Harvest Assumptions

Well I think I'm finally here...I think. Wanted to get you all's input just for peace of mind when I make my final decision. I understand no sole piece of advice will be the end all be all but I'd really like some experienced grow input so I'll have an idea of what to change next time.

Where we're at: Day 66 from 12/12 switch. Take around 7 days off from that to really consider them showing sex. As I've stated in previous posts...had some lockout issues with nutes due to low PH of my water and flushed about 4 weeks into the switch. Not really sure how much flushing worked...the leaf deterioration slowed but as the plant got older the leaves started dying anyway...actually turned out to look nice but the leaf condition is what concerns me.

The Pics:


Trichomes and Such: The 1st pic is of plant 1, following 2 plant 2, and last two plant 3. Plant 1 is a sativa hybrid of some sort by my estimation, same thing with 2, 3 being more of an indica strain and I only say that because of how short it is compared to the other two. By no means am I an expert and this is all unknown bagged seed. Trichs on 1st two plants are milky to some clear but the pistils haven't receded as much as they have on 3. Plants on 3 are clear to milky. No amber on anything that I can tell but the microscope is a bitch in terms of focusing and keeping an eye for trichomes. As you can tell they're all eating themselves somewhat and I don't know if I should harvest based on that fact alone or not. They seem to be surviving but I'm not feeding them any nutes and have only fed once since I flushed as I eventually flushed all the plants after the initial flushing of plant 2. Did my "last" flush about a week ago.

Last questions/thoughts: On my 2nd round and fighting for space so I have my seedlings in the HPS room and plan on switching to my MH shortly. As I'm sharing the room with these plants will this affect anything? Should I continue to water until I see a tinge of amber or all milky (which I know is unlikely...at least the research tells me so)?

Any thoughts comments would be appreciated. Oh..other grow conditions....78 or so temp....40% relative humidity....relatively stable conditions..lost my CO2 toward the end (really me being lazy...but haven't had it to the level I would've liked).

if your going to let it go longer, you need to pluck out all that dead stuff that is dying back inside the buds. only the dead stuff at first. if you try and pluck some that are not fully dead inside, it may pluck the bud off the plant. be careful

it needs to go longer, but also needs to be kept more healthy.

smoke and coke said:

if your going to let it go longer, you need to pluck out all that dead stuff that is dying back inside the buds. only the dead stuff at first. if you try and pluck some that are not fully dead inside, it may pluck the bud off the plant. be careful

it needs to go longer, but also needs to be kept more healthy.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that. That's really my question. Based on the plants feasting on themselves and the combination of milky to clear trichomes do I harvest now or do I wait for the amber at the risk of the plant consuming itself (if possible). I don't mind the wait but if it's going to risk what I get at harvest by "killing" the plant at all I'd rather pull now.

Also is the quality of harvest more dependent on the strain or the dominant type of trichome (clear, cloudy, e.t.c). Meaning if I have a lower quality strain...waiting for amber doesn't necessarily mean the quality is any better correct?

i usually harvest at mostly all cloudy and if i have the time and i can control the humidity, i will go another week.

you may be able to keep it going for a bit longer and maybe it will fatten up a little. but if you have other plants waiting for the room then do what you have to do.

the quality is based on genetics, grown to maturity and healthy, proper dry and cure along with good lighting and good room environment.

i grow more indica type strains so i like nice dense buds. nothing personal but if i had plants looking like yours, i would be getting rid of the clones from them and using better plants to fill the flower room. but again i don't grow much for sativas.

this is a chart that some people use and others do not agree with 50% amber and rather go with like 10% amber and the rest cloudy.

smoke and coke said:

the quality is based on genetics, grown to maturity and healthy, proper dry and cure along with good lighting and good room environment.

i grow more indica type strains so i like nice dense buds. nothing personal but if i had plants looking like yours, i would be getting rid of the clones from them and using better plants to fill the flower room. but again i don't grow much for sativas.

this is a chart that some people use and others do not agree with 50% amber and rather go with like 10% amber and the rest cloudy.

Click to expand...

Yeah, I was thinking it was more of a combination of things. My environment leaves a lot to be desired but had no nute issues until my 3rd run so I'm learning as I go. They look like they have at least a week left but the dead leaf matter was concerning me. As long as the plants keep goin' I'll keep waiting.... Thanks again

ok and when anymore of the dead leaves recede back into the bud, pluck them out so they start to rot in the bud.

I highly doubt any of those dying leaves are going to rot in the bud over the next 2-3 weeks.. I would let her rock on a bit more and then dry and cure. I don't think it's that complicated; bud rot shouldn't occur naturally - or at least it never has for me.

mrCRC420 said:

I highly doubt any of those dying leaves are going to rot in the bud over the next 2-3 weeks.. I would let her rock on a bit more and then dry and cure. I don't think it's that complicated; bud rot shouldn't occur naturally - or at least it never has for me.

Click to expand...

That's what I'm torn about. I'm looking at the stalk and the buds themselves. Seem to be ok although the leaves close to them are dying...especially on #3 (indica). The sativa's not as much as of yet. They seem to be sprouting new bud which is weird at this point but the light was supposed to help yield so I'm assuming that's got something to do with it although I'm only running a 400. I'll keep watching, just anxious I guess.

And I appreciate the chart, I've seen it a few times but all the discussion I've researched on this leads to basically personal preference. I just hadn't had the knowledge in my previous grows to check the trich's, I more or less watched the pistils and determined when it was most frosty that I'd pull it. My yield was crap my 1st attempt, even worse my 2nd which led to my long hiatus. Now that it seems to be bearing fruit (although burned, flushed, and whatever else I did to them) I want it to be worth the wait so I continue to do it and not go back to the rat race. Cheese is not worth the bread$ IMO.

dead shit can cause mold.. but that looks like u burned them. too much nitrogen also.. got potential if u get ur nutes dialed in.

KnockOutGenetics420 said:

dead shit can cause mold.. but that looks like u burned them. too much nitrogen also.. got potential if u get ur nutes dialed in.

Click to expand...

yes thank you that was what i was trying to say. not rot but mold.

u know that its very difficult to burn plants with Bio Canna line.. honestly. I have accidently pourd a entire liter into 30 gallons.. and no burn at all back wen I was learning.. its a great nute line. but some plants really really need some extras.. but so far.. id say 75% of the strains I run do great with half recommended doses ..

You flushed the nutrients out in the middle of flowering. The leaves look like they should on a plant that is ready to harvest but your plant doesnt look finished. It looks like it is way underfed and immature.

The stigma show that the plant is not ready. A ripe plant will not have an abundance of young, white stigma. The calyxes haven't swollen fully yet either. The buds do not look full, round and dense.

I think the flushing mid-flower was a mistake. Did you feed it after that?

The trichome thing is way overemphasized. If the plant doesn't look ready (calyxes are not fully swollen, stigma haven't turned red/brown, buds haven't filled out) then looking at the trichomes is pointless. They are also not a way to manipulate the high. Clear trichomes means not finished not "energetic high"

I made the mistake of harvesting too early. You lose out on yield, potency, flavor, smell. The more I have learned, the more I believe "when you thinks it ready, wait two weeks"