HashGirl 2nd Indoor Grow: Girl Scout Cookies & CB Dutch Treat In ProMix

[InTheShed]

Any calculation is guessing estimating, like the breeder's spec for flowering days. Your mileage may vary, and almost always will.

 

[HashGirl]

And now you do!

I’m not sure about that thing TS is talking about. That would mean if a plant only stretched for 2weeks, then it’d be ready in another 3. That’s a 5 week flower Seems a risky calculation too seeing as other factors than genetics can inhibit stretch. I thought my recent post about harvesting - which was inspired in part by your questions at the time - covered most of the technical elements that growers around here talk about as well as the pure instinct and connection to each plant aspects. I think growing is alchemical, spiritual and practical .

i dropped back in to link it in the text above. Just in case you forgot it was there

Thanks, Amy, I had actually bookmarked your post about harvesting. I was asking more for the length of the grow as opposed to the physical cues that a plant is ready. I just kinda wanted a set number so I would know when to start looking for signs that the plant is ready. It's like the watering thing. I just wanted to know how often to water so I didn't have to check on them everyday.

I found some more good info online that I'm going to post here for easy reference (a lot of the list Amy already listed on her thread here - When to harvest by Amy Gardner):

Here are some general rules about harvesting marijuana based on trichomes and the colour of the hairs / pistils. If you follow these rules, you’ll know how to harvest weed perfectly every time!

1. If white “hairs” are almost all sticking straight out and trichomes are all still translucent (clear) then your plant is too young and not ready for harvest. Harvesting now will result in low yield and non-potent harvests.
2. The beginning of the harvest window opens when your plant has mostly stopped growing new white “hairs” or pistils and at least 40% of the white hairs have darkened and curled in.
3. The highest level of THC is when many/most of the trichomes have turned milky white / cloudy (when viewed under a magnifier). Trichomes that are milky have the highest levels of THC are “ready to harvest” and contribute to more euphoric and psychoactive effects. At this point, 50-70% of the pistils have darkened.
4. Some Sativa & Haze strains have trichomes that never really turn amber. If they’ve turned mostly white and don’t seem to be progressing further, it may be time to harvest!
5. The most “couchlock” or sedating effect happens towards the end of the pot harvest window, when the trichomes have become a darker color (usually amber/gold). The best results from amber trichomes come from indica strains. The amber/yellow trichomes contribute to a ‘body high’. Some of the THC has converted into less psychoactive CBN, which has calming and anti-anxiety effects. With some strains, the trichomes will even turn red or purple! I like to harvest around when 20% have turned amber. At this point 70-90% of the pistils have darkened. Harvesting later will increase the sedating effects, but may also start reducing the psychoactive effects.
6. When trichomes start looking grey or withered, the harvest window has passed, and buds will make you sleepy without many psychoactive effects. Usually it takes several weeks (4 or more) from the beginning of the harvest window for this to happen. It’s much easier to harvest too early than too late!

And, here is a trichome chart:

 

[syenite]

Hi HG! Just caught up on the last few pages. Lovely plants!

I just kinda wanted a set number so I would know when to start looking for signs that the plant is ready. It's like the watering thing. I just wanted to know how often to water so I didn't have to check on them everyday.

My 2c on the issue of forecasting, more on the general philosophy and less about the particulars --

There is only so much you can plan for, determine or anticipate when it comes to these plants. Whether it be when to water or when to harvest, there will always be significant uncertainty due to the many, many variables that constitute the complex system of the plant and its environment. Some of these variables are within your control, many are not.

These plants are not closed, deterministic machines. "Guidelines", "principles" and "ballpark figures" or "estimates" are the best you can get, not ironclad rules or guarantees. There is a reason why even commercial growing operations with high degrees of automation still require humans in the decision loops. If all this could be fully automated, it would've been by now!

Unfortunately that means more reactive/responsive, "high touch" labour, which is, of course, generally, far from convenient. It's why the plants benefit from a significant degree of attention and care.

 

[Amy Gardner]

set number so I would know when to start looking

Folks usually start looking when the time the breeder says for flowering has elapsed - counted from the time you flip to 12/12. I am used to counting flower-start from pistils showing because outside that’s all you get

So if the breeder says 8 weeks. You count from when you flipped the lights and start paying attention when that time is upon you.

 

[HashGirl]

Hi HG! Just caught up on the last few pages. Lovely plants!



My 2c on the issue of forecasting, more on the general philosophy and less about the particulars --

There is only so much you can plan for, determine or anticipate when it comes to these plants. Whether it be when to water or when to harvest, there will always be significant uncertainty due to the many, many variables that constitute the complex system of the plant and its environment. Some of these variables are within your control, many are not.

These plants are not closed, deterministic machines. "Guidelines", "principles" and "ballpark figures" or "estimates" are the best you can get, not ironclad rules or guarantees. There is a reason why even commercial growing operations with high degrees of automation still require humans in the decision loops. If all this could be fully automated, it would've been by now!

Unfortunately that means more reactive/responsive, "high touch" labour, which is, of course, generally, far from convenient. It's why the plants benefit from a significant degree of attention and care.

Thanks, sy.

Folks usually start looking when the time the breeder says for flowering has elapsed - counted from the time you flip to 12/12. I am used to counting flower-start from pistils showing because outside that’s all you get

So if the breeder says 8 weeks. You count from when you flipped the lights and start Paying attention when that time is upon you.

So, the grow info for the GSCs says 56-65 days and mine are 55 days so does that mean I should be checking trichome colours now?

For the CB Dutch Treats, the seed seller says it's 63-80 days so it has a bit to go yet, right?

 

[InTheShed]

Folks usually start looking when the time the breeder says for flowering has elapsed - counted from the time you flip to 12/12. I am used to counting flower-start from pistils showing because outside that’s all you get

So if the breeder says 8 weeks. You count from when you flipped the lights and start paying attention when that time is upon you.

I don't pay any attention to any of that personally. The plants will tell me when they're getting closer, and the closer attention we pay to our plants, the better growers we become.

Pistil color, smell, water uptake...all the things you mention in your post, that's what tells me when to check the trichomes with a loupe.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Sure but HG asked how she could know when to start looking for those things - so i answered.

So, the grow info for the GSCs says 56-65 days and mine are 55 days so does that mean I should be checking trichome colours now?

For the CB Dutch Treats, the seed seller says it's 63-80 days so it has a bit to go yet, right?

yes on the CBDT and what you posted up there says the trichomes wont go dark./amber until the end of the ‘window’ so you probably don’t need to be scoping the GSC trichs just yet either. But about now is when to start watching for all those other signs everyone talks about.

As I am sure you’re sensing - everyone has their own approach and inclinations

And, I had to pick this up

The best results from amber trichomes come from indica strains

I cant get on board with that! It’s a value statement about something that really depends on the user. There are a lot of loud folks out there on the canna-webs who are into that but it isn’t a fact that it’s the best at all.

It’s totally a personal reference thing. Personally, unless i am growing something specifically for sleep meds, I don’t want much amber in anything if I can help it - I aim for the least possible - regardless of strain type. I like an indica with some personality if it’s one I’m toking and wanting to stay awake with.

Others like sedation all the time.

It’s also going to depend on each person’s Endocannabinoid System to some extent.

I remember reading a sativa lover who likes to let them amber as he said it made them less heart-racy. Pennywise, on the other hand, said recently that he finds letting sativas get lots of amber can make them much more deadly potent so said to be careful.

These are all areas of exploration for us - so don’t be boxed-in by stuff you read where folks are saying this or that is the best etc. because it just may be that you like something a bit different.

Some Sativa & Haze strains have trichomes that never really turn amber. If they’ve turned mostly white and don’t seem to be progressing further, it may be time to harvest!

That can be true for pistils receding and going orange/brown as well - on some pure sativas, they can can keep popping out new ones even when ripe.

And remeber that ripeness can be a different collection of all these features in every different strain - so it’s all just guidance!

 

[HashGirl]

Thank you, Amy. Have I told you lately (or ever) how much I like you?

 

[HashGirl]

It's been suggested previously that I should water my plants when the pots are light and the leaves are droopy. They look droopy to me most of the time and rather than lifting the pots, I've been using our water gauge instead.

If the gauge shows 1 or so, the plant will take 2-2.5L. If it shows 2-3, the plant takes around 1L of water. If I water every 3 days, they all show as 3-4 on the meter and take 2L of water. If I water every 2 days, they show as 2-3 on the meter, they only take 1L of water.

So, is it better to water more often with less liquid or less often with more liquid?

 

[InTheShed]

You can't over water a plant by watering to runoff when it's dry, but you can over water a plant by watering too often. You don't have to lift them to see if they need water if you can't get to them...tipping them back will tell you when they're light.

In flower it's better if you don't let your plants get as dry as you would in veg. I water a day earlier in flower than I would wait if it were still vegging.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Like everything... that depends

but, everything Shed said ^^^

 

[TorturedSoul]

less often with more liquid

AKA "give the plant what it needs." When it needs water, it doesn't need a trickle.

That's a generic statement, but I don't think your setup presents as a special case, in that regard. But like 'Shed was getting at, don't allow lack of moisture to become a major stressor in the flowering phase (for various reasons).

 

[StoneOtter]

It wasn't exactly devastating, but you could roll a joint, light it... and end up lost (trying to remember whether you'd walked to wherever you were or driven), with half the unsmoked joint forgotten, in your hand. Didn't so much expand your mind as diffuse it across several acres .

This is so colorful! ^^^ Thanks TS!

 

[StoneOtter]

Plants are looking great HashGirl! I bet they smell great too now.

 

[Amy Gardner]

Thank you, Amy. Have I told you lately (or ever) how much I like you?

I like you too

 

[HashGirl]

Plants are looking great HashGirl! I bet they smell great too now.

Funny that you should say that, Stone. I was in the tent this morning before breakfast and then at breakfast, when I was eating my toast, all I could smell was dope and finally figured out it was my hand. Sure, smelled good.

 

[HashGirl]

WEEKLY UPDATE
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Good evening, folks.

Yesterday was fertigation day. I've been fertigating every other day since apparently, every 2 days, they were too dry but now I'm worried they're getting too much water.

Just for your information/refresher, my plants are in 5 gallon cloth pots and I have been watering from the bottom. If the water meter shows 1, they get 2L; if it shows 2-3, they get 1L and when it's been in the 3/4 zone, I've just be adding half a litre to those ones as I worry they'll get too dry before the next watering, which maybe I shouldn't be doing at all.

I haven't added Cal-Mag the past 2 waterings. All the plants look droopy no matter when I water them.

Anyhow, here are the photos. Let me know if you have any comments.

This post will have photos of CBD1 and CBD2. They are both 102 (+61) days old. CBD1 is 37" tall and CBD2 is 31" tall.

CBD1 - Day 102 (+61):

CBD2 - Day 102 (+61):

The next post will have CBD3 only and then the last post will be the GSCs.

 

[HashGirl]

WEEKLY UPDATE cont'd...
​

CBD3 is 33" tall.

CBD3 - Day 100 (+61):

 

[InTheShed]

Have you considered not watering that way at all? I would put the water gauge in a junk drawer, lift the plants to see when they need water, and water from the top to runoff every time they need water.

Also, if you have some wire racks, put the plants on those inside the saucers to allow airflow to the bottom of the pots.

 

[HashGirl]

WEEKLY UPDATE cont'd...
​

GSC1 is 21.5" tall.


GSC1 - Day 102 (+61): (pardon the dirty windows )

GSC2 - Day 97 (+61) and 21" tall:

And, that's it.