Grape Ape Harvest Period Questions

[Elevator]

Hi all, thanks for any input ahead of time, but please only answer if you've grown Grape Ape, the really desirable cut with orange hairs specifically.

I have a good source for Grape Ape and I've grown it before. I'm growing in coco dtw with co2 in a sealed room fyi. Last grow, I harvested it exactly at eight weeks and had a good harvest, great trich coverage and the bud appeared pretty ripe. My question is, if I push it to 9 weeks, will I get a significantly better yield or will the bud just be riper? I actually don't want the bud to be super heavy and stony, so it won't be worth it unless my yield is 10% + better.

Also, how cold should I make my room to really bring the purple out, and do I run it cold at night only or 24 hours. Or does the purple come out with more flowering time?

Any thoughts?

 

[Paul Simon]

Grape Ape is one of the lower yielding cuts I have worked with over the years. If you lower the temps and let it go another week you may see some additional yield, but the candy aspect of the flavour with explode. Just not much of a producer, but that extra week can REALLY help bring out the goodness in her. The color also tends to come out at the end liks cookies in my experience. Try adding in some Barley SST and you can most likely get these results in the same 8 week window.

 

[Elevator]

Interesting, then maybe I'll keep it to 8 weeks. I was pleased with the yield last time, it wasn't exceptional, I got 1.5 from a 1k watt standard hps. I upgraded to 6/750 gavitas and learned some new pruning techniques and I'm pretty confident I'll hit that same 1.5 per light, with much less electrical usage. I'm crossing my fingers to try to hit that elusive 2 per light. I also like the fact that it's actually ripe at 8 weeks. The last time I grew it with SuperLemonHaze and was told by the clone man they'd both be 8 weekers but the SLH wasn't ripe at 8 weeks and I was forced to pull it after nine weeks and it still wasn't quite ready.

 

[Paul Simon]

Most people selling genetics are dishonest about flowering times, but lazy growers ALMOST(but not quite) mean they have to be to even get people to consider their gear. Lots of the better stuff out there has longer flowering times than published online period. Good Diesel or Cookies needs round 80 days to be perfect IMO. Well beyond even 10 weeks. On the opposite side I have had plants finish as fast as 44 days once flipped from seed and was axpecting at least 10 more, but we had over 35% amber at day 42 and HAD to chop ASAP to oveoid getting over ripe. Growing has certainly taught patience to me.

 

[Elevator]

Most people selling genetics are dishonest about flowering times, but lazy growers ALMOST(but not quite) mean they have to be to even get people to consider their gear. Lots of the better stuff out there has longer flowering times than published online period. Good Diesel or Cookies needs round 80 days to be perfect IMO. Well beyond even 10 weeks. On the opposite side I have had plants finish as fast as 44 days once flipped from seed and was axpecting at least 10 more, but we had over 35% amber at day 42 and HAD to chop ASAP to oveoid getting over ripe. Growing has certainly taught patience to me.

Ya absolutely, and it's understandable, that's why they all say average to above average yield, which isn't possible either. A friend of mine I was helping with a grow grew some RD 501st OG which they claim is 50-65 days. We let it go a full 75 and it was stellar, some of the best bud I've ever smoked, and made the best concentrates I've ever had. Then the next grow he pulled it at 63 days which they indicate is the end of the harvest window and it was mediocre, and had almost none of that OG stank the first batch had. That being said, I was shocked at how good the Grape Ape I grew looked at 8 weeks, it had awesome bag appeal and smell. I also liked how hardy it was and how short it stayed but I had issues with hermies which I've heard can be a problem with that pheno.