The saga of a newbie and a 1st grow - about to harvest :)

[TheZenArcher]

Hi there, folks.

So, this is my very 1st growing experience, and I have some questions since somedays I fell kinda lost. Some background about this nice baby before my main concerns, if you don't mind.


The seed germinated in June 1st. I had no grow setup at that time so it started very informally.




Transplanted to an appropriate container / vase (bigger one, left) on June 19th:




I didn't have an appropriate grow room by that time, so It stood some time in a very provisional setup (a silver thermal camping met around the vase with a white CFL lamp hanged on the center, 24h / day). Shame on me, I know. But keep following this beautiful story.


By June 28th, the vegetation phase was quite ok, I'd say:


And so on August 13th, I managed to make use of my woodworking skills and build this beauty (23,5 inches width and depth by 60 inches tall, full spectrum 200W LED, one fan at the bottom blowing air and one at the top inverted to pull out / exhaust the air, internally coated with a silver thermal blanket, a timer for the lights and so on).

So here she was about 1,5 month old.




11 days after, on August 24th, I changed the light from 18/6 to 12/12, forcing the flowering stage to begin.

I am using LED all the time, the CFL is just to take pictures:

This is she on Sept. 3rd (never mind the small one, is another seed I am testing in a small vase):




Ok, going forward - flowers came, she stretched a lot and this is it as today:
Biggest branch is about 20,50 inches tall (from the base of the plant / soil, of course - not the floor).




Aaaaaand here are some macro shots of the flowers:



100% magnification - trichomes:



So, guys: since this is my 1st experience, what do you think, overall?

- It looks like a Sativa, right? Would you guess the strain?

- How much more time to harvest would you say (have the trichomes milky and about 70% of the pistils turning to brown)? ~ 2 more weeks?

- Any tips to increase the amount of trichomes or do you think it's already ok? I'm trying to decrease the humidity (it was 60%, I managed to bring it down to 50% with a dehumidifier and pumping up the exhausting fan) and I'm thinking about adding a UVB lamp (those used for reptiles).

- On increasing the trichomes again - If I add the UVB lamp, should I leave it on 12h straight, along with the full spectrum LED, or just a few hours a day (26W lamp, picture bellow)?


I really appreciate your comments and tips, guys.

Cheers,

TheZenArcher

[MeEasy]

Good job on your grow tent/cabinet looks good. If those bottom pics are now the flowers look very young and I would say you have a month or more left to mature. I would need a better picture of the buds to make a better judgment. Does look to be sativa but the strain is almost impossible to say. I have never used a uv light so can't tell you anything except I have heard some people using em. I think that the best thing for trichomes is good food and some sweets like molasses. I think I hit on all you asked but it is pretty early and I'm only on my 1st cup of coffee lol... she's doing good especially for a low cost 1st grow, you'd be surprised how many don't make it this far on their 1st try. 🌲😎

[SoOrbudgal]

Very good cabinet you made i really think it's great. I have a " clamp on lamp with a reflector " it's for our chicken coop during winter. I put the same CFL for my seedlings under it. I thinking if you got a clamp on fixture they are really cheap you could attach it to the side rails for lower lighting. Or if you can raise the plant up get it within 18" from that light do you know the true watts from the wall of this lamp?

[TheZenArcher]

MeEasySoOrbudgal , thanks for the comments!

MeEasy Yep, the bottom pics are from actual flowers. Some new ones attached so maybe you can guess their maturity better

How would you use molasses? I’ve never heard of this technique indeed.

[SoOrbudgal]

I use the unsulfured molasses and use it with a gal. of water 2tablespoons. I've also put it in the last bloom feedings. Some folks use it all along with the bloom nutes. I just use it mostly when i do just a water feed. Boy that sure looks like a sativa you got another month to go i bet? Just don't over do the waterings again wait till she's dry mine during the winter in a 3gal fabric pot take almost 5days to dry and i lift it to judge how dry.

[TheZenArcher]

SoOrbudgal , this LED is 200W true watts, not "equivalent", and it's attached to a sheave so I can move it up or down.

The distance from the light to the highest colla is about 12 inches - although is a LED I wouldn't have them closer than this.

Do you guys use any iOS / Android App to measure light? I've been trying some but the results are divergent among them, so I don't know which one to trust. =/

Thx guys!

[SoOrbudgal]

Oh that's close it did'nt look that close. I am not tech savvy i got a " old fashioned house " LOL land line phone. My current phone is DOA so i'm dragging my feet looking at them. If you see bleached out super white top bud your too close so look up " super crop " bend the branch over it's very easy and plant is not harmed very resilient plants.

[TheZenArcher]

Hmmm great, SoOrbudgal Will check this molasses receipt. Thx!

Yep, I imagined something around that - 2 to 4 weeks to go yet. Should have this good fox Xmas / New years eve.
Let's see how brown the pistils get next week and the other.

About the watering, sure thing, mate. I dig a wooden stick and check how humid it gets (same technique our grandmas used to check if the cake was cooked already hehe). But the watering period for this lady is also this - about 4 ~ 5 days.

Cheers!

[MeEasy]

Here's the link to GWE article on molasses

https://www.growweedeasy.com/how-to-grow-sweet-smelling-buds

[TheZenArcher]

Thx mate!