Seeking seasoned growers opinion

[hippieshaven]

This is my first female. I don't know much about harvesting time and was hoping someone could give me an opinion about how the health appears and estimated harvest time.

[notanovice]

it looks very healthy, but with out knowing the strain, it`s hard to figure out how long til harvest, any where from 6 weeks of 12/12 to 12 weeks of 12/12

[hippieshaven]

I kind of thought that, but wasn't for sure. It doesn't look full or have any of the amber hairs yet. Just hoping for sooner and that I was wrong. :(

Thanks

[notanovice]

I kind of thought that, but wasn't for sure. It doesn't look full or have any of the amber hairs yet. Just hoping for sooner and that I was wrong. :(

Thanks


be patient, it will fill out bud size, it`s a healthy looking female and the bud sites will get a heck of a lot bigger each week
it`s my estimation that she should be close, if not done, in i`d say 6 weeks from when the picture was taken, maybe sooner

[gronnh20]

NotaNovice is right. She will fill out alot more. When about 75-80% of white hairs turn red its time for harvest. If you want to break out a magnifing glass you can look for cloudy and amber glands to determine harvest time. The red hair thing works pretty well.

[luckydan]

all sounds like good advice to me

[hippieshaven]

Thanks to all! I am having a good day today, discovered two out of three we began pre-flowering are females. The other one hasn't began to show sex, which makes me think it's a male. Oh Well. Win some lose some. Happy times guys!

[trippruss]

when you are absolutly sure they are done,..wait another week! r

[hippieshaven]

ha ha ha ha...heard that a lot lately. Patience is not my highest virtue either so I will have to really challenge myself.

[hippieshaven]

These are my latest pics. Do you guys think that I should wait a little longer or does this plant look ready? I am not sure if it is a white widow or what...

[marimbas]

not ready yet... hold on post pics every 3 days or so... the trychlosomes are still very white and so are the pistils

[hippieshaven]

Will post again in a few. I bought a 30x magnifier. Difficult little booger to use, but I can see the trich are totally clear. :(

[gronnh20]

It is still weeks away. Is that the same plant as in your very first post?

[Zandor]

The colors of the hairs are only part of the cycle of the plants life. They change color by temperature and maturity at the end of their life cycle. The only true way to know when to harvest is to view the trichomes with a 10x to 30x microscope. Mature trichome looks like a golf ball sitting on golf tee, big and round on the top. The color is clear to cloudy. Cloudy is peak for that trichome. Because there are millions of trichomes you need to harvest on the average. They will continue to mature through the drying process for a day or more. Amber color is past prime for that trichome so you are just looking for an average.

[hippieshaven]

I am unsure if I should be checking the bud leaf or the hair pod. My bud leafs aren't covered in trichs yet. They are only about 1/4 to 1/3 of the leaf showing. My hair pod, however, has amber colored mushrooms. Bud is still clear... Unsure of which to use as a guide.

And yes, it is the same plant.. :-)

[marimbas]

hold on man, not all the strains get full of trichomes, the pistils can be a guide as well, as zan says its part of the dyeing process of the flowers, but still, you will be harvesting when they all get all brown, and the triclomes are cloudy, and are not clear any more...

[hippieshaven]

At what color should the trichomes be for me to start flushing. I have read that it's best to not deliver any nuts the last week, just water. I am not so impatiently looking forward to harvest as much as I am hoping to time this right with the week of flushing. Do you think that I should be flushing now, or hold off a few days to week???

Thanks Zan and Mar! You've both been very informative and helpful. :)

[hippieshaven]

Here is what has happened overnight. I am pretty surprised and am now thinking flush time???

[trippruss]

nope, dude, u got a few weeks, it is definatley better to pick late than early, for wieght anyhow. u will be surprised by how much they fill out in the last 2 weeks!

[hippieshaven]

Are you saying to hold off on flushing for a couple of weeks? Sorry to keep with the questions, but don't want ignorance to kill my plant.

[Zandor]

Do yourself a favor and use a good commercial flushing product. If you are close to harvest (I don't think you are, I think you should go another 3 weeks or more) then stop feeding (N) now. It will force the plant to use up the stored chlorophyll and improve the taste and reduce the cure time. If you are planning on going another 3 weeks then the last week you use the flush product to remove the chemical taste and unused nutrients. Only the trichomes can tell you when the proper time to harvest is.

[hippieshaven]

Do yourself a favor and use a good commercial flushing product.FloraKleen good? I was hoping to harvest before we leave for vacation on Friday, but looks as though she'll still be maturing while we're gone...sigh.

[gronnh20]

Florakleen is good. You are going on vacation. I assume you are growing hydro style since you are in this forum. The most I have left my hydro was 2 days and things were a little out of whack when I got back. I flush every two weeks with a commercial flush (clearex) for maybe an hour or two on a recirculating system. That plant could definitely use a good flush right now(not flushing for a week). If you have and ec/ppm meter and take a reading of the flush solution before applying and a reading after you will see the amount of locked up nutrients in the grow medium. Keep taking pictures and guaranteed someone will let you know when picking time is near.

[hippieshaven]

Yes, leaving for a week. We have some friends that are coming over to check the ph, ppm, and verify the house hasn't burned down. :eek:
We are nervous about leaving the babies, but we have digital readers for ppm and ph and my friends have had a few lessons with us. Of course, all we know is what we are doing now. I am using Flora Series and added a catalyst called Liquid Karma, and a good budding booster. I used 1/2 stregnth first time due to the chance of shocking them. Is there anything else you all can suggest that I might be missing?

If successful, this will be the first plant we brought from sprout to harvest.

We'll be grasshoppers playing in our own weeds!

[Zandor]

That is fine for a flusher. I leave mine for weeks at a time and have no problems. You have somebody baby sitting your plants and that's even better. Just let them grow while you are gone. Stop feeding them (N) now so they use up the stored chlorophyll and flush once you get back. When you flush you do change the water every day or every other day so there are many water changes and they take time. Monitor your PPM each time and the last time you will know because the PPM will not change by more then 25 points over 24 hours.

[hippieshaven]

Cool... thanks for the info. I need to pull anything with Nitrogen. Do I still continue to feed with the Karma and bloom booster? I will check the minerals in them, but I don't think they have (N).

[Zandor]

As long as there is no (N) it's fine. The leaves will yellow but that's ok you don't smoke leaves. There only good for making bubble hash anyway.

[hippieshaven]

Searched the forum, but am not able to find a way to make bubble hash. Is there a method you could suggest that wouldn't be too much of a pain for you to describe? Or could you suggest a site, book...??? Thanks

[Zandor]

That's easy

Bubble bags are what I have. I got mine from Kabubaba.com but they are mostly the same. The 7 bag kit is better then the 3 bag kit.

http://www.kabulbaba.com/

Bubble man is the person who invented this method.
http://www.bubblebag.com

A lot of people are starting to use tumblers again too from here.
http://okief.com/

There are compaines that make shakers and other systems but the tumblers and bags are easy and not bad for the price.

This company also makes bubble bags but I have not done business with them.
They have been around a while and have good pricing.
http://www.resinextractor.com/product1.htm

[luckydan]

looking good hippi,i would agree with everyone else, they look like they have a few weeks to go.Should be flushed no later than a week before harvest.It becomes very rough to smoke if u dont get alot of that fert out.

[hippieshaven]

Hi all! I am back from vacation and the plant is doing well. I am using my Bloom boosters only and have removed all the (N) for at least 9 days now. My plant looks the same, but she is fuller :D Thanks to all for the most helpful advice.

[Zandor]

Welcome back....they may look the same but the taste will be different. I'm glad your plants survived, I assume you called and checked on them while you were away too hu? lol

[hippieshaven]

No, I actually did as you suggested. I have had her on Bloom and Bloom booster the last week or so and am sitting back while waiting for her to show me signs of harvest so we can Klenz her. Without the (N), regeneration is a no go, right? I was hoping to attempt to bloom her again, but have heard many don't do this. After I clip the buds and hang them upside down, the next step is curing? From what I have read this is not a step that I want to skip...

[Zandor]

Correct, and correct.
Once the buds are dry (the stems break when snap them) by hanging or using the paper bag method. You then put them in glass jars and store in a dark cool place like a closet. Open the jars for about 30 min everyday. After about a week you should be able to leave them closed up unopened for another week. Watch for moisture forming on the glass if there is any showing you need to vent it longer so repeat step 2 for another 3-5 day's. A total of 2-3 weeks and you should be just about right. The chlorophyll should be all used up and the smoke should be very mellow and smooth.

[hippieshaven]

This is what I am left with drying... Do you think I did well for the first plant? If so, pat yourself on the back because you walked me every step of the way. I can't thank you enough for all of your input. Hopefully my other girls will be bigger and better. Again, thanks!!

[Zandor]

Wow tight nugs drive me nuts...they look great. You did all the work dude just wish we could share a J or two in celebration of your victory.

Next round we need to get you into cycle growing and a better Hydro setup.

[hippieshaven]

Um, that's dudett. ha ha I am a female grower. Ok, so what do you suggest? I am open for better set ups and more knowledge, oh olbie one! If you are willing to teach, I am more than willing to learn. Again, I can't thank you enough for your advice. I wish that I could give you half of the harvest for all the time and knowldege you have imparted. More than anything, I appreciate your courtesy. My other two have about 8 weeks left so teach away master! By the way, do you know of any outstanding books? I wasn't impressed with Rosenthal's much. I hope I am not attacked by that, but I just want more intimate knowledge...your knowledge...:-)