Sativa Harvest Timing?

[Stormycirca65]

I have a unique and wonderful problem I need help with. I have what may be a nearly pure sativa strain. This flower is F'n beautiful, with huge colas, whisper thin leaves and such a heavy feeder! It's at 8 weeks now and I know sativas can go many weeks longer. It's not showing the usual traits I'm used to seeing for maturity. Sativa enthusiasts... what do you look for and when do you harvest? Stormy

 

[Stormycirca65]

Oh, and by the way...New member? Really? I've been a member since 08. Just because I read a lot and know how to shut the f up and let the experts answer doesn't mean I'm a newb.

 

[TanR]

Hi Stormycirca65.

I just recently completed a grow with a Sativa dominant (not pure) plant and judged it's maturity by examining the trichome color as I did with it's Indica dominant tent mate. Have you used magnification and examination of trichome's to judge maturity/harvest in the past?

If not what traits have you keyed on when deciding when to harvest?

 

[Stormycirca65]

Thx TanR, I have a loupe for 20 and 30 magnification and a hand micro for 60 to 100 magnification. I examine tricomes before and during each harvest. I've never dealt with such a pure strain sativa as this and I'm at a loss. I'm so used to tracking tricome production at 8 wks and this plant is super healthy and showing me nothing as far as tricome progress, pistils turning colors ...huge buds, piney smell I have, this things gonna be a monster but I have no idea when I should chop it yet. I'm just lookin for a heads up from some aficionados ; )

 

[GreatLife4All]

TanR has done a great job of explaining the method that most use - but I have been looking at the swelling of trichs recently. Much harder to see - but likely way more accurate than color. Also sorta an advanced technique as you need some experience looking at trichs.

But when you look at the trichs... there are several things you will see. Some trichs will have long thin stalks with a very small round head - immature. Some trichs will have a thin stalk with a large round head. And finally, some of the trichs will have a very fat base where the trich joins the leaves - and a very swollen head that looks like it will explode. Sorta looks like a nuclear reactor smoke stack with a large balloon on top when it hits this stage - this is the best analogy that I can give. When the majority of trichs hit this final stage - you are at peak potency.

Try this method next time TanR simply as a double check on your normal process. After a couple of quick looks it becomes obvious what I am talking about. And when smokestacks start appearing all over the surface of the leaf/bud... it is obvious. You may need to use a 40x or 60x loupe to see this type of detail. This method works on all plants that I have seen. You no longer need to worry about the color of the trichs... or plants where the trichs turn amber late... or even ones like trainwreck where the hairs are very dark when it is at its peak.

Most of the trichs will swell like this all at once... and the period quickly passes. From my own experience, this seems very reliable. I am seeking input from others who are willing to try this.

Hi Stormycirca65.

I just recently completed a grow with a Sativa dominant (not pure) plant and judged it's maturity by examining the trichome color as I did with it's Indica dominant tent mate. Have you used magnification and examination of trichome's to judge maturity/harvest in the past?

If not what traits have you keyed on when deciding when to harvest?

 

[Stormycirca65]

And TanR, have you seen the movie Gravity? Those are the traits I'm shooting for ; ) Outer space trippy bro lol

 

[Stormycirca65]

Nice GL4A, I'll definitely check that out. Thanks for the info man!

 

[Stormycirca65]

I love and appreciate the G. Washington quote!

 

[David Bowman]

But when you look at the trichs... there are several things you will see. Some trichs will have long thin stalks with a very small round head - immature. Some trichs will have a thin stalk with a large round head. And finally, some of the trichs will have a very fat base where the trich joins the leaves - and a very swollen head that looks like it will explode. Sorta looks like a nuclear reactor smoke stack with a large balloon on top when it hits this stage - this is the best analogy that I can give. When the majority of trichs hit this final stage - you are at peak potency.

Do you have any pictures of these different stages of trichs? I'd be interested in seeing examples to which I can compare when I check my ladies out for trich development.

 

[GreatLife4All]

You need to do a search on UVB then...

It will increase the potency.. no doubt.

The downsides that I have seen so far are that it makes most indicas into cough weed - even with good curing and drying technique. But it does do a nice job of increasing potency without harshness for hybrids and sativas.

This is part of my "back to nature" push. Outdoors in a natural environment the sun will start with a mixture of 1 - 2% UVB early in the growing season - and will peak somewhere around 10 - 11% of natural light.

So I started running UVB lights (10% of my total light budget) as a test. I will not be taking the lights down - I rarely if ever grow a pure indica in any case. And my sativas have really benefited. Sativas must like lots of UVB.

If you do a search on here - you will see many posts where I start questioning this... try it on a single plant... try it on multiple plants... started burning leaves with too much UVB (thought it was Ca deficiency - that is what it looked like)... and now it is part of my standard tent package.

GL4A

 

[GreatLife4All]

Do you have any pictures of these different stages of trichs? I'd be interested in seeing examples to which I can compare when I check my ladies out for trich development.

I have a great camera - but it doesn't do macro shots very well.

I will search the web and see what I can find.

That didn't take long... couldn't find a picture but here is a video where the very first scene shows what I could consider trichome approaching maturity. There are some great pictures in this video

[video=youtube;p6H0HWI9G-E]

[/video]

And for comparison purposes - here is another pic that I would consider immature.

Sorry for the small picture. But can you notice the difference? That stalks look thin and wispy in the second picture - and they look like they are ready to explode in the first.

You want lots of smokestacks.

 

[Stormycirca65]

In this category, there are many pictorial posts for tricome maturity Colorado. It generaly goes like this... clear tricome heads, then cloudy, then amber...what i'm looking for may be a little different, but i'm not sure

 

[David Bowman]

I have a great camera - but it doesn't do macro shots very well.

I will search the web and see what I can find.

No worries. Your detailed descriptions are a great start to understanding trich development over time. I have a 10x-400x USB microscope that I can use to take pictures of the trich development on my plants. I'm glad you posted this information so I can progressively follow the trich development on my ladies and see how they develop over time. I'm interested to learn more about trich development and how to better determine proper harvest timing.

 

[TanR]

Haven't seen that one yet Stormy, but it's definitely on the agenda possibly for this weekend. Even without seeing it, I completely understand what your shooting for. I chopped mine at a little over 11 weeks after the appearance of pistils and honestly think I pulled it a little early. The trich's were only about 70% cloudy, maybe 5% amber, and the rest very clear. I struggled a little with this plant (or perhaps more appropriately - it struggled with what I provided) and the buds began fox tailing. Between having some clones that were getting too big for my clone area and needing to go in the tent and the fox tailing buds, I just decided to chop it and get on with growing out the clones.

Yes, the sativa aspect did cause it to get quite large. it was about 30% larger than it's indica dom. tent mates. I swear I've recently read in someone's journal of a Sativa grow that they let theirs go like 15 weeks before harvest. Sativas are a unique species for sure!

GL4A - Interesting thought on trich shape/size instead of color. I'll definitely add that to my growing list of "things to notice" in the future. Do you find there is more uniformity to the trich shape across the entire plant than there is with trich. color?

 

[Stormycirca65]

Man, you guys are awesome with answers and I'll be reading and viewing for days. Thx so much for all the cool and thoughtful answers already! But keep the thoughts coming.

 

[David Bowman]

In this category, there are many pictorial posts for tricome maturity Colorado. It generaly goes like this... clear tricome heads, then cloudy, then amber...what i'm looking for may be a little different, but i'm not sure

I'm aware of the general development of trichs over the time during flowering. How the trichs physically develop, change size, shape, etc. sounds intriguing and might prove to be a more reliable indicator of when to harvest than the standard clear/cloudy/colored indicators, especially since I want to maximize THC in my Indica dominant strains. Don't know, but it sounds like an interesting project to keep me busy during the next six or so weeks of flowering. Since I also plan to use UVB later in flowering, I think it would be interesting to see how that affects trich development as well. Looking forward to the first signs of trichs.

 

[Stormycirca65]

I'm pretty sure that video gave me a hard on ... (feels) yeah it did

 

[GreatLife4All]

GL4A - Interesting thought on trich shape/size instead of color. I'll definitely add that to my growing list of "things to notice" in the future. Do you find there is more uniformity to the trich shape across the entire plant than there is with trich. color?

Yes... when it happens it seems to happen all at once over a couple of days. Everything will swell huge and then start to shrink again. When you see things starting to shrink again... it is just past time.

Color seems to change gradually over a period of weeks.

 

[GreatLife4All]

And don't get me wrong - I have used the ratio of colors in the trichs for years and I have always been very happy.

I am not complaining about a method that doesn't work... I am saying that there is a better, more consistent, method.

 

[GreatLife4All]

You should definitely catalog this in your journal. I would be very interested in someone doing some detailed analysis with equipment that I simply don't have.

No worries. Your detailed descriptions are a great start to understanding trich development over time. I have a 10x-400x USB microscope that I can use to take pictures of the trich development on my plants. I'm glad you posted this information so I can progressively follow the trich development on my ladies and see how they develop over time. I'm interested to learn more about trich development and how to better determine proper harvest timing.