To chop or not to chop?

[steffgrowsweed]

Hi Guys, my grow is slowly coming to an end and I am very excited, but here is a big but I will have to go on a business trip for 4 days and I’m unsure if I should chop before and have them dry (unattended) or if I can wait it out for 4 days. With my last outdoor grow, I had an emergency harvest due to mould and the weather getting worse, so this time I’m actually able to almost attend the complete last days. I noticed massive swelling of the calyxes since 2 days, trichome pictures added are from the blue dream. Most trichomes on calyxes are milky with some amber, on sugar leaves there is lots of amber trichomes. When looking at their group shot, all of them look really not done, since there is still lots of green except for the Girl Scout Cookies, she’s properly arrived in fall but her trichomes are the least developed, weird... I plan on putting them into dark for 48hours and my decision needs to be made in the next 2 days. I also would feel a little uncomfortable to have them dry without monitoring myself. What would you do? How fast do they decay? Thank you

Some facts & pictures:

11l fabric pots with soil - Biobizz Light Mix
120W Greenception Cluster LED (~250W)
2x2x5 tent, 2 small fans for airflow, exhaust
Humidity ~ 40-45%
Temperature ~ 23C/73F
Light distance ~ 10inch

Blue Dream Auto - Humboldt Seeds
Girls Scout Cookies - FastBuds
Wedding Cake Auto - Orig. Sensible Seeds

 

[Chris Scorpio]

Best to post pics here

Pretty sure of site links are frowned upon for pics, plus not convenient for the members here

 

[steffgrowsweed]

Ok, good to know, thanks I only have trichome shots of Blue Dream, I can almost not get a steady shot with my jewellers loupe and my phone. Thank you guys, your input is appreciated <3

Girl Scout Cookies - FastBuds - Day 73
She's the most sticky and her leaves clearly arrived in fall. Her trichomes seem the least developed though and no swollen calyx seen yet.

Wedding Cake Auto - Orig. Sensible Seeds Day 73
She looks the most far behind, still almost all leaves green (except her burned tips) but her buds itself are getting darker every day and she has 30-40% amber trichs on sugar leaves and milky on calyx. Her calyx(es?) have been swelling a lot.

Blue Dream Auto - Humboldt Seeds Day 73
She is a little green still also, but arriving in fall with some leaves turning yellow purple. Her trichs are milky with some amber trichs on the sugar leaves here and there.

Trichomes of Blue Dream Auto

 

[Chris Scorpio]

Pretty buds

Blue dream, by hairs looks a week or two away still

Rest look pretty close

I'd wait till u get back

When you think they are done...wait a week....lol..

What I always do

 

[Vapeman420]

I'd wait till you get back to harvest, most people have their grow area dialed in, but the drying area not quite as dialed in, which means it will need a bit more supervision. Plus when it comes right down to it, the drying process is really important (not that the growing part isn't important) as if you dry the buds improperly, it can take a perfectly grown plant and turn it into something that smells like hay, which is never fun.

Hope this helps!

-Vape

 

[steffgrowsweed]

I'd wait till you get back to harvest, most people have their grow area dialed in, but the drying area not quite as dialed in, which means it will need a bit more supervision. Plus when it comes right down to it, the drying process is really important (not that the growing part isn't important) as if you dry the buds improperly, it can take a perfectly grown plant and turn it into something that smells like hay, which is never fun.

Hope this helps!

-Vape

Makes sense what you say, I was worried about drying them without being here, especially since I use the setup, I have in place, for the first time. Thanks for your time and happy day

 

[steffgrowsweed]

Pretty buds

Blue dream, by hairs looks a week or two away still

Rest look pretty close

I'd wait till u get back

When you think they are done...wait a week....lol..

What I always do

I think I will wait until after I'm back, I was maybe overthinking it all, it's my second grow only (first one outdoors) and I am overparenting a little, I guess. It will be a loooooong business trip hehe

 

[steffgrowsweed]

Hi guys, reporting back after my business trip and you were all right. They are still not ready and survived with 4 days of no water. I gave them a good watering before I left and checked their trichomes today. I also invested in a new microscope, to be able to take proper Shots. Have a look

Blue Dream Auto Day 83

Wedding Cake Auto Day 83 - some amber

Girl Scout Cookies Day 83 - some amber, most on sugar leaves, milky on calyx.

 

[Stunned]

I don't like to take the plants much further once I start seeing amber on the trics, but that just my preference.

 

[steffgrowsweed]

I don't like to take the plants much further once I start seeing amber on the trics, but that just my preference.

Even on sugar leaves or are you talking calyxes? My plants are at different stages from top to bottom, so I try to get a good average from all different angles and base it on that. Thanks for your input

 

[Stunned]

Even on sugar leaves or are you talking calyxes? My plants are at different stages from top to bottom, so I try to get a good average from all different angles and base it on that. Thanks for your input

sorry, on the calyxes