Hi folks!.. This is my first post after just starting to read this forum last week… So grab a cold beverage, sit back, and let me set the scenario for you…
I’m a bit of an old-timer. In fact, I had been away from “all things cannabis” for over 25 years… Shortly after the whole pandemic thing hit I decided to take a road trip to visit some family and for whatever reason stopped to purchase some of the more stronger strains available at a few locations… So while some folks used the “shelter in place” ordinance to learn how to make sour dough bread or bounce a golf ball down the hallway into a cup, I decided to take a shot at growing after reading a lot of different articles.
This is my first grow attempt ever, and I have made so many mistakes that I’ve lost count. LoL!.. But have already made notes on what to improve for my 2nd grow after reading from you experts here on this forum!
I started the germination/seedling stage in a closet because my grow tent and P4P order had not arrived… Used “Organic African Violet” potting mix in solo cups with a combination of SGLEDS 36W 4200K full spectrum LED grow light and a 36W high brightness dimmable grow light… Transplanted and relocated to grow tent at 2 weeks.
3 strains: White Widow Auto, Gorilla Glue Auto, Zskittles Auto.
Seeds from ILGM.
75 days from planting seed in soil.
24"x24"x55" Marshydro tent. (space is at a premium for me)
4" 190 cfm variable speed ducted fan.
SF-1000 LED grow light.
2 6" fans (top & bottom)
Bergman Plant Food - Followed 8-week feeding schedule.
P4P Superb Soil kit mixed with some of the organic mix previously mentioned.
Using bottled N Carolina mountain spring water with a ph of 6.
Don’t really monitor ph. That will change on 2nd grow.
Humidity slightly variable between 30-40%.
No nutes for last 1 1/2 weeks. I keep thinking I’m close to harvest.
… I think that covers most of the details… Just ask if I forgot anything…
… So, 3 days ago I was reading something about trimming water leaves to provide additional light below the canopy… Have you heard the phrase “don’t run with scissors”?.. Well, I’ll tell 'ya not to drink with scissors handy either! Ha!.. I guess they don’t look too terribly bad, but they remind me of the weak Charlie Brown Christmas tree… I’m afraid I made a HUGE mistake trimming this late, as well as doing it all wrong!.. What do you all think?
And obviously, the big question: “How do these look? Are they close to harvest?”… It looks like 50-70% orange pistils and mostly cloudy trichomes to me, but I really don’t have the experience to be confident… I thought I was getting close, but after reading a few threads I’m not so sure now…
Still not the best at this so wait for others that know more. I’d say at least two weeks. Also on your temp & humidity meter if you want F inseatd of C look under the legs on the back & there’s a switch for that.
@Latitudes welcome to the neighborhood and I have to say you’ve done good getting to this point. Is that a single sf1000 in there?
Judging harvest time through pics is pretty tricky. You say the trichomes are mostly cloudy that is the sign that you can cut them, but you need to decide on whether you want an uplifting high or a couch lock high or something in the middle or even a mix. Make sure you are going by the trichomes on bud parts and not on sugar leaves, leaves are liars. Keep in mind buds like fruit on a tree ripen at different times so you have to check more than one on each plant. As a guess looking only at these pics some look like 2-3 weeks and some as long as 3-4 but trichomes are the way to go. You’ll only short yourself by cutting early.
Thanx!.. Yup, just a single sf1000. The -2000 is just a bit longer than my tent, but I also have the TS600W that came with the tent kit (currently not in use).
… Wanted to wait till they were mature and turning a bit amber because I’m looking for the “end of the day, goodnight” effect…
… I think I’ve read your comparison to fruit in a different thread. I thought by trimming some canopy that the younger buds would get more productive light and be worth something when all finished.
That’s a good lookin tent full of weed for a 100w light. I’m a sf fan already and I know they’re good I own 3 myself but not the 1000.
I like to watch the top buds because they will ripen sooner than the others and once I see 30-40% amber I’ll harvest keeping the top buds separated and mark em for nighttime and then all the rest is day weed so now you have a mix. I read an article probably like a year ago but the guy was talking about doing the same thing with the top buds but he would then just cut the tops off and lower his lights and allow the bottom stuff to ripen up more. I’ve never done this but I’ve heard a few others say they do it , so my guess is it works.
Leaves I’m one that I keep the biggest fan leaves out and more go as I switch to flower and again about 3 weeks into flower. I continue taking a few here n there till harvest. Plus I keep the bottom 1/3 of my plants naked completely. Here’s a pic from my current grow just going into flower. Normally I would do this the day before I switch but I just had surgery and I just couldn’t so I did it a week into flower. This plant is a manifold but I would do all my plants this way
BEFORE N AFTER
Yup… All 3 are Autos… WW front left, GG front right, Zskittles back right… May not look like 'em after my butcher job, but they are… I just figured that the autos were better for my space constraints.
… So is this 8 weeks of flower once they start?.. 8 weeks until flower?.. I’m too much of a newbie to know. Ha Ha!.. And the Bergmans Food is only an 8-week schedule. I didn’t stretch it (probably should have), so it’s been just plain water since then.
… Gotta wait a month or two till I have the free schedule to start a 2nd grow… Planning on GSCx, Gold Leaf, and GDP. All autos… I’d really like someone to take the time to explain how they manicure/prune to get the single main stalk loaded with buds without all the sideways growth…
Oh wow that’s even more impressive, those are some big pretty autos. I haven’t in my 36 years of growing ever grown an auto. I have been studying about them alot lately because I’m going to give it a shot. I just bought some seeds now it’s a timing thing with my current grow I’m waiting on.
There’s alot of different rules when it comes to autos I’m sure that you have been reading the same stuff as me about them.
The 8 weeks starts at first flower and it’s a time given by the breeders imo to get you to buy their seeds over others. I could be wrong and it’s an actual number they’ve done in a 10,000 growroom with perfect conditions. Whichever is right or at least close to the truth you should probably add like two weeks to the times given.
I think you are going to run into an issue with trying to finish without food. How long has it been?
Sorry for the book if I start getting off subject to much just kick me lol
No issues with the book… More info the better!.. Cheers!..
… Almost 2 weeks with plain H2O… I’m toying with the idea of trying to trim the tops and let the undergrowth grow longer like what you and other pros have described. I can add a bit more P4P Superb Soil (still some left after the mix I created initially since I used other stuff as well as theirs) and get 'em back on some food maybe just not as strong, but don’t know if it’s worth it at this point, or even detrimental to the remaining buds… Bottom line is that I really don’t know what I’m doing and just winging it at this point… LoL!
I haven’t done a P4P, but I have done autos. With that said, first always follow the trichomes. I think you could add a single last feeding to the girls and be ok. If you start to see amber trichomes in the buds themselves, then I would resume your flush until they’re just shy of where you want them, then thro your light off and let them sit in the dark for 36-48hrs. It’s not needed, but in my opinion it helps any nutrients left in the plant settle back into the stalk and roots as they won’t “grow” in the dark. I’d steer away from adding any more soil though, that could add nitrogen which you don’t want.
A staggered harvest is always a good option to keep open.
As for defoliation of autos, some do and some don’t. @nicky does and I do as well. He’s more aggressive with it than I am though. I would definitely not do it past week 3 of flower though as that’s when the plants generally focus on bud development and you don’t want them to be focused on healing during that time.
Not really, they look healthy as can be. Very tall for autos too. I’m honestly surprised you got as much bud developed as you have with only a single sf1000. I try to keep my plants short and bushy so I LST the crap out of them. Lol.
I looked back at the pics and don’t see any signs of deficiencies so they’re still happy and you are pretty close. My thing is this isn’t a good time for them to get hungry which is why I never understood the whole flushing right as they’re trying to finish and there’s plenty of studies saying it doesn’t help. With the amount of leaves you still have on them (stored food) and no signs of them being hungry I think they’re going to make it to the end. I wouldn’t water to runoff to preserve any nutes still in the soil. Unless you see a drastic change I think I would ride it out.
Defoilation can be done but in soil you have to be careful, when your in the last 2 weeks or week take evey single fan leaf off though for max swelling. It’s bold but it works.
When it comes to the final cut 48hr in darkness is proven to make a difference in thc and cabinoids, as well as cutting them when in the dark or within 1min of opening tent/light on keeps the nutrients in the root zone.
Flushing has no data to back it and blind taste tests are inconclusive a good dry and cure is more important as well as the things discussed above.
@Latitudes As you, I did not learn to bake bread either!
Hands on = learning. When I found this forum and amazing community, it saved my first attempt at growing. You have received some great info already.
As @Nicky said, no conclusive evidence of the benefits of flushing. I read, what could be a dissertation, on why flushing does not really yield any benefits. Some of the science was too deep for my understanding . I will post the link when I find it.
You have some great plants. Keep doing what you are doing.
Several weeks at least with all the white pistils.
Again, trichomes on the buds are what you should be looking at.
