So I’m growing 3 photos in coco amended w/ dry organics. Like a fool I went w/ 3 diff strains (Jack Herer, Amnesia, and a Gelato OG) and sure enough they are all very different and on different finishing timelines.
Tomorrow will make 11 weeks since I flipped. The Jack popped pistils immediately….maybe 3-4 days. The other 2 were much slower and are a couple weeks behind the Jack.
I normally don’t have any doubts or questions about when a plant is ready…or at least in a good window for harvesting. I grew for many yrs outdoors and 90% of the plants were either clones or at least seeds from the same strain….and it always did the same thing. Once the white pistils stopped and all the hairs receded back, it was picked within a week. Everyone loved that strain and I never grew anything else.
I am generally of the mindset that a bud isn’t ripe if it’s still popping out fresh white pistils…trichomes be damned.
But this Jack has me re-thinking things.
It’s basically been in active flower for 72-73 days, under an HLG 320 LED.
About 2 weeks ago I noticed the tippy tops of all the tops were mostly amber, while an inch below there was a few amber, mostly cloudy, and still some clears glistening like diamonds.
And I’m talking about calyx trichs not the leaf trichs which are all blazing red.
I cut my light intensity back a notch and let it ride.
Currently their is an abundance, almost too many amber trichs in spots, perfect in others, and almost none it some.
I can handle averaging out the trichome stages and harvesting when I have the greatest percentage of ideal. Some will be degraded, some amber, most will be cloudy and some will still be clear.
What’s throwing me is the new pistils. There aren’t a lot, but almost every bud has one or two.
Plus, the tips of a few nice tops are beyond amber…..as in they look nuked….only tiny little spots but still.
Furthermore, there is some definite foxtailing, which is likely genetic but could go on for a long time.
I’ve opined on this topic many times involving other grower’s plants…..but when it’s mine, I can’t think straight.
What do I do??
If I wait out these newest pistils it will take at least a week or longer.
I’ve never grown or consumed Jack Herer, so I don’t know where it’s sweet spot may be.
The breeder (seedsman) says there are a bunch of phenos, so it could flower anywhere from 50-70days. I don’t pay much attention to the timelines of breeders but it’s clear that with Jacks you could be looking at a wide range of outcomes.
Please look at my pics, read my description and lemme know what u think.
Cheers and thanks to all my fellow farmers.