Harvest already? Really?

[rupert]

it was around june 15 that I switched to 12/12 light. At that point I had already been seeing pre-flowers for about a week or so. I didn't quite believe that those little things were pre-flowers, this being my first grow, but now I understand that they were.

so, it has only been 5 wks and 4 days since I went to 12/12. The strain is Pure Power Plant (Nirvana Shop) and it is suppose to take 8-10 wks to flower.

I guess if the plants started flowering a week before I went to 12/12 light, that's nearly 7 wks of flowering. maybe that's enough in hydro growing? things happen faster in hydro?

I'm posting this bc I don't quite believe it. I'm seeing the milky heads with my 40x microscope. They seem to be nearly all milky. so I guess that's that. I just wasn't expecting it to sneak up on me so fast. I thought I had maybe a few more weeks or so to wait.

I guess what I should do is start giving pure water, for maybe 4-6 days or so? Hmm. I guess I better flush as well as I can. and, um, not water for the last couple days, to get things dry. That's what my book says.

 

[iwltfum]

Some pictures would help in figuring out if it's actually finished or not. I usually don't start flushing until I see my first amber trichome.

 

[rupert]

Some pictures would help

Understood, but I have a hard time just steadying the little plastic microscope to see the trichomes clearly. I don't think I could shoot a photo through the microscope for this purpose.

I had another look today and I'm now seeing some amber heads. Hopefully it's not just bruising from where I bumped them with the microscope... I think not. I think it's legit amber. Time to finish. I'm giving pure distilled water now and will chop down my plants around this time next week.

 

[iwltfum]

Understood, but I have a hard time just steadying the little plastic microscope to see the trichomes clearly. I don't think I could shoot a photo through the microscope for this purpose.

I had another look today and I'm now seeing some amber heads. Hopefully it's not just bruising from where I bumped them with the microscope... I think not. I think it's legit amber. Time to finish. I'm giving pure distilled water now and will chop down my plants around this time next week.

Even just a picture of the plant or buds might help. It sounds like she might be done though if she's ambering. Strangely early, but if a plant is stressed in bloom, it can sometimes cause an early finish.

 

[rupert]

Here you go. Thanks for taking a look...

 

[iwltfum]

First off, that bud looks awesome.

I think it may have a couple weeks left. If you gave it nutrients for one more week and then flushed for a week, wouldn't that leave you right on target?

 

[rupert]

First off, that bud looks awesome.

Thanks!

I think it may have a couple weeks left. If you gave it nutrients for one more week and then flushed for a week, wouldn't that leave you right on target?

I don't know. I'm really in no hurry. I just want to harvest at the peak. Given that it's a hybrid, I'm reading some opinions that you harvest when nearly all trichomes are milky... and I'm past that point. I understand that for an indica some people like to see more amber. I just figure, if I'm seeing amber already, shouldn't I be thinking in terms of harvesting in a week? Again, I'm in no hurry at all.

 

[MassMedMan]

I see a lot of white pistols. I'd wait. Great looking buds though. My first grow I swore they were ready early. After a few more I realize I was off. Breeder times are usually best case scenario..

 

[PTSD 4 ME]

Im with Mass on this one.... Looks like a lot of white hairs to be ready for harvest... Get you a cheap jewelers loupe of 30+ zoom and know with confidence that they are ready. If money is no issue get a good scope that can hook up via USB and get some good pics, people here will ensure you have primo ripeness.

 

[rupert]

Im with Mass on this one.... Looks like a lot of white hairs

About 97% white, yes. With the naked eye I do see a small number of amber hairs on each bud.

Get you a cheap jewelers loupe of 30+ zoom and know with confidence

My 40x scope does the job, albeit a USB for taking photos would be very useful right about now.

But I can see the trichomes clearly with my scope, and try as I might, I can't find any clear trichomes any more. I'm seeing 99% milky, 1% amber, 0% clear. I do think I saw plenty of clear trichomes earlier in the grow.

I have the Jorge Cervantes book ("Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible"). The book says "harvest when the majority of the glands are clear and a few glands have started to turn milky white." <-- If I followed that advice, I would have had to harvest a couple weeks ago. A little later it says "Harvest when half (50 percent) of the trichomes have turned a creamy translucent color for absolute peak ripeness." It also says "sativa-dominant varieties" are "best harvested when resin glands are clear to milky colored." PPP is a sativa-dominant hybrid, so. I don't think Jorge is necessarily right, but evidently he believes in harvesting a bit earlier than many other people do.

 

[MassMedMan]

About 97% white, yes. With the naked eye I do see a small number of amber hairs on each bud.



My 40x scope does the job, albeit a USB for taking photos would be very useful right about now.

But I can see the trichomes clearly with my scope, and try as I might, I can't find any clear trichomes any more. I'm seeing 99% milky, 1% amber, 0% clear. I do think I saw plenty of clear trichomes earlier in the grow.

I have the Jorge Cervantes book ("Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible"). The book says "harvest when the majority of the glands are clear and a few glands have started to turn milky white." <-- If I followed that advice, I would have had to harvest a couple weeks ago. A little later it says "Harvest when half (50 percent) of the trichomes have turned a creamy translucent color for absolute peak ripeness." It also says "sativa-dominant varieties" are "best harvested when resin glands are clear to milky colored." PPP is a sativa-dominant hybrid, so. I don't think Jorge is necessarily right, but evidently he believes in harvesting a bit earlier than many other people do.

Well, since harvest is primarily dependant on trics, I say go by them. I've harvested plenty of plants with white pistols. Although, the best or most ripe had only a few. Good luck, you're doing the research,, Good for you. Reps for my man Jorge Cervantes...

 

[rupert]

After a bit more research, I decided to give very light nutes (100 ppm) for another 2-3 days and monitor the pistols, just to make sure I'm not rushing. There's probably no downside to waiting another few days before I go to pure water.

PS -- I have a bit more reading to do on flushing. I see now that some people don't flush at all prior to harvest. It is the subject of some debate.

 

[iwltfum]

Sometimes a week of light nutes or no nutes can help turn some of the hairs the right color. Any that haven't turned by harvest, usually turn as the buds dry

On a side note: I have to say, I'm a big proponent of flushing. I have run side by side tests with alot of different flushing scenarios (with my seven day flush as a control). I ran organics and hydro everywhere from 0 days of flush to 14 days of flush. The only plants that beat the seven day flush were the organic plants that I flushed for 10-14days. The 7 day hydro flush ended up better than the 10-14 day hydro flushes. I think it was because they started to die after about 10 days of no nutrients where the organic plants seemed to take longer to get to the same stage of yellowing. I had heard plants grown in organic soil don't need to be flushed, but my experience is that the buds taste and smell a whole lot better when you flush any plant for at least 7 days. If smell and taste are important to you, then I would definitely flush. And it's really not a huge endeavor anyway like alot of people make it out to be. Easiest way to do it is to put the plant out side and flush it with a garden hose, or put the plant in a tub or shower and flush it in there. A turkey baster helps to pull water out of the tray if you can't move the plant.

 

[MassMedMan]

Sometimes a week of light nutes or no nutes can help turn some of the hairs the right color. Any that haven't turned by harvest, usually turn as the buds dry

On a side note: I have to say, I'm a big proponent of flushing. I have run side by side tests with alot of different flushing scenarios (with my seven day flush as a control). I ran organics and hydro everywhere from 0 days of flush to 14 days of flush. The only plants that beat the seven day flush were the organic plants that I flushed for 10-14days. The 7 day hydro flush ended up better than the 10-14 day hydro flushes. I think it was because they started to die after about 10 days of no nutrients where the organic plants seemed to take longer to get to the same stage of yellowing. I had heard plants grown in organic soil don't need to be flushed, but my experience is that the buds taste and smell a whole lot better when you flush any plant for at least 7 days. If smell and taste are important to you, then I would definitely flush. And it's really not a huge endeavor anyway like alot of people make it out to be. Easiest way to do it is to put the plant out side and flush it with a garden hose, or put the plant in a tub or shower and flush it in there. A turkey baster helps to pull water out of the tray if you can't move the plant.

Ok, I'll try. I have two Candy Kush that are about 7-10 days out. Today is day 73 for them. Organic soil/plants. I started them in a three gallon smart pot, and I put that pot into a seven gallon smart pot about five weeks in to the grow. They are both bigger than anything I've grown, bud wise, very thick. Not that frosty but I see that picking up each day.

Here is a picture from last night:

I go ahead and flush that one since that soil isn't going to be used till next year anyway.

How much or how many gallons to flush, I assume it's about seven gallons of soil.

Straight from my hose or RO water??

And the other plant I won't flush. That will be a good test for me. I typically don't flush. But I'll try.

 

[iwltfum]

I go ahead and flush that one since that soil isn't going to be used till next year anyway.

How much or how many gallons to flush, I assume it's about seven gallons of soil.

Straight from my hose or RO water??

And the other plant I won't flush. That will be a good test for me. I typically don't flush. But I'll try.

I flush my soil plants with well water (7.2pH and 120PPM). As for my hydro plants, I usually try to stick with RO, but I've had to use the well water in a pinch to do the lions share of the flush and then switched to RO for the last bit so that there was only RO left in the soil when the flush was finished. It's possible that some mineral content in the water would actually help to flush the soil in the same way a flushing agent would, by attaching themselves to salts and drawing them into solution with the water. All that being said, you could probably flush with city water and your plant's would be fine. My thinking is that the more stuff that is in the water during the week of flush, the more stuff will end up in your bud. Depending on what that "stuff" is, it could affect the taste and smell.

 

[MassMedMan]

Sounds good. I'll do it a little later, thank you!

 

[rupert]

FWIW, the estimable Jorge Cervantes says "stop fertilization seven to ten days prior to harvest." That's not advice specifically for hydro, tho. That's his general take.