My first bud: When can I harvest?

[SmokingWings]

Hi SmokingWings, It's tough to forget things and I've forgotten this one. I'll get back to you when I recall why sulfured molasses isn't the one we normally choose. There is a reason. Sounds like you beat it though.

The only reason I can think of for why people normally choose the unsulphured molasses is because it is the easiest one for most of us to find. Just go to the supermarket's baking section and there it is.

I would bet good money that the majority of us are living closer to a supermarket (unsulphured molasses) than we are to a farmer's co-op or farmer's supply business (sulphur added molasses). Eventually, many of us started to figure that what we bought in the store that sold food for human consumption had to be better than something bought for feeding animals and soil bacteria.

Enjoy the day.

 

[StoneOtter]

The only reason I can think of for why people normally choose the unsulphured molasses is because it is the easiest one for most of us to find. Just go to the supermarket's baking section and there it is.

I would bet good money that the majority of us are living closer to a supermarket (unsulphured molasses) than we are to a farmer's co-op or farmer's supply business. Eventually, many of us started to figure that what we bought in the store that sold food for human consumption had to be better than something bought for feeding animals and soil bacteria.

Enjoy the day.

You have a point however there's more to the story if I can find the info I'll post it.

 

[DonkeyDick]

I have not been able to figure out what is wrong with sulfured molasses.

I have been reading up on molasses lately trying to figure out why we cannot use the sulfured type. The sulfured molasses is what many, many farmers use because it is cheaper. They use it as part of their feeding program for their livestock. Sulfured molasses does contain sulfur which many, if not all, plants need for growing. The sulfur is added to the raw sugar beets or sugar cane to speed up the process of making molasses. Without the use of sulfur the production of molasses would take a lot longer because of the extra time spent boiling the syrup. Time is money, probably the primary reason that "Unsulphured" molasses costs so much more.

Unsulphured molasses does taste better to most humans which is why it is used to make Molasses Cookies or Gingerbread Cookies and is added to some types of bread dough. It is added to sugar to make "brown sugar" which is used in some recipes for cookies, cakes, bread and some glazes. I did a personal taste test and the sulfured molasses certainly is no wheres near as tasty as the unsulfured molasses that we buy in the baking section of the supermarket.

About 6 months ago I spent an afternoon reading web articles on the use of molasses as it applied to the organic growing of fruits, vegetables and flowers and. I did not find any article that claimed it was bad, when gardening or farming, to use a molasses that was made with the addition of sulfur to speed up the manufacturing process.

My plants like an occasional brew with the inexpensive molasses mixed with the water. I have put this less costly molasses into some of my brews which also have worm castings just to speed up the growth of bacteria and the plants like that too.

Enjoy the day...

Hi all. This turned out to be more interesting than I thought it would be.
My suggestion to use unsulphured molasses was really so we can eat it too.
Keen to read what @stoneotter might come back with.
I’m impressed with the depth and scope of your reply SW. Thanks for adding to the conversation.

 

[SmokingWings]

Hi all. This turned out to be more interesting than I thought it would be.
My suggestion to use unsulphured molasses was really so we can eat it too.
Keen to read what @stoneotter might come back with.
I’m impressed with the depth and scope of your reply SW. Thanks for adding to the conversation.

Thank you for the complement.

The molasses is added to the soil and it promotes the growth of the soil bacteria. The plant itself does not take up the molasses based on everything I have read on this. Cook up and eat the buds, no molasses in them.

Even if there was sulfur in the buds, it would be small amounts and the human body does need sulfur to stay healthy. Win-Win situation.

I definitely have to get to watering my plants. The brew has been bubbling for 36+ hours now.

Good day, enjoy it.

 

[DonkeyDick]

Yes small amounts of second hand sulphur from ingesting our grown goodies is one thing. Perfectly acceptable.
As stated, the sulphured stuff doesn’t taste as good. Nor do we want to ingest concentrated trace minerals. That is not a healthy win.
Even if plants aren’t taking micronutrients from the molasses itself (which I’d have thought they were) as you say, it also feeds the soil ecology.

We are talking about different things here. I was talking about sharing food with my plants. What I still am trying really hard not to get in to is my medical situation (no laughing emoji).
No extra sulphur for me.
I’m done.

 

[StoneOtter]

I just checked a couple of my resources. Like you, I hear a lot of un-sulfured answers and nobody says why.
The Cannabis Encyclopedia by Jorge Cervantes lays out and explains the differences of all the molasseses and says each one can be used for cannabis. I'd like to hear the science of the un-sulfured side. I know I've heard it from somewhere but...oh well. Enjoy.

 

[Backlipslide]

The Cannabis Encyclopedia by Jorge Cervantes

Is a great book!

I haven’t opened it up in a while, but I used to look at it daily.

Sorry Carry on..

 

[Capt420]

Good day everyone. Hope all are doing well. Thank you for all your help and suggestions. I'll be reading up on the innoculant and molasses when I find the time. Been busy with life lately... All is well though.

Here's an update of the Sour Diesel. She hasn't grown much in the last 10 days but I noticed her hairs are becoming thinner and are turning orange. She's also stopped growing new hairs. Does this mean she's close to harvest?

I have been feeding her bloom fertilizer ph to 6.5 the past week and her trichomes look white with maybe 10% still clear.

These were taken today, the 70th day since she grew hairs. (Sorry i don't have a nice camera. )

Question:
1. How long do you think until harvest time?
2. When should I start to flush?

Peace everyone!

 

[Capt420]

I also read somewhere about not mixing organic and inorganic fertilizer so I'm worried about adding molasses (which I think is organic) to a plant i've fed with non-organic fertilizer (general hydroponics bloom).

Any thoughts on this guys? Is it okay to add molasses or not? And is there any substitute to molasses in case I can't find any?

Sorry for being such a noob. Gotta start somewhere right?

 

[DonkeyDick]

Hey Exciting!
I don’t have a magic number for you, I’m guessing 3weeks. Depends whether you like racy/cerebral when trichomes are mostly milky from clear, or ‘couchlocky’/body stone with more trichomes turning amber - say, 30% amber.
They say that our buds will double in size/weight in their last two weeks. Something to watch for.
Also, at the top of each flower pistils are whiter than anywhere else. This suggests to me she is still swelling.
How are the testers?
Take a tester now every 3 or 4 days and see how it everything develops in the next week or two.
Remember the golden rule: when you decide to chop, wait a week.
Maybe you can use an app on your phone for magnifying a look into the trichomes in the flower (not on the sugar leaves)?
Hope that helps.
Looks beautiful!

Oh, and we’re not flushing now we’re feeding to the end. Turns out flushing is broscience (wait, you are growing in soil?)
And yeah get some molasses in there mate no worries.

 

[Capt420]

Thank you DD!

Yes i'm growing in soil. Okay so no more flusing and yes to molasses. 3 more weeks!

I didnt take any testers. How do i choose which bud to take? How long should I dry and cure the tester?

It's so hard waiting for her to finish!!!

 

[DonkeyDick]

Do you have any airy-looking larfy popcorn type buds happening low down?
If not maybe a surgical strike on a straggler? Even to carefully nip a bit of a bud if you can tease the stalk out gently - enough for a pipe or two.
A day to dry in a paper bag in a warm place. It won’t be cured and tasting as good as it will, but it’s a taste of things to come.
Especially if your stash jar is empty Yeah I’m the dark one, sitting on the opposite shoulder to your self control.

 

[BeezLuiz]

Looking good, Capt!

I pretty much agree with everything DD suggested - especially the "no flush" part.

 

[Backlipslide]

I’m guessing 3weeks

^
Yes I give it about that long as well.

Oh, and we’re not flushing now we’re feeding to the end

Yes that’s what you have chosen to do, that’s not what he has chosen to do.

It’s all a matter of opinion, you can flush, or you don’t.

If @Capt420 reads @InTheShed links to no flushing, and he decides that flushing is not for him. Then by all means capt. Flushing isn't for you.

But double DD telling him to not flush without him doing proper research necessary before making that decision, isn’t right man.

It’s up to you capt. To if you want to flush or not.

Check out the links shed has, and check out the links @Emilya has on flushing.

No body is right, and no body is wrong. It’s up to you to figure out what side you lie on.

I’ve done both. This last run I haven’t flushed. The one before, I didn’t flush. The one before that, I flushed. This run (my current run) I’m flushing, but I’m feeding right to the last week, then flushing once or twice before chopping.


It’s up to you capt. Do your research brother!

 

[Capt420]

Thanks again everyone! @Backlipslide I still dont know if i'm gonna flush. But i'm running out of nutes so maybe I'll be forced to just use plain water for her after a couple weeks. It's hard to get the General Hydroponics fert in my area. I found some orchid 15-30-15 bloom fertilizer i might use though.

@DD For now i still have some buds so not in a hurry anymore. But now I know how to cope when it's empty. Thanks!!! Will maybe try a tester next week. There's so few buds i dont want to lessen them anymore.

@BeezLuiz - Thanks brother! I love your northern lights plant! Mine is tall but not budding up at Day 50. Here she is. (I think being root bound is stunting her growth)

Have a nice day ahead everyone!!!

 

[SmokingWings]

I also read somewhere about not mixing organic and inorganic fertilizer so I'm worried about adding molasses (which I think is organic) to a plant i've fed with non-organic fertilizer (general hydroponics bloom).

Any thoughts on this guys? Is it okay to add molasses or not? And is there any substitute to molasses in case I can't find any?

The photos of the plants make it look like you did a good job of growing. You would be surprised what your camera can do once you learn some of the tricks. Each camera has its own quirks and we just have to figure them out.

I just did a quick internet search and have not yet come across any articles that claim that there is a problem with mixing organic fertilizers with a grow that has been fertilized non-organic fertilizers. One article did make a point of telling the reader that many non-organic fertilizers are nothing more than commercially processed naturally occurring minerals. The desired nutrient is extracted from a mineral that is found in the soil already.

Had the local NPR radio stations on in the truck one morning last week while driving from one job to another. Missed the first part of the program but it was about farms and farming. One of the comments the guest brought up is that sulfur is considered organic by the USDA and just about every group that determines if something is suitable to be used in organic gardening or farming.

To top it off, he mentioned that 90% of the strawberry crop in California is sprayed with a sulfur solution at least once in its growth cycle to control or prevent a mold or mildew from ruining the plants.

 

[InTheShed]

No body is right, and no body is wrong.

Not exactly the case if we're discussing why to flush. If someone claims that flushing will clear your flowers of nutrients, then they actually are wrong. That doesn't mean you're wrong if you flush, as anyone can do what they want. But the science proves over and over that you cannot flush the nutes from your buds by giving the plant water for the last x days or weeks. It doesn't matter whether you grow in coco, hydro, soil, or soil-less.

 

[Backlipslide]

But the science proves over and over that you cannot flush the nutes from your buds

With all do respect sir. No where in that statement did I ever say anything about flushing the nutes from your buds..

 

[InTheShed]

You didn't, which is why I included it in mine!

When new growers ask, "When should I start flushing?" this is what they are asking about. They have been misled into thinking that feeding plain water for the last part of flowering will create better tasting and smoother buds by flushing the nutes from the flowers. This is scientifically untrue. I'm not telling anyone not to flush, I'm pointing out that if someone tells you to flush for that reason, the are wrong.

Yes make your own decisions about growing, but make them based on science, not bro-science.

 

[Backlipslide]

I don’t understand why there is such a debate about this. You either do it or you don’t.

I bought George Cervantes cannabis encyclopedia, and I learned with his methods. I’m stubborn. I stick to my roots.

Whether your links are science or not.

Your flushing salt buildups away.

This is the way I think about it.

Your plant just sucked up, and might as well have lived in “nutrients” for the last four months.

The final x amount of days your plant is sucking up fresh clean water with no nutrients in it. Whether you want to believe it or not, that plant still uses the water given to them.