Need help! Is it harvest time? Am I doing something wrong?

[Hopeful]

Hi, everyone

I'm new to the forum, and I could use a little advice, definitely asking later than I should have... but that's solely on me.

Growing 8 Super Lemon Haze plants from seed. Due to a series of unfortunate events, the plants remained in veg for about 10 weeks (from seed). They were set to a 12/12 on July 13, so at this point (9/5/12), they're on day 54 (approx 7 1/2 weeks). My understanding is that SLH should flower for 9-10 weeks. So, enough of what I "know"...

At this point, a couple of plants have lost their leaves, and several are yellowing. I've read (and have been told by the two other growers) that this is normal, and indicative of the plant nearing harvest time. However, by the calendar days and by looking at the trichones (a few amber, but most appear to still be clear), they look like they're not quite ready.

Any helpful suggestions, thoughts, questions, etc, would be welcome and most appreciated!

Thanks for looking.

 

[hammer21]

Chop them if you want. The buzz is more uplifting if just starting to be cloudie , cloudie to amber good night couch lock. Depending on strain Look good

 

[CashCrops]

You need to get a 100x magnifier, there cheap and then check the trichs. It's the only real way to know. If you have 65-75 percent milky trichs I'd cut.

 

[Hopeful]

On the topic of harvesting, I've read that they should be in the dark for 48 hours prior to harvest. I have my boy until Saturday night this week, so if I keep the lights on through tomorrow night (on meaning 12/12), that would give them the 48 hours of dark prior to harvest on Saturday. Any opinion on this?

 

[Hopeful]

You need to get a 100x magnifier, there cheap and then check the trichs. It's the only real way to know. If you have 65-75 percent milky trichs I'd cut.

Have one, most of the trichs are still clear, but many are amber and the hairs are predominately orange.

 

[xscottrox]

The trichomes will go from clear to cloudy, to cloudy and bent over, to amber, to dead. If you are growing for a dispensary you will want it to be a more medicinal high so you will want more amber trichomes, about 50/50 should be good. I would ensure that you have started your nutrient flush when you have about 5% amber trichomes. By the time the two week flush has ended they should be in optimal condition to cut. If you said their smoke was harsh it could have been from not properly being cured. If you are trying to make money then take your time to cure them correctly. The hair color doesn't really make a difference, it all depends on the trichomes. If they are mostly milky and amber then cut 'em down.

 

[Hopeful]

Chop them . The buzz is more uplifting if clear just starting to be cloudie , cloudie to amber good night couch lock. Look good

I'm probably over-thinking things, but isn't it too soon to harvest, if they need 9-10 weeks? (I ask, you answer, now I question your answer's validity... feel like a dick, but I have a lot riding on these financially). To clarify, I plan on supplying a local dispensary, who can't grow SLH worth a damn. Very harsh, poor flavor, and a very mild buzz. Very new to growing (1st grow), but have been a smoker for about 25 years.

 

[Hopeful]

You should only need about a 45x magnifier anything higher than that just makes it harder to focus. The trichomes will go from clear to cloudy, to cloudy and bent over, to amber, to dead. If you are growing for a dispensary you will want it to be a more medicinal high so you will want more amber trichomes, about 50/50 should be good.I would ensure that you have started your nutrient flush when you have about 5% amber trichomes. By the time the two week flush has ended they should be in optimal condition to cut. I recently purchased a 45x microscope with an led for $7.55 on ebay with free shipping. If you said their smoke was harsh it could have been from not properly being cured. If you are trying to make money then take your time to cure them correctly.

Have a 30/60x magnifier. Already have been flushing with pH 7.0 RO at for the two weeks (last nute load was Budha Bloom).

Re: curing, I was anticipating on drying by hanging cut portions upside down in relative darkness, 75f, 50% humidity, until the stalks begin to be snappy (approx 5 days), then cure in jars (though I've heard paper bags work well too) for about 3 weeks, burping them for 1 hour every 12 hours.

Thoughts?

 

[potsnoberry]

I'm probably over-thinking things, but isn't it too soon to harvest, if they need 9-10 weeks? (I ask, you answer, now I question your answer's validity... feel like a dick, but I have a lot riding on these financially). To clarify, I plan on supplying a local dispensary, who can't grow SLH worth a damn. Very harsh, poor flavor, and a very mild buzz. Very new to growing (1st grow), but have been a smoker for about 25 years.

Yes, the prevailing advice is why that dispensary stock is what it is. Reaping ripe plants right, requires experience levels that most don't reach. However, you will ALWAYS be better off harvesting two weeks too late, than one week too early.

 

[Hopeful]

Yes, the prevailing advice is why that dispensary stock is what it is. Reaping ripe plants right, requires experience levels that most don't reach. However, you will ALWAYS be better off harvesting two weeks too late, than one week too early.

I am by no means in a hurry to harvest. I'm just concerned that, due to the visual state of the plants, that they're beginning to over-ripen. Additionally, with a couple of plants losing nearly all of their leaves, could they be ready, when the others are not? All 8 have received nearly identical treatment (two were transplanted into 20-gal tubs, while the other six remained in 7-gal tubs, per a local grower who said the 20-gal's were unnecessary... those two in the 20's are the best of them all. Bad advice followed, IMHO).

 

[mr2shim]

Chop them . The buzz is more uplifting if clear just starting to be cloudie , cloudie to amber good night couch lock. Look good

You couldn't be anymore wrong. Clear = almost no thc, cloudy = peak thc, amber = degrading thc and more cbd, cbn. You get almost no high with clear, cloudy you get uppy heady high, amber is couch lock. do you research before you start babbling off bullshit.

 

[Hopeful]

You couldn't be anymore wrong. Clear = almost no thc, cloudy = peak thc, amber = degrading thc and more cbd, cbn. You get almost no high with clear, cloudy you get uppy heady high, amber is couch lock. do you research before you start babbling off bullshit.

Thanks for your input! I'm suspecting another week or two, but their overall condition is concerning me. Any suggestions? Is there any additional information I can provide you?

 

[Cory and trevor]

Did you say you flushed these? I think it looks like you're growth is stalled out from either a ph problem or some over fet of some sort. Are you using more then 1K watts HID in there? It looks like lots of light and that should = fat buds with that strain. The leaves look curly and kind crispy to me like they aren't getting something they need or they're drowning in salt or something. I'd flush the shit out of them and see if they green up. any improvement with a flush and I'd maybe try and transplant. hard to say with a pic but I think you're strain should yield more in a good enviro and go longer like you're thinking. I don't think it's any fall fade but that's my 2 cents and worth less then that on the open market so....

 

[mr2shim]

Did you say you flushed these? I think it looks like you're growth is stalled out from either a ph problem or some over fet of some sort. Are you using more then 1K watts HID in there? It looks like lots of light and that should = fat buds with that strain. The leaves look curly and kind crispy to me like they aren't getting something they need or they're drowning in salt or something. I'd flush the shit out of them and see if they green up. any improvement with a flush and I'd maybe try and transplant. hard to say with a pic but I think you're strain should yield more in a good enviro and go longer like you're thinking. I don't think it's any fall fade but that's my 2 cents and worth less then that on the open market so....

LOL what? Super Lemon Haze is a very sativa dominant strain. It will be very tall and skinny, just like what he has. Green, healthy leaves really aren't that big of a deal when you're 7 and a half weeks into flowering. The plant is going to take everything it can, if anything he's probably under nuting it. What's with this babble off whatever the hell comes to mind shit now days on RIU?

When you flush the soil, THAT'S when the leaves really start to die. I'm not understanding your advice honestly. Also, why the flying fuck would you transplant in flower? That is a huge no no.

 

[Hopeful]

Did you say you flushed these? I think it looks like you're growth is stalled out from either a ph problem or some over fet of some sort. Are you using more then 1K watts HID in there? It looks like lots of light and that should = fat buds with that strain. The leaves look curly and kind crispy to me like they aren't getting something they need or they're drowning in salt or something. I'd flush the shit out of them and see if they green up. any improvement with a flush and I'd maybe try and transplant. hard to say with a pic but I think you're strain should yield more in a good enviro and go longer like you're thinking. I don't think it's any fall fade but that's my 2 cents and worth less then that on the open market so....

Noob = I have no idea what I'm talking about!

When I say I've flushed them for the past 2 weeks, I mean I've only used water, balanced to pH 7.0, for the past 2 weeks. I originally was told that flushing = running 1.5 X container capacity (in gallons) through each plant daily. Then, over time, I read in so many places that it simply refers to using water only (no nutes).

I'm referring to the later. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong. The last thing I want to do is provide incorrect information. I'm pretty fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing, but I think that would be bad.

 

[mr2shim]

Noob = I have no idea what I'm talking about!

When I say I've flushed them for the past 2 weeks, I mean I've only used water, balanced to pH 7.0, for the past 2 weeks. I originally was told that flushing = running 1.5 X container capacity (in gallons) through each plant daily. Then, over time, I read in so many places that it simply refers to using water only (no nutes).

I'm referring to the later. PLEASE correct me if I'm wrong. The last thing I want to do is provide incorrect information. I'm pretty fuzzy on the whole good/bad thing, but I think that would be bad.

In general, flushing is taking your pot and dumping 1.5x the amount of soil in it in water through it all at once. So if you have a 3 gallon pot you dump 4.5-5 gallons of water in it. THIS is why I hate soil growing, makes a huge mess.

 

[Hopeful]

When you flush the soil, THAT'S when the leaves really start to die. I'm not understanding your advice honestly. Also, why the flying fuck would you transplant in flower? That is a huge no no.

Advice given by another local grower that came over to help. I'm a lab geek, my mom is the grower, but she's never grown "trees" before now... just an insane botanical garden (or ten), ponds, water gardens, and the like over the past 50 years. They were transplanted two times during flowering (three for the two that were moved to 20-gals)! Also, as an earlier post says, I don't know if I'm using the correct usage of "flushing". I'm using it as "I've only watered with 7.0 RO, no nutes".

 

[Hopeful]

In general, flushing is taking your pot and dumping 1.5x the amount of soil in it in water through it all at once. So if you have a 3 gallon pot you dump 4.5-5 gallons of water in it. THIS is why I hate soil growing, makes a huge mess.

Thank you for clarifying that. So much contradictory information floating around the webs. Now, to clarify, I have NOT flushed, but no nutes (other than what's present in the soil) have been added in two weeks. So, I assume it's basically a lack of damn near everything?

 

[mr2shim]

Believe 10% of what you read because 90% of it is bullshit.

 

[Hopeful]

Believe 10% of what you read because 90% of it is bullshit.

I've noticed that trend, yes. And, it's always challenging disseminating the facts from the bullshit, especially when you're as under-educated on the topic as I am. Working to change that, but that takes time... Any suggestions where to take things from here? What information can I provide? Should I describe the grow environment, or is that unnecessary?