First Grow - Should I chop or should I wait?

McWeed24

Member
Hi all, hope your havin a lovely day. This is my first grow and after a few ups and downs, I managed to get to this stage with my 2 plants at 7 weeks of flowering

Plant 1 - Royal Jack Automatic or Northern Lights Automatic too (Sorry but did something during germination and couldn't identify the seeds)
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Plant 2 - Northern Lights Automatic
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I'm still waiting for my microscope and hence need your expertise on whether I should chop any of them. Thanks alot for your help!
 

Doug Dawson

Well-Known Member
Hi all, hope your havin a lovely day. This is my first grow and after a few ups and downs, I managed to get to this stage with my 2 plants at 7 weeks of flowering

Plant 1 - Royal Jack Automatic or Northern Lights Automatic too (Sorry but did something during germination and couldn't identify the seeds)
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Plant 2 - Northern Lights Automatic
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I'm still waiting for my microscope and hence need your expertise on whether I should chop any of them. Thanks alot for your help!
Looking good but a few Weeks away. Those buds are still streching/growing. Once the pistols stop reaching out start looking at trichomes, when you see 10 - 15 % turn amber you are good to go. The amount of amber is a personal preference. As long as those pistols are reaching out the buds are putting on weight. Good luck.
 

McWeed24

Member
I appreciate all your feedback. Can you please elaborate a bit on what you have seen to come up with such conclusion. I mean, I know about the trichomes method but it seems that you have identified something that I don't know about when it comes to such diagnosis
 

Doug Dawson

Well-Known Member
I appreciate all your feedback. Can you please elaborate a bit on what you have seen to come up with such conclusion. I mean, I know about the trichomes method but it seems that you have identified something that I don't know about when it comes to such diagnosis
Sure, what would you like to know? You say you know about the trichomes so I assume you meant the pistols that are reaching out, is that correct?
 

TreeFarmerCharlie

Well-Known Member
I appreciate all your feedback. Can you please elaborate a bit on what you have seen to come up with such conclusion. I mean, I know about the trichomes method but it seems that you have identified something that I don't know about when it comes to such diagnosis
A lot of experienced growers can ballpark how long is left just be looking at the bud structure and pistils. It's easy to tell if a flower is 3-4 weeks out and then, when it looks to be 1-2 weeks out, is when you break out the magnifying glass to start checking trichomes. Your buds are still very "hairy" with pistils which, when you factor in that less than 50% of the pistils on some of those flowers are turning brown/orange and are receding, would put you at about 3-4 weeks out. Once you see the majority of the pistils have turned, and receded into the bud, and the bud looks less "hairy", then you are about 2 weeks out and need to start checking trichomes.
 

McWeed24

Member
Sure, what would you like to know? You say you know about the trichomes so I assume you meant the pistols that are reaching out, is that correct?
I understand that with the use of a microscope, I must keep an eye on the trichomes and observe their colour. This mean that they will be ready at the point where after they all turn cloudy white, 10 - 15% of them turn to amber. I have ordered the microscope and is waiting for it to be delivered so until then, I must rely on other indications. The same indications that led everyone who liked and commented on my original post to come to the same conclusion that the plants are 2 - 3 weeks out.
 

TreeFarmerCharlie

Well-Known Member
I understand that with the use of a microscope, I must keep an eye on the trichomes and observe their colour. This mean that they will be ready at the point where after they all turn cloudy white, 10 - 15% of them turn to amber. I have ordered the microscope and is waiting for it to be delivered so until then, I must rely on other indications. The same indications that led everyone who liked and commented on my original post to come to the same conclusion that the plants are 2 - 3 weeks out.
I'm betting on 3-4 but I personally like my flowers to be a little more well done than others.
 

Doug Dawson

Well-Known Member
I understand that with the use of a microscope, I must keep an eye on the trichomes and observe their colour. This mean that they will be ready at the point where after they all turn cloudy white, 10 - 15% of them turn to amber. I have ordered the microscope and is waiting for it to be delivered so until then, I must rely on other indications. The same indications that led everyone who liked and commented on my original post to come to the same conclusion that the plants are 2 - 3 weeks out.
I think TreeFarmerCharlie summed it up well. It is time and experience looking at the bud structure that allows some to quickly ball park a time. The Tricomes are the final most accurate check but bud structure and Pistols will give you an idea of when to start that practice.
 

McWeed24

Member
A lot of experienced growers can ballpark how long is left just be looking at the bud structure and pistils. It's easy to tell if a flower is 3-4 weeks out and then, when it looks to be 1-2 weeks out, is when you break out the magnifying glass to start checking trichomes. Your buds are still very "hairy" with pistils which, when you factor in that less than 50% of the pistils on some of those flowers are turning brown/orange and are receding, would put you at about 3-4 weeks out. Once you see the majority of the pistils have turned, and receded into the bud, and the bud looks less "hairy", then you are about 2 weeks out and need to start checking trichomes.
I think TreeFarmerCharlie summed it up well. It is time and experience looking at the bud structure that allows some to quickly ball park a time. The Tricomes are the final most accurate check but bud structure and Pistols will give you an idea of when to start that practice.
My only concern is that with all the ups and downs as a new grower, these autos have done 7 weeks in veg and now are past 7 weeks in flower..
 

TreeFarmerCharlie

Well-Known Member
My only concern is that with all the ups and downs as a new grower, these autos have done 7 weeks in veg and now are past 7 weeks in flower..
They are plants and they don't care what is printed on a label. Go by how the plants look, not by what the breeder says. Having lights that aren't optimized for your growing area, or environmental conditions that aren't perfect, can slow things down.
 

McWeed24

Member
They are plants and they don't care what is printed on a label. Go by how the plants look, not by what the breeder says. Having lights that aren't optimized for your growing area, or environmental conditions that aren't perfect, can slow things down.
I should be improving through research and experience. Had some issues with overwatering in the early days and I think that led to the veg stage to stretch to 7 weeks and the plants nodes remained quite small.. Wasn't feeding any nutrients in the early days.. Still not sure about the distance with the light, just moved it away to 26" last week as the leaves where drying out, getting burnt in the edges and and like rolling from the sides up. My lights are not super expensive and I kept them quite close at around 15 inches away before I moved them away. So much little detail that I'm still not sure about..
 
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