MightyMonte88 Soil Unknown Strain 2013 First Grow

[Spimp]

Well, the most precise way is to match the tric color to the effect you want.
Easy cliff version-----
If you dont have a microscope, wait until all the haris are browned and withered. Hairs first turn color but stay 'alive' for a while. Then they pull back and shrivel up. This is an idicator that usually coinsides with the 'peak thc' window. Generally if you pick early in this window, its a uppity head type high. Late i a stoney body couch lock high.

The real way to tell-----
Depending on strain, color of trics determine the plants ripeness. Trics start clear, then get cloudy or milky, then turn amber. Some people smake sample buds at various stages to determine (for next time) what type of high they like. Some people like motivational get ou and do stuff highs so they harvest a little sooner with a mix of clear and cloudy. With alot of ambers you would get couch locked and de-motivated. My type of high .

But also consider the strain. Taking a sativa to ambers may not be benificial. Actually the opposite. Because o the extra long flower time, getting to ambers can mean the THC is degrading. Just as picking a indica with clears means its not in the peak ripeness window.

So I ask you sir.... WHAT KINDA HIGH YA WANT??

 

[b.real]

according to the 8/31 pictures, the plant has some time for sure

 

[MightyMonte88]

Nice write up spimp lol, i like both kinds of buzz so I'll harvest one later than the other, label and test the diff. Thanks for the info dude

I hope the plants make it for the rest of the duration. How many fan leaves..ext can die off before it becomes a problem? if the small leaves are counted as fan leaves, than on one plant 40-50% have died.

 

[Spimp]

If you do it right, almost all fans will will die. She is sucking up nutes and leaves store nutes. Once they get pale yellow, you can remove them. The upside is, this means shes putting all her power into swelling up those buds. Dont remove thefans too early, or she may be forced to find energy somewhere else.. let her use the fans.

 

[RainStacks]

A similar option to Spimp's spot-on advice is to cut just the leaves off when they are yellow/dry, but leave the petioles. Some people say that it sort of tricks the plant into thinking it still has the leaf. I don't know if this is true, but there is some moisture and nutrients in there, so it can't hurt. I have been using this method outdoors and sometimes the petiole stays on for a long time. Once when my plants got overheated/dry the plant actually self-prunned some of the lowest/oldest leaves.

 

[b.real]

I never used to remove my "spent" leaves, but you must! They grow mold easily!

 

[MightyMonte88]

I've been picking off the dead leaves, i'm not really worried about it anymore the plants are just doing their thing at this stage

Bud's are looking nice, i'm seeing some really swollen pistils with the hairs completely pulled back

So will i get any seeds from my plants?? Because i realized i don't have anymore...

 

[Spimp]

Donpaul.p uses a method that produces female seeds.
He leaves a few buds on the plant and lets it go way past proper culling time. This will cause theflowers to produce bananas, or female pollen sacks. Then she will pollinate and youget free beans.
Nothing is 100% though. Relize if you try this, you culd end up with two not so potent buds and no seed.

 

[MightyMonte88]

Alright got a small update.

Day 92

temp and hum still average.
I fed the plants again a day or two ago according to schedule, stepped back to the B mixture. Buds are lookign GREAT, i cant tell if i should harvest or not, i think i still have another week yet.

On a side note, a few posts up i mentioned one bud has pistils that look really swollen, well they are seeds lol. I cut one off and peeled it up, SEEDS YAY! So that solves that, now being that this plant is developing seeds is that a sign of a lower quality high?

 

[Spimp]

Heres my opinion sir--

When they get pollinated they turn the hormones get more divided up to due a new function. Make seeds. But the budding hormone is still at work, just not full force. I think it continues to ripen and mature, but it will be less harvest of smokable product and maybe slightly less potent.
If you harvest her when she is peaking, it will be really good smoke still. Just maybe a little of it and slightly less potent. But I bet its still alot better than street smoke. Plus you now have an hierloom bean that you pretty much know how its gonna grow. Did/do you see some bananas on her?

 

[MightyMonte88]

Spimp, nope no bananas on her, i checked the whole plant over pretty good and as far as i can tell right now theres only a handfull of seeds but enough for the next grow. I really want to give a seed bank a try but im still mixed about seeds in the mail.

The plant with seeds is the one that grew the tallest so next time + better soil / PH control should be greater quality/quantity.

 

[MightyMonte88]

Day 99

Temp high 80 low 73
Hum high 65 low 44

Alright, plants are still doing good, fan leaves yellowing/ dyeing off and buds maturing.

Most of the smaller buds..ext have almost no white hairs anymore but the main top flowers still have 40-50% white hairs, Should i keep waiting to harvest? The next feed is tomorrow, but if i'm only a week away from harvest i don't want to feed again...

One of the plants is having trouble standing upright, small/medium sized branches keep folding over so i supported them with fishing string to the main stem. The plant's doing great otherwise so why is this happening? The buds are alittle on the chunk side lol

 

[b.real]

Its really up to you. Flush and harvest in a week or two?

 

[KingJohnC]

the reason your plant is having trouble standing up is the buds are getting heavy. you need a 30x jewelers loupe to see the trichomes and judge when to harvest. most people harvest at 5%-30% amber trichomes. harvest at 5%-15% amber trichomes for a "head high" energetic effect and harvest at 30%-50% amber trichomes for a "body stone" sedative effect strain dependent.

https://www.google.com search 30x jewelers loupe

 

[b.real]

How many weeks from pistil now? I said 1-2 weeks but it may need 3 more weeks. Earliest I would pull is around 10 weeks of bloom

 

[MightyMonte88]

Sorry it took me awhile to get back, b.real i'm almost 10 weeks into flowering, so im around 7-8 weeks since pistil? If i went back through this journal i could probably give you an exact date.

I don't have a 30x loupe yet but i'm picking one up asap, i didn't know they're a cheap tool. If my budget wasn't air tight right now i'd have more capital to invest into my setup. That being said i'm going by the pistils to harvest, most of the buds look ready, the main big buds at the tops are the only ones with white hairs yet.

 

[Spimp]

It looks like your white hairs are from Foxtailing from what I can see of that pic. New calyx's forming and shooting out new pistols. Definately look at some trics if you can, but If not, a harvest in the near future wouldnt be too bad. It seems they are pretty mature. Trics is a way to get more precicsion. If its an option, its the best way to go for sure.

 

[MightyMonte88]

Alright the plan is i'm going to harvest the two that look to be ready today, and wait to harvest the one that's still behind.

Here's where i need help, the "nutes - what they are and how to use them" guide says i have to EMERGENCY FLUSH my plants because of the time release nutes in the soil...

Quote
"Cut the plant off at soil level. Place plant in a bucket with enough PLAIN tapwater to cover the base, but not touch lower limbs or vegetation....

Add a bubbler to the bucket to help "fool" the plant into thinking it is still alive (this only works up to 4 days before they wilt!)
Tthe plant will now use the nutrients stored in it's system . Leave under the lights at least 2 days-- up to 4 (3 is the usual amount)"

Is this true or can i just skip that step?? Seems like a total pain in the ass

 

[b.real]

Flush, allow the plant to drink the pure water for 3-5 days, then cut the tops, or the entire plant if youd like. I usually cut the buds that are the closest to the light (tops), then I cut the buds that are furthur from the light ("mids/lowers") 5-7 days later.

 

[MightyMonte88]

Alright emergency flush setup for one plant, the other ones are still a week or so behind i think.

I took some pictures under a different light, the HPS bulb i had wasn't doing the pictures any justice..