Maine Outdoor 2020 (first timer)

Treespiker

Treespiker

Well-Known Member
I received a fire danger warning on my phone today. Saying dry air mass and flash fires blah blah. My point being when I get these I'm happy because it's good growing weather.

All though it's nerve racking don't be worried. These big mature outside plants can take a few hours of temps below freezing. Give her some water before dark. Hitting mid to high 20's is worrisome. You'll make it to the end!

Just my 2 cents.
 
NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I saw the NWS in Gray had a fire danger warning out for today. It's pretty gusty and hasn't rained for quite a while now.

Be ideal if we had a good soaking rain once a week, as long as it cleared right up and everything dried up afterward. The drought definitely beats the days on end of fog and drizzle though.

One of these days one of these hurricanes parading up out of the Caribbean is going to spin its way up here though. Hope that's after harvest.
 
NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
Here we are at week 24 on the season. Lots of sun this past week and zero moisture--ground is just incredibly dry here now. Entire state in drought condition after this summer.

Looks like we may have a wet week ahead. I'm wondering if this Tomahawk may be about ready and whether I should take some of it now before the rain starts tomorrow? Does it affect the remaining buds if you prune a bunch of the top colas off or is it best to do it all at once?

Looking through my loupe I may be seeing some cloudy trichomes but not seeing much amber. Probably be ideal to take this another week. But if the weather is mostly gray and wet this week, that could be bad...

Here's the Tomahawk this morning. I'd say half or maybe more of the leaves have fallen off or are in the process of dying:

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Orange Blossom Special is probably the second ripest but thinking this needs another week or 2. What do you think?

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Copper Chem--hoping maybe Columbus Day weekend or the week after?
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Cherry Wine--Columbus Day maybe?

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And good 'ol Chinook Haze bringing up the rear (but packed on some weight this week for sure). Hopefully by Halloween?
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Definitely not seeing the huge Louisville Slugger colas in my garden, but they look and smell terrific. Seems like a few others in New England have noted skinnier colas compared to years past. Wonder if I should've watered more heavily? Or just a function of the weather this year...

Good harvest to everyone out there...I see some of you are already cutting.
 
Seawood

Seawood

Well-Known Member
Looks good. I’d wait it out for another week on that Tomahawk if you can. Just keep a close eye for mold and if it starts, you can chop. I usually cut all the tops and leave the bottoms to mature, weather permitting of course.
 
GrOwThMoNgeR

GrOwThMoNgeR

Well-Known Member
Let it ride :) why not build a temp cover if you're worried about pm? You have those pieces of wood holding your trellis already.
 
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D'sNuts

D'sNuts

Well-Known Member
Welcome to an outdoor growers longest three weeks of the year. It seems like decades go by as October turns cold.


I'm watching for the calyx to swell and envelop those beautiful white hairs. My Greenpoints tend to put on the most weight the final two weeks. They will swell right up like a coed in her freshman year at a state school.

You could take a few tops just to ease that anxiety of chopping and then you can get a good look at those trichs. Will you be washing?
 
NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
OK I'll ride out the week. It sounds like it'll be humid. Hopefully after the rain/fog there's some drying sun and breeze. Maybe I'll grab a few tops right now before the rain as an insurance policy. But gut tells me it's not quite at full ripeness.

I found one small bit of botrytis yesterday on the Orange Blossom Special, not too far from the top. Seemed localized to one very small area about the size of my thumbnail.

Will keep a hawkeye out this week. Here's hoping.

Any thoughts on timing for the other strains?
 
NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
D'sNuts said:
Welcome to an outdoor growers longest three weeks of the year. It seems like decades go by as October turns cold.

I'm watching for the calyx to swell and envelop those beautiful white hairs. My Greenpoints tend to put on the most weight the final two weeks. They will swell right up like a coed in her freshman year at a state school.

You could take a few tops just to ease that anxiety of chopping and then you can get a good look at those trichs. Will you be washing?
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I'm on the fence about washing. You think I should? Instinct is not to wet the buds at harvest if possible, but I suppose if they're wet anyway why not wash?
 
I

iamproman

Member
Watch out for the rain coming tuesday,,you might want to buy a leaf blower or take the axe to them farmer..iam mainiac also got 3 more weeks left on some strains. chernobol is about ready another week
 

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NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
Seawood said:
Looks like 2-3 weeks on the rest. Take them as far as you can.
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OK boss...trying to keep faith here. Season's gone pretty well so far, no reason to panic in the final hour.

It's actually gotten super warm (low this morning was 66!) so maybe that will help--from what I read botrytis likes cooler temps.

And the rain is actually a good thing overall, the land is so parched right now.

Will keep a close eye on things and take a good look at the Tomahawk next weekend. I snipped off a cola last night, brought it in, no amber trichs and many still seemed clear. Thinking those buds will swell up some too before they're ready.
 
NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
iamproman said:
Watch out for the rain coming tuesday,,you might want to buy a leaf blower or take the axe to them farmer..iam mainiac also got 3 more weeks left on some strains. chernobol is about ready another week
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Sounds like rain today and then more Wednesday/Thursday. Good luck with yours.
 
NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
Well, it's wet alright. It stopped raining around 3, I shook the plants to get excess moisture off the buds and a nice little breeze was starting to blow, encouraging. Now it's raining again...oh well.

Sounds like fog and low clouds with intermittent showers until dryer air arrives Wednesday night. Gonna be a long 3 days...will keep a close eye on things and hope for the best. Full moon on the first night of October this Thursday (and a blue moon on Halloween this year). Always good to harvest around the full moon, right? Hoping Miss Tomahawk is ready this weekend...
 
GrOwThMoNgeR

GrOwThMoNgeR

Well-Known Member
NewEnglandFarmer said:
Well, it's wet alright. It stopped raining around 3, I shook the plants to get excess moisture off the buds and a nice little breeze was starting to blow, encouraging. Now it's raining again...oh well.

Sounds like fog and low clouds with intermittent showers until dryer air arrives Wednesday night. Gonna be a long 3 days...will keep a close eye on things and hope for the best. Full moon on the first night of October this Thursday (and a blue moon on Halloween this year). Always good to harvest around the full moon, right? Hoping Miss Tomahawk is ready this weekend...
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You thought of using your trellis frame to make a rain cover?
 
NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
GrOwThMoNgeR said:
You thought of using your trellis frame to make a rain cover?
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Not really--plants are taller than the trellis. Went back and forth in my mind about trying to do a cover and finally decided against. We're supposed to get some gusty winds tomorrow as a cold front moves through, if I try to rig a tarp it'll probably end up being mayhem.

Sounds like things may start to dry off sometime tomorrow.
 
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NewEnglandFarmer

NewEnglandFarmer

Well-Known Member
Found several small instances of bud rot (maybe from dime to nickel sized) this morning. Interesting that almost all the rot I've seen (which fortunately hasn't been much--yet) has been on the Orange Blossom Special. Something in the strain make it more susceptible? Care and feeding has been identical to the other strains.

Wind is supposed to really gust hard when that cold front moves through tomorrow morning. There's a gale warning up in the marine forecast. Probably should do some additional support measures with string...some of the branches are getting pretty heavy, especially with the rain.
 
Sevenleaves

Sevenleaves

Well-Known Member
I had a big limb snap off my headband last night, just from the weght. It's just about ready anyway, hung that one and will be taking the rest this weekend.
 
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