Question - Is it better to harvest too early or too late?

[Koren55]

My problem is that we're going to be away from 9/6 to 9/23. I don't have anyone who can monitor it when I'm away. I'm afraid of my plant being too far developed when I get back, or even stolen. It's a dilemma I have to decide on soon. I did want this plant to mature more, to produce more of a medical marijuana. That means more cannabinoids.


Right now the buds are still developing. Sure some have milky trichomes, but not many pistils are brown. If I harvest it this weekend, I'll have to leave the stems in my drying room as they'll be too damp to place in jars for two and a half weeks. Or I can jar them and place in my freezer until my return - then I'll begin the curing process.

Or do you think I should let them mature until I get back on the twenty third? I do want more cannabinoids from this plant because it's more for medical reasons - pain and fibromyalgia.

But if I leave it unmonitored, I run the risk of powdery white mildew, bugs, mold, and/or caterpillar infestation. I've already had to spray Bt on my plants after I found three different varieties of caterpillars on them. Yes, I found a white hairy one, a brownish tan one, and a green one. All were handpicked off. I also run the risk of discovery. My plants are quite fragrant, producing a sweet skunky type odor (smells wonderful, but a dead giveaway I'm growing cannabis).


Here's the plant's photo from the 8/24:

Any advice?
Do I harvest early, or do I harvest in three weeks?

Help.

Thanks,

Koren

 

[Dwight Monk]

Unless it is an Auto, far as I know in the Northern Hemisphere it is October before any Photo's are ready (and usually middle of October the earliest). Can't see the buds by that pic very well, but I'm thinking you're early would be way too early. Maybe someone else will wander in that knows more than me or can confirm what I thought about when "harvest" typically is for outdoor plants far as time of year.

 

[TorturedSoul]

Wow, IDK, seems like the choice is to get nothing worth consuming... or nothing. Isn't there anyone who can give it at least a minimum amount of care while you're gone (water if needed and pick critters off, lol)? I'd guess that the absolute earliest you'd want to harvest that would be about the time you're thinking about returning home - and probably after that, depending on the strain and what your locale's daylight/darkness lengths.

Again, that's just a guess....

 

[Koren55]

Hey guys, thanks for responding.

Here are two photos of colas.

This is a Sweet Afghani Delicious, Fast Version. Supposedly ready to harvest in early September.

But it's not where I want it to be. Hardly any pistils have turned brown. If it's like the other plant, it won't be ready until the tenth. What it will be two weeks after that I don't know - well there will be more cannabinoids.

I planted another seed of this variety, two weeks prior and that one was ready to harvest last weekend. I checked the trichomes, but went more by the brown pistils - about 70% were curled and brown.

That plant I pruned as well as tied over early on. It was only three feet in heightx, but it was bushy. It didn't produce much at all. Only four 16 oz jars of bud, one quart jar of leaves and scraps (for butter), and another 2/3's of a 16 oz jar of sugar leaves (from trimming). These plants are supposed to produce 350 - 500 grams.

This plant, my Jane plant, was untouched, no pruning at all. However when it grew taller than my six foot fence I tried the top two feet over and down. After that it really filled in. But it's nice and airy, what you want outside to give good airflow and prevent powdery mildew. I checked it and there's close to 29 stems, some with stems of their own. This baby girl is producing boys

I think I'll spray the plant with a fish oil based spray on Monday. It prevents mildew, fungi, mold, and acts as an insecticide too. Then I'll cover it with this fine white netting (to prevent moths and butterflies from laying eggs). I'm going to have to take a chance.

It's my first grow, so I'm learning.

As for somebody to check, there's my brother-in-law, but he lives an hour away. And I'm afraid he'd probably sample the plant, many, many, times. Shoot, he'd probably take the whole plant as soon as he thinks it's ready and then tell me some stranger raided my garden in the middle of night. Yeah, he's that kind of BIL, someone whom I never let know I was growing this year lest he want half the crop. Oh, I won't be stingy, I'll give him some just to see what he thinks of it ; he's been smoking marijuana since the sixties.

Me though, I can't even sample it. I'm on opioids for chronic pain and if I test positive for marijuana, they won't renew my scripts. I have to wait until I find a pain specialist that approves of medicinal marijuana. Only then will in be allowed to check it's strength. For now my husband has sampled the first plant, and he likes it. And that I'm just starting to cure...

So, when I get home on the 23rd, I'll be praying that my one plant survived, that no one took it, and no 5-oh discovered it.

In Maryland medical marijuana is legal, but we're still not allowed to grow any. Stupid because health plans won't cover it and those of us on disability retirement sure can't afford additional expenses. It's been a slow roll out in my State. And Doctors, growers, and the State is milking it dry. Docs want $200 just to write approval. State wants $100 plus for an annual card, and if you don't buy any of their growers cannabis, they expire your card.

Anyway, wish me luck. I'll let you know the outcome.

Koren

 

[TorturedSoul]

In Maryland medical marijuana is legal, but we're still not allowed to grow any. Stupid because health plans won't cover it and those of us on disability retirement sure can't afford additional expenses. It's been a slow roll out in my State. And Doctors, growers, and the State is milking it dry. Docs want $200 just to write approval. State wants $100 plus for an annual card, and if you don't buy any of their growers cannabis, they expire your card.

Yes, this all seems like the biggest "F*ck you!" from the government to the cannabis world since they declared that people had to purchase tax stamps for their cannabis - and then absolutely refused to sell the things. Things like that make me want to push all of those who were involved with making the laws into a pit, fill it about halfway up (say... to the 20' level, lol) with water, and then tell everyone in the pit, "Yeah, you can have a 40' ladder to use to climb out of there. You just have to figure out how to come up here and get it."

 

[Scientific]

Wow, IDK, seems like the choice is to get nothing worth consuming... or nothing.

That was what I was thinking. The plants look good, but they'll want some time to mature. If it was me, I'd leave 'em and look forward to a happy harvest when I return.

Seems like farmers have been asking this sort of question since the dawn of agriculture!

 

[AnimaSola]

Harvest early for a more speedy uppy head high and harvest late for a buzz that makes you want to sit on a bean bag and eat cheetos.

 

[Why Doe]

I would wait till you return, shouldn't be too mature. Only thing I would worry about is a dead plant tho.

 

[Koren55]

I'm going to wait. I checked the Colas this morning. Mostly all the pistils are white. Trichomes do show some milk, but not one amber in sight. We leave Wednesday for our trip (New England and Canada Maritimes cruise from Cape Liberty (Bayonne, NJ) to Quebec city (two nights), then we take train to Montreal (two nights) before flying back to Newark to pick up car for drive home. When I get back, first thing will be to check on my girl. I'm hoping for nicely matured fat, very fast buds.

This plant has grown so much better than the first one. Leaving it uncut she was able to develop into a nice airy plant with strong terminal buds. When she reached above six feet in height, I bent over the top two feet and tied it down.

Monday I'll spray her with a fish oil based treatment that should help prevent mildew, mold, and caterpillars. I'll cover her up with some fine white netting, camouflage her a bit and go on trip.

As for my State, I finally found a pain doctor who wants to work with medical marijuana. I'll get my card through him, then he's going to work with the dispensaries to come meet his patients. Then home delivery of product. I won't tell him I already have product, home grown organically. I'll have to order just enough through them.

I'm also going to write the makers of the law. Tell them most of us are on fixed incomes and can't afford to pay all this money. I'll let them know how other States allow patients to grow a few plants. Of course they only want their tax money, still they get all this money from their card distribution.

I'll let you know how my girl turns out.

Hubbys waiting, got to go to store for last minute things.

Koren55

 

[AnimaSola]

I'm going to wait. I checked the Colas this morning. Mostly all the pistils are white. Trichomes do show some milk, but not one amber in sight. We leave Wednesday for our trip (New England and Canada Maritimes cruise from Cape Liberty (Bayonne, NJ) to Quebec city (two nights), then we take train to Montreal (two nights) before flying back to Newark to pick up car for drive home. When I get back, first thing will be to check on my girl. I'm hoping for nicely matured fat, very fast buds.

This plant has grown so much better than the first one. Leaving it uncut she was able to develop into a nice airy plant with strong terminal buds. When she reached above six feet in height, I bent over the top two feet and tied it down.

Monday I'll spray her with a fish oil based treatment that should help prevent mildew, mold, and caterpillars. I'll cover her up with some fine white netting, camouflage her a bit and go on trip.

As for my State, I finally found a pain doctor who wants to work with medical marijuana. I'll get my card through him, then he's going to work with the dispensaries to come meet his patients. Then home delivery of product. I won't tell him I already have product, home grown organically. I'll have to order just enough through them.

I'm also going to write the makers of the law. Tell them most of us are on fixed incomes and can't afford to pay all this money. I'll let them know how other States allow patients to grow a few plants. Of course they only want their tax money, still they get all this money from their card distribution.

I'll let you know how my girl turns out.

Hubbys waiting, got to go to store for last minute things.

Koren55

A trash can full of water with a rope coiled in the bottom of the trash can and hanging outside dangling next to or lying in the dirt next to your plant will wick water slowly onto your plant for a few days.

 

[onewarmguy]

Harvest early for a more speedy uppy head high and harvest late for a buzz that makes you want to sit on a bean bag and eat cheetos.

Luweedgi are you knocking my favourite junk food? May the orange fingers of doom spread their mark all over your bean bag.

 

[Koren55]

Okay, you all know I had to travel for two and a half weeks, leaving one plant unharvested. (It just wasn't ready). The day I left I sprayed the entire plant with organic fungicides and insecticides. Then i covered it with a fine netting to prevent caterpillers.

I arrived home this past Saturday night and went to check on my plant. I discovered nice big fat beautiful Colas. But then I saw some dryed out buds, I knew it was bud rot right away.

The next morning i harvested the entire plant. I had 27 stems from this girl, a Sweet Afghani Delicious Fast version.

Where I noticed the brown buds, i immediately cut them out, and tossed out all the nearby buds. The ones that were questionable, I hung on one side of my drying room. The good on the other. We were having a heat wave, which kept that attic room hotter than usual. I thought quick drying all the buds would help.

After two/three days I began taking down the dried stems one at a time. I examined each bud, carefully prying them apart. If I found any rot, out went that bud and the surrounding ones until it was clear. I used pint jars to store the buds. The bad/questionable buds filled a gallon baggie completely. Sad, yes, but I'm hoping the good buds will survive.

The next day i did the better stems. For these I meticulously broke apart each cola into individual buds. If the entire stem was good, those buds went into one jar. If part was bad, the good buds from that stem went into a different jar. Out of 27 stems I'd say only seven were completely unaffected. From the good stems I filled a quart baggie with bad or questionable buds.

My question is - any bud with brown I tossed. Those near them i tossed. But i saw some buds that had pale parts, but otherwise no other indication of rot or mold. Are these okay to ingest?

Anyway, during curing I will carefully monitor the jars for any sign of mold. I read that if your buds turn grayish, or look discolored, to toss them. I'll do that as they cure over the next few weeks.

It's a shame this happens, but breeders need to develop more resistant strains. Many of us are growing medical marijuana for our own use. That means maturing the plants a bit longer to reap more cannabinoids and terpenes. Plus we need to be able to grow in any State. That means were going to face cool nights and high humidity, especially in the northeast and midatlantic.


Oh, and my plant was loaded with terpenes. Sheesh, what a sweet skunky odor this plant had, much more than the other girl I harvested. It was so strong I felt like the fumes were making me high. And even though I blocked the intake vent in that drying room, once I turned on the A/C those terpenes spread throughout my entire house. My God, they're in my entire HVAC System. I'm going to have to by a new furnace filter, one with lots of charcoal to combat the terpene odors. And lots of Febreze too. This plant was loaded with resin too. That's what I get for harvesting late.

And no, I haven't tested this plant yet. I can't, I have to wait for my Medical Marijuana card. I've asked my husband to try it, and to compare it to the other plant, the one harvested more timely. I expect the first plant will give him a more psychoactive buzz, while the second plant will zone him out. I can't wait until I can see how this plant affects my pain levels.

 

[Scientific]

> My question is - any bud with brown I tossed. Those near them i tossed. But i saw some buds that had pale parts, but otherwise no other indication of rot or mold. Are these okay to ingest?

I would guess probably if it's just a little chlorotic for some reason and not actually infected. Photos??

 

[Koren55]

I'll take some photos. But those buds, far enough from the rot appear to be okay. The actual buds, were pale green shading to tan. I couldn't find any signs of mold or fungus on them. And under a UV light they appear fine.

I did look at buds I placed in the jars under a black/UV light. I found one bud with two bright blue hairs/threads on it. Thinking the threads were fungal hyphae I tossed that particular bud in the trash.

I'm doing more research on using a UV light to determine infected or not infected. If in can use that I'll feel safe when I finally get to use these buds for myself.

 

[Scientific]

Take care of your eyes using UV bro.