move the light up [430watt HPS] anymore nor can the plant pot be moved down [already at the bottom] im in flower but one of my plants keep growin and now its like 4 inches away from the bulb [yes the hot HPS]. My question is, is it ok to bend stems in flower without losing yeild? Since i dont got anymore room i figure the only answer is to bend stem and let it continue growing sideways, would this be my best bet, and safe?:stoned:

[texas grass]

yes as long as your gentle and have a good sweeping bend you should be fine.
use yarn or a very soft string to tie down with
are you running a cooltube/air cooled hood?

[SunnySativa]

No thats why im worried, 2 fans one blows in, other blows out...also one more question, windows are blocked with sheetz and such, but FAINT, very faint light gets in and may reach around my curtain on my flowering section, how big of a problem is this in the end when all said and harvested?

[gainesvillegreen]

If you are going to bend them, make sure that you do not bend the dominant apex below any others on the plant. Bend them over slightly so that they run more horizontal at the top and remember not to bend it too low.

The light could indeed cause you large problems. How far along are they in flowering? And how well do the buds seem to be forming? If the light is too strong, they may not bud at all, or they may go hermaphroditic on you, or they could end up perfectly fine. You should definitely try to solve those light leaks.

[SunnySativa]

Well im about 3-4 weeks in and there is buds, tho one plant is about 2 ft maybe couple inches more with one big stem [buds at top and little in each intersection where leaves come out and the other is like almost 4ft id say with several little branches with buds on each end [nothing spectacular like youd see around on here] ill throw up some pics in a bit

[SunnySativa]

these pictures are about 3-4 days old but
[1st pic] there on the left you can see my shorter one with the majority of bud at top. Next to it on the right is my bigger one and you can c the difference. [also if you look down in the bottom left corner you can see my clone of the bigger one is doing quite well also. You can also see that the bigger one is extremely close to the light [my HPS lamp is right above this picture, prob 4 inches away from the top]

[2nd pic] i believe is a close up on the smaller plant [not the clone]
[3rd pic] is a close up of one of the branches on that big one

[gainesvillegreen]

Ok, I see how they are. Just tie down the main colas towards the very top. Pull them over to one side as much as you need and tie them.

[SunnySativa]

ok i took the tip top of the big one tied a soft string around the stem and pulled it down so the top of the plant is running horizontal to the light bulb and taped the other end to the side of the pot....good?

[blink_inc]

yes. good.

[Opie Yutts]

Seems like a screen grow would be a good idea for you.

[SunnySativa]

screen grow? I got the string around the top of the plant [id say 2 inches above the top of that AL Foil and its bend horizontal across and the small branches are now growin up to the light obviously, ill post a picture....all in all tho, you think these ladies are looking pretty good and delicious?

[klondike_bar]

any plant is a plant id make sweet sticky love with. those are no exeption! they look good!

[Opie Yutts]

screen grow? I got the string around the top of the plant [id say 2 inches above the top of that AL Foil and its bend horizontal across and the small branches are now growin up to the light obviously, ill post a picture....all in all tho, you think these ladies are looking pretty good and delicious?

Yeah, like in SOG or SCROG, but without the OG or CROG. Do whatever you got to do to keep em away from the light, short of topping, but I'm thinking the easiest fix in this case would be to mount a screen a few inches below the light, and check daily to make sure buds don't grow up through. Then for next time, you could mount a screen lower, and place your branches around to fill in the area best, with main buds toward the outside. It'll save you a lot of tying headaches, all your light-caused heat stress, and should increase yield. And absolutely, they look delicious. Nice work.

If your scratching your head at the notion, be sure to research SOG and SCROG. IMHO the absolutely best growing style.

[Opie Yutts]

any plant is a plant id make sweet sticky love with.

This I would pay to see. I've not yet heard of faunaility, but it sounds like just the kind of thing I could use to spice up the ol' love life.

You need to record your love making and sell it on the internet. I see a huge potential for large chunks of cash. Let me in on the action.

[SunnySativa]

Here is an updated picture from yesterday of how i tied it down

[spongebobsmokepants]

looks like it is working out nice for ya.

[SunnySativa]

Heres an update, they were good over the week i went home and i came back to this. Gettin closer to harvest time, the tops of the big one were burnt cuz it got to close to the light went i was away for the week, but i tied it down lower, its pushed against the wall so it cant go any lower unless i bent a different direction.

[Opie Yutts]

Looking nuggalicious.

[SunnySativa]

How much you think ill yield from that girl? Im thinkin a week or 2 more then harvest...? I wait til the white pistols turn brownish correct?

[Mr. Clandestine]

You'll still have new pistils shooting out until the very day of harvest. You'll be close to the end when 75% or more of the pistils have wilted...and don't appear to be replacing themselves as rapidly as they used to. Best way, in my opinion, to check for maturity is by getting a close look at the trichomes all over the plant. I harvest when about half of them have turned a slight amber color.

Great looking lady, by the way! Big Bud, I'm assuming?

[Opie Yutts]

How much you think ill yield from that girl? Im thinkin a week or 2 more then harvest...? I wait til the white pistols turn brownish correct?

It is sooo hard to tell from a picture, especially one where you can't see all the plant. 2.5 Oz after drying? Heck I don't know.

As Mr. Clandestine suggests, the pistil color has nothing to do with harvest time. Well that's not exactly true, but it is by no means a way to tell when to harvest. The pistil color will darken overall more toward the end, but it varies per strain, environment, etc. The only real way to tell is be checking trichome color. Use at least a 30X magnifying glass (3 loop), or better yet a pocket microscope for about half the price that goes 60x to 100x. Both at Radio Shack. It's nice to have both. Sometimes it's kinda hard to get focused in at 60X, but boy can you see em up close.

Most people, myself included seem to like about 10 or 20% amber and the rest cloudy. Harvest clear if you like a clearer, thinking man's high, cloudy for normal, and amber for a can't get my ass off the couch, almost narcotic type of high. Amber means THC is actually starting to degrade, however.

[SunnySativa]

Can you tell from those 3 pictures? The first and 2nd are same plant, the 3rd is that big one. I dont have a magnifying glass so imma have to grab one tomorrow i suppose

[Opie Yutts]

Well, I can definitely see trichomes, but I can't tell what color they are. They all look amber to me because of the amber light. Perhaps if you could get as close as possible with out the HPS light on.

Here you can kind of see what you should be looking for, but these mostly look clear too me: http://boards.cannabis.com/grow-faqs/37003-trichomes-close-up-say-cheese.html

Search trichomes to get some better photos and input. If you're going to do this much, you pretty much need some kind of magnifying tool.

Looking nice-n-frosty.

[SunnySativa]

Id say [from my camera zoom as of now] the trichomes are most cloudy, some clear, see spects of amber prob like 5%, and some of the pistols are starting to turn brown [say 10%]
Heres some sticky pictures

1 and 2 [from big girl] 3 from little one next to it...no pictures of the clone yet cuz im leaving her in there a little bit longer since i started flower on her a little more later

*EDIT*
Is it safe to pull a branch [or smaller] off the plant to dry out and try as a way to see if its where i want it to be?

[Opie Yutts]

It is still really hard to see the color of the trichomes. It's a lot better in this light though. As best as I can tell, they seem mostly clear and cloudy. I thought I might have spotted one or two ambers though, not sure. I'm going to believe you since you can get your eyeball right up close.

Usually there are more brown hairs at harvest time, but like I mentioned before that is not really a good way to tell. If indeed 5% of the trichomes are amber, then you could harvest now, or a few days ago, or in a week or two. And not all the parts of the plant have the same amount of amber, so you could harvest some that look more ready and leave the others until they are ready.

And yes, I don't think you would be a normal weed farmer if you didn't pinch some before the crop is completely ready. Won't hurt a thing. You could take a whole bunch off, like getting ready to reveg if you wanted to.

[SunnySativa]

iight, i cut off a few branches, got them under my bed hanging in a dim/dark, dry, cool place...how long usually til i should try it, week or 2 then keep in a jar...

[twoguysupnorth]

you will be able to sample them when they are dry, about a week. if you have enough to keep in jars, then you should look up curing. make sure to open them daily at first so you wont get mold.

[Opie Yutts]

If you break off a few little pinches, those will dry in about a day. I mean like smaller than a dime.

[SunnySativa]

Does it matter if you lay your buds out or if you hang them? I figured as long as it was a dark dry ventilated place thats all that mattered? My friend was tryin to say you hang them becuz gravity makes the THC run to the top or something odd like that, i was just like whatt? No?

[SunnySativa]

....also you think its cool if i dry them in the corner of a closet, like itd be surrounded by walls on all 3 sides i could put a fan blowing on it, tho its not that deep in the closet so there would be air flow from me moving around in the room and such i just dont know how much ventilation it calls for, this is my first harvest

[Opie Yutts]

I've tried hanging and putting them horizontally on screens. I can't tell the difference. Just make sure air can flow around them.

Yeah, the closet sounds like a great place if you keep that fan going. The fan will help guard from mold or mildew, and help to dry out the buds quicker. Just not real fast or it will knock trichomes off.

[klondike_bar]

id suggest a vertical hanging, because of much less contact with any surfaces. however, THC will not "dribble into the buds" like some ind of lquid

[SunnySativa]

Ok thanks, i figured....any suggestions for someone goin into their first harvest?

[Opie Yutts]

Well that narrows it down quite a bit.

[trynagethigh]

Yeah, like in SOG or SCROG, but without the OG or CROG. Do whatever you got to do to keep em away from the light, short of topping, but I'm thinking the easiest fix in this case would be to mount a screen a few inches below the light, and check daily to make sure buds don't grow up through. Then for next time, you could mount a screen lower, and place your branches around to fill in the area best, with main buds toward the outside. It'll save you a lot of tying headaches, all your light-caused heat stress, and should increase yield. And absolutely, they look delicious. Nice work.

If your scratching your head at the notion, be sure to research SOG and SCROG. IMHO the absolutely best growing style.

:thumbsup:excellent advice..only thing i would say is that instead of taping, drill a few small holes around the top of your pot(s) so you can tie the string to..all you need is that tape to let go and bam! crispy colas to go. not to mention this may not be the only one you will need to tie down, ya know? Hope this helps and good luck, theyre looking good so far..:jointsmile::thumbsup:

[SunnySativa]

haha well i found out the hard way that the tape wasnt gunna hold, when i was gone for the week away from them that happened and crispy tops but it wasnt that bad, however i learned the hard way lol

[twoguysupnorth]

exactly, the tape doesnt hold. i use pins made of coat hangers now(in soil), and sometimes they pop up. Lst is a good thing if you can manuver around in there.
the only difference between hang drying and bag drying is how pretty they look. bag drying might cause some flat sides and stuff but hanging isnt as convienient.

[SunnySativa]

Welp i've cut off a few [ive noticed the buds on my left girl were startin to look a TINY bit more frosty then they were previously so i decided against total harvest just yet] but anywayz like i said i cut a few off to drop out and sample, heres a pic of my drying setup, simple corner of closet, string taped on the wall one side to the other and [the part you cant see behind the camera] a towel blocking light and a fan blowing from about 6 or so feet away up into the closet:smokin:

[Opie Yutts]

Works for me. I've done almost that same exact thing before.

[SunnySativa]

Finally went and got me one of those pocket microscopes from Radioshack, check out my plants and came to the conclusion one of them could use a couple more days [looks like 1/2 cloudy and 1/2 clear] then my other one [the big one] seem to need longer cuz i see like hairs, but i dont see really any of those trichome bubbles. Meaning that i see whats circled in red, not whats circled in yellow on the bigger plant. [could this be becuz its just developing slow, or just becuz it may be a weak strain?] Half the hairs are turning brown, but you dont look at those to tell when to harvest [for the most part] do you?

*THE PICTURE ISNT OF MY PLANTS, ITS FROM THE CHART*

[twoguysupnorth]

i still watch the hairs because i dont have a scope. thats the way in the olden days, lol. but indoors gives me alot more colored hairs than outdoors does. outdoors the plants turn colors. more or less a guestimet for me.

[trynagethigh]

Welp i've cut off a few [ive noticed the buds on my left girl were startin to look a TINY bit more frosty then they were previously so i decided against total harvest just yet] but anywayz like i said i cut a few off to drop out and sample, heres a pic of my drying setup, simple corner of closet, string taped on the wall one side to the other and [the part you cant see behind the camera] a towel blocking light and a fan blowing from about 6 or so feet away up into the closet:smokin:

LOL..youve got a thing for tape huh Sunny?..J/K..hope it turns out well for you my friend. :thumbsup:

[SunnySativa]

Well this is my 2nd grow, first harvest so im just goin through the motions, learning from mistakes and creating my own inventory of things ill need for the 3rd grow this way i dont have to waste time shoppin for things. And hey im a college student so moneys tight and tape works [for the most part lol] But anyone got some feedback for my on my last post? Like 1/2 the hairs are orange but all i see when i look through the microscope is those gel looking hairs for the most part[circled in red in the above picture] and doesnt smell as strong as my other one which have those sticky trichome bubbles[circled in yellow].
Possible it just develops slower or is this a sign of a weak strain/seed? [both started and grown exactly the same]

[Opie Yutts]

You are correct, you can't reliably judge when to harvest by the hairs. It can give you a rough idea. It is possible you don't see any balls on the sticks is because it is past harvest time, and they have fallen off of wherever you're looking. It is also possible that you have a strain that doesn't produce much resin. That doesn't necessarily mean that it will be weak, but it is more likely. It's also possible that you have a strain that takes a long time to finish, and the balls on sticks are not apparent yet.

[SunnySativa]

i dont think its past harvest time for those ladies because they didnt look close to being ready before, i mean they look a little more frosty then they did previously so it looks like it is just slow, i just wish it would pick up a stronger stink and have some stickies like the other plant =]

[SunnySativa]

i think i figured it out if someone can verify this assumption of mine to be right. I noticed that when ready to harvest those trichomes [or sticky bubbles you look at to see if they are clear/cloudy/amber in a microscope] move from the surface of the leaf to the end of the trichome where you see the bubbles...like using this trichome picture again, they start at the bottom of the trichome and end up at the tip of each trichome then turn the cloudy and amber colors.....if anyone understand what im sayin if im sayin it right?

I noticed my one plant is startin to develop those bubbles at the bottom of the trichome on the leaf surface, but i wait to harvest when that bubble get to the end and started to get cloudy/amber...*AGAIN THIS PICTURE IS FROM THE TRICHOME CHART*

[Opie Yutts]

I'm not sure if trichomes start as a bubble on a leaf, and grow into a ball (or bubble) on a stick. Haven't heard anything about that before. I just notice on mine there are some balls on leaves and some on sticks, and I harvest when the balls are about 10% amber.

[SunnySativa]

Oh, cuz i noticed when you see those balls in some peoples pictures like the trichome chart, my one is kinda lookin like that but my bigger plant seems to just have little gel hair on the leaf not so much any of those sticky lookin bubbles

[SunnySativa]

Ohhhhh, i have a CFL in there with my HPS light, could that spectrum of that CFL be fucking with the spectrum coming from the HPS? Those the plant closer to it seems to be developing alot quicker and is stinker, so i dunno if that would cause my plants to grow slower? Its a 40watter from LOWES

[Opie Yutts]

I don't think it would matter. If anything you would just have two wavelengths instead of one, which most likely is good depending on what K it is. Remember you want 5500K for vegging and 2200K for budding. A mixture of those is even better, like 85/15%.

Unless you start getting into some of the more dangerous UV bands, more light will never be bad. Well, almost never.