How can I find the exact harvest timing for my strain?

[staggerlee]

Im a newbie to the site but been growing along time My 2 cents, the best way to figure how many days to flower(when growing from seed) is let the plants preflower in veg before introducing the 12/12 flowering cycle. This might be alittle confusing to growers using clones(they can flower anytime).
But by allowing the plants to preflower(all strains will show preflowers in veg) is the best way to know their mature and ready to flower. Sometimes when introducing MJ plants to the 12/12 cycle before their mature can cause stress and stress = more males(or herms).

The grow environment has influence on final sexual outcome when growing from seed! Good grow environment = more females, stressful enviro = more males.. All strain will preflower in veg but some take longer than others. This grow environmental influence is how some growers end up w/all males even w/feminized... Or how some growers wait forever for a strain to start flowering! Whats happening in their case is introducing 12/12 before plants are mature (and ready to flower) they are waiting the extra week or two for the plants to go through the preflowering stage.
And is the reason feminized can produce males even when there should be no way (xx crossed w/ xx) its genetically possible! If this is off-topic I apologize Im baked and shouldve read previous replies!

Greg greens bible explains this much easier to understand , and I believe Jorges C's book also worth looking into!

 

[rope]

Thanks a lot that explains a lot. I started with 4 now down to 2 females. The other 2 turned out to be males, but I did over nuke them and they might have turned to males. Well they are flowering now 12 week. It's a low budget grow, go to member Picts
And look up rope you can see from the get go

 

[staggerlee]

rope, were they feminized seeds that you had 2males 2 females left?

 

[queenbudb]

I also start taking samples of the higher buds to give the lower ones sunshine to grow larger and mature. I look for that snowy,sparkle coating reflecting of the buds in the afternoon....reminds me of "Lucy in the sky with Diamonds". And another way...They sing to me...pick me and we will dream together in the clouds.....lol..

 

[urmom]

The best way I have found to determine harvest time is to use the cheap ($10) Radio Shack hand held microscope. Look at the trichome development and decide if your strain will best support a "couch-lock" buzz or a "never-ending" buzz. Sativas should be harvested while the majority of the trichs are milky. I have found that this makes a great smoke. Indicas should be harvested when the majority of the trichs have become amber (the next stage after milky). This will promote the couch-lock that is naturally associated with Indicas. The point is to experiment with different strains and trich development and decide what works best for you. But, the microscope will eliminate guessing, making you more efficient. Best wishes.

Growing cannabis and actually participating in the ripening cycle means you MUST get a loupe or scope of some kind. I have a 45x lighted miniature microscope. I paid $1.98 on eBay and it is the greatest investment I made gardening. When the batteries die in the light...(I'm guessing at least a year or two with limited use)...you can still use it with great effect in normal lighting conditions. I have only used the light on a cloudy day, early in the morning, like 6 am...good luck everyone...please go buy one of these!

 

[theAardvark]

Trichs will tell you a ton but check from multiple bud sites. I really go by the bud swell itself because sometimes you can have a decent amount of amber but wait just a few more days until the buds actually swell up is the way I go. Now there are some sativas that are just airy and I just go for some amber but cloudy cloudy is the way I like it best.

 

[Dank1231]

The swelling of the buds have been going on for over two weeks now and it seems the trichomes wont change to amber. (With MY bare eye sight, which is not too great) Please someone let me know about how much longer I will have to wait in order to harvest my plant. I wish to do it as soon as tonight so I can smoke some hash. I however don't want to harvest the plant if it wont give me a high at all.

So my question is, does it look as thought it is mature enough for harvest? If not, would it still be potent if harvesting tonight? I do understand it takes another 1-2 weeks to dry and another month to cure, I just had the plant for five months now and obviously it is a strain that takes longer than most. Any and all feedback is encouraged. Please help me. I am just a beginner and need help from the pros.

 

[Conradino23]

Yeah that's another problem cause trichome maturing theory has a lot of holes. For example some strains never get amber, and some strains mature trichomes throwing three colors in the same time. What can you in this case? You cut the smallest bud underneath and you dry it and smoke it after 5-6 days. If it gets you high like you expected or you think it won't get better just cut it straight away

 

[Prop420]

Nothing to do with harvesting guys but i need input on how my baby looking this is day 46 i have topped and am also doing some lst i feel like she may be loosing color or getting sicc and also she looks a little small for this late in the game???? Help please

 

[Prop420]

 

[Prop420]

 

[Bluedream87]

It may be the angle, but she looks a bit droopy. How often you watering?