Hi everyone! This is a general harvesting question directed at experienced growers from a first-timer: In general, how long is the window of optimal harvest time? I'm worried about cutting too soon, but I'm also worried about cutting too late. ~65% of the hairs on my plant have turned brown (more on some stems), but should I wait to get a 'scope to make sure the tricomes are ready? That would delay things by ~5 days, and I don't want to risk some of the THC degrading because I've waited too long. For some growing spec's: She's growing outdoors in Northeastern US. Seeds were started in April. I haven't taken good notes (or any for that matter), so I don't have a precise flowering date. My fuzzy memory tells me "mid-July." IN SHORT: What do you think? Cut now? Have you New England growers harvested yet? (A side note: the female I'm thinking of cutting has developed what *looks* like pollen sacs. I really doubt it's a herm, though, because these sacs look different from the males I cut a few months back and they've only developed in the last three weeks. Please tell me is normal for females nearing the end of their life-cycle!?!? I read somewhere it was, but that was only one source.) THANK YOU!!!
i'm in new england and still like a month off from harvesting, so i'm pretty sure they'll be fine until you can get a proper scope and judge when to harvest that way. of course without pics i can't know for sure, get some if you can
Thanks for the reply AK. My plant's buds look MUCH farther along than yours does. I saw your picture from yesterday and you have no red hairs at all (that I can see). If you think yours need another month, I think I should pull mine now! You've got some nice looking plants, though! I'll try to get some pictures up tomorrow.
thanks for the kind words. once yer pics are up you'll be able to get all kind of input from other users too, but don't rush into harvesting if you aren't quite sure. ya don't wanna have put months into it just to get a mediocre smoke, ya know?
i was also wondering about the random pollen sac looking structures growing on a seemingly female plant later in the flowering stage. what causes it and is it indeed pollen sacs? anybody help out a couple new england growers?
it means it is getting real close to the end of it's life cycle. if the pollen sacs are on the buds themselves then your plant is try to pollenant herself even though she is a female. If you can keep the pollen from these plants if you want fem- seeds these pollen sacs are hard to come by in NE where we have such a short season. if you don't want the pollen i say she is ready to come down by i'd check the tri comes to be sure
are you sure about that dude, cause my plant isn't really that close to the end of its life cycle and they only popped up on a few branches that i think i stressed