Checking the trics

[StonyGeoff]

I got another silly question. Which part of the plant should I be checking the tric colour? The microscope I ordered is a 100x pocket scope off ebay, it works well and all I need to take a small cutting off the plant and check it under the scope on my desk, there's no way to do it without cutting off a small part of 1 of the leaves.
Basically, do all the trics on the plant turn cloudy or amber all together? Or do some start to cloud and some stay clear while maturing? eg. The top buds closet to the lights might have a few cloudy trics and a couple of amber trics, while the bottom buds might be all clear still.
Is the only way to be as sure as you can be by taking small snippings from the leaves surrounding whichever bud you wish to harvest and go by that? Or can I just take a snipping off a flower I choose at random, and that will be a good enough indicator for the rest of the trics covering the plant?

Cheers 420 crew



edit: After careful examination of my plant, I see that less than 5% of the pistils have changed colour. 95% of the pistils are still white, and I see new calyx's forming every day, bursting with fresh-white pistils. I am getting a little anxious about harvesting, but I feel that she does have a little way off yet to mature and for those buds to really fill out. As I've mentioned in other threads, it's been over 5 months from seed this grow, if it takes another 4-6 weeks to mature then so be it. It'll be worth the wait, and 4-6 weeks is nothing after 5 months ;-)

 

[Damagoman]

You can't use the scope without takin' a cutting?

 

[StonyGeoff]

You can't use the scope without takin' a cutting?

No I cannot Magoman. I need to have the scope on a flat surface so I can focus the lens. I just can't hold the scope still enough against the plant and see a clear image. I just woke up, so after a coffee or 2 I'll have another go using the scope on the plant, just see if I can do it this time.

 

[Damagoman]

I gotcha',
It is tough for me too.
But I've learned to work with it.

Get it focused before I get into the field.
Hold my upper arms against my chest and elbows resting on my belly, seems to keep it pretty steady.

As for them all turning at the same time, Nope :3
It seems to me, maybe just my strains and indoors,
the tops seem to turn before the bottom.

 

[StonyGeoff]

Interesting. You really have learned to work with it, that's quite a method you got there. I must try this

 

[budculture]

I've had the same issue. Since this strain has alot of leaves around the buds, I carefully trim a small leaf off a bud, say one that's blocking light/growth from another, and look at it under about 60x. I've taken a few samples with seemingly no ill effects. I am getting close to harvest (why would you check any other time? lol), so the leaves are turning yellow anyway and I can check various areas of the plant. I'm running a SCROG and this is about the only way I can check since it's very hard to get close to the plant w/a scope except at the front of the cab.
My trics are mostly cloudy now and should be ready soon. I'm getting close to 85 days, and one thing about growing from bagseed. If it's an outdoor strain, it's going to take a long time to harvest. I'll probably be over 90 days. No more crappy bagseed for me, but since most (all?) of the seedbanks will not ship to the US, I'm not sure what the solution is. The smoke will probably be ok, just taking too long and I don't think the outdoor strains can really develop fully indoors in a small space IMO.
Yeah Stony, I have to do the same thing to view trics. At first it's hard to tell what color the trics are, but as they turn , you will be able to tell. The "When to Harvest" sticky thread has the info and some nice pics. Anyway, I didn't think I would be able to tell when they start to turn cloudy and then amber, but it was obvious. I think most people shoot for 50/50 cloudy/amber. Patience, patience, grasshopper....

Peace

" Music is the most unifying force in the universe. It sure beats the hell out of killing people."
Robert Fripp

 

[StonyGeoff]

Well I had to test out my new microscope I'm guessing my bag seed was an outdoor strain aswell, I'm up to day 150! But I've put her through a lot of stress and that'd be why it's taking so long. As well as this is my first grow and I've still much to learn.

What about trying to find someone you know who might be able to get clones for you? Almost all the people I get bags from have offered me clones at one point or another And that was usually when I've asked them for seeds lol.

Peace bro

 

[budculture]

Sounds like you and I are on about the same page with the indoor grow Stony.I would love to get some clones, but with the law in this part of the planet, I won't even confide in my close smoking friends that I'm growing. Some of the states near here are considering Medical MJ bills and who knows, if things go well, I may be able to get some clones with a small road trip somewhere.
I lucked out and found a few seeds from a bag of WW that I'm germing right now. They're about 2 years old, but they were stored well and we'll hope for the best. I actually took some clones off one of my plants and they're doing well, but I don't think I'll bother because it's still the same strain. One of the two big plants went "bananas" and I had to pull it. It did fertilize a few spots on the other plant, but not much as I can see the few seed it made. I don't think the "bananas" are as effective as regular male flowers, but the seed from this pollination should be feminized if I remember correctly. Too bad it's not a better strain , because then I could've made my own batch of femed seeds! I'll start the seeds and grow them just to see if they're all female ( or hermie!). If I find a good outdoor site, well then next year....
And hey Stony, I've been looking at my "harvest" from the plant I pulled and I think I'm going to have to go to a HPS. I'm sure the smoke is ok and the trics look good (mostly cloudy...), but the bud is light and not dense. I'm thinking it's mostly due to not enough light, since a stealth grow I had one time did the same, and they had too much shade by mid summer. So I think the light intensity has much to do w/ dense buds. Or maybe it's just this grower. LOL

Peace

 

[StonyGeoff]

That sucks man People are so relaxed and chilled about pot where I live you can seriously ask your servo attendant if they can get bags of pot without "too much" embarrasment I'm kidding. It's real tricky with who you can and can't trust. A few really close friends of mine know I'm growing, but the main reason I didn't tell them straight away was simply I didn't want them to come hang around me for free pot, u know what I mean.. Well most of my close friends that know I grow are growers themselves! Except 1 guy but he's my best-mate and he was gonna take a clone of my plant for himself only it didn't make it

Wow I'd love to pull WW out of bag seed At least you'll have some WW seeds from this grow hopefully you can put away for next time u need them! If only part of your plant gets fertilized then you have a mix of seedless bud and buds with seeds right?

Are you also using CFLs for your current grow budculture? Sorry if you've posted this info in another thread somewhere, I'm not being rude, I'm being lazy

 

[budculture]

Yeah it's really getting bad in the US. The Shrub is getting ready to put pen to the bill that lets the com companies off the hook for going along with the justice dept's warrant-less wiretapping. Another step on the road to Facism. I've been spreading the idea of a "million user march". If we had a million peaceful Cannabis users march on washington and demand repeal of the drug laws, they'd have to do something or we could just tear the sucker down, like freedom loving, sack wearing, citizens used to do when they couldn't take the tyrannical boot on their neck any more. I'm afraid TV has turned our citizenry into complacent sheep , apparently willing to give up basic human freedoms to have a huge military machine to preserve their "security" and to preserve "markets". If one studies history, most of the time military power is used against it's own citizenry to subdue revolt or dissent, so there's nothing to prevent the administration from enforcing it's will with guns, especially if you change the laws to allow war on your citizens.
OK... sorry for the rant.. time for some meds

The WW seed thing was lucking out. There were maybe 6-7 seeds in a half oz. If I'm lucky, the seeds are the result of "banana" male flowers and the seed might be femmed. The way I understand it, the pollen from these "banana" flowers can be used to pollinate another plant from the same strain and those seeds are female. If the plant pollinates itself with these "bananas", the seeds are not necessarily going to be female. It's possible these WW seeds are female, since sometimes on these indoor grows the female plants are desperate for pollination and produce the male flowers. Hopefully these seeds are from that sort of thing. I just know that it was great smoke and the genetics should be good, I'll just have to do it all right this time to get a great crop.
This grow has been a great learning experience, and I've learned mucho, thanks in no small part to the fine folks on this website, and all the helpful interaction with my brothers and sisters in Cannabis from around the planet. One of these days we're going to come visit OZ, it's actually next on our list of travel destinations as we've never been and have been told that it's beautiful country filled with wonderful people, and if the attitude towards Cannabis is relaxed, then you know it's a great place!

From the US declaration of independence:

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Peace bro

 

[budculture]

Stony...BTW... three of my WW seeds have germed and we're on our way... I'll post some pics when they get some real leaves...

Peace bro

 

[budculture]

Sorry Stony, I missed that last question. Yeah, all cfl's as an experiment. You can check my setup at the photo gallery. I'm going to go to an HPS and a modified cabinet to do the next grow. I'm running almost 400 watts ( actual consumption) of cfl's and the results smoke wise is good, but the bud is kind of fluffy and light. Most growers here will tell you that an HPS is the way to go. I think it'll be easier to vent for sure since you can get a sealed reflector that keeps the heat out of the grow w/ an exhaust fan.
I really just got curious as to what kind of results one could get with the cfl's . When they first started showing up in 23w (100 equiv.) bulbs, they seemed pretty bright and I just wondered how many it would take to grow some Cannabis. This web site has been great to make the most of the cfl's and you CAN grow some herb that will get the job done, (and then some...)
, so if you make sure all the other things are right, you will get a nice little (or big!) harvest that you can enjoy and it won't cost nearly as much and you'll know exactly what's in it!

Peace bro,

 

[StonyGeoff]

Great to hear that your seeds have germed! High five!
I'll jump on the gallery and have a looksie in a sec ;-)

RIP my poor lady I had to pull her early AND speed dry her cos I have a house inspection and I didn't get my air filter built in time. Turned out the smoke is harsh and tastes bad (expected of course with no-flushing, speed-drying) but the high isn't too bad. Not as potent as one would like, very energetic uplifting kind of high, which I also expected, just mild is all.
Hopefully my next grow goes heaps better, I've got the box built, got the CFL rig built, got clones on the way, got knowledge and some experience in the bank ;-) looking good so far! There was just way too much shocking treatment that went into my 1st grow, too much stress, not enough experience. Looking forward to getting this next one started. Got 2 rooted clones to pick up in a couple of weeks!

I've actually got a mate who said he'd lend me a 400w HPS and reflector for my grow, but I don't think I'll go for it. For starters, the cops in this area, especially in winter at the moment, will fly overhead at nighttime with their heat-sensing equipment trying to locate homes with hot-spots and bust people for grow rooms. Where as the CFLs don't produce anywhere near as much heat as to my understanding. Besides, if I tried out the HPS I'd get hooked on it and need to buy my own then it'd just be teasing myself LOL

Enuf jibberish, medicine time shortly

Peace out bro