Advice for first blooming plant

I have a very nice, outdoor potted plant that is appx 2.5' and blooming nicely it seems.
It won't produce a lot, but the quality is outstanding. The leaves even pack a little punch.
I've always had a green thumb but I'm new to this.
Right now, it has appx 12-14 tops or flowers. The larger tops are about 1 month old. They have continuous white hairs (best way to describe them) on them as they begin growing (from the time it was a tiny plant these "hairs" appeared) and throughout the growing process. I see a touch of purple in the flowers because some of the leaf stems are, I assume.
Anyway, I am at a loss as what is best for optimal results at this last phase of growth. It came from a tiny white seed I was lucky to find and when it did manage to sprout, it took patience, attention and some hormones to give it a strong base to even grow. It's a runt, but I'm proud of my little girl! Here are my questions I would be very grateful to have any answers given to:
Should I be feeding it anything?
Do all the leaves (some large in proportion to the plant now) need to remain on the plant-- including the ones near or coming out of the flowers?
I have no idea what the time frame should be. It has some new flowering going on and the larger ones are getting bigger.
Do I just let it go until frost arrives in about 2 months?
I have people bugging me to death asking for clones.
I have no idea if it would work with the rooting powder and hate to remove more than a leaf. It could harm it, in my opinion.
Again, any advice or contacts to other sites (I've read a lot of info) would be appreciated very much! Thanks in advance!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by blugraywind

I have a very nice, outdoor potted plant that is appx 2.5' and blooming nicely it seems.
It won't produce a lot, but the quality is outstanding. The leaves even pack a little punch.
I've always had a green thumb but I'm new to this.
Right now, it has appx 12-14 tops or flowers. The larger tops are about 1 month old. They have continuous white hairs (best way to describe them) on them as they begin growing (from the time it was a tiny plant these "hairs" appeared) and throughout the growing process. I see a touch of purple in the flowers because some of the leaf stems are, I assume.
Anyway, I am at a loss as what is best for optimal results at this last phase of growth. It came from a tiny white seed I was lucky to find and when it did manage to sprout, it took patience, attention and some hormones to give it a strong base to even grow. It's a runt, but I'm proud of my little girl! Here are my questions I would be very grateful to have any answers given to:
Should I be feeding it anything?
Do all the leaves (some large in proportion to the plant now) need to remain on the plant-- including the ones near or coming out of the flowers?
I have no idea what the time frame should be. It has some new flowering going on and the larger ones are getting bigger.
Do I just let it go until frost arrives in about 2 months?
I have people bugging me to death asking for clones.
I have no idea if it would work with the rooting powder and hate to remove more than a leaf. It could harm it, in my opinion.
Again, any advice or contacts to other sites (I've read a lot of info) would be appreciated very much! Thanks in advance!

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1. If you soil has enough nutrients, you shouldnt need to feed it anything however giving it a regiment of nutes with a higher P (phosphorus) and lower N (nitrogen) content will allow the plant to produce better/bigger/stronger buds.

2. The leaves dont need to stay on, in fact, the older leaves should start to die and fall off up until harvest.

3. The general rule is to harvest when 70-80% of the trichomes (little crystals on the bud/leaf) are amber colored.

4. You can take clones during flowering but I personally wouldnt recommend it. The clones would have to revert back to a vegetative state and that adds approx 2 weeks on to the grow time. It also could cause the plant to hermie (produce male parts in addition to the female parts) which is always a bad thing.

5. This might be the wrong place for this thread, it should probably go in the growing section

Here's my input. I have quite a bit of experience with this so take it for what it's worth, and I believe that blunts has it dialed in for you. One exception is with the leaves, if you are suggesting to remove healthy leaves to get light to buds, don't. Leaves are the carbohydrate factory for your plant, so if you do remove healthy leaves you will impede your plants ability to create tissue. If you can tug on a leaf and it comes off with NO resistance, than it should be done. If you feel any resistance, don't remove it because it is still transporting and creating.

You DO need the leaves to stay on. They should not yellow and drop until 2 weeks or less before harvest. Never remove leaves.

Harvest window begins in most cases at all cloudy at least, with 10% amber. 80% amber is much too late and means that you are going to end up with an exhausting and couch-locked stone.

A 2.5 foot plant with over a dozen tops should be in a 5 gallon pail. If it is not, you are losing yield from insufficient root space.

If you see any discoloration on the leaves, and have more than 2 weeks to harvest, fill out the troubleshooting form and post pics.