My plant is dying, what should I do?

[EarthlyInspired]

Hi guys, I hope you can help! I've read so many forums and FAQs, but unfortunately none of them mention what happens if you let your friend babysit and they neglect to take care of your green children haha. This is my first cannabis plant I have grown, and it has been my baby. I've always loved growing plants, and to have one that will produce your own medication for you is even more so amazing. I have been devotedly growing this one since February, and have recently been away on holidays to Europe. I had my close friend watch over my plants and tend to them while I was away, but it turns out she left them unwatered for ten days or more. Imagine my heartbreak when I return and my beautiful thriving plant is miserable, wilted, and yellow. What do I do?? I watered it immediately, small amounts at first, and watered it again in a few days, but instead of getting better, she appears to be getting slowly worse. I cut off the dry dead leaves, but the wilting yellow ones are all slowly dying too. The buds are all still green but the pilot leaves (is that what the large ones are called?) are dwindling. A lot of the pistils are brown now, on some buds almost all of them and on other smaller lower buds nearly none, but my trichomes are still mostly clear. I was hoping for a later harvest with more CBD levels, but now I'm fearing I may never get there. Advice?! Is my girl past the point of recovery? Should I harvest now? Can I harvest branches at a time over the span of a few weeks to allow the younger buds to mature? Thank you so much for all your help everyone!

[EarthlyInspired]

[NebulaHaze]

It looks like it's getting close to harvest!

[NebulaHaze]

If a plant gets severely underwatered, you may not see the full effects right away. The leaves may have been damaged internally, but it took a few days for them to fully express the damage. When a plant gets extremely water stressed the best thing you can do is baby it and hope for the best. It can take up to a week before it starts getting better. You obviously were taking good care of it before so I would continue with your old regimen. My only other suggestion is I would recommend getting more light. The amount the buds fatten is directly related to the amount of light they get. Some of the pictures look like the buds are very immature, but in the most recent pictures, they appear much closer to harvest, though it may be just a trick of the light.

I think you could let it go a little longer if you wanted to let the buds mature more. You have some yellowing leaves but the colas themselves look like they're still doing well. As long as the sugar leaves (single finger leaves on the buds) stay green, the buds will still be fattening and maturing. Just so you know, letting the buds go longer will increase the levels of CBN (which is slightly psychoactive can make buds feel a little sleepy/more relaxing) but the amount of CBD is directly related to the strain, and won't be much affected by the time you harvest. Their names are similar and they both can have a relaxing effect, so it can be confusing, but CBD is what is recommended for things like spasms, seizures, anxiety, etc. and is not psychoactive at all (in fact it reduces the psychoactive effects of THC). Here's a little more about the differences between CBD and CBN if it helps

Overall I think your buds look like they're coming along well. I know it can be so disheartening to come back to a plant that got sick while you were away, but it seems relatively late in the flowering stage so I don't think this will have a huge effect on your final yields.

[EarthlyInspired]

Thank you so much for the reply! I have added more lights too since I have been back so I'm glad to hear that may also help. And you are right, I must have meant CBN, not CBD. I am growing it to treat anxiety, and from my reading understood that late harvests are best for that. And the strain of course, like you said I have a strain that is commonly used for anxiety treatment (the name eludes me though at the moment! 😣)

I'm very glad to hear that the sugar leaves are so important, and since those are still green or mostly green on all colas, gives me some renewed hope. It's very encouraging to hear from other growers who know their stuff that not all is lost. I sincerely appreciate it!

[Canuck147]

If you have been growing that plant for 9 months - It should be done.

[Dutchman1]

Its doing fine, check the trichomes with a 60X magnifier too look for cloudy/amber tric's.

[EarthlyInspired]

Thank you for the replies!

Canuck147--since she is my first weed attempt, the beginning was slow. It took 2-3 months before she grew beyond a few inches tall, probably due to my incorrect lighting attempts, etc. But yes, it's pretty close to ready, but the trichomes are still largely clear, so I worry the THC/CBN production hasn't quite matured enough yet.

Dutchman1--I'm glad you think it's doing ok! I don't have a microscope, but the camera I use to zoom in on the trichomes (shown in one of the original pictures posted) does a pretty ok job. But the trichomes still seem to be very clear, maybe just starting to turn cloudy. Definitely no amber colours yet.

[EarthlyInspired]

If anyone's curious--I've harvested the plant today. Probably not quite ready, most trichomes were still clear, but the internal damage seems to be extensive, and likely has affected the roots as well. I watered it last about four days ago and the soil is still soaked, indicating lack of uptake by the plant. The entire colas have started wilting and turning yellow and (maybe I'm imagining things?) the trichomes also appear to be degrading by the day. There seem to be far fewer trichomes with bulbs than there used to be.

Its a sad end to an exciting and otherwise successful first cannabis plant, but I'm hoping to turn it all into tinctures and get some relatively good product from it. We'll see! 🤞🏼

If anyone still has any further advice for me, I am always eager to incorporate better techniques for my next plant or even for this harvest process. For example, does anyone know of a good resource for how to decarb fresh material?

Thanks again for for all the help 😍

[D.A.A.S.69]

Evening Earth, looks like some serious root problems, but hey, at least you got her grown, after all you have been through, I hope you get a buzz just like you want.
Your next grow will be lots better, especially if you don't let that same friend take care of her.
Good luck an Happy Growing.

[EarthlyInspired]

Haha indeed! That was a lesson learned on who does NOT have a green thumb I hope it turns out ok too, thank you! Happy growing.