Maine Outdoor 2020 (first timer)
- Thread starter NewEnglandFarmer
- Start date
NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
Yes, it's been a busy few days. Took the Tomahawk down Sunday morning:
Decided to go ahead and try the rinse routine, using 1 5g pail of warm water with 1/8C each of lemon juice and baking soda, and one bucket of just plain cold rinse water. They hung on the line above in the shade for the day, then inside the shed for the next little bit. Will finish them in the attic.
First harvest ever--phew! Felt good.
The others are ripening fast. Like crazy fast. I brought in the Orange Blossom Special yesterday and today did the Cherry Wine. Planning to do Copper Chem very early tomorrow morning.
Chinook Haze still needs some time. Maybe this weekend, possibly the week after.
Looks like I may have actually pulled it off alright my first year, though still have to get through drying and curing, which I understand can make or break the harvest.
Will keep updating.
GrOwThMoNgeR
Well-Known Member
Congrats and looking forward to more pics. Hope you didn't lose much of your orange to pm. All the best in harvest!
NewEnglandFarmer
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Thanks, when all was said and done I didn't actually lose too much to bud rot. Probably 15% roughly on the Orange Blossom Special, but I erred on the side of caution and threw whole colas out if they had any rot signs. The Cherry Wine had some too in the very last week but it wasn't much. Almost nothing on the other strains.
So 4 plants are hanging in the shed right now drying. The 2 Chinook Hazes are the last girls standing:
Was thinking maybe they'd come down this weekend. Rain tomorrow and Saturday morning then clearing Saturday afternoon--thinking maybe harvest one on Sunday morning. I'm tempted to let the other one go deeper into October--would love to harvest the last one on the full moon (Halloween) but maybe it will be over-ripe by then. I've been checking trichs with my loupe but to be honest I have a hard time telling when the trichs are cloudy vs. clear. Am definitely seeing a few amber trichs. on these, so maybe they're ready now. Not feeling 100% confident on knowing when these are ready. Personally I like a nice uplifting effect rather than "couch-lock" so I don't want to wait too long, but on the other hand don't want to harvest prematurely and have reduced potency. I also read that the lovely citrus terpenes in this strain are reduced if you harvest later.
Do you test periodically? How do you do that when the buds are fresh and moist?
Here's a few more pics. Tell me what you think:
NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
Thanks! Appreciate all your help and encouragement along the way.
Seems like the white pistils are disappearing fast now. On some of the buds I don't see any white pistils any more, on others just a few. Will try to get another image this afternoon.
Seawood
Well-Known Member
You’re in the window...it’s more of a judgment call on your part at this point. I have one left as well and I’m letting it ride as long as I can. The swelling this past week has been substantial. Had some nice ladies but this Moby is special...going to be my best one this year. Weather for the next week looks killer so I’m going to reevaluate on Sunday and go from there.
GrOwThMoNgeR
Well-Known Member
Still seeing white pistils bro! Let it ride!
NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
That's what confuses me. People often say "go as long as you can." But if there's a window, doesn't the window close at some point? Can't it get over-ripe? Won't you end up with "couch-lock" or, if you wait even longer, reduced effect? Why is longer always better?
NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
Yup, will keep checking daily and make a call this weekend.Still seeing white pistils bro! Let it ride!
Seawood
Well-Known Member
You have to go way into the window before thc starts degrading (couch lock). If you have quite a few white pistils, you’re not done the swell yet. It’s often difficult to get a plant as far into the harvest window outdoors vs indoors. As you know, rot, pests and weather often take their toll before you reach full maturity resulting in an earlier than ideal chop. If you don’t have any rot and weather looks decent, let it ride. You’ll see your lower bud sites starting to swell like your tops. If you’re unsure, just keep checking back with more pics.
NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
You think this Chinook Haze is ready? I'm starting to see a few amber trichs (I think). Seems close. I have 2 of these left, could cut one tomorrow or Tuesday and just for kicks let the other go another week or 2.
Still haven't had a hard frost yet--39 last night. Any night now though. Weather looks spotty this week. No bud rot whatsoever on these yet.
Still haven't had a hard frost yet--39 last night. Any night now though. Weather looks spotty this week. No bud rot whatsoever on these yet.
GrOwThMoNgeR
Well-Known Member
Still a good amount of white pistils, but good by trichs and the risk you wanna take at this point. I've let mine ride quite far this year and not regretting it yet (fingers crossed)
Seawood
Well-Known Member
Looks good. Again, it’s up to you how long you want to wait. I cut my last one over the weekend as mold started to set in. It was pretty much done though. If weather is going to be cold and/or wet, I would start cutting the big tops. You can then let the lowers ripen up a bit more without fear of losing your big colas.
NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
Congrats on completing your harvest.
I think I'll start cutting some tops this week, good idea. Will keep an eye on the weather. Still might let one of the two go into next week weather permitting.
NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
Week 28 report--still going at it in the last week of October. No hard frost yet but any day now. Took one of the Chinook Hazes this morning and it's now trimmed, rinsed, and hanging in the shed. Found 2-3 very small bits of bud rot but amazingly little given the cold and damp spells we've had this month.
Garden looks lonely now with just a solitary plant left. What do you think, let it go another week? Trichs look mostly cloudy, a few amber here and there. Tempted to let this go all week and cut under the full moon on Halloween. But probably going to get our first hard frost this week and sounds like maybe some rain or drizzle. Not seeing any rot anywhere on this plant yet.
I added some more mulch and fallen leaves on the root zone to insulate and gave a couple gallons of water this afternoon in case we get frost tonight.
Can't believe I'm still at it here. I'd say half or more of the leaves are down now, which is actually helping the garden get a little more mid-to-late afternoon sun. Not sure that matters at this stage of the game:
Garden looks lonely now with just a solitary plant left. What do you think, let it go another week? Trichs look mostly cloudy, a few amber here and there. Tempted to let this go all week and cut under the full moon on Halloween. But probably going to get our first hard frost this week and sounds like maybe some rain or drizzle. Not seeing any rot anywhere on this plant yet.
I added some more mulch and fallen leaves on the root zone to insulate and gave a couple gallons of water this afternoon in case we get frost tonight.
Can't believe I'm still at it here. I'd say half or more of the leaves are down now, which is actually helping the garden get a little more mid-to-late afternoon sun. Not sure that matters at this stage of the game:
Corso312
Well-Known Member
That's what strain and breeder?
NewEnglandFarmer
Well-Known Member
Chinook Haze from Greenpoint. Stardawg x Tangerine Haze.
Seawood
Well-Known Member
If you’re referring to the pics I posted, strain is Moby Dick by Dinafem.