Hello! I'm really hoping for some quick help. This is my second ever grow and first time on my own. Everything has been going fairly well in my estimate. I have done hours and hours of research getting points of view and facts on growing, as well as the particular strains I'm currently growing, so I would say this is my last resort or I'm just going to cut once the soil gets bone dry after today's flush in a few days. Grow info: Organic. Soil- Kind "hot" soil and Happy Tree Frog potting soil. Container- 3gal smartpots (using 7gal smartpots next grow) Lights- 2x Gianor 216W UFO Led Grow Light Full Spectrum Strains- 1x Cheese and 1x Robert Bergman's Gold Leaf*** Average current temps- low: 72 F. High: 80 F Average current RH- low: 54%. High: 72% Space/room: 4 foot by 5 foot by 8 foot (round'abouts there anyway) closet lined in Mylar sheets. 1 tall standing Ion fan using a "nature" setting. Using for ventilation for now as I currently can not afford a proper venting system. ILGM's projected flowering time: 65 to 70 days (both strains) Current Flowing time, after first flowers appeared: 70 days. So my Cheese plant's leaves haven't started yellowing yet while the Gold Leaf*** has. I'm slightly worried about waiting too long to cut and I'm very worried about doing it too soon. I know flowering times could be different depending on many factors but my anxiety wont let me stop worrying about it. Right now I only have a 50x jeweler's loupe with two light settings(led and ir) to check on the trichs. they seem like they are only just about 25% milky with barely an amber one on either plant, except for the sugar leaves (only 2 or 3 every few). They seem to be starting to foxtail, at least from what I can tell. I know this is normal with Blue Cheese, but Cheese? Idk. Anyway, sorry about the pic quality, I'm not sure how to get through the purple glow with my camera without taking them out of their room... which I wont do anyway for fear of causing harm. If anyone could tell me if I should harvest once the soil drys or wait longer, I would be forever grateful! Thank you in advance!
Take pictures in natural light, so people could see better! 50x jewelers loupe is fine, but the sugar leaves is where you want to check the Tricomes. If you want people to see your Plants you have to take a picture of it in natural not with the light on. you could shut your light off with no harm being done just to take a few pictures. it's pretty much personal preference of when you want to harvest, more amber Will give you a more narcotic/couch lock high. I harvest at 75% cloudy to 25% amber depending what strain it is. most people don't go by what Seed banks tell you to harvest at. Like I said take pictures in natural light I can't even see I don't think anybody else will be able to either IMO Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Yea, I know that would help. I would really rather not move them around or mess with their lighting though, and I simply do not have the strength to move them around on my own anyway. I know It's hard to see, as I said in my original post, but some quality indoor/LED growers should still be able to give me a little help while working with my current pic lighting issue. Thanks for the reply.
You can't just shut the light off and take a picture? you don't have to move anything around! Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
I doubt it they're going to tell you you need to take pics in natural light you can't even see??? You should just Chop then if you can't shut the light off to take the picture it makes no sense lol!!! Good Luck Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
with the lights off its pitch black in there lol. anyway, my brother was home so i asked him to move them for me. for now this is the best I can do I suppose... I hope its more helpful. I just dont want to cure up some sleep meds!
I think it makes perfect sense to not be able to see in a light sealed grow room with the lights off =p
I didn't know you had to move them around you could of zoomed in to take a picture with the flash on, but I understand. There close IMO anyway. All the red hairs look like there laying down except a few of the bottom buds still have white Pistils. I would let the soil dry out then look at the Tricomes again. as long as your not seeing clear Tricomes and there Cloudy with a few amber give them another week. I just harvested this is what my Tricomes looked like when I harvested. I chopped a couple days after I took the pictures. Hope it helps, like I said it's really personal preference. Some harvested at 10-15% amber which would give you a head high and you would still be able to function and won't be sleep meds, and some harvest 50/50 Cloudy to amber but that's a couch lock high more narcotic like. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Thanks! I wasn't even thinking about the zoom and flash tbh, this is my first smartphone lmao. completely slipped my mind. next time lol. That really helps. That's close to what my trichs look like now, though there's still some clear ones in the lower middle. I'll do as you suggest. I heard they might not even get many amber trichs and I'm looking for a more functional buzz anyway.
Let the soil dry out before you chop. I harvested about 4-5 days after I took those pictures. there was a few clear I had to but not to many. Glad it gave you some kind of idea of what to look for. Good Luck Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Ur using kindsoil for nutes if so I use the same just water when dry Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
Thanks =) that's what I've been doing. I still wanted to flush even though some say its not needed with Kindsoil. I was having minor nute burn on and off throughout the whole grow, so I thought a flush or two would help. I use my well water but I learned it was a bit high on the ph scale so I use a little bit of lemon juice to lower it and it seemed to help most through flowering, other than the foxtailing I'm still not sure on lol. I think the nute problem I had was due to the size of my containers, so I upgraded for my next grow.
You don't have too flush I use the same stuff in not good at measuring out liquid nutes and the burn you been battling is from the soil it's a little hot no big deal I have a buddy who works for them it burned because it's a little strong but no need to flush you know it's serious when u open the bag it stinks like hell
Yea I knew it was strong when I couldn't even breath after the first wiff lol. but all in all, I'm sure the flush did less harm than good anyway. I've been a gardener for a long time. Most of what I eat is home grown.. its just my first time growing cannabis by myself.
Once you get the feel of growing your own herb, you will be hooked my friend, you will never be buying again..just put the effort into learning all the aspects of which it entails and you will never look back , it's a case of what you put into it....you will get twice out.. keep us updated..and happy growing
Update time! So, I over dried them. I was keeping a really close eye on them and decided on a day which I figured would be best to snip em and jar em. Stuff happened beyond my control and I missed that day and did it the next day. Just that one day dried them out too much. I let them cure for about a week before I put a wet cotton ball wrapped in tinfoil with holes poked in it in the jars with them for a day. They fluffed up nicely, which surprised me, and presently they are just a weee bit sticky. The Cheese buds have a very pinesol like aroma when i sniff at the mouth of the jar and the smoke taste is a bit piney as well, but there's no mold or mildew, so I'm okay with it. The Robert Bergman's Gold Leaf*** blew me out of the water though. I was not expecting it to be as good as it is. I just properly smoked some with some friends last night. The taste was quite earthy, almost like a fresh clean soil, which I don't prefer, but also don't mind. The high was super euphoric and relaxing with a very potent pain relief effect while not cause too heavy of a couch lock. We ended up getting very chatty until we got a few bowls in and it started to coax us off into a heavy, pleasant sleep ( I have terrible insomnia, so this was so many extra points with me). Usually when I smoke, including this batch of cheese, I have to fight off some moderate anxiety and paranoia, but with the Gold Leaf there wasn't even a mild hint of the those negative effects. More brownie points in my book. I ended up with just over an ounce in total from the two plants, which is right around what i expected to get. All in all, I am pleased with the results of my first (experimental) solo grow. Getting ready to put the rest of the seeds in my larger containers to start my next grow in a couple weeks. Maybe I do a journal for this one. P.S. I highly recommend Robert Bergman's Gold Leaf*** from ILGM to anyone dealing with chronic pain, insomnia, and/or depression. <3 Dani