HELP! Is it done?

[DeadlyFruit]

My first grow is an outdoor (and this is my first post). I have 4 plants that seem to be doing well. This auto fem Cheese came free with some other seeds I purchased from a seed bank and it seems like it is going to be first to the finish line (the others are photo). Is it ready? I am having trouble seeing the amber in other pictures on the site that are examples of ready plants. As far as pistils go, on most of the colas they are darkened and curling in but as you can see in one or two of the pics there are some places where they are still standing up, especially at the bottom (should I have pulled this stuff off?). My last watering was plain water no nutes but I haven’t done any dedicated flushing yet so I am hoping I have a few days left.

I am am not looking for absolute max high THC (I have a low tolerance so I don’t need it too high). I want a bit of the relaxation effect because I use it often for insomnia and anxiety but I don’t want total couchlock. Would like a balance. Thanks in advance for any help.

Another question - any guesses on the yield? Just curious. Added two photos at the end that are the entire plant. The plant seems smallish but my understanding is autos are usually small. It was planted later than the photo plants.

BTW love the site, it’s become my complete go to for information. I appreciate all the hard work that has gone into it.

[alltatup]

Hi DF, It's almost impossible to tell whether or not your plant is ready to harvest from the pics, but this will help you:

https://www.growweedeasy.com/harvest

https://www.growweedeasy.com/ready-for-harvest-pictures

[D.A.A.S.69]

Nice job with your plants, looking good.
The Cheese auto is in the so called window, imo, or close to it.
If mine, I'd wait another week or two, the last couple of weeks is when they put on weight.
HappyGrowing.
Welcome to GWE,

[DeadlyFruit]

Hi DF, It's almost impossible to tell whether or not your plant is ready to harvest from the pics, but this will help you:

https://www.growweedeasy.com/harvest

https://www.growweedeasy.com/ready-for-harvest-pictures

Thanks alltatup, The articles are great (as are all on the site) and I’ve been reading and re-reading them but I have to admit that I have trouble seeing the amber trichomes. I figure my optimal harvest time is with about 10-20% amber. I have some colour loss in my vision so that may be it.

Out of curiosity, is it difficult to tell whether or not it is harvest time because the photos aren’t zoomed enough, or perhaps not high enough resolution, or of the wrong part of the plant, or is it just that the decision is a number of factors that make it difficult with just pics period?

thanks again, appreciate you took the time to comment.

[alltatup]

DeadlyFruit I look at the overall appearance of buds and I look for lots of white stigmas. I saw some buds with lots of white stigmas. This topic I started may help you, because a really good loupe was essential for me to really get a look at trichomes. https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...chomes-clearly
More than anything, I watch the plants like a hawk throughout flowering so I can keep track of the changes the colas are going through: I watch the buds fatten up, and I wait until almost all the stigmas are brown and curled in, although there are always a few new stigmas coming out in places--plant's last ditch effort to get pollinated. If you watch your plants closely enough, you can see when the buds stop changing: they're done!

I do pull out the loupe and examine trichomes, but primarily I go by stigma appearance and other indicators mentioned above of "done" buds. I looked and looked at the pictures of "ready to harvest" buds in that second link I sent you, and that's my guideline now.

[DeadlyFruit]

Thanks alltatup - that thread is great. I’m looking at the triplet loop on amazon. The microscope pic someone posted is the first time I’ve been able to see the amber in a trichome. I’m not quite of an age with you, I think you have another 10 or 15 years, but I need a glass that’s pretty clear to see anything.

[DeadlyFruit]

Nice job with your plants, looking good.
The Cheese auto is in the so called window, imo, or close to it.
If mine, I'd wait another week or two, the last couple of weeks is when they put on weight.
HappyGrowing.
Welcome to GWE,

Thanks D.A.A.S.69, I appreciate the compliment. I am strangely proud of my efforts. Pretty excited by the growing experience. Have to admit this is more of a buzz than asparagus or tomatoes (pun partially intended 🙂). I don’t recall the same level of pride over my little crop of vegetables. I have a sinking feeling I am about to drop a pile of money on indoor gear.

Glad to hear you feel it it is closing in on harvest time. Another week would just give me time to do the flush. I am trying to decide if I should use a flush solution or just PH balanced water with some blackstrap (I should have started the blackstrap earlier I think).

Thanks for weighing in!

[alltatup]

You should feel proud!! Even when we sink that money in, we are accomplishing something so rewarding! There's no feeling I've ever experienced like growing and harvesting my own pure bud.

[D.A.A.S.69]

@DeadyFruit You should feel proud, my friend, you've done a great job.They are mighty pretty !
But way up there you need a tent and a good light ,it's legal up there ain't it ?
You can use cheap leds to grow bud, but the more expensive ones work lots better, the leds don't put out much heat at all.
I use a 315cmh and it puts out some heat, and it wasn't very expensive,3-4 hundred bucks and it does a good job, if you got a good lamp-bulb in it.
The gold standard, imo, is a 600watt hps, you can get one of them for 150bucks, they are great lights, they put out some heat,though.
Growing is addictive, ain't it, pretty much free medicine, that's way lots better than that stuff you buy on the skreets.
Your gonna be good at it keep up the great work.
If you ever get in a bind and need a little help, plenty of great folks on here, that will be glad to help you.
GoodLuck an HappyGrowing, my friend.
Welcome to GWE !!

[DeadlyFruit]

Thanks for the positive words Daas and for the advice on lights. I can definitely see how this could get addictive. Kind of zen.

[homegrown]

hey DeadlyFruit, plants look good! Yes autos are smaller. Im excited to see how your cheese turns out ( im starting a freebie canuk auto flower cheese seed right now!!) I would wait a week or two, buds have some fattening up to do! .trichs are still pretty clear..they will turn FROSTY white before you see any amber.. i just harvested 3 autos that went two weeks past their stated flower period and i cut them as soon as i saw some color . maybe wait a week before you start your flush. I used pH water and molasses for 4 flushes. homegrown good luck

[DeadlyFruit]

Holy smokes, that is quite a selection of seeds to pick from! I have been trying to decide where in the house to locate my winter grow. I had never intended to do more than a summer outdoor grow but now I realize it is only a matter of time before I invest in the gear - I get a lot of satisfaction from it. I am wondering if I can make it work in my garage. I Am in Ontario so it is cold but not northern Ontario cold. Will the lights produce enough heat to keep warm in a Canadian garage in winter? I suppose I would need to run a longer day period if I were counting on lights for warmth. Maybe a 2 or 3 hour night.

[homegrown]

Hahaha..DeadlyFruit...im in southwestern ontario, Just finishing my first grow In my garage, In my converted ice fishing shanty!! lol. I guess it all depends on your garage..is it insulated, not in direct sun? My garage is insulated, but in direct sun. It was fine thru may but end of june it was getting Hot in there during the day. Had to go buy an air conditioner..and it was still a struggle. Im finishing up my AKs (harvest end of month) I've just started five plants that will go in the shanty as soon as its empty...I want to harvest before christmas.. i started a post earlier Quick grow before the snow..dont know how to post it on here..lol check it out, i'll be updating it often.. I am starting something indoors for the winter..Dont know weather to convert a room or buy a tent....hg

[homegrown]

Hahaha..DeadlyFruit...im in southwestern ontario, Just finishing my first grow In my garage, In my converted ice fishing shanty!! lol. I guess it all depends on your garage..is it insulated, not in direct sun? My garage is insulated, but in direct sun. It was fine thru may but end of june it was getting Hot in there during the day. Had to go buy an air conditioner..and it was still a struggle. Im finishing up my AKs (harvest end of month) I've just started five plants that will go in the shanty as soon as its empty...I want to harvest before christmas.. i started a post earlier Quick grow before the snow..dont know how to post it on here..lol check it out, i'll be updating it often.. I am starting something indoors for the winter..Dont know weather to convert a room or buy a tent....hg

[DeadlyFruit]

Is an insulated grow tent a thing? I guess that’s the opposite problem to most people.

[duckman]

check this page out, fellow Ontarian...you may find some tips here...https://www.growweedeasy.com/tempera...low-cold-temps

[DeadlyFruit]

Good article!

[DeadlyFruit]

Hahaha..DeadlyFruit...im in southwestern ontario, Just finishing my first grow In my garage, In my converted ice fishing shanty!! lol. I guess it all depends on your garage..is it insulated, not in direct sun? My garage is insulated, but in direct sun. It was fine thru may but end of june it was getting Hot in there during the day. Had to go buy an air conditioner..and it was still a struggle. Im finishing up my AKs (harvest end of month) I've just started five plants that will go in the shanty as soon as its empty...I want to harvest before christmas.. i started a post earlier Quick grow before the snow..dont know how to post it on here..lol check it out, i'll be updating it often.. I am starting something indoors for the winter..Dont know weather to convert a room or buy a tent....hg

I am in the GTA but on the west side so it is relatively moderate temperatures, I think possibly our winters would be a bit milder than yours depending on where you are but not by too much. Nice to see we have a good Canadian contingent here!

Good work with the ice hut. It even has a couple of hole to put your plants in! I grew up in northern Ontario so I have spent some time on the ice.

My garage is attached but we are a single story bungalow so it only shares one wall with no door between the house and garage. It gets cold in there in winter but not near as cold as outside. I could throw up a few roles of cheap insulation to improve on that but it would probably be better to build a box just bigger than a tent and insulate that with something of higher quality. I think I would still do an outdoor grow in summer (free top of the line grow light up in the sky!) so I’m not overly worried about heat buildup, and since we keep our garbage cans in the garage to keep them away from the raccoons, summer time in a hot garage might impart a certain undesirable taste to the buds 🙂

I’ll look for your quick grow post.