Total Noob: 1st Grow, Train Wreck Autoflower

[cphil]

you are right... at the end it becomes a guessing game, and you with whatever preferences you bring to the table. If you watch the trichomes every day, you can get a feel for the pace of the operation and start to make guesses as to how many days out you are, or like I do, time it for the next watering to put them in darkness. At some point you have to make a well informed, but arbitrary decision.

I know I ask a tonnnn of questions, but I truly am taking it all in and learning haha. So am I gathering that by the time you actually harvest and cut the plant, you should be at the tail end of a water cycling, meaning there shouldn't be much water left in the pot?

 

[Emilya Green]

I know I ask a tonnnn of questions, but I truly am taking it all in and learning haha. So am I gathering that by the time you actually harvest and cut the plant, you should be at the tail end of a water cycling, meaning there shouldn't be much water left in the pot?

I used to do it that way and then wondered why I never could get a slow dry... now I harvest usually the day after watering and all that extra moisture in the buds gives me a lot better cure.

 

[cphil]

I used to do it that way and then wondered why I never could get a slow dry... now I harvest usually the day after watering and all that extra moisture in the buds gives me a lot better cure.

Makes total sense!!! You’d think you’d want it as dry as possible to harvest, but when I think more about how we want a slow dry, that makes sense.

So I’m not sure if I stopped the nutes too soon, I may have. Since switching only to water like 4 days ago, I haven’t seen a noticeable difference in amber trichomes, which kinda makes me nervous. I have a few here and there but it doesn’t seem to be increasing much.

Uh oh haha

 

[HutchBenedict]

Hey cphil, thanks for asking some really good questions! And thank you @Emilya for your sage advice!

 

[cphil]

Sooooo..... I am on Day 87 of the grow and Day 5 or 6 of just using water, no more nutes. I haven't seen an increase in Amber Trichomes yet. Should I go back to giving a lower dosage of nutrients until I see more Amber Trichomes?

 

[cphil]

Guess I went WAY too early on the water. Still haven’t seen an increase really in amber trichomes. Seems like it’s taking forever....

 

[Pennywise]

That's good, she'll call continue to mature.

 

[cphil]

That's good, she'll call continue to mature.

Thanks for the rapid reply... I feel like if I continue to give water only I am going to get some problems... should I give some CalMag? @Emilya

It's been 9 days since switching to water only

 

[Emilya Green]

Thanks for the rapid reply... I feel like if I continue to give water only I am going to get some problems... should I give some CalMag? @Emilya

It's been 9 days since switching to water only

I absolutely do not give calmag or molasses in the last week... I crazily believe that I can taste the magnesium in the final product. If your plants haven't gotten what they needed in this regard by now, it is too late.
I will say however that I am no longer a fan of this water only strategy at the end. I don't rip my organic plants out of the mineral rich soil they are in and plant them in something inert and give them water only at the end... and I don't think that other growers need to do this either... at least with the exception of extra magnesium.
The concept of flushing is for synthetic growers who have built up salts in the medium. I like the idea of a final flush around the final two week point so as to clear all the built up salts out of the medium, and to allow from that point forward maximum water uptake... but I see no good reason to withhold nutes after that flush... you are trying to build up the buds after all.

 

[cphil]

I absolutely do not give calmag or molasses in the last week... I crazily believe that I can taste the magnesium in the final product. If your plants haven't gotten what they needed in this regard by now, it is too late.
I will say however that I am no longer a fan of this water only strategy at the end. I don't rip my organic plants out of the mineral rich soil they are in and plant them in something inert and give them water only at the end... and I don't think that other growers need to do this either... at least with the exception of extra magnesium.
The concept of flushing is for synthetic growers who have built up salts in the medium. I like the idea of a final flush around the final two week point so as to clear all the built up salts out of the medium, and to allow from that point forward maximum water uptake... but I see no good reason to withhold nutes after that flush... you are trying to build up the buds after all.

So you will stop CalMag, but you will continue to use nutes until you chop and harvest? interesting

 

[Emilya Green]

So you will stop CalMag, but you will continue to use nutes until you chop and harvest? interesting

I don't see any reason not to, especially in light of all the new data that nutes really don't affect the taste of the final product, especially knowing that in an organic grow, these nutes right up to the end seem to make a big difference.

 

[cphil]

Still not near 30% amber trichs but dang the pistils are really starting to shoot out!

 

[Pennywise]

Foxtailing big time!

 

[cphil]

Foxtailing big time!

I’ve tried doing some quick searching for what fox tailing is and whether or not it’s a good thing. It seems inconclusive whether or not it can actually increase yields?

 

[Pennywise]

It's just Brachts growing on top of Brachts. At times it can give you bigger flowers.

 

[mojuan]

I'm learning to, so I'm in

 

[cphil]

I feel like the trichomes are trolling me. Still haven’t seen a substantial increase in ambers. I’m rather confident I’m not missing something here.

Day 94... seems like a long time

 

[Pennywise]

It's still pumping out new pistils so may not amber up for awhile. Is it mostly cloudy trichomes?

 

[cphil]

It's still pumping out new pistils so may not amber up for awhile. Is it mostly cloudy trichomes?

I mean I guess I shouldn't complain since that just means more time to pump up the weight. Very very few clear trichomes, I'd say maybe 10% clear, 85% cloudy, and maybe 5% amber.

 

[Pennywise]

I guess it's up to you now as far as when you want to harvest. I'd give them just a little longer.