Clear that mine have a ways to go after seeing this...more patience grasshopper...
You are about to harvest probly the best weed you ever smoked, a little longer won't hurt!....but I definately understand...LOL
KJ's T5/CFL 1st Time Grow
- Thread starter KarlJay
- Start date
You are about to harvest probly the best weed you ever smoked, a little longer won't hurt!....but I definately understand...LOL
ontariogrow
New Member
So I pulled out my motorcycle this week too! Damn nice to be back out there cruising the roads in 2 week fashion.
Yeah I need to develop some serious patience... I vegged my plants for 75-ish days from seed - they just arent nearly as big as what i see you guys producing - but i am only using 400 watt HPS and i know that is likely the biggest factor for me. I am sure I'll get a decent supply out of my first grow, but it's hard not to have bud-envy looking at photos
I have just the start of some amber hairs - and I'm having trouble really knowing the difference between cloudy and clear trichs up close - i have a scope that works well just so new to what I am really looking for that it's tough.
I can't wait to harvest - i love working with the plants, have fun on watering days etc Feel like I'm really DOING something besides watching them grow, so even though the trim will be tedious, i think it will also be really fun.
I'm still unclear as to how long to dry and what exactly the 'curing' does for them. People seem to have so many mixed opinions, but I'm all set to do the work. I have my supplies, built a drying box, have mason jars and hygrometers... hoping I get to taste a little sample soon!
Just wish I knew better when the ideal time had come - none of my buds are big giant colas like you guys have.... maybe they'll still fill out? maybe lemon skunk is just not a 'big' one....
ok gonna go read a book on patience and mindfulness! lol
Yeah I need to develop some serious patience... I vegged my plants for 75-ish days from seed - they just arent nearly as big as what i see you guys producing - but i am only using 400 watt HPS and i know that is likely the biggest factor for me. I am sure I'll get a decent supply out of my first grow, but it's hard not to have bud-envy looking at photos
I have just the start of some amber hairs - and I'm having trouble really knowing the difference between cloudy and clear trichs up close - i have a scope that works well just so new to what I am really looking for that it's tough.
I can't wait to harvest - i love working with the plants, have fun on watering days etc
Feel like I'm really DOING something besides watching them grow, so even though the trim will be tedious, i think it will also be really fun. I'm still unclear as to how long to dry and what exactly the 'curing' does for them. People seem to have so many mixed opinions, but I'm all set to do the work. I have my supplies, built a drying box, have mason jars and hygrometers... hoping I get to taste a little sample soon!
Just wish I knew better when the ideal time had come - none of my buds are big giant colas like you guys have.... maybe they'll still fill out? maybe lemon skunk is just not a 'big' one....
ok gonna go read a book on patience and mindfulness! lol
- Thread starter
- #383
I'm no expert, but I can tell you that a month ago, I expected to be fully harvested by now. The swelling of the buds are normal based on some of the YouTube vids I've seen.
One thing that was different was the YouTube video didn't stop the nutes until after the plant was cut. She cut the plant and put it in clear water for flushing.
That actually sounds like a great idea, because right now, 1/2 my grow is without nutes at a time when they could probably use them. The only upside to cutting nutes before harvest would be to save time... You don't have to flush for a few days after the harvest and before the drying. I might try that next time.
@ontariogrow, what are you using for nutes? Are you increasing the 'bloom' nutes? My GH Flora has the bloom at about 2X what it was before and doesn't use the gro nutes towards the end. I'm also using KoolBloom and the extra growth didn't happen till then.
As far as height goes, I used a ton of lighting. I had the T8's up close and 30+ CFLs up close thru the whole veg cycle. I also run the HPS a bit closer than some would.
I've heard great things about adding a few CFLs down on the sides/lower parts of the plants.
Amen on the patience, after veg, it's all up to the plant...
From what I'm learning, the window should be several days, seeing amber might be effected by the light. I've been taking a few sample 1/2 cuts from small leaves to get a close look. I'd only do this every few days or so, because you're killing a small part of the plant each time (only 1/2 a leaf, but still).
Two other things I learned is the little hairs at the point where the branch starts should be near dead and falling off. The bud hairs should be brown/amber and should retract a bit at the end.
On the other note, I saw a video of an outdoor grow. He had 1 plant that was the width of 4 of mine! He said it would probably be a 500g yield!
I was hoping for 1/2 lb yields / plant, but that look to be way off.
One thing that was different was the YouTube video didn't stop the nutes until after the plant was cut. She cut the plant and put it in clear water for flushing.
That actually sounds like a great idea, because right now, 1/2 my grow is without nutes at a time when they could probably use them. The only upside to cutting nutes before harvest would be to save time... You don't have to flush for a few days after the harvest and before the drying. I might try that next time.
@ontariogrow, what are you using for nutes? Are you increasing the 'bloom' nutes? My GH Flora has the bloom at about 2X what it was before and doesn't use the gro nutes towards the end. I'm also using KoolBloom and the extra growth didn't happen till then.
As far as height goes, I used a ton of lighting. I had the T8's up close and 30+ CFLs up close thru the whole veg cycle. I also run the HPS a bit closer than some would.
I've heard great things about adding a few CFLs down on the sides/lower parts of the plants.
Amen on the patience, after veg, it's all up to the plant...
From what I'm learning, the window should be several days, seeing amber might be effected by the light. I've been taking a few sample 1/2 cuts from small leaves to get a close look. I'd only do this every few days or so, because you're killing a small part of the plant each time (only 1/2 a leaf, but still).
Two other things I learned is the little hairs at the point where the branch starts should be near dead and falling off. The bud hairs should be brown/amber and should retract a bit at the end.
On the other note, I saw a video of an outdoor grow. He had 1 plant that was the width of 4 of mine! He said it would probably be a 500g yield!
I was hoping for 1/2 lb yields / plant, but that look to be way off.
ontariogrow
New Member
Hey KJ
I'm using Dutch nutrient formula bloom nutes at 2.5ml/L and some DNF gold at 5ml/L every other watering - which is about every 4-5 days for them to be good and dry. Then a plain water feed, and then nutes again. My flower pistils are still pretty white and haven't receeded much so I guess I have a ways to go. Been seemingly such a long road I'm just desperate for a taste but I don't want to ruin what could be way better by waiting a little more. I'll have to watch and wait
I'm using Dutch nutrient formula bloom nutes at 2.5ml/L and some DNF gold at 5ml/L every other watering - which is about every 4-5 days for them to be good and dry. Then a plain water feed, and then nutes again. My flower pistils are still pretty white and haven't receeded much so I guess I have a ways to go. Been seemingly such a long road I'm just desperate for a taste but I don't want to ruin what could be way better by waiting a little more. I'll have to watch and wait
- Thread starter
- #385
Ok, I don't know those nutes, but I'm guessing you are following what they say for the level you're at.
1st off, from what you say, you are using nutes every other water and holding back on watering until dry.
My understanding is that you should be more like 100% of what the nute chart says, and should be about 1 of 3 or 1 of 4 without nutes, in other words 70%+ of the watering should be nutes.
Also, when I was in veg, I had good luck by letting the plants dry out, this was to get the roots to search for water and therefore extend themselves. Once fully into flowering, I don't think that's needed any more. I started watering more often, cutting the dry time to about 1 day from about 2 or 3 days. In other words, I was watering about every 5 days or so, now I'm more like 3 or 4 days, and I don't wait for the plants to droop anymore.
Are you using any bloom boosters? I'm no expert on them, but several have said good things about them and I seem to have good results with KoolBloom... the NPK ratio is supposed to be great for buds. I'm still using KoolBloom even without the regular nutes.
I actually still run nutes on the taller less mature plants because I think they are still a few weeks out.
One of the videos I saw did the nute flushing different, she used nutes right up to harvest, did the cut, put the cut stem in clear water to do the flushing of the nutes. This might have an advantage, consider we are cutting nutes at the end when the plant is still alive and still producing product. Why not run the nutes all the way thru and then flush after the cut?
The answer might be that if they are put into water, they are NOT drying and are basically still alive and growing, so they are probably cutting before they would if that had flushed pre-cut. ... don't know.
Some say to cut right when you have 10% amber or a lot of amber hairs, but I'm going to hold off for max amber per the request of a local person that involved in the grow and he knows more about the final product than I do.
BTW, here's the video where he talks about the > 1lb plant and getting it to about 1.5lb... it might not be as tall, but that's a DAM bushy monster!
1st off, from what you say, you are using nutes every other water and holding back on watering until dry.
My understanding is that you should be more like 100% of what the nute chart says, and should be about 1 of 3 or 1 of 4 without nutes, in other words 70%+ of the watering should be nutes.
Also, when I was in veg, I had good luck by letting the plants dry out, this was to get the roots to search for water and therefore extend themselves. Once fully into flowering, I don't think that's needed any more. I started watering more often, cutting the dry time to about 1 day from about 2 or 3 days. In other words, I was watering about every 5 days or so, now I'm more like 3 or 4 days, and I don't wait for the plants to droop anymore.
Are you using any bloom boosters? I'm no expert on them, but several have said good things about them and I seem to have good results with KoolBloom... the NPK ratio is supposed to be great for buds. I'm still using KoolBloom even without the regular nutes.
I actually still run nutes on the taller less mature plants because I think they are still a few weeks out.
One of the videos I saw did the nute flushing different, she used nutes right up to harvest, did the cut, put the cut stem in clear water to do the flushing of the nutes. This might have an advantage, consider we are cutting nutes at the end when the plant is still alive and still producing product. Why not run the nutes all the way thru and then flush after the cut?
The answer might be that if they are put into water, they are NOT drying and are basically still alive and growing, so they are probably cutting before they would if that had flushed pre-cut. ... don't know.
Some say to cut right when you have 10% amber or a lot of amber hairs, but I'm going to hold off for max amber per the request of a local person that involved in the grow and he knows more about the final product than I do.
BTW, here's the video where he talks about the > 1lb plant and getting it to about 1.5lb... it might not be as tall, but that's a DAM bushy monster!
- Thread starter
- #386
it is the trichomes you are looking to turn amber, you need a 30x jewellers loop to see the trichomes.
Maybe it's the lights, but this looks amber.
Maybe I need to pull the plant out of the HPS light and have a better look.
Right after or before lights off or on...get in there with a loupe and a regular light. I believe I see amber too, but I can't be sure. They are sure growing though!
- Thread starter
- #389
Well today one of the taller, less mature plants started those bud swelling sites. The bud site on this one looks 40% thicker than the bud site of the other taller plants.
So that would ball park the taller plants at about 2 weeks behind the others.
The more mature ones are really showing some crystals.
Might be starting the selective harvesting in a few days!
Might snip one just as a 'taste test'
2nd grow is going crazy, now about 26~28" tall. Should be taking clones soon, I'll have to clean the clone closet with bleach or something, I'm pretty sure that were the PM started.
So that would ball park the taller plants at about 2 weeks behind the others.
The more mature ones are really showing some crystals.
Might be starting the selective harvesting in a few days!
Might snip one just as a 'taste test'
2nd grow is going crazy, now about 26~28" tall. Should be taking clones soon, I'll have to clean the clone closet with bleach or something, I'm pretty sure that were the PM started.
ontariogrow
New Member
I'm trying my taste test tonight from 4 days ago - it's been drying and I'm just too curious so tonight is the night! I'll let you know what I find out - pumped and hoping I won't be dissapointed.
Good luck KJ I think we are right in the same ballpark for timing here...
Good luck KJ I think we are right in the same ballpark for timing here...
- Thread starter
- #391
One of the more mature plants has about 12 or more leaves that turned yellow today. I took a 1/2 leaf cutting and look under the microscope and found only 3 amber trichs and some still clear, but mostly cloudy.
I really thought this weekend was harvest time!
Now I'm concerned about why they are taking so long, I'm going back to look at the waterings and see when I last added nutes to the more mature 5 plants. It seems so close to harvest that I hate to screw things up at this point.
I've been having dead leaves for the last few weeks and didn't think too much about that but now with the trichs mostly amber and some still clear, I'm getting concerned that I've done something to slow down the growth.
The progress seems soooo slow...
Glad I posted things in this journal, now I can go back and see just how long it's been.
Are the yellow dying leaves normal at this stage?
I really thought this weekend was harvest time!
Now I'm concerned about why they are taking so long, I'm going back to look at the waterings and see when I last added nutes to the more mature 5 plants. It seems so close to harvest that I hate to screw things up at this point.
I've been having dead leaves for the last few weeks and didn't think too much about that but now with the trichs mostly amber and some still clear, I'm getting concerned that I've done something to slow down the growth.
The progress seems soooo slow...
Glad I posted things in this journal, now I can go back and see just how long it's been.
Are the yellow dying leaves normal at this stage?
- Thread starter
- #392
Ok, look like 7 weeks in flowering. That just doesn't seem right, It's actually just 7 week of 12/12 so I don't know when to start counting.
Just looked at the GH Flora schedule and it looks like it set of 9 weeks of flowering!
Damm!
I wonder if I should run some nutes to the mature plants 1 last time, because it looks like harvest is about 2 week out.
If nothing else, at least the buds will be bigger.
This also changes the schedule for the 2nd grow. I'm going to have to double harvest in order to get more of a perpetual grow. I'll probably start one set of clones, then wait a month, then start a second set of clones.
Just looked at the GH Flora schedule and it looks like it set of 9 weeks of flowering!
Damm!
I wonder if I should run some nutes to the mature plants 1 last time, because it looks like harvest is about 2 week out.
If nothing else, at least the buds will be bigger.
This also changes the schedule for the 2nd grow. I'm going to have to double harvest in order to get more of a perpetual grow. I'll probably start one set of clones, then wait a month, then start a second set of clones.
when the seed breeders count flowering it is from 12/12. well reads like you have your perpetual grow set up.
- Thread starter
- #394
So what do you think about running nutes one more time? If I'm 2 weeks from harvest, they could probably use some nutes about now.
Even if I'm off by 1 week, I'd still be several days without nutes and I could hold off the harvest by a few days.
How bad would it be to have a harvest a few days late?
Even if I'm off by 1 week, I'd still be several days without nutes and I could hold off the harvest by a few days.
How bad would it be to have a harvest a few days late?
From my understanding you have a small 4-5 day harvesting period for peak ripeness. The longer you wait the more thc will turn into cbd, which isnt a bad thing for some. Once again its alot of personal prefrence, i harvested the tops of my plants, one at first signs of amber the othher at about 10-15% ammber. Now the botom half is so much closer and lower sites on one plant has tripled in size and show no signs of slowing.
I didnt feed them alot of superthrive for recovery, and then 1/2 stre nutes to help the yellowing stop.
I didnt feed them alot of superthrive for recovery, and then 1/2 stre nutes to help the yellowing stop.
- Thread starter
- #396
I'm glad you posted this! When I was guessing the 2 weeks out for harvest, I wasn't counting the selective harvest! I still have somewhere around a month for the lower sites! I don't see how they'll make it a month or more without any nutes!
And I really like the idea of a selective harvest. I can see a huge difference in the mature upper sites and the lower sites.
Great timing too, today is water day for the 1st grow! I will be adding nutes today for all of the 1st grow.
I also noticed about 12 dead leaves on one of the more mature plants.
Yea i was suprised how much more they have grown the buds on the ends of the branch are forming 2-3 new "tops" . Ill let them go three more weeks or so for like a total of 13-14 weeks flower,..
They also are already 3x more trichs Then The first harvest formed but they are mostly clear Still
- Thread starter
- #398
Just got done with the watering and the one with all the yellow then dead leaves didn't hold much water. Just like one started about 1 week ago.
I think these plants are root bound in the 5 gallon grow bags. I bet when I harvest, I'll find a huge amount of roots.
At this point, I'm just hoping they can make it another week or two. I'm going to water them a few times a day on watering day, just to soak it good, then increase how often I water. Probably in the range of every 2 or 3 days.
The one that lost a bunch of leaves today REALLY looks yellow next to the others, I was shocked to see that many (about 12) dead leaves in one day!
I think these plants are root bound in the 5 gallon grow bags. I bet when I harvest, I'll find a huge amount of roots.
At this point, I'm just hoping they can make it another week or two. I'm going to water them a few times a day on watering day, just to soak it good, then increase how often I water. Probably in the range of every 2 or 3 days.
The one that lost a bunch of leaves today REALLY looks yellow next to the others, I was shocked to see that many (about 12) dead leaves in one day!
- Thread starter
- #399
Update: I counted 25 dead yellowed leaves on 1 plant and that was without moving the plant around to count the other side! These were from one day. One day yellow, next day dead!
You can't see the yellow from the pics, but if you look close, you'll see a bunch of leaves that look dead/dying.
I got in close with the camera and microscope and found about 15 amber trichs out of maybe 200 that I looked at. I'm seeing maybe 60+% cloudy and 40ish % clear and just a very few amber!
No change in height, buds continue to thicken, crystals all over the place! Sticky as all hell! won't wash off with soap, need acetone!
Several plants had drooping leaves, several (including the dead leaves one) didn't hold much water, something like 1/3 what they held before. So I'm watering in stages, water till run off, wait at least an hour, water til run off again. I'm actually using LESS water now than at any time during flowering.
Really concerned about these 25+ dead fan leaves and STILL hardly any amber trichs! Someone give me some good news and calm my nerves!
You can't see the yellow from the pics, but if you look close, you'll see a bunch of leaves that look dead/dying.
I got in close with the camera and microscope and found about 15 amber trichs out of maybe 200 that I looked at. I'm seeing maybe 60+% cloudy and 40ish % clear and just a very few amber!
No change in height, buds continue to thicken, crystals all over the place! Sticky as all hell! won't wash off with soap, need acetone!
Several plants had drooping leaves, several (including the dead leaves one) didn't hold much water, something like 1/3 what they held before. So I'm watering in stages, water till run off, wait at least an hour, water til run off again. I'm actually using LESS water now than at any time during flowering.
Really concerned about these 25+ dead fan leaves and STILL hardly any amber trichs! Someone give me some good news and calm my nerves!
- Thread starter
- #400
Had to add bamboo supports because 4 of the plants developed quite a bite of lean. One just happened last night and I was concerned about the stress on the plant and maybe having it break off just before harvest!
More dead leaves today, pretty much the top 1/2 of two plants, about all the fan leaves have gone yellow and died. Very concerning, because I'm somewhere around 1 or 2 weeks from harvest based on the lack of amber trichs.
I've looked at CA215's Rascal grow and didn't see the dead leaves yet MUCH more amber trichs. Me and CA215 are almost dead even in terms of flowering time.
More dead leaves today, pretty much the top 1/2 of two plants, about all the fan leaves have gone yellow and died. Very concerning, because I'm somewhere around 1 or 2 weeks from harvest based on the lack of amber trichs.
I've looked at CA215's Rascal grow and didn't see the dead leaves yet MUCH more amber trichs. Me and CA215 are almost dead even in terms of flowering time.