Soil, Cabinet, CFL, Supercrop, FIM 1st Grow

[Ugwad]

Most likely psychosomatic reaction...eating raw bud is actually pretty harsh on your digestive tract though. I've read about people getting stoned off of eating raw weed too but I have a hard time believing it since it's scientifically proven that there's a certain temp the THC/CBN/etc needs to be heated to to have an effect...and I have a hard time arguing with science Even if you do get a buzz of of the raw stuff most likely you'll get a much stronger buzz if you properly heat it first

Oh thems fightin words! OK, show me the study where people were administered raw pot orally and didn't get high. There's no such study. Injecting animals with inactive chemicals by-passes the G.I. tract which maybe essential for activation.

You are probably confusing the research showing that heat activates certain essential THC substances and assuming heat is absolutely required for those reactions to occur. Clearly - from my experience - the digestive tract has the ability to activate these substances via enzymatic and or chemical reactions.

I seriously doubt I had a psychosomatic reaction. I've eaten raw weed at least twice - as have friends of mine - and each time I had completely forgotten that I had eaten it, until I found myself wasted - not buzzed - and put 2 and 2 together.

The first couple of times I ever smoked pot, I didn't get high. No one told me that happens, so trust me I was intensely expecting and hoping to be having as much fun as my friends who were stoned. I was almost high from expectation and excitement. But I knew I wasn't high. If I was ever going to have a placebo reaction I should have. Also eating the weed was an experiment for me. I wasn't sure anything would happen. Twas a nice surprise.

I already know raw weed will get you wasted. It's for you to try and prove me wrong, as I think you're confusing what ever research you read. It didn't hurt my stomach as far as I recall. But I was young and my parents wouldn't appreciate me getting all gourmet in the kitchen, so I just chewed and swallowed it. You could at least chop it really fine and put it in a shake, apple sauce, ummm, on a peanut butter sandwich. I wouldn't snort it though ;-)

 

[LeenieBean]

oooh envy I would like to steal your NL mmmm ) good luck trimming that afghan holy mananas! looking great dude !

 

[Lil Neutrino]

Ugwad...I stand corrected, I couldn't find anything to prove otherwise. Thanks for the rebuttal lol, I might have gone my whole life thinking it HAD to be heated. From what I read it sounds like heating it, as I mentioned in my last sentence, will increase the potency.

 

[LilJah]

nice grow man....i think i wouldve tested the theory that cats always land on thier feet after i found out that it ate my plant!!!
OMFG dood

 

[Ugwad]

Update: 2 days shy of Week 10 of 12/12

I missed a few weeks, sorry about that. I'm 10 weeks in and I'm sure I'd be fine harvesting my Northern Lights today. But I'm a little unsure about it.

I don't have a scope to check the color of the trichs, but I don't necessarily care about amber trichs either. I'm looking for the pistils to turn red and recede into the bud.

But I'm getting confused because while most of the hairs have receded and turned red, there are also a lot of new green pistils sprouting up. Then again most of the leaves even on the buds are turning brown.

The Afghan is even more confusing. The plant has always been behind, but the buds are so leafy it's hard to see what's going on exactly.

Currently, they have gotten only pH'd water & molasses for the past 2 weeks.

Onto the pics!

Turning Brown in the cab...

NL Top side

NL Buds... No flash

NL same Buds with flash

NL Single cola with flash

NL side shot

Afghan Top view

Afghan Buds - really hard to capture in photos

Afghan Bud no flash

Afghan Bud with flash

Afghan side shot

 

[Ugwad]

The Afghan pics are really odd. The colas are actually full of red hairs, but you can't see them at all in these pics - not even with the flash.

Just thought I'd mention that because it's probably hard to even imagine based on those pics.

 

[Ugwad]

If there's anyone else beside me reading this thing, I'd love your feedback as I'm feeling more confused right now then throughout the entire grow.

I guess it's a good time to feel doubtful as I've essentially finished the grow. I'm just not sure when to harvest these babies!

Most say it's much better to harvest last than early. Another reason not too be very worried about this problem.

OK, I'm 2.5 weeks past 8 weeks of 12/12. Basically my Northern Lights plant looks at first like it's well past harvest. But the colas all have these little areas of brand new green pistils. So even though the entire plant is going brown and looks like it's dying, the colas are still sprouting vibrant green pistils and the little shells they sprout from. Should I wait for the new growth to stop or will that just continue for months?

I pulled the Afghan plant over to open those leaves and got a shot of inner bud and pistils. I guess I've seen Afghan grows before, but I don't recall ever seeing a plant that looked like this. It's so freak'in leafy! There are very little crystals on these leaves, but the majority of pistils are brown/red.

I've also had very little odor on this grow. They smelled the strongest in veg! The smell in my entire place never got above a 3/10. Only a grower who was paying attention could pick it up. Currently and perhaps by some standards these over ripe plants are running about 1/10 in the odor department. That rating is referring to other rooms in my place. If you stick your nose in the cab you can smell them and if you lightly touch a cola with your finger, wow they have the most beautiful bouquets.

Here's a close up of the Northern Lights cola. Notice the areas of new green pistol growth.

A shot from the crystal cam on the same bud.

Here's a little side bud far away from the light. You can see that new green growth here too. Look close, see that fuzzy green ball with the red hairs right in the center of the pic? Looks like an octopus. Just to the right and slightly south you can see a big green pistil "bud." Do we chop a plant that's still sprouting new cola yum yums?

Here's the Afghan cola's insides. It's still just not capturing what I see with my eyes, but you can see there are lot's of pistils growing inside there.

Any thoughts on when to chop these girls?

 

[Myzz617]

IMO they are ready leaves are turning yellow and all have you been flushing? Most people Flower for about 8 weeks. If the trichs are amber then yes you know they are ready to meet edward scissorhands.

 

[Ugwad]

IMO they are ready leaves are turning yellow and all have you been flushing? Most people Flower for about 8 weeks. If the trichs are amber then yes you know they are ready to meet edward scissorhands.

Hey Myzz, thanks for your opinion. I was starting to think I might have been moved to the abandoned journal section. To answer your question, they've been getting only pH'd water and touch of molasses, for ummm 3.5 to 4.5 weeks. I'm forgetting exactly. Strangely the water has gone from very alkaline to acidic. So I also add magnesium carbonate powder to bring it neutral.

I don't have a microscope, so I'm not sure about the trichs. But looking at my crystal cam pic makes me think there's not much amber. But that's probably not a very good way to tell.

Thx.

 

[lavendar]

ug,
the times for the seeds are guesstimates....only....depends on what you have going that count.....

here we go--talking about the tricomes...this is what counts..look at with magnifying glass to see....study these

clear-immature, rather speedy high, but just a piece of what will be....

white-mature, usually speedy with a touch of the slow down....

amber-far into couchlock, thc is beginning to degrade to more cbd's i believe, which is the sleep and heavy pain med type, i call it good night....

i like about 20%clear, 50% white, 30% amber...

most peeps like 50% amber....heres where your taste comes in...

harvest, dry, and cure...during the curing the clear will finish out....and mature....not to amber tho...choose the amt. of couchlock or sleep or nod or whatever with the amt of amber t's....

the cure is very important...

good luck...you'll do great...lavendar

from what i can see, those look very amber to me...but i cant examine like you can...once they get amber, its only a hop, skip to degrading t's...the round ball on the end of the t will start to fall off...and it gets less potent...

 

[Woodsman]

Ug my friend! sorry bud I've been out of touch a lot lately. I think you NL looks terrific and may just be ready to chop. You can take a tiny 'sample' bud and microwave it several times at no more than 10 to 15 sec each time. It works to tell the 'high' but not for taste.. Hard to tell with your Afghan. Reminds me of my Mazar (looks). Your plant will continue to produce those white hairs even after most of the plant is overdue. If you can't get a scope, go by the percent of dark hairs. Over 70% I'd say your good to go. Forget those new ones. They will just continue. Looks sweet buddy!

 

[Ugwad]

I got a radio shack scope today. It's damn near impossible to see the trichs. Basically I think you have to chop the buds off and tape them down to get a good look. I saw a few though. Some amber, some clear, some clear with a light amber tinge. I would have chopped tonight, but I'll let them dry out a day or two more. I might as well chop that hedge looking Afghan too. It's got lot's of hairs, but very few crystals.

 

[Myzz617]

Chop dry and smoke them my friend. They do look good enough to smoke if you ask me and I have yet to grow my first plant. you can order a scope from amazon and rush the shipping but that might just be adding on time for no reason. If its like 40 30 30 for the ratio you mentioned i would just chop them down and dry them. PLus the cure like woodsman said will help out the trichs that are completely clear.

 

[Ugwad]

Has anyone heard of giving the plants some extra time in the dark before chopping?

 

[Woodsman]

Has anyone heard of giving the plants some extra time in the dark before chopping?

Hey buddy glad ya got yourself a scope! Here's how I do it. With the very tip of your scissors, cut off 'one' of your trichome covered calyxes. Don't touch it with your fingers, I use the scissors (it sticks to it) and put it on a flat white surface that you can pick up with one hand, I use a paper plate. Turn the light on (scope light) start with the lowest magnification, (eyepiece is all the way down) I hold the plate with my left hand while I hold the scope in my right. Works OK this way, Impossible to see when your holding the scope to the plant itself.

Lavendar is the one who mentioned about the clear trichs turning cloudy during the cure.

Many use that technique (dark) just prior to harvest. Think it has something to do with increasing potency, not sure to lazy right now to investigate! I know that it is best to harvest just after a dark period though.

 

[Lil Neutrino]

Both of my grows flowered for 11-11.5 weeks...don't go by timeframe or you might screw yourself royally in regards not only to potency but yield. Have they gone through a second growth spurt yet where they got a little taller but noticeably fatter? Both times mine have had this spurt at the end just before the trichs began turning from mostly cloudy to more amber.

Woods is right about the scope usage...cut off a piece. Also, I don't advise you to check trich colors under the flowering (yellow) lights as it can mislead you in to thinking you have many more amber trichs than you really do. I did a comparison at the end of my last grow but did not post pics and there was a noticeable difference in amber trichs observed.

I give mine 24 hours of darkness (give or take a few hours) before harvesting because the THC is strongest in the mornings since it degrades in sunlight and possibly artificial light. I don't usually leave my buds sitting around the house exposed to light so I have no way to compare but after 11 weeks what's another 24 hours??? lol

 

[Ugwad]

Thanks to everyone for their input. I decided to chop both plants tomorrow. Currently they are in extended dark. Unfortunately the lights came on for 2 hours today and then I shut them. So they got a 12 dark, 2 light and are in the middle of another 12 or so dark.

I bought the scope, but even though I didn't give the trichs a good assessment, I decided I'm done and want to chop both plants. That Afghan is really odd and very well should go for an additional week or 3. It's just going to be what it is and I will learn something from that.

I've actually been smoking those males I pulled in late veg. Their pretty weak, but they work. Even if that Afghan is a little unripe, it's got to be 10 times better than this kakk, I'm staining my lungs with.

 

[Woodsman]

Good luck buddy! Great to reach the end of a grow, now for the trimming!

 

[lavendar]

ug,
lil and woods are right spot on...and the immature tris will mature toward the next phase of maturity during the cure, but that doesnt mean its a cure all or cut them early thing...mature is mature....why are you cutting the afy? disgusted or just tired of it all? i do understand....whatever you do, enjoy...lavendar
and the scopes are hard to use, i nearly smash the buds under it to see, and if you are looking at the bottom of a leaf, you wont see many of the balls on the top kind of t's, those are somewhat diff....

 

[Ugwad]

ug,
lil and woods are right spot on...and the immature tris will mature toward the next phase of maturity during the cure, but that doesnt mean its a cure all or cut them early thing...mature is mature....why are you cutting the afy? disgusted or just tired of it all? i do understand....whatever you do, enjoy...lavendar
and the scopes are hard to use, i nearly smash the buds under it to see, and if you are looking at the bottom of a leaf, you wont see many of the balls on the top kind of t's, those are somewhat diff....

I'm going to chop the Afghan too because it's just weird and I can't make heads or tails of it. My biggest regret in chopping it now is that it has very few trichs. Maybe it will never form a lot? Both plants are going brown and the pistils are mostly red/brown, so I'll just go with that.

Part of it is that I'm not sure if I've let them go too long. I'm just a little unclear about the whole thing.

Also I'm not completely convinced that it's all about the amber trichs. I posted a link previously that questioned the amber trich dogma. It suggested that most people harvest way too early. That you can't go too long and that receding and brown/red pistils were a very important indicator of ripeness. I'll send you the link privately since it's to another site.