Newbie being impatient

Hey all,

First post to this site in an attempt of hopefully find out that I didn't fuck up. Complete newb... I got to the end of a bag at the beginning of this summer and found 1 seed; so I said fuck it and threw it in my garden next to my tomatoes and squash. I was lucky enough to get a female and not only that, she's a mammoth of a plant that looks to be yielding several ounces and I'm psyched!

The problem is, I'm a fucking newbie and there is a lot of information out there. Being so excited about it I've already gone and harvested half the plant based on all of the information I've read about trichomes. I have a pretty powerful microscope which is what I've used to check them and there is a variety of trichome colors on this particular plant. I went back and forth on the decision for about a week and then finally went for it...some trichomes are milky, some are clear, and very few are amber. On the edges of the leaf they seem clear but by the stems and up the seams, they seem milky and then every few centimeters there seems to be an amber or two but not many overall. As I said I only harvested half the plant or so to itch the scratch if you will. I also dried a bud out in a cardboard box for a few days for a test and I got a nice little head high but nothing crazy. Most of the calyx hairs are white with the tips turning amber (I see a lot of argument about this not being a true indicator).

I guess I'm looking for opinions and mainly if I DID harvest too early, is there anything I can do during the drying/curing process to increase potency? Or did I just ruin a bunch of beautiful nuggets?

Thanks for checking out my post!

stay high..

Pic would be helpful but if you still have some of your plant left do a staggered harvest and label them and smoke it. See which one you like the most

Find a frosted small bud leaf. Cut it close to the stem. Look at the underside for trichomes. I've been staring at them daily on 10plants. Don't be afraid to cut into a bud to get a good sample. This will tell you the real scoop about what to expect from your bud. If I'm seeing Amber I harvest

You'll notice that the heads of the milky trichomes are the fattest and largest, clear is ok too. Amber are always small and dried up looking.

You harvested to early.. Nothing you can do now.. It will forever be premi.

Hey guys,

Thanks for all the input! I appreciate it; even your doom and gloom comment mr sunshine lol...

Craig, good call on the underside! Its a fucking field of trichomes. I do think I harvested too early BUT luckily enough I can still salvage most of the plant. When I said half of the plant was harvested that was before it got even bigger; by removing those branches that were blocking some sunlight it allowed the bottom buds on the plant to grow more. Enough so that 1/2 harvest maybe turned to 1/3. I took a small leaf sample a little while ago and looking underneath the leaf I think they for the most part clear. Its tough because when I turn the light low on the scope it looks milky but when its turned up they seem clear (pics attached). Either way, to your point Psueudobotonist, I'm doing a staggered harvest. The early stuff gave me a nice head high, and it'll do the trick... but the next harvest will hopefully bring in the beauty buds!

Now my issue become fighting the weather. I'm in MA and the first freeze is nearby, it was chilly as hell this morning so I don't know how much longer I have. On the good side though, my buds got bigger...I'm going to be pissed if I get a freeze; that will be shit luck.

Any advice on how to avoid a freeze for an outdoor plant? Set up a fan, or anything of the like??

Let me know what you guys think on the trichomes, I'm back and forth (again)...

More light to the bottom branches doesn't necessarily mean bigger buds.... The difference in size of buds from the top and the bottom is a hormonal issue, not a light issue.

Look up apical dominance if u want to learn more about it

pseudobotanist said:

More light to the bottom branches doesn't necessarily mean bigger buds.... The difference in size of buds from the top and the bottom is a hormonal issue, not a light issue.

Look up apical dominance if u want to learn more about it

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Oh sweet, thanks man. I'll check into it!

Those are harvestable trichomes. Clear didn't hit me in those pics. When u start seeing shriveled Amber u better pick them.

Craig1969SS said:

Those are harvestable trichomes. Clear didn't hit me in those pics. When u start seeing shriveled Amber u better pick them.

Click to expand...

thanks homie; its tough because the lighting. When I have the light all the way up in the microscope they look more clear but I can't get a good pic. When I turn it down to get a good pic, they look cloudy. My eyes are playing tricks on me and I'm still unsure...

Here's a few more with the light turned up a little more; let me know if you still think I should pull the trigger!

why not post a picture of the entire plant or at least a cola? i could show you a shot of my girl in flower for six weeks and you'd think she was ready too and she won't be ready for another four weeks. good luck on your grow and welcome to RIU.

Please...let me see this mammoth!!!

pseudobotanist said:

More light to the bottom branches doesn't necessarily mean bigger buds.... The difference in size of buds from the top and the bottom is a hormonal issue, not a light issue.

Look up apical dominance if u want to learn more about it

Click to expand...

I bent my plants on purpose to grow bottom branch colas. Some topped some not. The bottom and mid branches grew slightly taller than the top when I cut them loose. Most were a month in 12/12 when I cut the strings. They all pulled up and tried to straighten somewhat but by then the bottoms had canopy space. Note how the branches tie into the stem, see the support ? That's 1 sign of good genes . In the end it created more room and colas. I'd try it again.

My first plant I did the same thing. Waited for mostly cloudy with a little amber and picked. Best advice is to make sure you get a good 7 day dry in a dark place, then onto jars. After burping he jars daily for a month, you will see a noticeable improvement. Yet you'll still be able sample. Learn from this mistake and let them go for a couple extra weeks next time. You will get more weight and better more mature flowers.

Craig1969SS said:

I bent my plants on purpose to grow bottom branch colas. Some topped some not. The bottom and mid branches grew slightly taller than the top when I cut them loose. Most were a month in 12/12 when I cut the strings. They all pulled up and tried to straighten somewhat but by then the bottoms had canopy space. Note how the branches tie into the stem, see the support ? That's 1 sign of good genes . In the end it created more room and colas. I'd try it again.

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I completely understand what you're doing, however you do not understand why it's happening. More light to the lower branches doesn't mean more growth. The reason those lower branches grew is because auxins were redistributed after you lowered the apical dominant bud. That's why I mentioned to look up apical dominance.

Pseudo always dropping the knowledge, call me a stalker but everything he suggest to people I look up aswell.....thanks for the knowledge! And he is spot on...it is better to know how and why!

pseudobotanist said:

I completely understand what you're doing, however you do not understand why it's happening. More light to the lower branches doesn't mean more growth. The reason those lower branches grew is because auxins were redistributed after you lowered the apical dominant bud. That's why I mentioned to look up apical dominance.

Click to expand...

So are u saying I would get the same amount of bud by leaving it alone? If so I'd tend to agree. The plants I left alone in the end seemed to be equal or more. I found managing a 5' bush took a whole reflector and a lot of space. FYI some of those plants did not respond well at all to being bent over and floundered. They never caught up after I let them go. Here are a few side-by-side pictures of the same plant strain I ordered. Orange bud from Dutch passion.

No, the reason I'm saying that the lower shoots grew were due to the apical bud (main cola) being bent over redistributing auixins (plant hormones). This can give you a bushier plant and disrupts the xmas tree look that cannabis normally grows in

When I bend my dominant tops down I do not get a surge of growth from ANY branches below the canopy. The node sites that grow along the branch that's been bent over grow up like a candelabra and make as many as 5 new bud sites per bent over and tied down branch , the original top also starts to bend upward and becomes a top again. Once I tie a branch down that becomes permanent I never,NEVER release it. This also keeps heights in check on tall growing varieties.This is just my approach and is by no means any STANDARD of growing.