Harvest & Curing How Important Are The Last Few Weeks ?

[true]

You see all this growth, then they start to slowly swell... Then you start wondering when is the right time.
On my first grow, like many no doubt I chopped too early.

Just how important are the last 2 weeks before chop?
Do you experienced growers really see things changing this late on?

I'd be interested to hear what you have to say :tiphat:

 

[blue]

Morning True

I don't usually like to throw in my two cents ... but on this occasion lol

.... I think the last few weeks are very important as far as weight and yeild are concerned, but i guess the question is more "when is the right time" rather than "when will it be the heaviest?"

I think this is where personal preference comes in and to some degree, you can tailor the kind of High you're gonna get from your girl.

Checking the trichomes is the only real way forward for me personally. There are some people that will harvest at near 100% cloudy and absolutely would not entertain the idea of trichs going amber becuase this would degrade the THC

Some people would like a less "upppy' high and more "couchy" stone and this is where letting the ambers appear will help.

Personally I would like to see nearly all cloudy and the first few ambers before i start the final 10 day cleanse, by this point I'll hopefully have about 20% amber and mostly still cloudy.

I've also made the mistake of harvesting too early with lots of clear trichs and only a few cloudy - yeild definately suffered and while the smoke got me "high" - just not the kind of "high" i prefer!

Hehe - that was like 4 cents!


Blue ^_^

 

[true]

Morning True

I don't usually like to throw in my two cents ... but on this occasion lol

.... I think the last few weeks are very important as far as weight and yeild are concerned, but i guess the question is more "when is the right time" rather than "when will it be the heaviest?"

I think this is where personal preference comes in and to some degree, you can tailor the kind of High you're gonna get from your girl.

Checking the trichomes is the only real way forward for me personally. There are some people that will harvest at near 100% cloudy and absolutely would not entertain the idea of trichs going amber becuase this would degrade the THC

Some people would like a less "upppy' high and more "couchy" stone and this is where letting the ambers appear will help.

Personally I would like to see nearly all cloudy and the first few ambers before i start the final 10 day cleanse, by this point I'll hopefully have about 20% amber and mostly still cloudy.

I've also made the mistake of harvesting too early with lots of clear trichs and only a few cloudy - yeild definately suffered and while the smoke got me "high" - just not the kind of "high" i prefer!

Hehe - that was like 4 cents!


Blue ^_^

Blue thats just what I needed to hear :tiphat:
Ive been in there all morning messing about with my 2p magnifier rubbish :slaps:
Are they cloudy, are they clear... Im swaying around, fans blowing, the plants moving and still this pile of rubbish magnifier is in and out of focus.

So Im saying there pretty cloudy, say half are... I think
But then where is the best place to poke your magnifier? Top bud, bottom bud, side buds...
Do I keep saying magnifier alot? :no:

These simple tasks can be a bit more involved I find.
Also I think why Im questioning this is because Im on day 62 and some of my plants are looking really really good to go.
I have some AutoUltimate that are weeks off, I think these will run and run, poss 100 days. I have a couple of automazar which pretty much look crap, stunted and not so happy and then I have 3 Think Different who from the off have been lovely. These ladies have some juicy looking buds, the hairs are browning off and they need chopping and smoking... Im finding it hard to resist, in fact I snipped a bud off in the week to test. Its nearly dry. Magnifier.

I say all this but people say Think Different normally runs 80 odd days.
So who knows.
I know this much... I need a decent bloody magnifier and this is my third. There all rubbish out there.

Talk me in Bluey Woops

 

[blue]

I've only just got the hang of using my scope - I've got 2 a 100x magnifer to get right in there and 30x jewellers loupe. I much prefer the jewellers loupe now.

I can hold it about 10 inches from the bud i want to inspect and just jiggle it until the fields of trichs are in view and then i'll edge in just a little closer until i see them clearly.

You can pretty much tell quite soon if they're mostly cloudy - clear trichs look very different. It's hunting for that odd amber that can be time consuming!

How many to check? Lots of them - I'll check the main cola first and then the buds around the canopy, I wont be too bothered about the lower buds.

I don't ike the 100x so much becuase its like a microscope with an led light on it and i gotta push it right up against the bud to see individual trichs and i don' t wanna manhandle my buds before i harvest (good for checking afterwards - but not so good for while growing)

Jewellers loupe wins for me

Im swaying around, fans blowing, the plants moving and still this pile of rubbish magnifier is in and out of focus.

Hey ... True .... Turn off your fans for a minute lol

 

[Muddy]

True, if you haven't seen this yet, have a read: https://www.autoflower.org/f44/when-harvest-autos-your-leaves-will-tell-you-4889.html

I don't even bother with a magnifying glass or scope anymore. Once you get the hang of it you can pretty much tell when they are ready just by sight.

 

[Dr Who]

Ive been in there all morning messing about with my 2p magnifier rubbish :slaps:
Are they cloudy, are they clear... Im swaying around, fans blowing, the plants moving and still this pile of rubbish magnifier is in and out of focus.

So Im saying there pretty cloudy, say half are... I think
But then where is the best place to poke your magnifier? Top bud, bottom bud, side buds...
Do I keep saying magnifier alot? :no:

Too true True, I feel your pain with this, I really do. In the end I just gave up with the whole palava of closely inspecting the trichomes with a lens and took to watching the leaves, in accordance with a post by Muddy. I think it's in the beginners section at the top. So I'm aiming for all the fan leaves to have died and the smaller bud leaves starting to go. I just couldn't make any distinction between clear and cloudy, and ended up being convinced that differences I was seeing were due to light direction as much as anything else.

I feel it's worth noting that I tried the lens palava on a photoperiod plant and I could tell when there were amber trichomes there, so I think the approach probably holds true for them.

As I have grown more autos I have come to think that the longer they are left the better, generally speaking.
:Sharing One:

 

[Justinsane]

True, if you haven't seen this yet, have a read: https://www.autoflower.org/f44/when-harvest-autos-your-leaves-will-tell-you-4889.html

I don't even bother with a magnifying glass or scope anymore. Once you get the hang of it you can pretty much tell when they are ready just by sight.

I second that... i even throw my magnifying glass out and now i go by looks and feeling. Both on autos and photos. I watch the fan leaves and the pistills.... i usally chop when there is a good mix of brown pistills but the plant is still shooting out new white ones.

The buds should look "alive" and not all brown pistills....for me that is...

I can tell you this.... you will learn by doing...and thats the best way in my book.

Hope you will nail your first chop and if you dont...do remember when you did the chop and how your girls looked when u did it, then do it earlier or later on next time...before you know it...you will master the skill of chopping down them girls exactly on the right day FOR YOU.

have fun with it buddy

Justin

 

[namvet25]

http://www.amazon.com/Carson-60X-10...F8&qid=1411135803&sr=8-10&keywords=microscope

This is what I use to check trys.I had to laugh at True trying to focus on the plant as it moved around.You have to take a few sample sugar leafs or a small piece of bud off the plant.I take about three or four try covered leaves cut them off and put them on the table and then use the mic to look at them

 

[wwwillie]

Hey!
Ya, I'll admit I laughed at the picture in my mind of you bent over trying to focus, cussin and fussin... But then I was "Hold on, that's me in that picture!!" I feel ya, truly! I do encourage you to keep looking though. I agree with Blue about the loupe. I got a nice one at the grow store for around $13.00 US, 30 and 60 power if I recall and it has LEDs built in. I like it because you don't need your eye right up to to it get a good look.
Keep checking the trichomes, also try to make some good observations of the other aspects of your plant, leaf color, leaves falling, etc. Then judge the smoke. Now put all of it together and you'll get a idea of what works for you!
I use the high power stuff to gaze at the buds and things when they're sitting on the counter and I have something to rest my hands on. It's fun to get a good one on and stare at them!!

 

[true]

True, if you haven't seen this yet, have a read: https://www.autoflower.org/f44/when-harvest-autos-your-leaves-will-tell-you-4889.html

I don't even bother with a magnifying glass or scope anymore. Once you get the hang of it you can pretty much tell when they are ready just by sight.

Thanks Muddy, I have read that before but did need to read again :thumbs:
I need a loose growing plan and I set out my diary for 85 days. So I will keep an eye on things and report back in.
Some more pictures to follow on my grow journal soon.

Too true True, I feel your pain with this, I really do. In the end I just gave up with the whole palava of closely inspecting the trichomes with a lens and took to watching the leaves, in accordance with a post by Muddy. I think it's in the beginners section at the top. So I'm aiming for all the fan leaves to have died and the smaller bud leaves starting to go. I just couldn't make any distinction between clear and cloudy, and ended up being convinced that differences I was seeing were due to light direction as much as anything else.

I feel it's worth noting that I tried the lens palava on a photoperiod plant and I could tell when there were amber trichomes there, so I think the approach probably holds true for them.

As I have grown more autos I have come to think that the longer they are left the better, generally speaking.
:Sharing One:

Arr thank you Doctor, its not just me then
Seems I have a few more weeks to go yet at least.

I second that... i even throw my magnifying glass out and now i go by looks and feeling. Both on autos and photos. I watch the fan leaves and the pistills.... i usally chop when there is a good mix of brown pistills but the plant is still shooting out new white ones.

The buds should look "alive" and not all brown pistills....for me that is...

I can tell you this.... you will learn by doing...and thats the best way in my book.

Hope you will nail your first chop and if you dont...do remember when you did the chop and how your girls looked when u did it, then do it earlier or later on next time...before you know it...you will master the skill of chopping down them girls exactly on the right day FOR YOU.

have fun with it buddy

Justin

Thanks Justin :smoke:

http://www.amazon.com/Carson-60X-10...F8&qid=1411135803&sr=8-10&keywords=microscope

This is what I use to check trys.I had to laugh at True trying to focus on the plant as it moved around.You have to take a few sample sugar leafs or a small piece of bud off the plant.I take about three or four try covered leaves cut them off and put them on the table and then use the mic to look at them

Nam man I have one of those!!!
For the life of me I cant see jack with it. Seriously I can see nothing.
Being a dumb as I did not take bits of bud off though. I will try that with that magnifier on a table and see if anything appears :dance2:

Hey!
Ya, I'll admit I laughed at the picture in my mind of you bent over trying to focus, cussin and fussin... But then I was "Hold on, that's me in that picture!!" I feel ya, truly! I do encourage you to keep looking though. I agree with Blue about the loupe. I got a nice one at the grow store for around $13.00 US, 30 and 60 power if I recall and it has LEDs built in. I like it because you don't need your eye right up to to it get a good look.
Keep checking the trichomes, also try to make some good observations of the other aspects of your plant, leaf color, leaves falling, etc. Then judge the smoke. Now put all of it together and you'll get a idea of what works for you!
I use the high power stuff to gaze at the buds and things when they're sitting on the counter and I have something to rest my hands on. It's fun to get a good one on and stare at them!!

Thanks Willie :Cool bud: