Schwer's First Grow Evah! Planning, Prep and Grow

[ajgrows]

You must have some small pets. I've only locked my cat in the grow room once and didn't even need a microscope to find him.

Again, I blame the bowl I just chiefed

 

[GalaxysEdge]

The little usb microscope arrived yesterday and its fricken awesome.

I feel I have steady hands but getting a clear, focused image of trichomes from plants in the tent was still a challenge with the microscope. I ended up taking extra pics because only 1 in 4 was usable if I was freehanding. When a flower was close enough to a tent pole that I could use it for support I was able to get a good image every time. What I really loved was pairing this thing with my phone (via wifi) and using it as a video camera to inspect flowers. Not only was I able to inspect flowers in areas my giant head would never fit with a loupe, but I was able to do it quickly and therefore inspect far more flowers than usual. Anyway, for $40 bucks or whatever I'm happy to have it in the tool box.

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So remember that stuff I said yesterday about feeling more confident about knowing the right time to harvest? Forget all that...

Here's a quote from Ed Rosenthal's guide on when cannabis is ready for harvest. The emphasis on the word begin is mine.

Your Essential Guide to When Cannabis Buds Are Ready to Harvest — Ed Rosenthal

Here’s all the details you need to know about the best way to determine the picking time of your marijuana buds: Ripening facts, trichomes and more.

www.edrosenthal.com

"Under magnification, you can see individual glands turning from clear to amber or a cloudy white. These colors indicate that THC is beginning to degrade into two other cannabinoids, cannabicyclol (CBL) and cannabinol (CBN), which are not nearly as psychotropic as THC.

When the trichomes begin to change from clear to amber or cloudy white, the buds should be harvested—this is the peak moment."

Okay, the word "begin" kinda worries me in that sentence, because the very last thing in the entire world I want to do with these indicas is create a bunch of fricken sleep medicine. Here are a smattering of trichome pics I took this morning with the new microscope.

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Dude you know what I am going to say....


Chop them down! Chop them down!

 

[Lilolme]

If they are to your liking get to choppin, if they turn out like you wanted fantastic, if not you know for next time. I’m personally gonna harvest when I like the smell and the plant is aging out, then maybe look at the trics

 

[Mothman]

When the trichomes begin to change from clear to amber or cloudy white, the buds should be harvested—this is the peak moment."

Chop!! CHOP!!!!!

 

[Schwer]

Dude you know what I am going to say.... Chop them down! Chop them down!

Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you've been saying that since they looked like this, so...

If they are to your liking get to choppin, if they turn out like you wanted fantastic, if not you know for next time. I’m personally gonna harvest when I like the smell and the plant is aging out, then maybe look at the trics

Yeah, I just wish I knew what was to my liking, lol. I always assumed this stage of the process would be more cut-and-dry (heh), but apparently not.

Here are some of the pics I took yesterday. I tried to focus on shot where I was getting a deep look into the flower, and I took pics from top center and the even the lowest developed flowers too. They're not in that kind of order though. This took long enough as is, heh.

BBK - Pheno 1

BBK - Pheno 2

BBK - Pheno 3

GDP - Pheno 1

GDP - Pheno 2

GDP- Pheno 3 ... Peggy finally looking a little less green at least...

 

[Schwer]

Almost forgot the group photo with everyone in their Halloween costumes. Have I made that joke before? Sorry, I smoke dope

 

[Schwer]

Here's another bit of pertinent info that I didn't point out yet: They're drinking habits have changed.

Two waterings ago I noticed that a couple of the plants were dry as usual and a couple were still pretty heavy. I decided not to water those plants at all that day and now they're on a different schedule. Just pointing that out because I read on one of the FARM stickies that such a change is another indicator of relative "doneness".

Peggy is drinking differently too, typcially about six martinis per night up from her usual four. I think she senses the end is near.

 

[ajgrows]

Buds lookin' awesome mang . Why not harvest a couple bud from each pheno at different days of 'doneness'? See what the high variance is like and gain wisdom for next time

 

[Schwer]

Buds lookin' awesome mang . Why not harvest a couple bud from each pheno at different days of 'doneness'? See what the high variance is like and gain wisdom for next time

Thanks mang. And yeah, that's kinda my current plan. I just watered this morning so I was thinking about moving two or three of the crew into the dry tent tonight to give them 24-48 hours or darkness before the chop. Need to set up better ventilation in there before I do that though.

The "current plan" changes from minute to minute though. I'm trying not to stress too much because I have enough of that going on. I'm going to post those pics in the harvesting section of the forum just to get a few more eyes on them.

 

[Lilolme]

Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you've been saying that since they looked like this, so...

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Yeah, I just wish I knew what was to my liking, lol. I always assumed this stage of the process would be more cut-and-dry (heh), but apparently not.

Here are some of the pics I took yesterday. I tried to focus on shot where I was getting a deep look into the flower, and I took pics from top center and the even the lowest developed flowers too. They're not in that kind of order though. This took long enough as is, heh.

BBK - Pheno 1
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BBK - Pheno 2
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BBK - Pheno 3
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GDP - Pheno 1
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GDP - Pheno 2
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GDP- Pheno 3 ... Peggy finally looking a little less green at least...
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Them look like wait another week trics in my opinion, very few ambers. Hows the smell? Does it still have kind of a sharp edge to it or has it mellowed and become sweeter?

 

[Lilolme]

Thanks mang. And yeah, that's kinda my current plan. I just watered this morning so I was thinking about moving two or three of the crew into the dry tent tonight to give them 24-48 hours or darkness before the chop. Need to set up better ventilation in there before I do that though.

The "current plan" changes from minute to minute though. I'm trying not to stress too much because I have enough of that going on. I'm going to post those pics in the harvesting section of the forum just to get a few more eyes on them.

I highly recommend at least 48 hrs in the dark the stumps from mine are still oozin, mine had also dramatically reduced their water use

 

[Schwer]

Damn, this puppy leaves tomorrow morning and I am so excited. I know I'll miss her a couple hours after she's gone but she will literally lunge for and swallow a shard of glass or a live hand-grenade if I dare glance and its direction and she thinks I want it. Lets just say this shit has been... in-tents ... ... no?

Them look like wait another week trics in my opinion, very few ambers. Hows the smell? Does it still have kind of a sharp edge to it or has it mellowed and become sweeter?

Thanks man. The smell is amazing and has been for well over a month. Maybe its these strains but the sweetness has been there a long time. Honestly the neighbors should thank me for the degree to which my carbon filter and/or my setup does not work, and it doesn't. No joke, if I still lived in an illegal state I'd be full-on paranoid by now.

I've kinda been using Peggy as my anti-benchmark since I assume she will smell less like what I want in the end than anything else given her unnatural youthfulness. How she maintains her color despite all them martinis is anyone's guess.

Also, I snipped a whole tertiary branch off of BBK2 a couple of days ago and its been sitting in the dry tent. Honestly, it looks pretty silly in there on the hanger and I laugh when I see while pretending its my full yield (because weed-funnies) but I should be able to give it a smoke within the next few days. I bet that will give me a whole new perspective one way or another. Thanks for your consistent advice, friend

I highly recommend at least 48 hrs in the dark the stumps from mine are still oozin, mine had also dramatically reduced their water use

Thanks again! I found it comforting today to consider that I could do two full split-harvests since I have that dry-tent installed. I'll be careful though, because while I'd like to slow dry at around 60% RH I don't want to have any plants with wet soil sitting in the dark for 48hrs at 60%.

 

[Schwer]

Yesterday was a downright miserable day

At some point last week the drain tube from my dehumidifer slipped out of the window and has been emptying directly into the corner of my carpeted grow room. I'm sure most of you know exactly how much water these large dehumidifers can pump out in a short time, so this was not a minor issue. I didn't discover it sooner because I have two tables setup in that corner of the room with a bunch of stuff underneath. It only became apparent when the carpet near the center of the room became slightly damp... fucking hell.

I moved everything away from that side of the room and pulled up the carpet. I spent an hour sopping up all the water I could from the carpet and carpet pads with a bunch of towels. Then I washed and dried them and did it again. When I removed the central-air's floor-vent to pull up the carpet I found it was so damp in that area that a fungus was growing on the vent flaps... fucking hell.

I couldn't reliably add anymore fans to the room without tripping breakers or otherwise stressing circuits so I put two of my tent-fans on carpet-drying duty. I set the dehumidifier down to 40% which is as low as I'd want it with the grow still going. I'm hoping it will fully dry by the end of the day, but the high humidity we're getting isn't helping.

I moved my intake for the tents outside of the grow room for the moment. I wish I could avoid opening the tent until I get everything fully dry and lay down a tarp or something, but the crew definitely needs a watering this morning. I've settled for turning off every fan in the room, watering as quickly as seems prudent, and hoping for the best.

Maybe I need my own weed guardian... anyone have a spare wizard or naked Barbie they can spare?

... fucking hell.

 

[FourPlants]

That sucks man. You have a wet vac or carpet cleaner?

 

[Lilolme]

That sucks man. You have a wet vac or carpet cleaner?

Anything that can, will. Remember, this grow is a practice run and serves to prepare for the future

 

[Schwer]

That sucks man. You have a wet vac or carpet cleaner?

My wet vac is one of those items that was loaned to a friend with a shop and never returned. I already texted him to let him know I'm looking forward to the bottle of 12-year Macallen scotch he'll be delivering on his way back from work this afternoon.

Fortunately I do have a decent carpet cleaner I can use once I set the room back up. I would have used it as a wet-vac had I been in my right mind at the time, but I was already running on fumes and it didn't even enter my mind. At least today there's not enough moisture remaining for either the shop van or carpet cleaner to be useful anymore... so that's something I guess, lol.

 

[SativaBob]

Damn, sorry to hear about the water spillage, man. Hopefully everything dries out for you. Can't wait to see pics of your harvest!

 

[Lilolme]

My wet vac is one of those items that was loaned to a friend with a shop and never returned. I already texted him to let him know I'm looking forward to the bottle of 12-year Macallen scotch he'll be delivering on his way back from work this afternoon.

Fortunately I do have a decent carpet cleaner I can use once I set the room back up. I would have used it as a wet-vac had I been in my right mind at the time, but I was already running on fumes and it didn't even enter my mind. At least today there's not enough moisture remaining for either the shop van or carpet cleaner to be useful anymore... so that's something I guess, lol.

I don’t know why shit like this always seems to happen near the end just as things seem to be runnin smooth. I can’t wait to see the rig you got planned for the next go round, sensors on everything tied into your computer with phone alerts and a big red flashing light

 

[Mothman]

Maybe I need my own weed guardian... anyone have a spare wizard or naked Barbie they can spare?

@Schwer, you need a puppy and a purple unicorn in your life.

 

[Schwer]

Damn, sorry to hear about the water spillage, man. Hopefully everything dries out for you. Can't wait to see pics of your harvest!

Thanks man

The dehumidifier was a huge help today in cleaning up the mess it made. The floors all seem pretty dry now but I'm going to keep it going at 40% at least one more night. Its 90% outside so the tent has been averaging 50% or just a little under. I'm going to keep an eye on it at lights out too so I can adjust if I need to.

I don’t know why shit like this always seems to happen near the end just as things seem to be runnin smooth. I can’t wait to see the rig you got planned for the next go round, sensors on everything tied into your computer with phone alerts and a big red flashing light

Didn't I tell you? My new plan was just to hire you to work my grow room. Congratulations on the new gig!

@Schwer, you need a puppy and a purple unicorn in your life.

Super cute, but I guarantee you the last thing I need right now is a puppy in my life, unless its chill AF. The unicorn can stay regardless.