A few pre-harvest questions

TheFoaGrower

TheFoaGrower

Active Member
This will be my first harvest, have experimented with a few grow starts. The first round didn't survive. The second round was doing well until my cat got hungry, I was only able to save one plant before upgrading my security standards... Then it turned out to be a male. I was pretty sure of the genetics so I saved pollen.

Now I have what I believe to be Alpha Blue (cannot confirm 100% but it fits the characteristics), on week 9. It's looking just about done from the best I can tell. I bought a microscope to look up close and I'm seeing the first hints of amber as of today. SO with that I have a few questions I either haven't found an answer to, or don't understand the standard answer to.

1. If I take clones now can/should I do that AT harvest? Or before, or after? I was thinking harvest day - take my clones first then harvest same day.
2. On those clones, can I still harvest some or all of the buds? I don't know whether that would help or hurt.
3. Am I right in thinking 9 weeks is the approx finishing time on this strain? It's a cross of Blue Dream x NYC Diesel. Neither is a long-flowering strain but NYC Diesel goes a little bit longer than BD.

I can post pics but I'm not really asking for detailed instructions. It looks like a plant at 8+ weeks. Would say 30-40% of the pistils have turned amber and <1% of the trichomes. Medium-to-big nugs. Happy grower.
 
projectinfo

projectinfo

Well-Known Member
TheFoaGrower said:
This will be my first harvest, have experimented with a few grow starts. The first round didn't survive. The second round was doing well until my cat got hungry, I was only able to save one plant before upgrading my security standards... Then it turned out to be a male. I was pretty sure of the genetics so I saved pollen.

Now I have what I believe to be Alpha Blue (cannot confirm 100% but it fits the characteristics), on week 9. It's looking just about done from the best I can tell. I bought a microscope to look up close and I'm seeing the first hints of amber as of today. SO with that I have a few questions I either haven't found an answer to, or don't understand the standard answer to.

1. If I take clones now can/should I do that AT harvest? Or before, or after? I was thinking harvest day - take my clones first then harvest same day.
2. On those clones, can I still harvest some or all of the buds? I don't know whether that would help or hurt.
3. Am I right in thinking 9 weeks is the approx finishing time on this strain? It's a cross of Blue Dream x NYC Diesel. Neither is a long-flowering strain but NYC Diesel goes a little bit longer than BD.

I can post pics but I'm not really asking for detailed instructions. It looks like a plant at 8+ weeks. Would say 30-40% of the pistils have turned amber and <1% of the trichomes. Medium-to-big nugs. Happy grower.
Click to expand...
Pictures = more answers
 
TheFoaGrower

TheFoaGrower

Active Member
Fair enough.

End of July:
IMG_20180729_184916.jpg
A clipped sample from one of lowest branches 6 days ago, to get an up close look:
IMG_20180810_132643.jpg Maybe a little more done than the whole plant? It's pretty equal though, from top to bottom.

Today showing size perspective, the jar had an oz in it when full:
Day 57 Alpha Blue.jpg
 
projectinfo

projectinfo

Well-Known Member
You start counting when you start seeing little pistils/ budsites popping up.

Not from when you switched to 12/12


Id say 2 weeks.


Are you saying that all of your trichs are cloudy and turning amber?

You plant still looks dark green, they tend to die off when mature.
 
Lordhooha

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
projectinfo said:
You start counting when you start seeing little pistils/ budsites popping up.

Not from when you switched to 12/12


Id say 2 weeks.


Are you saying that all of your trichs are cloudy and turning amber?

You plant still looks dark green, they tend to die off when mature.
Click to expand...
Hell I would say longer than 2 weeks it looks like it can go another month. Hardly any receding hairs yet. It’s a long way from done.
 
Lordhooha

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
TheFoaGrower

TheFoaGrower

Active Member
Cool, thanks for the input everyone, especially about when to start counting the weeks. I did find a few others on here with 100+ days on this strain, so I'm adjusting my mental clock to compensate. :) Hopefully this will also mean cooler temps which will mean I can get my grow room a few degrees cooler also.

I'm sure you all know and probably had similar experiences as new growers, I don't want to harvest early, and with this being a mostly Sativa hybrid I sure don't want to harvest LATE! Personal pref.
 
Lordhooha

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
TheFoaGrower said:
Cool, thanks for the input everyone, especially about when to start counting the weeks. I did find a few others on here with 100+ days on this strain, so I'm adjusting my mental clock to compensate. :) Hopefully this will also mean cooler temps which will mean I can get my grow room a few degrees cooler also.

I'm sure you all know and probably had similar experiences as new growers, I don't want to harvest early, and with this being a mostly Sativa hybrid I sure don't want to harvest LATE! Personal pref.
Click to expand...
Don’t worry be patient.itll swell more and put on more weight. Everyone gets excited with their first grow and either loves them too much or chops way early. Give it time and it’ll reward you.
 
TheFoaGrower

TheFoaGrower

Active Member
Glad I waited -- it's still definitely not done! Got some more orange but still more white than orange, and the trichs don't look mature yet either. This is the end of week 8 according to my new time. Probably can't tell from the pic but a few leaves are starting to fade also, but not significantly yet.
IMG_20180821_184608.jpg

Unfortunately the temperatures are warming back UP rather than down. We're going to be in the 90s for the next week, makes it pretty difficult to get my grow room under 80° when the lights are on. I know it's ideal to lower the temps a little at the end, but I'm not going to rack up hundreds of extra dollars in electric bills -- not to mention stressing my AC system. It still looks great as far as I'm concerned.

Of course I would've had the lights on at night if I knew what I was doing earlier on. But hey you learn best by experience a lot of the time!
 
projectinfo

projectinfo

Well-Known Member
Id rather havest than see a week at 90+f.

Your going to roast the terpslol no smell for you.

Even when you dry and cure the temps should be down to 60-70f ideally.

Id turn on your ac .. Its been months of growing why fuck it up now.
 
TheFoaGrower

TheFoaGrower

Active Member
projectinfo said:
Id rather havest than see a week at 90+f.

Id turn on your ac .. Its been months of growing why fuck it up now.
Click to expand...
So just to be clear, it's not 90 INSIDE lol. 90°F temps OUTSIDE, and the AC is definitely on. Inside my struggle is keeping the temps below 80° in the grow room. Not sure if that's what you were saying. I'm just glad we're done with 100's. When I get to drying I can keep it in the 70s easy because my light will be off.
 
TheFoaGrower

TheFoaGrower

Active Member
Alright my new friends, you are looking at some milky trichomes here. Sorry this was about the best focus I could get using my telescope cell phone mount on a microscope. :lol: Actually I had a GREAT shot... at which moment my cell phone shut off due to low battery. It's doing that thing where it dies at 40% for no apparent reason.
IMG_20180825_181136.jpg

I can definitely tell the difference between even just a few days ago, have been taking small snips every couple of days to examine. So I guess that puts me at harvest week! I gave her a good water and as soon as that dries out, I'll begin the chop.

Oh -- one more thing. I have a label from when I originally purchased the strain this seed came from, and it tested at 0% CBN. I don't expect to see much amber, if any. Been reading up and finding that you've got to keep your strain's specifics in mind, plus all the other great advice on this forum.
 
Lordhooha

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
TheFoaGrower said:
Alright my new friends, you are looking at some milky trichomes here. Sorry this was about the best focus I could get using my telescope cell phone mount on a microscope. :lol: Actually I had a GREAT shot... at which moment my cell phone shut off due to low battery. It's doing that thing where it dies at 40% for no apparent reason.
View attachment 4186989

I can definitely tell the difference between even just a few days ago, have been taking small snips every couple of days to examine. So I guess that puts me at harvest week! I gave her a good water and as soon as that dries out, I'll begin the chop.

Oh -- one more thing. I have a label from when I originally purchased the strain this seed came from, and it tested at 0% CBN. I don't expect to see much amber, if any. Been reading up and finding that you've got to keep your strain's specifics in mind, plus all the other great advice on this forum.
Click to expand...
Stop clipping pieces. I see no trichromesyou need to get in there better 2BA2913E-5DF7-4C99-A3B5-D95CD049ED2A.jpegyou should be seeing something like this. What your looking at is the pistils. I’m guessing that’s from a lower branch too. What’s the overall plant look like?
 
TheFoaGrower

TheFoaGrower

Active Member
Meant to update this thread but you know what happens once you harvest. It turned out well for my first full grow! About 4 oz dry bud weight (which was something like 12oz wet with stems). I harvested a couple weeks after my last post. 73 days from flipping to 12/12, and 66 from first signs of flower. Could have waited another week or 2 maybe, but summer is a hot time & it costs money to keep things cool. Thanks again, all.
 
Brettman

Brettman

Well-Known Member
@TheFoaGrower how did those clones make out? I harvest two nights ago and took a couple clones for shots and giggles. They look hilarious in the cloner all covered in frost lmao
 
D

DoubleX5150

Well-Known Member
4 oz from one plant is pretty damn good! Also judging by the label of that dispensary container, I must live relatively close to you.
 
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