Sativa dominant - harvest soon? Plants over-watered?

I need help with my first in-ground outdoor medical grow. Right now I'm stressing over organically grown OG Ghost Train Haze #1 (or so they said at the dispensary ). I really dislike couch lock and want day herb. So I thought I'd harvest on milky trichomes and avoid amber completely. But the pistils are just barely showing color. Still wait? I ask because last year by this time I'd already harvested my plants, and they were perfect, even tho the buds were still small. The plants were grown in pots, not in the ground, and I think they ripened earlier that way. Here's a bud:


This year my plants are lush (too lush?) with no signs of being ready to call it quits even though it's been wicked hot all September. Could I be delaying ripening by over-watering? It's not N overload because I don't believe in pushing too much rank growth. Here are a couple of whole plant shots, supposed GSC and supposed California Lambs Bread. I'm sure I'm late dropping back the water based on shorter days, cooler and longer nights, so that's gonna happen for sure. Advice?

looks heavy on the sativa side of things, so not much couch lock coming from that strain, no matter when you harvest imo..
also, being more sativa, it's gong to go longer than any indica dom strains that you may have grown or are growing..

racerboy71 said:

also, being more sativa, it's gong to go longer than any indica dom strains that you may have grown or are growing..

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Yeah, so you'd think. It might be true for finishing the whole plant. I see the image was reduced, so I'll try the closeup again. I'm hanging tight and turning down the water a bit.

Looks good to me ..........and as far as harvest that sat will go longer naturally anyways Whatever type smoke you prefer is when to harvest if it's what you like just remember if your going for all milky than do just that you can go completely milky trichs with no amber just try to get them all milky cause taking them to soon your high won't last as long Good luck

Hi, in your case, you are looking for a very specific high, if that means cutting her now then do so, document the plant and what the triches were like when you cut her and the high that came with it for future references. Nice plant.

Dude thats a Monster. Itll be a feat to trim. But it honestly looks quite amber to me on that nice close bud shot you posted. Maybe a week?

Whatever type smoke you prefer is when to harvest if it's what you like just remember if your going for all milky than do just that you can go completely milky trichs with no amber just try to get them all milky cause taking them to soon your high won't last as long

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you are looking for a very specific high, if that means cutting her now then do so, document the plant and what the triches were like when you cut her and the high that came with it for future references.

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The problem with dispensary clones is I'm dependent on what's available each summer. What was great last year is never available this year, so it's learning all over again for each strain (or what they say the strain is). That's ok. I'll figure it out eventually. I'm patient.

Dude thats a Monster. Itll be a feat to trim...Maybe a week?

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I'm watching closely for those pistils to suck into the bud without any amber trichs. There's already lots of whining here about the trim. Next year I'll be more careful about early pruning to get rid of some of the stuff at the base that will never ripen anyway. Thanks for the hints.

If you want choices, you can cut the biggest, most mature buds now and begin drying. Leave the remainder on the plant for another 10 - 14 days. That way you'll get something to compare between 'early' harvest and 'late' harvest.

I'm SO GLAD there's some one here who's in ground like myself. It's amazing how healthy the leaves stay all the way up until harvest right? It's so wonderful literally never having to worry about giving her nutes. Just beautiful clean, clear water through its whole life. I think since it'd take 4-5 above ground pool fulls of water focused on a 4ft radius of the main stem to flush it, it does not turn yellow like most girls at chop time. It's almost misleading, but I've read into it a lot. If we let our in ground, organic grows get to "autumn colors", the buds would be waaaay far gone. But remember, look around the buds trichs, not the leaves.

Btw, it's UNCANNY how similar our bud development is and how much the colors resemble each other. Mines a hybrid too, but I think a liiiiiittttllleee more Indica. Yours is taller and lankier, but i tied mine down. she'd be 8ft+ if I hadn't.

Airwalker16 said:

I'm SO GLAD there's some one here who's in ground like myself. It's amazing how healthy the leaves stay all the way up until harvest right? It's so wonderful literally never having to worry about giving her nutes. Just beautiful clean, clear water through its whole life. I think since it'd take 4-5 above ground pool fulls of water focused on a 4ft radius of the main stem to flush it, it does not turn yellow like most girls at chop time. It's almost misleading, but I've read into it a lot. If we let our in ground, organic grows get to "autumn colors", the buds would be waaaay far gone. But remember, look around the buds trichs, not the leaves.

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I planted about 30 seedlings outside, not thinking much would come of them. After culling sickly ones and the males, I ended up with a dozen trees, most are over 8', some well over ten... A lot easier than hydro chemicals and lights, nature did all the work.

I have no idea how I'm going to get them all trimmed. I thought about inviting all my friends who smoke for a TTT party: Trim, Take and Toke.
I have enough to let helpers take a couple ounces home for helping...

Ya that's gonna be quite an ordeal alone.. the second HALF of mine just took me a little over 4 hours.

BernerS said:

I need help with my first in-ground outdoor medical grow. Right now I'm stressing over organically grown OG Ghost Train Haze #1 (or so they said at the dispensary ). I really dislike couch lock and want day herb. So I thought I'd harvest on milky trichomes and avoid amber completely. But the pistils are just barely showing color. Still wait? I ask because last year by this time I'd already harvested my plants, and they were perfect, even tho the buds were still small. The plants were grown in pots, not in the ground, and I think they ripened earlier that way. Here's a bud:
View attachment 3514104

This year my plants are lush (too lush?) with no signs of being ready to call it quits even though it's been wicked hot all September. Could I be delaying ripening by over-watering? It's not N overload because I don't believe in pushing too much rank growth. Here are a couple of whole plant shots, supposed GSC and supposed California Lambs Bread. I'm sure I'm late dropping back the water based on shorter days, cooler and longer nights, so that's gonna happen for sure. Advice?

View attachment 3514105


View attachment 3514108

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you California Guys have it so GOOD!,, great plants man,, congrats

And moonwalk (so cool cause I'm usually Airwalk but I had to add 'er') are they ready for harvest per cloudy trichs yet? Get as close as your phone will focus in and take a clear pic (or 5) of the buds. When you blow em up and zoom in on the computer or smartphone screen, it's like a 30x loupe almost.

Airwalker16 said:

And moonwalk (so cool cause I'm usually Airwalk but I had to add 'er') are they ready for harvest per cloudy trichs yet? Get as close as your phone will focus in and take a clear pic (or 5) of the buds. When you blow em up and zoom in on the computer or smartphone screen, it's like a 30x loupe almost.

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I have a 60x-100x hand held microscope. The tree I am currently working on has all cloudy. I haven't seen amber on anyone yet, but I'm chopping as I'm trimming, so the last to come down will have it.

But if a hard freeze comes, they're all coming down as this is northern Wyoming, and our hard freezes hang out awhile.

Tim Fox said:

you California Guys have it so GOOD!,, great plants man,, congrats

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Yeah, we are very lucky, but nothing is perfect. I found out that I can grow giant buds on indica dominant strains that will attract every budworm and fungus in the county. My losses to budworm on one indica were probably ⅔. The second, GSC, I'm going to harvest now to cull botrytis early. Meanwhile, damage to my two saliva dominants is minimal. Another case of watch out what you wish for. There's probably some bloom timing involved along with my refusal to spray anything, but I also think great fat buds harbor both insect damage and fungal damage.

Dan Drews said:

If you want choices, you can cut the biggest, most mature buds now and begin drying. Leave the remainder on the plant for another 10 - 14 days. That way you'll get something to compare between 'early' harvest and 'late' harvest.

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That's what's happening. I can't really devote 24/7 to a harvest, so I have to fit it in when I can. I dried and tested the early harvest, and it's an easy day effect, didn't put me to sleep even in the evening.

Airwalker16 said:

I'm SO GLAD there's some one here who's in ground like myself. It's amazing how healthy the leaves stay all the way up until harvest right? It's so wonderful literally never having to worry about giving her nutes. Just beautiful clean, clear water through its whole life. I think since it'd take 4-5 above ground pool fulls of water focused on a 4ft radius of the main stem to flush it, it does not turn yellow like most girls at chop time. It's almost misleading, but I've read into it a lot. If we let our in ground, organic grows get to "autumn colors", the buds would be waaaay far gone. But remember, look around the buds trichs, not the leaves.

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Growing in ground is so easy it's stupid. I do a little organic ferts, though. I'm a hort nerd, so I can't help messing with the soil, planted a winter cover crop, bone meal in the planting hole, that kinda stuff. I also tried feeding molasses, not sure I buy the hype, but I got carried away. No way I'm going to do foliar feeding or spray weekly with organic pesticides, tho. All that fussing takes up too much time and money. I don't flush, either, don't need to. I'll take my losses, no big deal since this is a medical licensed grow and I stupidly planted 6 plants, waaay too many. Yeah, I look at the trichs on the buds, not the leaves, and I also found that watching the pistils change color and suck back into the bud is a great indicator here.

I also have one indication of leaf senescence on my saliva dominants that is missing from the indicas: Rust. Or I think it's some kind of rust. Very self-contained orange spots that look more like a plant gall than the usual rust. So now I'm off to look for info on the disease-resistance of difference strains. I know there are differences.

You done other in grounds Before this?

Airwalker16 said:

You done other in grounds Before this?

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Last year. I've been gardening longer than a lot of growers have been alive, tho.

So are they always still green even at harvest?

Airwalker16 said:

So are they always still green even at harvest?

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Yeah, it's a mild mediterranean climate here in NorCal. There are years it doesn't even freeze.