Outdoor container -- ready to harvest?

[psyclotr0n]

Hi folks, my buds have been flowering for 7 weeks, and going by the GWE forum, to the eye it looks like almost all of the pistils have started turning brown and curling already.

I guess I'm surprised it happened so fast, especially because the buds don't seem as fat as I thought (although I've probably been underfeeding them, and they only get maybe 5-6 hours of direct sunlight a day due to urban space constraints).

I thought about getting a jeweler's magnifying glass but since I'm not intending to sell any of it, and don't mind erring towards the longer end of the harvest window, just wanted to share a couple pics here to see if it's ready to harvest, or if within a week or two, now that I have some MOAB high P-K nutes, if I should give a few more finishing doses to make up for almost no additional P-K (only some compost on top of soil) since flowering started.

And believe it or not, I don't know the strain that these were! A bud from a friend had the seeds I used, and it seems like a strong sativa, but wanted to see what y'all thought.

GWE is great!

Thanks!

[Mañ'O'Green]

They are certainly close but looking at the trichomes through a loupe or digital microscope is going to tell you exactly what you want to know 1. all clear = not ready. 2. mostly milky ready with a high cerebral effect. 3. 25% golden less cerebral more body buzz. 4. all golden goning to put you to sleep. Of course these are all variable within the plant's genetic line.

[Royal Nugs]

After I wiped the drool from my lip, I had to post and compliment your babies. They look great!

Oh.. And what MOG said....

[Green75]

Very beautiful buds...what does it smell like...
Earthy or sweet

[psyclotr0n]

Very beautiful buds...what does it smell like...
Earthy or sweet

Very sweet!

[SiriusFourside]

Wow, looking great!

It looks like it's losing its green (good thing) and the pistils definitely look ready in that second picture. I second Mañ'O'Green in that you should check the trichomes to make sure you're getting the effects you want, but it definitely looks like the harvest window is open!

[NebulaHaze]

I agree with the others, you look like you could harvest now, but nothing beats looking at the trichomes because you can have an influence on the effects you get in the end!

Here's a little guide to looking at trichomes, and here's the full tutorial about when to harvest with lots more pics and information. I hope it helps!



Also your buds look great!

[psyclotr0n]

Thanks everyone! Got the loupe (the one linked on GWE!) and starting to make my way thru trimming.

What's funny is seeing a mix of half clear/cloudy and amber (some about 5-10% amber, others 1/3 or more). In other words, I'm having a hard time seeing "mostly cloudy", and I wonder if it;s a strain-specific feature. I can't imagine there'd be much bud growth left -- you guys see the pics!

By the way, it's been hot and dry here and after 4 days some of it's looking *almost* ready, but still doesn't snap off. Guess I still gotta be patient!

[NebulaHaze]

I'd say from looking that your buds do look ready to harvest (and gorgeous)! When the plant is starting to lose a lot of yellow leaves and all the white hairs have curled in, it's giving you signals that its life is coming to an end

[kingfish]

Off with her head....

[psyclotr0n]

Thanks everyone!

One last question; I have two sibling plants that are about half as big as the two pictured. They didn't have as long a vegetative phase because they sprouted later, but flowered at the same time and buds look just as mature as the big ones (though leaves aren't quite as yellow/dead yet).

However, their smell is no where near as intense! Do we ever use that as a measure of either maturity or potency?

[Boo]

Nice looking buds ! Simply from the leaf shape I'd guess Sativa dominant ? That coming from a pure rookie so....for what it's worth.

[NebulaHaze]

Thanks everyone!

One last question; I have two sibling plants that are about half as big as the two pictured. They didn't have as long a vegetative phase because they sprouted later, but flowered at the same time and buds look just as mature as the big ones (though leaves aren't quite as yellow/dead yet).

However, their smell is no where near as intense! Do we ever use that as a measure of either maturity or potency?

Different strains produce a different amount of smell, and it doesn't necessarily have to do with maturity or potency. Blue Mystic plants are potent but have a relatively mild smell and some people actually grow them for stealth reasons! On the flip side, some very smelly strains aren't very potent at all. It's all in their genes. But it definitely doesn't mean anything is wrong, especially if they're being grown with other plants that are actually smelly. That makes it seem like it's not the environment doing anything

The best thing you can do to maintain smell is to keep the temperature under 80°F during the flowering stage, and dry/cure your buds the right way. I wrote a little bit about other ways of increasing smell here if you or anyone is interested!