Well I am approaching week 6 of flowering and this is becoming common on the top buds of my colas. I hope I'm not close because they are not as big as I would have hoped. What do you think?
I'm thinking you'll need at least 2 more weeks on those. You'll want to wait till more pistils go orange and recede a bit into the bud. It's not surprising they're not as big as you hoped, because they're not finished yet . Should pack on a decent amount of mass in the coming weeks. The best way to know for sure if they're ready is by taking a peek at the trichomes, and to do that you'll need a jewelers loupe, a good camera, or something else capable of decent magnification. This thread by dc199 should provide you with more details...check it out. http://forum.grasscity.com/harvesting-processing-marijuana/666373-guide-when-harvest.html Peace.
hey nait402... looking sweet dude... bet you cant wait to get some of that NL in a joint man! been a few years since i smoked NL very nice tho, can be a big one also... sposed to be 7 to 9 wks... id let it go to the end of wk 9 if you can wait that long they should do a lot of swelling towards the end all depends how low ur stash is tho right
Lol Yah i can wait. Just trying to make sure I make the best bud out of it that I can after all the time and effort.
You want the best bud, keep waiting. 2-3 weeks min, Id be planning on 4 weeks. Depends on where you like your weed. Wait for the swell, check your trichromes.
This is not enough light my friend. Most common 100W equivalent CLF's are only around a true 23W, so times 4 that is only a total of 92W. I suggest getting at LEAST 6 true 30-40W (Bulbs on her the rest of the grow.
Its not enough for 2 plants? I don't know how to tell or not. Everything has been on track that I can tell. How can you tell if you don't have enough light then?
There is a very simple equation to use. More watts = more bud. Its about how much light is hitting your bud sites, bot in respect to intensity and penetration (coverage). More light = more energy for your plants to use during the production of flowers = more end product of higher quality for you to enjoy. You will still produce bud at 100w, but the above poster is just stating that you could be doing better.
Okay. I did LST for even coverage and i guess I held back on more lights to reduce heat. Its bright as hell in there though haha. I guess I will have to make some adjustments before my next grow.
Norcali is right.....Your plants look healthy but a 400 watt hid would really increase your yield about double what they are now and a 600 even better... A cooltube hooked to a centrifugal exhaust fan will lower the temps real nice. Nice grow and good luck man....
It amazes me how a sweet sticky bud like that is given such a back-handed wife-beater of a compliment. There is more potential to CFL than most people will give credit to; if you've made it to where you are with your lighting, you've obviously got the gift. In a world of more is better, few ever stop to appreciate what is in front of them because they're always focused on the future.
Back handed compliment? The bud looks pretty good considering the 100watts. Everyone has commented similarly in this thread so far... Low watt budget grows are cute, but with a little monetary investment you can be much more efficient with the time invested. For a strain like Northern Lights, totally worth it too. I've never posted to imply your buds are sub-par OP, again nice grow. Put a few extra bucks in and get stronger CFLs or more of them, or just get a 250w HPS. If it fits into your plans/space allotment, its worth looking into. Best of luck, have fun.
Pretty good considering. . . Low watt budget grows are cute. . . To me this is like saying "you're really pretty, for a fat girl" A true compliment is one that does not also demean; if you think he's done a good job, why add that he could have done better? It's given knowledge that HID trumps CFL; no argument from me. Guess I'm a bit sensitive on the subject because of similar comments on my grow. Don't mean to rant out on you, just frustrated that people miss the opportunity to just say "Atta boy". I know your comments weren't intended to put him down and I didn't mean to call you out, I was only trying to make this point. Peace.
^^Don't think the OP was looking for compliments and is right where he should be with his method of growing but, is asking what we think and is concerned with a bigger yield.... The truth is, as norcali states, more watts=bigger yields..That's the bottom line coupled with a optimal grow.... Have no problem with cfl's. I have used them and still do for some phases of the grow and have had some decent grows. You will still get good smoke. If your happy with cfl's it makes no difference what anyone thinks.... The basic rule is a minimum 100 watts for the first plant and 50 watts per plant thereafter and more is always better. With cfl's you need to keep the light 4" from the tops or, as close as possible without burning the tops. The lower buds using cfl's will be airy and fluffy. I would consider harvesting the tops first and lowering the light to give the lower buds a couple more weeks to become denser for a little boost in your yield. A couple things that help when using cfl's (or any light) is to lst your plant for a even canopy for better light penetration De-foiling the larger fan leaves slowly starting with the lower 2/3 portion of the plant helps. This will allow for better air circulation and more light into the canopy with concentration on the tops. I usually de-foil when flowering starts but, if you start de-foil in veg you can expect a few more bud sites...
Defoliate is the term you are looking for. I am a fan of cfl bulbs to a point. A respectable price to pay for a 400w ballast is between $80 and $120 depending on quality and if it is digital or not. Digital ballasts are more expensive initially but they use 10% less energy than their magnetic counterparts. This 10% will add up to about a kwh per 18 hour day, and at the end of the month that is a $5 to $10 savings. For some people the power saved with a digital ballast will completely pay for the item after just one year of use. The other nice quality is that they produce very little heat, which cuts down on the cost of cooling the grow space if the ballast must be located inside the room. The bulbs for 400w systems are usually between $20 and $60 depending on the quality and brand. Home depot actually sells cheap Phillips HPS and MH bulbs. I have a digilux MH bulb that ran me about $50 but is shaped like a traditional HPS light and fits inside of a narrow glass Cooltube I found for cheap on eBay a while back. Cooltube reflectors are typically pricey. Somewhere between $120 and $150 new in the store. Maybe a little less if you look around online. At the higher wattages the amount of heat generated does require a fair amount of directed ventilation. The nice thing about the air cooled reflectors is that they allow the plants to be placed much closer to the light, resulting in more energy available for photosynthesis. Although, if you're going to get a reflector I think a SuperSun 2 is the best choice. The fan required for a 400w lamp is a 4" in size and not extremely expensive. $80 on the upper end. They push around 200cfm and are good in a space that is about 4x4x7 in the dimensions. Additionally, insulated ducting will reduce the "whoosh" of the air and the rattle as it passes through the duct work. And if stealth is an issue the you will want a carbon filter to eliminate the smell from the 8 to 10 ounces of easy bud you should be getting with this sort of setup. Carbon filters range in price, but $90 to $100 should get what you need. So, about $450 to $500 to do it right... Or you can keep rocking that $30 light setup like you are. Either way is fine and totally up to your discretion. I started out with $800 for my first 400w grow tent but skimped on the air cooled reflector and the carbon filter for a few runs until I could afford them. I was paying $300 on the ounce at the time and pulled a little over 8 ounces in the first grow. So... Whatever you invest understand that it will pay for itself in just a few short months. Everything after that is green in your pocket.
Some really awesome info here. Sounds like something I will have to save up for. Now from what i understand the light will affect the yield NOT that quality. Am I correct on that assumption?
Won't affect quality and may even be better for tric development....More dense tighter buds, especially on the lower buds and a bigger yield for sure.... You will slap your face for not doing it sooner.... Lots of lights/xfans on ebay. Never seen a 4" cooltube but 6" are the most common.