To harvest or not to harvest.

[nugssgalore]

Hi all, this is the first time I have used "Overdrive".... started about 2 weeks ago on Indica that was close to harvest....now it has completely changed, grew a ton of new white flowers, colas bulked up twice their size and got dense but now I am not sure if it is harvest time. The old flowers have brown hairs but the new ones are all still white with clear trichomes. I don't want to let them get past their peak like I have done before but dont want to cut them prematurely.'

The Sativas are easier to decide because they are flowering later, still tall and lanky with loads of white flowers. One already died of root rot or mold or something, not sure, this has happened to me before, just one plant dies, I think it's root rot from not enough drainage. The heat in So California is brutal right now so I am watering every other day and cut way back on the nutes.

Any ideas? I will post pics if it is helpful.

[nugssgalore]

Wanted to say that I usually harvest on the full moon and sometimes even wait until "harvest moon" in October but this year that doesn't seem possible cuz some plants are definitely "done" while others are still maturing. Anyone harvest before the full moon comes?

[nugssgalore]

Can't post pictures of my colas.... I get the error message that the files are too big. don't know how to fix that.

[MrGrowBig]

You have to open the picture in paint or another picture editing program, and resize it 2000x1500 or under. The site only uploads pics that are under 3.0 MB. :jointsmile:

[nugssgalore]

Hey thanks for answering! Have you ever used Overdrive? I used it when I thought I was about a week or so before harvest as per the instructions and now they have all these new little white hairs. The colas did about double in size tho and get really dense... too soon? Someone said that as soon as you have doubts, that's the time to cut em!

maybe I'll just take off the biggest ones.... what do you think?

I'll try Paint for resizing pics.

[MrGrowBig]

I've never used overdrive. But I've read people only use it when the buds enter the window of peak maturity unexpectedly.
It gives them a little more time to give a proper flush.

When I harvest I check the trichs, I wait until about 40-50% amber.

I never harvest based on pistil color, so I cant help ya there.

[tlranger]

Shovel said someplace, if you think our ready wait a week and look again. Wish I would have heard that in the sixties

[nugssgalore]

Thanks MrgrowBig... I do look at trichomes also, seemed like they were almost ready but now mostly clear on the new flowers, I suppose the first flowers are buried underneath the new stuff and is probably amber.

[nugssgalore]

Yes, I have heard that too, tlranger, but last year I actually waited too long since I wanted the couch lock type of buzz and not the energetic high because I have trouble sleeping and I am mainly growing this stuff to be able to sleep at night. I waited past its peak but unfortunately it lost some of its potencey and some of my friends don't like it.

[nugssgalore]

Let's see if this works now....

294473294474

[nugssgalore]

Those were close up of two different colas on 2 different plants.... see all the new flowers springing out? I have never seen that before. They are fat!

[tlranger]

I think you got a while, when the buds are piling on, you can make wt. Would say don't wait till it snows on it but your in scali

[Esteban1]

Nugs, funny you should mention everything that I Wanted to say.... he he. I'm getting nugs exploding out of an existing flower! Also did the same thing last year, (kept most to flower til November!!). Couch lock squared but great for hurt.

[MrGrowBig]

I agree with ranger, I think you have awhile. All of the pistils are new and white. Once they start turning amber you'll know that the plant has entered the window of peak maturity. Thats when you start checking the trichs.

Keep us updated!
:thumbsup:

[nugssgalore]

I harvested most of the Indica late Sept.... second week in Oct, I took the top heavy colas of the Sativa and now with the full moon I am going to harvest the bottom half of the 7 plants.... they totally got big and fat and much stickier than they usually are, so taking the top half of the plant works for me. This is how I flower and vegetable garden so it seemed to make sense.

The growing season seems to warrant taking some on the full moon in Sept and then finishing up on harvest full moon in Oct. A few yearas ago I would let them go even into Nov but I think they lost some of their potency... also this year I started seeds earlier, like in march... we had some killer heat waves then and the plants struggled. Almost 50% of them turned out to be males and two hermies which got culled.... the remaining girls are being hang dried for a week and then put into mason jars to cure... usually leave them in there, burping every few days, for about 4-6 weeks. Does anyone leave them in the jars longer than that? Then I seal them with a food saver system and into the deep freeze they go.... should last up to 3-5 years in there. I always have much more than I can use or even give away. I don't sell it but this year with close to 2 dozen quart jars already full and a half a dozen pint jars, and I'm not even finished yet, I kind of wish I did sell it :-))) :wtf::D

[Shovelhandle]

I've used Overdrive many grows. It does work if the strain decides to slack off on flower production at the end of the bloom cycle. Use it on weeks 5-6 of a eight week strain. Harvest at week eight, as usual. For longer flowering strains weed four weeks from harvest or earlier if you notice the pistils are not bushing out like you'd want. Two weeks before harvest plain water is the norm (or sweetened water or final phase type of shit).

[catbuds]

I like what I'm seeing. Think I'll try overdrive if I can find it. Nugs, I was wondering, since you harvest on the full moon, do you also use the almanac to plant by the signs? I'm from old school W.V. & was raised doing that. Be cool as hell to find someone else who knows about that. ~~~ PEACE! ~~~

[Shovelhandle]

there are some old threads on this site where we experimented and discussed the moon phase planting, transplanting, harvesting.

[catbuds]

Hey thanks Shovel! I'm going to have to hunt them down! I'm into all things luna, probably why I'm Wiccan! LOL! no, they don't burn witches now a days! ~~~PEACE! ~~~ (Or should I say Blessed Be now that I'm out of the broom closet!?!?)