Hey mate, Yeah well i like my trichs at least 10% amber no matter what strain it is.. If you ve seen the small pictoral on " Peak harvest time - peak window of harvest " ( tho this isnt 100% IMO ) it has pics of # of weeks of Flower/ and calyx/trich color of each week(s). It basically shows when the pistils are orange and almost retracting and the trichs are all cloudy turning amber about 6-7 weeks i think from memory, that its good time to harvest.. But you cant apply that to all plants as they do finish at different times with different circumstances, and strains.
I didnt really Veg Cindy for that long mate.. She was sprouted on 27/6, and now she s into Day 36 of flower, she was vegged for about 7/8 weeks..
So where did you obtain info that says harvesting at 100% cloudy is the peak harvest time for Thc levels?? Im not being a smart ass - just asking if its from like one of the well known Marijuana growing Authors??
As id like to have something like this in my journal if its applicable to most plants for their " Highest THC levels ".
Just in response to my Ph and stuff,i was just going through the start of my journal and reading back a few pages to see how long it took her to really start to flourish,what i did - stuff like that, Well i noticed that id had a Fungus Gnat problem fairly early on in Cindy s grow.
And i hadnt really applied ANY treatment to them at all apart from when she got into her 1st week of flower.
Now this MAY WELL BE A BIG PART OF MY PROBLEM.. I thought i may have been on top of these pests a bit, as i was catching alot of adults and killing off heaps too, so i THOUGHT they werent really in any great numbers. It was only when i flushed her weeks ago, that i noticed all the tiny hatchlings washed out floating on the surface of run off tray. That was an eye opener.
These larvae and hatchlings can really screw your shit up, and i think im a victim. As she was ok, and then got all these drama's sure some i may have caused, but after what ive done - I THINK i should have seen better progress.. BUT- if her roots are being eaten and possibly some are burrowed into her stem, this will cause her problems with taking in of nutrients and staying healthy.
My soils Ph has always been about 6.2 - 6.4, without problems, so i think with the excess food and the possibility of her roots being totalled, this may explain why she is showing this mix of symptoms??
While checking on her to see if she d built any more swollen calyxes and there were some, so thats cool. But that was when i came to the conclusion - Cindy, most likely because she maybe more C99 dominant in ways may finish fast, so im also thinking that due to this, she may be taking nutes from leaves, and due to the past damage its looking like its getting worse?? So now on she s just getting water, and if anything a very weak bit of Seaweed extract and maybe small P&K..
But im preparing her for harvest from now on.. Ive tried to raise the soils PH by raising the water/feed s PH, i had it about 7.2, so as im trying to get the run off s PH up, thought this may help her release some nutes if, in fact, it slightly does raise the PH..
Youre right about this being a learning experience mate
I ve enjoyed this, i didnt think she would get to this height & width so quick by using LST, but she did!! Lucky i didnt keep vegging her like i wanted to!
My next grow is some what planned and am looking into seeds and starting off the next chapter, IM KEEN AS MUSTARD!! Now i know my limitations with my G/space, and i may even go back to using my 400w HPS..
AND <<< MY GUESS FOR YOUR YIELD - i cant rememba seeing a full pic of ur Ms. Sativa recently, but youll easy pull 4 oz from her if most buds are that size. If you have them, send over a pic of your girl from back a little just so i can get some perspective!
If mine were as swollen as what yours appear, ID BE STOKED
My Cindy IS starting to swell calyxes now since her last bloom, which is good, but yeah, im not sure how she will go from now, hoping she does put out some more.
Youve done a good job with your plants you will definately enjoy your rewards once dry, and yeah, im sure you will be happy with the harvest weight. Either way THEM BUDS LOOK GROUSE MATE
Youve showed a great example of an LST d plant in soil. AWSUM M8!!
I would consider a 2 month Veg time pretty long, it is most certainly enough to create a large enough root system to stop the soils ability to Buffer correctly, I vegged my girls for 5 weeks ( which was longer than I wanted ) and the soil has lost most of its ability to buffer correctly. People get the same problems growing in small pots with a short veg time as it causes the same problem and the plant does not nessicarily have to be rootbound either
6.2 - 6.4 would be considered a low PH, you have to at least let it get closer to 6.8 for some waterings to absorb the full range of available nutrients, they have different requirements throughout their life, only 6.2 - 6.4 is a very narrow band of nutrient absorption and only keeping it there makes the soil become acidic. I really don't know how this is debatable any more as your plant showed a Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphorous deficiencies which we know these specific 3 are all locked out by an acidic rootzone. Yes the fungus gnats would have caused some major disruption eating away at the roots and dramatically stunting growth but they would most certainly not cause all the specific signs that come together to indicate that the PH of the root zone is too low.
About the trichome development, It is more of an extensive reading on the subject than one specific article that explains everything. After everything I have read it is the conclusion that I have come to so I will explain myself with some quotes from a few articles:
The first thing you need to know is that there are 3 "states" in a trichomes development.
The first state is clear. Clear trichomes contain precursor cannabinoids (cannabinoids are the different substances in cannabis).
These precursor cannabinoids are not psychoactive (they do not produce a 'high') yet and harvesting clear trichomes will not give you a proper harvest.
The second state is cloudy/milky. Cloudy trichomes contain fully realized THC (the by far main contributing substance in any cannabis high).
You want to get as close to 100% cloudy trichomes @ harvest to get the most potency out of your plant. It's impossible to get 100% cloudy trichomes, since trichomes are always being produced and are always maturing, even after harvest the trichomes will continue to develop.
The third state is amber. Amber trichomes contain degraded THC --> CBN. CBN represents a loss of 90% potency (from THC).
CBN is not desirable in any harvest, since it not only represents a huge loss of potency but research into the substance has also shown that CBN does not produce a high like THC does, CBN produces a more sickly feeling not a true high.
To understand how substances change and are developed in cannabis you will need to read extensively on each substance to understand what each substance does and how they affect each other.
This image is helpful in getting a vague knowledge of substances in cannabis and how they develop:
It's almost impossible to harvest without at least some amber trichomes (and some clear), keeping the amber trichomes to the minimum is key if you want maximum potency out of your plant.
Usually if you are careful and watchful you will end up with around 5% clear trichomes, 10% amber and 85% cloudy trichomes.
That is a very reasonable % split and is what you should be aiming for.
References & sources:
Montana Biotech
marijuana Chemistry:
Genetics, Processing And Potency
We are most concerned with the capitate-stalked trichomes, as these contain the overwhelming majority of the psychoactive cannabinoids (THC, THCV, CBN). Different cannabinoids affect the high in a multifaceted manner.
THC:
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol & delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol - THC mimics the action of anandamide, a neurotransmitter produced naturally in the body, which binds with the cannabinoid receptors in the brain to produce the ?high? associated with marijuana. THC possesses high UV-B (280-315 nm) absorption properties.
THCV:
tetrahydrocannabivarin - prevalent in certain South African and Southeast Asian strains of cannabis. It is said to produce a ?clearer high? & seems to possess many of the therapeutic properties of THC.
CBD:
cannabidiol - previously believed to be psychoactive, or to contribute to the high by interacting with other cannabinoids, conversely the most recent research indicates that CBD has negligible effect on the high, it is however a strong anti-inflammatory, and may take the edge off some THC effects, such as anxiety. CBD as a non-psychoactive cannabinoid appears to be helpful for many medical conditions. CBD biosynthesizes into cannabinol (CBN) & tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
CBN:
cannabinol - a degradation product of THC, produces a depressant effect, ?fuzzy? forehead.
CBC:
cannabichromene - non-psychoactive , a precursor to THC.
CBG:
cannabigerol - non-psychoactive, hemp strains often posses elevated levels of CBG while possessing only trace amounts of THC.
Heavy trichome production is not necessarily an indication of a potent plant. Some hemp strains have moderate layers of trichomes yet pack only a strong headache. In a drug strain, a thick layer of trichomes is a symbol that it may well posses an elevated potency level, but it is certainly not a guarantee.
Below; source
Montana Biotech
CBG (Cannabigerol): Non-psychoactive, sleep inducing. Anti-microbial. Lowers intra-ocular pressure (IOP) Glaucoma. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
Volume 30, Issue 10, October 2009, Pages 515-527
CBC (Cannabichromene): Sedative effect. Moderates effects of THC. Analgesic (pain relieving). Non-psychoactive. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
Volume 30, Issue 10, October 2009, Pages 515-527
THCV (Tetrahydrocannabivarin): Stronger, faster "high" effect. Apatite suppressant. Euphoria, analgesic (pain relieving).
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol): Psychotropic. Analgesic (pain relieving). Apatite stimulant. Bronchial dilator. Lowers IOP/glaucoma.
CBD (Cannabidiol): Non-psychoactive. Reduces muscle spasms. Muscle relaxant. Analgesic (pain relieving) Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
Volume 30, Issue 10, October 2009, Pages 515-527
CBN (Cannabinol): Mildly psychoactive. Non-narcotic analgesic (pain relieving). Good indication of medications age. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. Volume 30, Issue 10, October 2009, Pages 515-527
I think that all of this should help explain how amber is just degraded THC with little psychoactive properties thus indicating a loss is potency. That's why I think If someone wants knockout weed they should grow a heavy indica to peak maturity and not 'downgrade' another strain trying to get the same effects by turning the trichomes amber.
This is just my reasoning but take from it what you wish
Have you any idea what strain you would like to grow next ?
I cant actually get a full picture of the plants by themselves with the way I have all of the tops laid out but I will get full plant pictures when harvest eventually comes and I can remove them from the box and we will be able to take some accurate guesses
The buds are actually rock solid which is making it even harder for me to come up with a figure ha ha
They do still look like they are trying to push out the very last of their growth so it really shouldn't be that much longer, I have already waited 10 weeks so I am sure 1 more wont kill me
I greatly appreciate the Kind words and encouragement
Smokemup, It's always great to see you joining in
