• Here is a link to the full explanation: https://rollitup.org/t/welcome-back-did-you-try-turning-it-off-and-on-again.1104810/

Visually ready

Fenda

Member
i know that the trich method is the most relaiable method to be working by, however im in aussie no dun know where ta get a scope from tryed like dick smith n big w n that but nuthin!! anyway i reckon im about a week out from pullin 50% orange to white hairs n lookn nice n plump, is there any other key factors to be lookn for? Have just started flush n llokn forward to seeing the end results. pics be up soon!cheers
 

ws23v21g

Member
Too early if you are going by the hairs. The pistils (hairs) should all have gone red or brown and receeded back into the buds and the buds/leaves should take on a golden tint.....
 

KlosetKing

Well-Known Member
Too early if you are going by the hairs. The pistils (hairs) should all have gone red or brown and receded back into the buds and the buds/leaves should take on a golden tint.....
agreed. look for hairs to all but completely disappear usually. The calyxes themselves (the pods the hairs stick out of) will have nicely swollen up, and the plant will have most likely (unless a incredibly sativa dominant strain) have started to take a bronze look to it. Again certain sativa doms may never truly show amber trichs, but it seems (from the research i have done at least) that it is pretty uncommon anymore, if not rare.
 

rocpilefsj

Misguided Angel
Use a combination of visual and trics. My plants are at week 5 and visually they look done, but upon checking the trics they are still all pretty clear.
 

Brimi

Well-Known Member
If you wait as long as Klosetking suggests you will end up with a full bodied stone due to the many amber colored trichomes. If you want a more social smoke you should harvest before you get that bronze shine over the plant. When it's completely ripe/overripe like that it will be excellent for sleeping or relax rather than talking and fishing.
 

KlosetKing

Well-Known Member
If you wait as long as Klosetking suggests you will end up with a full bodied stone due to the many amber colored trichomes. If you want a more social smoke you should harvest before you get that bronze shine over the plant. When it's completely ripe/overripe like that it will be excellent for sleeping or relax rather than talking and fishing.
this is only kind of true. it works that way, but only to an extent. rather than try to belt out details i cant elaborate better on myself, ill paste a post BrickTop puts out a lot:

Peak Harvest

Trichome development and harvest time: how to get the best high
Harvesting is, without a doubt, the most exciting part of the wonderful journey that is cannabis cultivation. After months of watching, waiting and tending to your plants? every need, the time is approaching when you must cut them down to harvest their resin-coated buds and all of the leftover trim that can be used to make fresh potent hash.
You know that you need to harvest your plants in the coming weeks, but when exactly is the best time to do it? Every strain of marijuana has its own life cycle, so it?s not as simple as a specific number of weeks after flowering has begun. It?s even more complicated since you can choose when to harvest your crop for bud that provides either a head high or a body stone. Luckily, most if not all strains of commercially grown cannabis provide visual clues on when to harvest, and what type of high you are likely to achieve.
In this article, we?re going to explore the final phase of your plants? growth cycle: the flowering or budding phase. Specifically, we want to look at the last two weeks of the flowering phase in what is known as the ?window of peak maturity?. The window of peak maturity is when trichome development and the level of THC production in your plants have reached their maximum point, which is when you would harvest your plants. By being patient and paying close attention to certain indicators, you can reap fantastic buds that provide you with precisely the type of high that suits you best.


THC and Trichomes
Almost everyone who enjoys marijuana knows that, for whatever reason, THC is the psychoactive component in the bud they ingest.
As a cannabis cultivator, it helps to know just a little bit more than what THC is?such as how it develops over time and how chemical changes in trichomes contribute to different psychoactive effects.
The primary goal of any plant is to create and nurture seeds to be viable for future growth. Trichomes help prevent seed damage from insects, animals, light degradation and fungal disease. In the case of cannabis, trichomes also contain THC, the chemical compound that provides a psychedelic high to humans. THC stands for Tetrahydrocannabinol (C21H30O2). Near the end of the flowering cycle, THC begins to break down and turns into another chemical compound called Cannabinol, or CBN (C21H26O2), in a process known as oxidization. Higher levels of CBN tend to provide a more narcotic or ?stoned? feeling, while THC delivers a more euphoric, upbeat ?high?. Knowing this, you can examine the trichomes and the pistils of the plant, then choose when you harvest to get the psychoactive effects you desire.
Cannabis plants produce THC and CBN on their stems, leaves, and vegetation surrounding the buds and are developed in trichomes, which emerge on the surface of most of the plant?s parts. On the stems and the early fan leaves, the trichomes are small and hug the surface. As the flowering phase continues, the glands develop on the more mature parts of the plant, including the smaller leaves and the first calyxes (which exist to develop and nurture seeds if male pollen fertilizes the female plant). The trichomes that develop on calyxes no longer hug the plant?s surface, but are on stalks like mushrooms with bulbous caps. During this time, more and more trichome-covered calyxes develop and create densely packed clusters, called ?bud?. As your plants enter the final stages of their life cycle, the calyxes begin to swell and ripen, while more and more resin glands develop on the surface.
Another indication of plant maturity is the color of the pistils, the little hairs that grow from inside the calyxes. Their purpose is to collect male pollen to fertilize the ovum inside the calyx, creating a seed. When no male pollen exists calyxes grow dense without any seeds, resulting in sinsemilla cannabis. Near the end of the flowering phase, pistils change color, entering the window of peak maturity. The ratio of white pistils to red pistils determines the type of effects your plants are likely to produce: a high or stone. In the final few weeks of the flowering phase, the pistils change from bright white to a rusty orange or brown, signifying the end of the plant?s life cycle.
Examining Trichomes
As the amount of trichomes covering your plant increases, you should take a closer look at them, maintaining a light touch to avoid crushing the resin glands. Your best bet is to purchase an inexpensive 25x microscope (available at most electronics stores), and most pocket microscopes have a small light to help you get an illuminated peek at your trichome development.
When you cut small buds from your plant to test them, you want to concentrate on the stalked glandular trichomes. The coloration of the gland heads can vary with different strains and maturity, but most start with clear or slightly amber heads that gradually become cloudy or opaque when THC levels have peaked and are beginning to degrade. Regardless of the initial color of the trichomes, with careful observation you should be able to see a change in coloration as maturity levels off. Some cultivators wait for about half of the trichomes to go opaque before harvesting to ensure maximum THC levels in the finished product. However, you will also want to try samples at various stages to see what is best for you. While you may be increasing the total THC level in the cannabis by allowing half of the glands to go opaque, there will also be a larger percentage of CBN, which is why some people choose to harvest earlier while most of the trichomes are still clear.
Now you understand how trichomes develop on your plants and how to examine them as they turn from clear to opaque, indicating THC breakdown.
Early and Late Harvesting
Every strain has its own unique window of peak maturity, typically one to two weeks long. However, there is a difference between har vesting early or late within that window, depending on whether you want a head high or a body high.
As cannabis matures the chemistry of the plant changes, as does the type of effects. While these differences in chemical nature still require a lot of research to fully understand, you can utilize them to produce different types of highs for different needs.
By harvesting earlier in the window your buds tend to produce more of a cerebral head high, an effect much more pronounced in Sativas than Indicas. A head high is more psychedelic in nature, providing you with a pleasant mental ?up? state, often ideally suited for social situations when you still need to have your wits and plenty of energy.
If you choose to harvest later in the window, your buds produce more of a body high, which is conversely more pronounced in Indicas than in Sativas. A body high is similar to a narcotic ?down? effect, usually associated with being ?stoned?. A down type of high is often desired in the late evening to calm nerves and drift into sleep. A late-harvest yield is often sought by medicinal cannabis users to ease pain and increase appetite. If you choose to harvest somewhere in the middle of the peak window of maturity, you don?t necessarily get the best of both worlds, but more of a happy medium. If you aren?t sure what type of high you like or want, aim for the middle and you likely won?t be disappointed.
As you continue to examine your plants, you will be tempted, even compelled, to start pulling buds off of your plants to test them out. There is a right way and a wrong way to try out your buds before they are ready, so let?s take a look at your options.
Testing Your Buds
Most new growers start picking at their crop only a few weeks after budding starts. Usually this is because inexperienced growers get too excited and they don?t know that these small, immature buds still have a way to go before they hit peak maturity and reach the highest trichome development. But there is definitely nothing wrong with being excited about your ladies! Even veteran growers still get giddy seeing their plants start to sag under the weight of so much resin.
I don?t recommend taking any buds from your plants until they are approaching their window of harvest, and you should only take a small bud every day or two. You can test your first bud when approximately 10% of the pistils have turned reddishbrown; take it from the middle area of the plant. Once you?ve cut your self a small bud to try out, you need to dry it, but drying and curing traditionally takes longer than the entire window of peak maturity, so you have to quick dry it. Quick drying is a sub-optimal way to turn a lush, wet bud into something you can smoke, but it?s the best way to quickly test your bud every other day as it matures.
There are lots of different ways to quick dry your bud, but one of the best ways is to use your lighting ballasts in the grow room. First, cut up your fresh bud and spread it out evenly in an envelope. Close the envelope and place it on top of your ballast, then leave it there for two to three hours while the light is on. After the buds are dried out, put them in an airtight container and allow the last of the moisture to move from the stem into the bud. Considering this is a quick dry method, the taste is usually good and the potency is acceptable. Also, the use of a vaporizer will allow you to concentrate on your high rather than being distracted by the odd taste of quick-dried weed smoke.
By now you know what trichomes are and how the chemicals in them evolve from producing a head high to a body high over a couple of weeks. You also know that the pistils on your buds change color from white to reddish-brown as the window of harvest opens and closes, as well as what type of high to expect depending on the percentage of new and mature pistils. Throughout the window of harvest, you took small buds from the middle of the plant, quick dried them, then tested them out to determine the type of high you want your crop to give you. Now, you can harvest your plants with confidence in knowing that they will be loaded with resin that produces just the right kind of high you were looking for. Enjoy your harvest!


Maybe that clarifies a few things =D
 

MoneyCount

Well-Known Member
Ok KlosetKing I've got a question 4 ya. Now I've looked at my trichs and some are clear,milky,and amber and was hoping to harvest by halloween but today she has taken off like a rocket with swollen new pistils coming out of everywhere like crazy!!! From the looks of these new pistils it looks like it'll never be ready by then. Is this normal to have such a enormous amount of new pistils this close to harvest? Not that im complaining about it....I love it that she's swelling up like this!! I just figure that by Nov. 1st weather history where I live it'll be in the high 30's at night (she's outdoors)and probably will need still more time. Should I just let her go 1 week in Nov. just to play it safe? She's been flowering 8 wks now and the strain is OG Kush. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)
 

deprave

New Member
go as long as your weather permits...it would get you high right now but you can lose some weight it sounds like you had another swell.....really too bad about the weather she likely needs a lot more then 8 weeks especially being outdoors you really need a good 3 months bloom outdoors......pictures would be helpful...Im no psychic but haloween sounds looks like an good time to start thinking about harvesting. Just make sure there is very very little clear trichomes if any when u cut
 

Fluxcap

Active Member
Jewelers have scopes, call some up they will either sell you one or point you in the right direction .
 

Fluxcap

Active Member
Ok KlosetKing I've got a question 4 ya. Now I've looked at my trichs and some are clear,milky,and amber and was hoping to harvest by halloween but today she has taken off like a rocket with swollen new pistils coming out of everywhere like crazy!!! From the looks of these new pistils it looks like it'll never be ready by then. Is this normal to have such a enormous amount of new pistils this close to harvest? Not that im complaining about it....I love it that she's swelling up like this!! I just figure that by Nov. 1st weather history where I live it'll be in the high 30's at night (she's outdoors)and probably will need still more time. Should I just let her go 1 week in Nov. just to play it safe? She's been flowering 8 wks now and the strain is OG Kush. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. :)
What is your grow situation? Is this a guerrilla grow or legal? If its legal and you really want to push later in to the season, you can build a hoop house. Its extremely easy and can extend your season a couple months easy. Basically it's 6mil painters plastic, draped over a pvc frame. Inside the hoop house you fill black 50 gallon drums with water, these drums absorb heat and release it slowly over night, this can easily keep your temperatures in the 50's-60's even if it's in the mid 30's outside. Instructions can be found easily with a Google search.

This might not work for you but I'm sure a lot of people could benefit from one of these cheap and simple structures. If I ever own a yard It will have a huge hoop house for sure.
 

deprave

New Member
here is a good article on cannabis maturation , one of the best I have found freely: http://www.kindgreenbuds.com/marijuana-grow-guide/cannabis_maturation_harvesting.html

read that and you will have a better idea whats going on with your plant.


also if you want something a bit more brief that kind of breaks it down how you can tell cannabis is maturing visually without a microscope read this thread: https://www.rollitup.org/harvesting-curing/210501-zeuss-take-harvesting.html



The individual pistillate calyxes and the composite floral clusters change as they mature. External changes indicate that internal biochemical metabolic changes are also occurring. When the external changes can be connected with the invisible internal metabolic changes, then the cultivator is in a better position to decide when to harvest floral clusters. With years of experience this becomes intuition, but there are general correlations which can put the process in more objective terms.

The calyxes first appear as single, thin, tubular, green sheaths surrounding an ovule at the basal attached end with a pair of thin white, yellowish green, or purple pistils attached to the ovule and protruding from the tip fold of the calyx. As the flower begins to age and mature, the pistils grow longer and the calyx enlarges slightly to its full length. Next, the calyx begins to swell as resin secretion increases, and the pistils reach their peak of reproductive ripeness. From this point on, the pistils begin to swell and darken slightly, and the tips may begin to curl and turn reddish brown. At this stage the pistillate flower is past its reproductive peak, and it is not likely that it will produce a viable seed if pollinated. Without pollination the calyx begins to swell almost as if it had been fertilized and resin secretion reaches a peak. The pistils eventually wither and turn a reddish or orange brown. By this time, the swollen calyx has accumulated an incredible layer of resin, but secretion has slowed and few fresh terpenes and cannabinoids are being produced. Falling pistils mark the end of the developmental cycle of the individual pistillate calyx. The resins turn opaque and the calyx begins to die. The biosynthesis of cannabinoids and terpenes parallels the developmental stages of the calyx and associated resin-producing glandular trichomes. Also, the average developmental stage of the accumulated individual calyxes determines the maturational state of the entire floral cluster. Thus, determination of maturational stage and timing of the harvest is based on the average calyx and resin condition, along with general trends in morphology and development of the plant as a whole.



With this dynamic picture of the biosynthesis and degradation of THC acids as a frame of reference, the logic behind harvesting at a specific time is easier to understand. The usual aim of timing the moment of harvest is to ensure high THC levels modified by just the proper amounts of CBC, CBD and CBN, along with their propyl homologs, to approximate the desired psychoactive effect. Since THC acids are being broken down into CBN acid at the same time they are being made from CBD acid, it is important to harvest at a time when the production of THC acids is higher than the degradation of THC acids. Every experienced cultivator inspects a number of indicating factors and knows when to harvest the desired type of floral clusters. Some like to harvest early when most of the pistils are still viable and at the height of reproductive potential. At this time the resins are very aromatic and light; the psychoactive effect is characterized as a light cerebral high (possibly low CBC and CBD, high THC, low CBN). Others harvest as late as possible, desiring a stronger, more resinous marijuana characterized by a more intense body effect and an inhibited cerebral effect (high CBC and CB]), high THC, high CBN). Harvesting and testing several floral clusters every few days over a period of several weeks gives the cultivator a set of samples at all stages of maturation and creates a basis for deciding when to harvest in future seasons. The following is a description of each of the growth phases as to morphology, terpene aroma, and relative psychoactivity.

Premature Floral Stage

At this stage floral development is slightly beyond primordial and only a few clusters of immature pistillate flowers appear at the tips of limbs in addition to the primordial pairs along the main stems. By this stage stem diameter within the floral clusters is very nearly maximum. The stems are easily visible between the nodes and form a strong framework to support future floral development. Larger vegetative leaves (5-7 leaflets) predominate and smaller tri-leaflet leaves are beginning to form in the new floral axis. A few narrow, tapered calyxes may be found nestled in the leaflets near the stem tips and the fresh pistils appear as thin, feathery, white filaments stretching to test the surroundings. During this stage the surface of the calyxes is lightly covered with fuzzy, hair-like, nonglandular trichomes, but only a few bulbous and capitatesessile glandular trichomes have begun to develop. Resin secretion is minimal, as indicated by small resin heads and few if any capitate-stalked, glandular trichomes. There is no bud yield from plants at the premature stage since THC production is low, and there is no economic value other than fiber and leaf. Terpene production starts as the glandular trichomes begin to secrete resin; premature floral clusters have no terpene aromas or tastes. Total cannabinoid production is low but simple cannabinoid phenotypes, based on relative amounts of THC and CBD, may be determined. By the pre-floral stage the plant has akeady established its basic chemotype as a fiber or bud strain. A fiber strain rarely produces more than 2% THC, even under perfect agricultural conditions. This indicates that a strain either produces some varying amount of THC (up to 13%) and little CBD and is termed a bud strain or produces practically no THC and high CBD and is termed a fiber strain, This is genetically controlled.

The floral clusters are barely psychoactive at this stage, and most marijuana smokers classify the reaction as more an "effect" than a "high." This most likely results from small amounts of THC as well as trace amounts of CBC and CBD. CBD production begins when the seedling is very small. THC production also begins when the seedling is very small, if the plant originates from a marijuana strain. However, THC levels rarely exceed 2% until the early floral stage and rarely produce a "high" until the peak floral stage.

Early Floral Stage

Floral clusters begin to form as calyx production increases and internode length decreases. Tri-leaflet leaves are the predominant type and usually appear along the secondary floral stems within the individual clusters. Many pairs of calyxes appear along each secondary floral axis and each pair is subtended by a tri-leaflet leaf. Older pairs of calyxes visible along the primary floral axis during the premature stage now begin to swell, the pistils darken as they lose fertility, and some resin secretion is observed in trichomes along the veins of the calyx. The newly produced calyxes show few if any capitate-stalked trichomes. As a result of low resin production, only a slight terpene aroma and psychoactivity are detectable. The floral clusters are not ready for harvest at this point. Total cannabinoid production has increased markedly over the premature stage but THC levels (still less than 3%) are not high enough to produce more than a subtle effect.

Peak Floral Stage

Elongation growth of the main floral stem ceases at this stage, and floral clusters gain most of their size through the addition of more calyxes along the secondary stems until they cover the primary stem tips in an overlapping spiral. Small reduced mono-leaflet and tri-leaflet leaves subtend each pair of calyxes emerging from secondary stems within the floral clusters. These subtending leaves are correctly referred to as bracts. Outer leaves begin to wilt and turn yellow as the pistillate plant reaches its reproductive peak. In the primordial calyxes the pistils have turned brown; however, all but the oldest of the flowers are fertile and the floral clusters are white with many pairs of ripe pistils. Resin secretion is quite advanced in some of the older infertile calyxes, and the young pistillate calyxes are rapidly producing capitate-stalked glandular trichomes to protect the precious unfertilized ovule. Under wild conditions the pistillate plant would be starting to form seeds and the cycle would be drawing to a close. When Cannabis is grown for sinsemilla floral production, the cycle is interrupted. Pistillate plants remain unfertilized and begin to produce capitate -stalked trichomes and accumulate resins in a last effort to remain viable. Since capitate-stalked trichomes now predominate, resin and THC production increase. The elevated resin heads appear clear, since fresh resin is still being secreted, often being produced in the cellular head of the trichome. At this time THC acid production is at a peak and CBD acid levels remain stable as the molecules are rapidly converted to THC acids, THC acid synthesis has not been active long enough for a high level of CBN acid to build up from the degradation of THC acid by light and heat. Terpene production is also nearing a peak and the floral clusters are beautifully aromatic. Many cultivators prefer to pick some of their strains during this stage in order to produce marijuana with a clear, cerebral, psychoactive effect. It is believed that, in peak floral clusters, the low levels of CBD and CBN allow the high level of THC to act without their sedative effects. Also, little polymerization of resins has occurred, so aromas and tastes are often less resinous and tar like than at later stages. Many strains, if they are harvested in the peak floral stage, lack the completely developed aroma, taste and psychoactive level that appear after curing. Cultivators wait longer for the resins to mature if a different taste and psychoactive effect is desired.

This is the point of optimum harvest for some strains, since most additional calyx growth has ceased. However, a subsequent flush of new calyx growth may occur and the plant continue ripening into the late floral stage.

Late Floral Stage

By this stage plants are well past the main reproductive phase and their health has begun to decline. Many of the larger leaves have dropped off, and some of the small inner leaves begin to change color. Autumn colors (purple, orange, yellow, etc.) begin to appear in the older leaves and calyxes at this time; many of the pistils turn brown and begin to fall off. Only the last terminal pistils are still fertile and swollen calyxes predominate. Heavy layers of protective resin heads cover the calyxes and associated leaves. Production of additional capitate-stalked glandular trichomes is rare, although some existing trichomes may still be elongating and secreting resins. As the previously secreted resins mature, they change color. The polymerization of small terpene molecules (which make up most of the resin) produces long chains and a more viscous and darker-colored resin. The ripening and darkening of resins follows the peak of psychoactive cannabinoid synthesis and the transparent amber color of mature resin is usually indicative of high THC content. Many cultivators agree that transparent amber resins are a sign of high-quality Cannabis and many of the finest strains exhibit this characteristic. Particularly potent Cannabis from California, Hawaii, Thailand, Mexico, and Colombia is often encrusted with transparent amber colored instead of clear resin heads. This is also characteristic of Cannabis from other equatorial, subtropical and temperate zones where the growing season is long enough to accommodate long term resin production and maturation. Many areas of North America and Europe have too short a season to fully mature resins unless a greenhouse is used. Specially acclimatized strains are another possibility. They develop rapidly and begin maturing in time to ripen amber resins while the weather is still warm and dry.

The weight yield of floral clusters is usually highest at this point, but strains may begin to grow an excess of leaves in late-stage clusters to catch additional energy from the rapidly diminishing autumn sun. Total resin accumulation is highest at this stage, but the period of maximum resin production has passed. If climatic conditions are harsh, resins and cannabinoids will begin to decompose. As a result, resin yield may appear high even if many of the resin heads are missing or have begun to deteriorate and the overall psychoactivity of the resin has dropped. THC decomposes to CBN in the hot sun and will not remain intact or be replaced after the metabolic processes of the plant have ceased. Since cannabinoids are so sensitive to decomposition by sunlight, the higher psychoactivity of amber resins may be a secondary effect. It may be that the THC is better protected from the sun by amber or opaque resins than by clear resins. Some late maturing strains develop opaque, white resin heads as a result of terpene polymerization and THC decomposition. Opaque resin heads are usually a sign that the floral clusters are over-mature.

Late floral clusters exhibit the full potential of resin production, aromatic principles, and psychoactive effect. Complex mixtures of many mon oterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons along with alcohols, ethers, esters, and ketones determine the aroma and flavor of mature Cannabis. The levels of the basic terpenes and their polymerized byproducts fluctuate as the resin ripens. The aromas of fresh floral clusters are usually preserved after drying, as by the late floral stage, a high proportion of ripe resins are present on the mature calyxes of the fresh plant. Cannabinoid production favors high THC acid and rising CBN acid content at this stage, since most active biosynthesis has ceased and more THC acid is being broken down into CBN acid than is being produced from CBD acid. CBD acid may accumulate because not enough energy is available to complete its conversion to THC acid. The THC-to-CBD ratio in the harvested floral clusters certainly begins to drop as biosynthesis slows, because THC acid levels decrease as it decomposes, and at the same time CBD acid levels remain or rise intact since CBD does not decompose as rapidly as THC acid. This tends to produce marijuana characterized by more somatic and sedative effects. Some cultivators prefer this to the more cerebral and clear psychoactivity of the peak floral stage.
 

MoneyCount

Well-Known Member
PICT1105.jpgHeres two pics. PICT1148.jpg Oh....btw it's a clone if that matters. Plus the 2nd week in Nov. will be 3 mos. flowering. Sry if the pics. arent close enough. Camera doesnt take closeups well.
 

MoneyCount

Well-Known Member
here is a good article on cannabis maturation , one of the best I have found freely: http://www.kindgreenbuds.com/marijuana-grow-guide/cannabis_maturation_harvesting.html

read that and you will have a better idea whats going on with your plant.


also if you want something a bit more brief that kind of breaks it down how you can tell cannabis is maturing visually without a microscope read this thread: https://www.rollitup.org/harvesting-curing/210501-zeuss-take-harvesting.html



The individual pistillate calyxes and the composite floral clusters change as they mature. External changes indicate that internal biochemical metabolic changes are also occurring. When the external changes can be connected with the invisible internal metabolic changes, then the cultivator is in a better position to decide when to harvest floral clusters. With years of experience this becomes intuition, but there are general correlations which can put the process in more objective terms.

The calyxes first appear as single, thin, tubular, green sheaths surrounding an ovule at the basal attached end with a pair of thin white, yellowish green, or purple pistils attached to the ovule and protruding from the tip fold of the calyx. As the flower begins to age and mature, the pistils grow longer and the calyx enlarges slightly to its full length. Next, the calyx begins to swell as resin secretion increases, and the pistils reach their peak of reproductive ripeness. From this point on, the pistils begin to swell and darken slightly, and the tips may begin to curl and turn reddish brown. At this stage the pistillate flower is past its reproductive peak, and it is not likely that it will produce a viable seed if pollinated. Without pollination the calyx begins to swell almost as if it had been fertilized and resin secretion reaches a peak. The pistils eventually wither and turn a reddish or orange brown. By this time, the swollen calyx has accumulated an incredible layer of resin, but secretion has slowed and few fresh terpenes and cannabinoids are being produced. Falling pistils mark the end of the developmental cycle of the individual pistillate calyx. The resins turn opaque and the calyx begins to die. The biosynthesis of cannabinoids and terpenes parallels the developmental stages of the calyx and associated resin-producing glandular trichomes. Also, the average developmental stage of the accumulated individual calyxes determines the maturational state of the entire floral cluster. Thus, determination of maturational stage and timing of the harvest is based on the average calyx and resin condition, along with general trends in morphology and development of the plant as a whole.
Thanks.....I've read Zeus's Take on Harvesting and I do have a loupe. I'm just wondering is it normal to have this many new calyxes & pistils this close to harvest? And I do mean "MANY". I think I'll stick to my harvest date or just 1 more week after that
 

MoneyCount

Well-Known Member
I forgot to mention that its potted too. So if I really need to.....I can just bring her in on really cold nights and sit her back outside when it warms up during the day. I dont think it'll be a problem to do that for a week or two that late in her life, do you?
 

KlosetKing

Well-Known Member
Sorry i didnt get back in time, but you have gotten some very good responses so far so i think your in good hands. Zeus' take on harvesting is brilliant, and almost exactly what i follow.

it should be fine to move in and outside of the house adjusting, just do your best not to jostle the plants around 'too much'. never know how well they will take stress halfway through flower.

as for getting new growth i would say yes, its normal (or at least not uncommon). In my case, i get foxtails. i have no heat issue, controlled pH, and yet both my first go (the bagseed) and the BlackJacks both sprouted tails around week 6. Now iam sitting with a 75% bronze plant, waiting for the tails to finish up while i flush. i would say seeing new growth (as tails or otherwise) is not necessarily a bad thing, just means more weight and more wait.

if your outdoor, push it as long as you can in my opinion (by that i mean as long as weather permits until you decide its peak harvest time). i understand that people like to fine tune a high, but it seems to me that the best route is to choose a strain that has the high you want and take it to peak maturity, rather than do early or late harvests (get a indica if you want that couchlock, sativa if you want uppy high). good luck with the coming weeks buddy, get some fresh pics if you can, or keep us updated at least =D
 

MoneyCount

Well-Known Member
Thanks King More weight & more wait. Hehe :) Thats tru. Weather history here on the Cali desert on avg. wont get to 34-32 degrees until middle of Nov. so as long as I wont start pickin' little buds off jonesing for some, I think she'll be ok!! :):):)

Peace Dude
 

SACReDHeRB

Well-Known Member
Does anybody here have an opinion of whether or not to cut a plant at the base and hang whole or cut into branches. Or harvest individual floral clusters and leave the inner canopy buds to continue maturation?
 

canefan

Well-Known Member
Personally I like to cut as low to the ground as possible and hang the entire plant. Once the fan leaves have wilted, usually the following day or so, I trim off any fan leaves that are laying on the buds if I can't move them off. Otherwise I do my trimming when the plant is dry, little more work this way but for me it produces the a nice slow dry which is what I want.
Hope this helps or gives you something to consider good luck.
 
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