its been nearly 7 weeks now in flowering stage and have noticed that on some of my plants the white hairs are a browny orange colour which i believe is getting near to harvest time, i know it takes bout 8 - 12 weeks in this stage, is there anything else i could be lookin for to tell whether they are ready yet? i have heard that if 75% of the hairs are brown/orange then it is ready to harvest, but i dont know if thats true or not? some of my other plants still have all white hairs on them, and im guessing there gonna take a bit longer before there ready. any info would be great
That is correct when 75 percent of the pisils have turned brown its time to harvest. Note its well worth not feeding for the last 2 weeks before harvesting as this will flush any plant food and chemicals out of the finish bud and will taste a hell of alot better dont worry if leafs turn yellow at that stage its a good sign and normal. As for expected times indy's takes 6-8 weeks sativa's 12-16 weeks. Most white buds will take 10-12 weeks and skunks 8 weeks. Over ripe buds will start to grow like a little willie on top of the bud and will taste a bit soapy when smoked and may even contain the odd seed.
If this is your first plant and strain, i'd get yourself 100x scope or at least a jewelers loup off Ebay, don't cost much. Then instead of going by the dead stigma/pistils, go by the maturity of trichomes, that method of judging is more for the experienced eye when you can tell how the maturity of stigma corresponds to trichome maturity because you've seen it plenty of times so judging the final stages is more instinctive, that takes time=experience. At first, best to study and familiarise yourself with trichome maturity, that's the same with each new strain as well, all pretty individual. Generally, all clear globes atop the capitate stalks is unripe and mainly THC's which will give a more Sativa like high off of Indica/hybrids and very rushy high from Sativa/hybrids. Then cloudy which in Indica/hybrids, starts to get buzzy body but still high less stone and in Sativa/hybrids will fill out the rushy high with that strains personality, if a psychedelic Sat' this will start to notice. Onto amber trich's, which we generally express in %, Indica/hybrids is generally regarded as %15-25 = rounded buzz/stone, %50 heavy stone, to %75 giving couchlock and medicinal/painkilling, %100 is THC's mostly degraded to CBN & CBD etc and that will knock you out or a bad headache. With Sativa, it's different quality high from rushy high as the trich's cloud, then rounding off and giving a peak potential range of THC's and Cannabinoid spectrum which is a Sat's personality, at about %50 amber although many like Sat's at around %25-30 maximum and consider that the personal peak, i do so myself unless some previous grower indicates merit in going longer, past %75 is wasting Sativa high which is not why we spend so long growing Sat's for the high, basic but nice highs come from quicker Indicas taken early, trich's all clear into cloudy about %75/25 + to %5 amber, but mind blowing and psychedelic highs etc, come from a Sat's potent THC's and a rounding off with a few mature cb's, going past %50-75 amber on a Sativa/hybrid when a stoned effect bud takes half to quarter the growing time with Indica/hybrids makes absolutely no sense at all. That is general, it does vary from strain to strain and most of all, is actually very much personal preference from person to person. As you've grown your own, so have control over preference that you don't get when buying your weed. I'd sample a little bit of bud at different stages of trichome maturity as she goes on to finish, you'll see as she ripens the high/stone will change noticably. Each strain will be different and will change further with curing, THC's continue to break down through drying and curing so allowing final potency and personality, so you may decide to harvest earlier, or later, next time, sampling the stages of ripeness will aid your judgement there as well. Some strains have a narrow harvest window so it pays to pay attention when girls are finishing, you may want a buzzy high from a %75/25 Indy hybrid, check, see mainly cloudy from clear when you want %10-15 amber, leave 7-8 days and find %75-80 amber and heavy couchlock, so be alert when they're finishing, whatever lerts are, i dunno, lol, but it pays to be alert at harvest window. [**Point of notation** Unripe Cannabis bud, especially Sativa, clear trichomes, whilst can be a tool to intellectual/spiritual and/or psychic enlightenment or speedy and motivational/enhancing et cetera, great high, with many. It can also induce Paranoia and Panic Attacks, make nervous people have a bad time and cause heart palpatations in a few. If you stress out about things and get paranoid, of a nervous disposition, don't for fucks sake smoke unripe bud. Leave it to mature to full cloudy and a few amber trich's at least, %2-5, this will have taken the edge off and so less likely to cause paranoia. Clear isn't for everybody and can fuck with your head and nerves big time. Remember you are growing a powerful psychoactive herb, used for millennia as a main entheogen/spiritual catalyst by many religions as much as for recreation, that will almost undoubtably be stronger than street weed, usually much stronger if the inexperienced grower dials it all in nicely, folks. Especially light/occasional tokers first time growing, homegrown grown half decently is more powerful than most street, so get to know your product safely and enjoyably so don't underestimate it. Pardon my entering lecture mode, lol. ] Paxus.
Oh! I should add that THC's are produced in dark periods, which then break down during light periods. So three more points of pertinance. Best to harvest just before next lights on or within 10 minutes of lights on. This is unless you are giving 24+ to 72 hours dark, which leads to second point. Indica/hybrids such as Hashplant/Kush etc, will benefit from a 24-72 hour period of extended darkness to finish, this prompts a maxing out of THC production, unless cultivation purpose is for painkilling med's, then vice verse is true and product will have more sedative/painkilling properties with no extenstion of final dark period and plant(s) harvested a few hours into last light period so more CBD/CBN and cb spectrum will be more pronounced and greatest at end of last light photoperiod. Sativas will tend to benefit with a max 24 hour final dark period immho(unless going for the "clear trich' effects, then maybe longer would benefit, dunno yet, likely), but some Sativa hybrids/crosses may respond well to more, which comes onto my third point. Sativa-Indica or hybrids/crosses, if you wouldn't normally extend a final period, but just miss your optimum harvest window, i would consider factoring a one off extended dark period as contingency to the scenario of 'going over', as this will ensure peak THC range production even if the main degraded cannabinoids, CBN/CBD, are dominant, and so giving you as near to desired as possible. Me, i vary extended dark finishing, it does work, no doubt about that imho.
thanks for the info rocklobster and delta, im still learning being my 1st grow, i didnt really do much research on the finishing stage but the replys uz hav given me has helped very much, not long 2 go before im sampling my own produce, im so excited lol. so once the plants are ready delta, i shud b leavin the plants in darkness 4 24 hours at least 2 get more goodness b4 i chop them and hang them. i dont know wot type of plants i hav coz i used random seeds that i collected in the past, im just hoping i get a good high from it, coz if i dont get a good high i think i will break down and cry lol cheers :cheers2:
damn Delta, Lolz your posts are really good, but to long atm for me to read indepth.. I seen that extended dark period works well... Takes a while to figure out.. But Ive done the 24 hrs out, 12 on.. even cutting light down to 10hrs on. but more intense lamps.. as you said resin glands break down to much light.. Keeping heat down also.. Remember its FALL.. not summer when the plants are tricked into the ends of their life.
when u say do not feed them for 2weeks before harvest ,do u mean no nutrients or do u mean no water ????????????????
no nutrients.. the residual nutrients will cause burning problems when smoking.. to much nitrogens in green mass will inhibit burning, your ash will not whiten, it will be black and unable to burn... Flush with water till your lower leafs begin to yellow, cutting back on water feeding towards the end, Some let soil dry out totally.. No water for the last week or so, or just enough to prevent wilting tops..
Dam!!! that delta's goods, thanks for that nice read and good info. Is it just me but with sodium lighting it gets a bit tricky spottin them brown pisils? always looks like there's more once the lights go out. Thats rite still water but with no food. I like to water a little less 4 last 2weeks just enough to stop them drying also like knockin down to 10 on 14hours lights off for last 2 weeks if i need to speed up the ripening a wee bit. 1 small thing bud seems to like slightly cooler nights when in last stages of budding and will pay you back with nicer tasting and stronger smoke.
thats fine am still following procedure, jst gave my grow straight water no nutes. pisils are bout 40-45 % amber so hopefully next couple of weeks i can be harvesting. theres so much information out there on different strains / hybrids etc, all a bit confusing for me, being a novice to the game, but hey its a learning curve and enjoying all the information. i have noticed some information on this site when ur harvesting, u can go straight to the brown paper bag method instead of hanging, is this method ok to go with? in my grow there doesnt seem to be a big amount of massive buds so i dont see the need to hang them, then after that the curing stage.
I always hang my bud in a dark vented space takes about 2 weeks depending on weather or central heating but should be dry enough to smoke, Light degrades thc so the dark is important. From there you could chop it up and spread out on paper to dry the rest or just keep hung up till stems are dry and will snap when bent this can take upto another 2 weeks. With in reason the slower you can dry the better the finnish product.
You can use a paper bag or in loosely folded newspaper, (Prefold first, saves crushing bud structure.). But not putting on a heat source will will give you best results, a bit to sample Nuked or dried on TV/monitor/HD etc is fine but not the lot. Place in a cool place and just let the paper draw out the moisture, i like to change the paper daily to air the buds and keep colder moisture removal efficient. Prolonged heat and light are the enemies of bud as much as moulds are, because both degrade THC's faster, a cold drawer may take a day or two longer to crisp 'n' dry, but what you toke out of the curing jar will be better for more time taken. It'll still smoke well with faster drying but you will lose a wee bit of potency and personality, depth, that only comes with slow processing. --- Rocklobster. If adding dark to hasten ripening, better to nudge down 30 mins per 5 days rather than a 2 hour jerk, this allows necessary changes to occur in the plant which a big jump may cause the plant to rush too fast and alter the effects, for worse or better, no real way to tell so better the plants hasten on a rising curve than one leap. Cannabis tolerates jerks and jumps, but prefers and responds better to, graduation and incremental changes. Keep a closer eye on trich' maturity as finish window will be narrowed.
Not so young chap light and heat destroys thc the idea is that the plant produces resin to protect its self from the heat. Kinda the other way but I've always found its chillie nights that produces the best resin and smelling buds.
well as u know rocklobster thats the 2 weeks of flushing complete, the grow is looking very good, leaves are turnin yellow on them and i have noticed that there seems to be new pisils growing out the bud is this normal just that there is quite a few amber pisils but this looks like its still producing those white hairs even tho its at the end of its cycle ????? :cheers2:
What do you mean by that??? What i find happen at the end is that the plant does start to grow new buds but its on top of the bud, at first it looks like ya've got a nice plump bud its nice and ROUNDED but its starts to get like a nipple of new bud growth on the very top of the bud then that just starts to shoot up growing more buds but they dont fill out so it just start to look like a willie poking out the top of your plump bud thats is when its done but very important to catch it just as that starts to happen. To me it sounds like ya've done and its time to chop if your at 70-75 percent brown pisils.
well rocklobster thats it i am now officially smokin my own produce and it seems to be quite a nice smoke considerin it being my first grow. i didnt get as much as i predicted (soil method), neverless its still all good in the hood, the buds hav plenty crystals on them and taste very nice and i would like to say thanks for alll the info u hav helped me out with. one more question, how do i get my plants 2 go more bushier in bud stage, my plants were very tall and not so much bud on them but all very healthy 600w hps all the way with nutients added thats wot i used for my grow, any further help wud be kindly appreciated. :hat:
Sounds like you did'nt top or pinch the main growing head when your plants were younger thats how you get bushy plants. With mj you wanna be growing heads and bud points (node sites). From seed I'l say anything over 6 weeks is fair game for topping, simply remove the growing head from the main stem by pinching it out or by cutting the top off the plant (topping) after that let it grow on in veg. The loss off the growing head will force your plant into generate new heads and branches mmm and hence lovely yield. Size dont matter your rolling your own but great news thats enjoy.
When To Harvest Your crop will be ready to harvest when the Trichromes are a light Amber color, just as they turn amber, dark amber means over ripe, darker is not better. Get a jeweler's loop and look at the buds, you will see little crystals, like panes of glass or prisms. When you see the first signs of amber color it is time to harvest.
