Sativa Hybrid Harvest Time

[Allotrope1000]

Hi, Gang.
I have two HerbiesHeadShop "Apple Betty" plants in my outdoors garden. Cultivar is 60/40 sativa/indica and started flowering mid-August. See pics.
I am not expecting it to finish until
Thanksgiving.
Can those more experienced with growing sativas outdoors in a hot, dry desert climate (metro Phoenix, AZ, USA) please opinion on what you would expect for a finish date?

Appreciate your expertise@

[Allotrope1000]

Oh, forgot.
Pistils are about 50% white/uncurled; 50% dark, curled in. Trichs are about 75% clear, remainder cloudy with a smattering of amber.

[Mr.furley]

In my experience a true sativas goes from clear, maaaybe milky to bud rot. Them things will just camp out till no end so I’m a big believer in cutting “sampler buds”. By the time they’re dried and tasting them you’re two weeks down the road.

p.s nice plant, i’d love some close-up pictures of the buds😬

[Allotrope1000]

Thanks, Mr.Furley.
I concur with your guidance. I just cut a couple sample buds to dry and try. The plant is 8' tall and FULL of bud. See new bud pics.

[Bluey]

Out my way bud rot has been the norm for these the past 4 years as Mr.furley has stated, but out in the desert you may be able to go to amber without as much risk..

They go for a long time outdoors.

[Allenpro]

Not all sativa trichome's turn Amber. I have had have had a couple stop at cloudy. My personal target is nothing clear unless you have a desire to bounce off the walls

[Allotrope1000]

Thanks, Bluey.
Unusual heavy rain is behind us. Been watching plants daily for signs of botrytis - none yet. Fingers crossed. Drying a couple of sample buds. Will probably let go until Thanksgiving, maybe into December. Temps in low 50's at night, +/- 90°F during day. RH usually <50%.

[Allenpro]

Do the rattle snakes lay across your driveway to suck up the residual heat from the day? The main thing you need to grow Sattva's is patience and like all weed if you think its ready give it a couple more weeks

[Bluey]

The desert gets to 50% RH?

Big buds are susceptible to rot at that RH although you'd be very unlucky.

I thought deserts were like 35% RH give or take

[Allenpro]

They are dry, my sinuses were never a problem and my joints didnt hurt as much when I was there a

[Allotrope1000]

Thanks, guys. Patience fading.

The RH goes up at night when the temperature drops. For example, at 9:30 a.m., temp is 62°F, RH 67%, at a sensor hung
in the biggest plant.
Later today, temps will be 85° ish and RH 25% ish. Going into winter it is damper out since the 110°F summer temps have gone. Summertime RH is <10%, but a shaded area and mulched soil bed
raise the humidity around the plant.

[Mr.furley]

Pull off them yellowing leaves, organic dying material creates rot. You’re most likely just have to bump them.

A leaf blower is a good way to blow the dew off in the morning or dry them out after a rain storm.

[DabberDog]

Didn't do a thing for the fungus gnats.

[Bluey]

What? The fungus gnats didn't die laughing?

[DabberDog]

Not that I noticed. A more pressing concern than gnat mockery was making sure neither I nor my apartment were on fire. Like what that campfire did when the beer bottle exploded that time we went camping.