just hit bud stage

ok so just turned to bud stage and on 12/12 i have 2 18" flower lights and 4 cfl 40w. is this enough light. the closet is layered in mylar and seems to the eye to have enough light however would like an expert opinion please thanks J man

how many plants? how big a grow area? what color temp are the bulbs? whats your plan, a few big harvests every once in a while or more smaller harvests more often?

one now got 3 smaller ones under other lighting the mother is 4 feet with about 20-25 tops first time all by myself time frame doesnt matter so most yield i got patience

for fewer bigger harvests you'll wanna add more light. in my 4 sq ft scrog i have 20 42w 2700k cfls on 1 plant.

oh wow alright so its been growing about 3 months and been budding for 1 week roughly how long would the cycle take? its already showing lots of white hairs but no buds producing yet.. i imagine another 4-5 weeks till looks close to pull?

that can vary greatly between plants. go by the trichomes. when the trichomes are mostly cloudy you'll get more of a head high, while amber gives you more of a body buzz(couchlock) or u can do it 50/50 for a more mixed buzz.

in leighmans terms what are trichromes?? sorry been a loong time since ive done this or even researched.. sooo much new technology

heres some info on it, i didnt write this myself, this is a copy paste but its basically what i'd have said trying to explain it myself.


The essential facts of timing your harvest

You've managed to make it to the end. You've maintained your plants well, now it's getting closer to harvest time, and you're wondering just how and when to harvest and dry those beautiful buds. Hopefully I can give you some insight into how this can be successfully done; the do's and dont's of proper harvesting and curing. First, lets take a look at the harvest side of things.

Timing of your harvest is critical! Harvesting at maximum ripeness is the key. In my experience, there is usually a five to seven day window when the Cannabis plant will be at maximum ripeness. To understand this, you will need a jeweler’s loupe, or magnifying lens, light optional. I would recommend a power of 30x or better, but you can get by with less. A greater magnification makes it much easier to see the trichome heads at the top of the stalked resin glands.

Resin gland color, potency, and type of high

Gland color will vary with ripeness of the individual THC glands, starting at clear, turning to milky, then turning to an amber color. There may be some exceptions, such as some of the Blue strains and Blackberry. These will have darker, sometimes purple gland heads. But by far and large, these three steps of ripeness will exist with the vast majority of strains on the market. The first stage, clear, will tend to make for a more cerebral, up high, with very little body effect. Harvesting at this stage when little if any trichomes are milky yet, can be tricky. Harvesting too early can make for a beautiful plant that will not have much psychoactive capability! THC needs to "mature" to be able to pass its psychoactive capabilities down to the smoker. This is why I always recommend waiting until 50% of the trichomes hit the second stage: milky or creamy. At this point, you will definitely have a plant which has reached its genetic potential.

The milky trichomes have some "cerebral" qualities, as well as some of the more "physical" characteristics of the high. The last stage, amber, brings on a more sedative, physical stone. If this is what you're looking for, than I would recommend a sativa/indica cross, or an indica dominant plant. Amber trichomes seem to ruin a sativa high if the plant goes too long. The below photo is a good example of a ripe plant: at least 50% of the gland heads have turned "milky," some heads are still clear, and a few are amber. This plant was harvested two days later.

Many times you'll read from new growers, "My hairs are 50% changed to brown or red, looks like its ready to come down." Calyx hairs turning color is one thing, calyx hairs withering, is another. When they have withered, they are for the most part, as ripe as they will get. But just turning red/brown does not necessarily mean the plant is ready. Calyx hairs are just an indicator that the plant is ripening, not necessarily ripe yet. I have taken full Indica strains with 60% hairs turned, and sativas when 90% hairs have turned, and they were all at peak ripeness. The trichome color is the only true indicator!

aha microscopic stuff how do you examine it without choppin a piece off and putting under a microscope? do they make magnifying glasses that would work?

by the way bro thanks for all the info its greatly appreciated at least someones willing to help a guy out.ive been helpin my buddies for years but got my first set up finally going

srape a real little part off a bud leaf and put em on the slide and under the microscope. check 4 or 5 different spots on the plant.