help: another when to harvest thread

[Dan J]

hey gang,

so grow is 100w led hydro and i got what is ment to be black domina ( 8 week indoor) yet kinda smells more like actual blueberries, been about 8 weeks since i saw preflowers.
really need a link to which android phone digital lope that can take photos as the last cheapie i bought didnt work so i gave up.
just using a x5 magnifying app on my phone and photos are of the most mature top buds yet it seems some might be on their 2nd bulking stage as one pic shows white hairs on top while amber below 

when should i harvest as normally recommended and when should i harvest for a good insomnia curing smoke?

cheers
-dan

 

[micmac]

4 weeks and check again

 

Sent from my SM-T510 using Tapatalk

[Dan J]

thanks mic

i did have some light leaks i fixed after the 1st to 2nd week so that may have slowed it down, will update pics in 2 weeks 

[merl1n]

Hey Dan,

OK, so there's a few theories here on 'recommended' harvest times.

The olde skool theory used to be 'when the white hairs turn brown she's done'

This theory has progressed a bit now and with a scope we can view the trichome colour, the tiny blob on the end of the trichome stem, more clearly.

A clear blob is a immature. A cloudy blob gives a lighter heady stone. A amber blob gives a heavier stone. A brown blob gives a full on body stone.

I use my grows for my own medical needs and I NEED a BROWN trichome.

 

Now, going back to the 'Olde skool' theory of  'when the white hairs turn brown she's done' that's not quite true.

What the plant is actually doing in sending out those sticky hairs is searching for pollen. When she can't find any pollen those hairs brown off and eventually disappear. But inside the bud new hairs are developing and will eventually burst forward, again in search of pollen. This process is repeated again and again if no pollen is found. Each time the process is repeated the bud swells internally and the taste, aroma and stone matures too. I allow my plants to go thru this 'browning' process 3 times, which usually takes around 12weeks of 12/12. I wait the 12weeks, then use the trichome colour as a final determination for harvest, once I have the maturity/colour I want, only then do I start my final flush (I have in the past thought I would start my flush at around the 10week mark, thinking by the time I'd completed the final flush fully, those trichomes would have matured to a nice burnt toffee brown. Only they didn't. Once the nutrient salts have been removed the maturing process slows right down and almost stops) So only do your final flush once you have the colour you wish.

 

Presently, looking at those pics, those trichomes are milky, so, I'd have to agree with Micmac around 4 weeks or so to go.

 

Merl1n

Edited March 21, 2021 by merl1n

[doctor_nelson]

IMHO: what matters is what happens to you after you inhale vapour with or without combustion products.

Trichomes and pistils are all very useful indicators, but we grow different genetics and have different tastes.

Why not just pluck a lower bud every week starting 2 weeks short of the strain recommended "harvest time" - just enough for a hit - and dry it relatively quickly on a warm amplifier or something.

It will taste like crap but the consequences will be much the same as if you harvested and cured it as far as I can tell.

 

Over several grows, doing this convinced me that for my sativas, occasional yellow or amber head trichomes on lower bracts indicate harvest time. After that they lose some of their psycho buzz - not what I want!

 

Everyone has different needs and what some people want - like fully brown trichomes - is not necessarily what you want.

Your best guide is experimentation - that's half the fun of growing surely.

 

Those photos are a great example of how it's impossible to figure out what's happening because everything is blurry - could be clear or not.

You really need sharp focus so you can clearly see the contents of those round trichome heads - needs good light too or everything looks cloudy.

Oh, and only trichomes on the bracts (covering the plant ovaries - the things with pistil threads poking out) really matter - the ones on sugar leaves are nearly always more mature - but that's not a good guide to the bud.

Edited March 21, 2021 by doctor_nelson

[micmac]

You make some valid points there dr

 

 

I suppose its whether you want to get high or stoned

 

Personally for me there's a distinct difference

 

A lot depends on type rather strain

 

If you want to get high with a long lasting effect you grow landrace sativa

 

Acapulco Gold is a classic example of this type of stone

 

If you want that initial sativa buzz slowly developing into a more stoned effect

You should go hybrids leaning towards your preferences sativa or indicia

 

If you just want to get down right smashed to the point the lounge is your preferred location a full indicia would be the choice

 

If you want combinations of all of the above , best you getsomd regular seeds and start playing around

 

 

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[Dan J]

while i'm at it, i'm flushing 2-3 days before harvest in hydro correct  ?

hey merlz,
cheers for the detailed response, just the info i needed for my noobie ass   
i'm hoping this strain is black domina, yet if not will be running some of the bud right down to brown trichomes for that added knock out affect.




hey doc,
sounds like a good idea, always worth experimenting to see results so thanks will give it a try.

[merl1n]

Don't be too worried about being a noobie, we all were at some stage. None of us start out with the knowledge, it takes time to learn. The beauty here is that most of us have made those stupid mistakes and are willing to share it. ie'Ahh don't do that 'cos I did that and this is the result...' Or know how to manage most canna issues to give ya ideas, so come ask us.

But If anybody tells you they know it all when it comes to canna, it's bullshit. No one 'knows it all'.

We all have to learn along the way. No two setups are the same, no two environments are the same and every setup is going to need it's own tweaks, it's own improvements to get a 'maximum result'.

I've been doing this for years and I'm still making 'tweaks'.

 

Nice brown triches can make some ripper 'weld your ass to the lounge' hash too  Homage to OSA - My 1 plant SCROG - Galleries - Cannabis Community (ozstoners.com)

 

Merl1n

[doctor_nelson]

while i'm at it, i'm flushing 2-3 days before harvest in hydro correct  ?

 

 

Flush to save your nutes - the plant doesn't need them in the last few days, but AFAIK, DWC or hempy hydro (perlite/hygroton) flushing has no other purpose, because the substrate retains fuck all nutrients!

The only scientific study I have ever found showed no difference to the mineral content of the harvest after flushing compared to none.

Flushing seems to be a real bro-science thing and many claim they can tell the difference - I cannot - but I do progressively lower the feed EC over the last week or two before harvest just because I know the nutes are all going to end up flowing down the drain....

Edited March 22, 2021 by doctor_nelson

[merl1n]

Bro-science??? Hmmm, I disagree, even if you cant find a peer reviewed paper stating it.

It's the burning in the back of the throat that's reduced and the enhancement of flavour that's improved by flushing IMHO.

It's not so much the substrate I'm concerned about when flushing, but the plant itself.

And yes, that is just my opinion (and experience), just like it's my opinion (and experience) that 12weeks of 12/12 is well worth the wait (and weight) 

Others can disagree and that's fine, but imho (and experience), a decent flush is a must.

 

Merl1n