Hi, on the final stages of my first grow, using soil only (please don't ask the mix, it ain't fancy) and everything seems to be going well. My question is about water. I have one plant and was giving her 1 L of water per week during veg and that was great. I noted if I gave too much water her leaves would brown at the ends, so I took it really easy and found the magic formula of 1 L per week. But I noted a few weeks after switching her to flower she seemed to need less and now I am at 1/2 L per week. Is this normal? She seems to like it, would this be because there is much less "leaf" and more "bud" which requires less water? Just kinda curious.
Watch your plant and do what feels right and what makes your plant happiest. No matter what though, your soil should stay at least just moist. Good luck. J
Well I feel kinda dumb. I've been letting her get pretty dry- the surface dry and the pot light. Is that the reason she's had brown tips? I thought overwatering did that.
Theres nothing wrong with letting the soil dry out before watering. When growing peppers, during fruiting if you water more = more mild peppers, if you water less = hotter peppers. Who knows, maybe that translates into Cannabis somehow
Having a similar situation myself krazykat, except I'm not experiencing any browning... In the pasts I always went by the weight of the pot and got a lot of runoff.... With organic I did not want a lot of runoff to avoid leaching nutrients from the soil so, am watering maybe a little more than you(1/2 gal)in 3 gal pots but, just till I get a small amount of runoff. Been watering every third day but, think I will start watering every other day, as the plants are getting larger and makes sense they must need more water. The pots always seem light, even after watering and the top 2" is real dry but, under that that top layer of soil is just slightly moist and the plants are doing great... I find that scratching the top surface to break up the soil crust with my finger and watering very slowly starting at the base of the plant working outward works best for good overall water saturation. Have no idea why your leaves would turn brown from to much water, usually they will wilt some from to much or, to little water.... Don't think your having a problem if plant are looking healthy. The oxygen your getting to the roots from drier soil is just as important as getting the proper amount of water to keep the soil moist. I'm using air pots and am definitely going to blumats for future grows to be assured the soil is always moist without the guessing.....
Thanks for the input, everyone, this is my first grow and I am experiencing the usual doubts with anything new. Just waiting for her to mature, checking the trichomes every day, still clear, hoping for cloudy and a few dark ones.
She really started to look ready according to all the great pics I've seen here, and I noted a few brown trIchomes. Harvested yesterday and trimmed and hung the buds. Drying now, will have to wait just a few more days to get 'em dry enough to weigh and see how I did. (and maybe smoke some uncured bud to check strength. Btw, curing does nothing for potency, correct? Just for taste and clean burning?)
curing does nothing for potency, correct? Just for taste and clean burning?) IF I remember correctly, cannabis is psychoactive, and does in fact gain potency during the curing process. Can anyone comment on this? From what I understand, potency does gain strength after harvest. J
Hey jerry, Like most plants, cannabis continues ripening after harvest- chemical processes are still occurring even though the plant has been harvested. So I'd imagine that potency does increase after harvest, but only up to a certain point, and then either that same potency is maintained, or it starts to decrease with time, oxidation, etc. What that point is and how long after harvest it continues to ripen I don't know (not very long after I'd imagine). But I do know that it doesn't increase in potency indefinitely during the curing process- bud cured for 1 month will be just as potent as bud cured for 3 months, but the 3 month cure will have better flavor and aroma. I think increases in potency after harvest are small though, so you can probably get a decent idea of the potency level right after harvest. But stinky, flavorful bud sure does seem more potent, doesn't it? I'd take aromatic and flavorful, but less potent, bud any day over higher potency but less flavor and aroma.
After harvest there are still processes going on that affect the cannabinoids and terpenes. THC degrades into CBD, CBN, etc. Terpenes begin to break down more, this can be both good and bad but it affects the smell and taste more so than the potency. Chlorophyl and other chemicals break down to get rid of the green taste. You'll still have cannabinoids decarboxylating (into more psychoactive versions, think THCA -> THC) and terpenes isomerize and can create new flavors (polyterpenes).
Thanks, folks, I will be testing it mostly for gauging its potency for tinctures & edibles. And cause testing could fun
Well testing it was definitely fun. Potency: pretty damn good, as good as recent dank buds, I am very pleased. Taste: Hahahah, well, tried rolling a little joint with this incredibly moist bud. Would not even stay lit, of course, but fun because that sharp taste took me back too many years, reminded me of the crap I smoked in high school. "So that is what I was being sold" I thought, uncured bud! Tried it in my pipe and I did light and smoke. Pretty damn harsh, but not horrendous. Now I am just waiting for my crop to dry so I can weigh it and see how well I did for yield. Potency is a winner, can't wait for yield.
Finally felt the buds were dry enough Friday. Not including trim (to be used for canna butter) I got 15 g! I am very pleased. And made some Green Dragon that night, took some with the wife and we both enjoyed it very much.