T5 Exclusive Grow / First Grow

MistrBurrberry

Well-Known Member
I've already used LST to spread and bush out the plants in veg that I plan to run next. Do you continue to strap and tie down your girls into flowering, or do you leave what ties you have at 12/12 flip and add no more?
I am in the middle of my very first grow, so not sure I should be giving advice. I do keep doing LST into flowering but less and less and mostly just to keep all my plants similar height so I can keep the lights close. My oldest is about 2 weeks out from harvest, and I've only done any LST maybe 2x in the past 2 weeks, once to keep a lone cola from poking up too high, and the 2nd time just to pull one into a free space to get more light.
 

kindasobr

Well-Known Member
I am in the middle of my very first grow, so not sure I should be giving advice. I do keep doing LST into flowering but less and less and mostly just to keep all my plants similar height so I can keep the lights close. My oldest is about 2 weeks out from harvest, and I've only done any LST maybe 2x in the past 2 weeks, once to keep a lone cola from poking up too high, and the 2nd time just to pull one into a free space to get more light.
I tried to avoid any undue stress to my flowering plants so they could focus on bud and resin production, so no LST for me during flower. I'm not sure it's shown very well in any of my pics, but I used blocks of wood to level my canopy. Rather than tying down the taller faster growing plants, I prop up the smaller shorter ones from the bottom until they are even with the taller.
 

MistrBurrberry

Well-Known Member
I tried to avoid any undue stress to my flowering plants so they could focus on bud and resin production, so no LST for me during flower. I'm not sure it's shown very well in any of my pics, but I used blocks of wood to level my canopy. Rather than tying down the taller faster growing plants, I prop up the smaller shorter ones from the bottom until they are even with the taller.
Yeah I do that too, use books and boxes to stack the lowest, but I also like pulling down lone stems that would otherwise cause me to raise the lights on plants already sitting on the ground level, to keep the whole canopy relatively flat. Kind of a hybrid between LST and ScrOG.
 

kindasobr

Well-Known Member
Yeah I do that too, use books and boxes to stack the lowest, but I also like pulling down lone stems that would otherwise cause me to raise the lights on plants already sitting on the ground level, to keep the whole canopy relatively flat. Kind of a hybrid between LST and ScrOG.
I've been working a topping / LST combo with some SAGE n Sour that I'm really bushing out for a BIG finish later.. let her grow to a nice christmas tree with a few good strong lower branches, then top her. Stretch out the lower branches laterally over the pot and encourage lateral growth. As new branches sprout from side growth, continue tying for increased lateral expansion. It is looking more like a thick hedge than anything.. but this way the branches will be strong enough to support the weight of the coming bud, plus I've cultivated all those additional bud sites with minimal vertical growth. This approach would also be good for a Scrog, I imagine.
 

kindasobr

Well-Known Member
Day 53 of flower for Green Crack

Took a small sample from a lower bud. Easier to take trichome pics, plus got a chance to trim it up and throw it in the vape on high. Very uplifting, clear high.. likened to an Adderall "focused high" good for ADD / ADHD. This is definitely the high I was hoping for, since I'm a huge fan of this spectrum of effects, which I've been hoping to find in a strain I can grow. The flavor was very clean, but since its not dried or cured, it's tough to gauge at this point, but I assume I would've noticed a much more harsh flavor if it wasn't flushed proper. I've been giving them only 6.0 pH water since their last fert. dose over 2 weeks ago.

Still trying to figure out exactly when to harvest, but I know I'm getting close. I plan to keep an eye on the trichomes, and the first sign of any significant amber, I'm chopping.. something tells me they'll be done within another week but I still see a few white pistils popping up here and there..

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kindasobr

Well-Known Member
This will be my first harvest, so I'm not trying to mess it up.. from the looks of things I'll be cutting the Green Crack by day 60 ish. I don't want to harvest too early, but I'd prefer that over harvesting too late. I prefer the energizing sativa high..
 
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Cornishi

Well-Known Member
Those trichs look mostly clear to me. Harvesting too early is worse than too late.
Too early = no high and a sore throat.
Too late = potential couch-lock.
 

kindasobr

Well-Known Member
Those trichs look mostly clear to me. Harvesting too early is worse than too late.
Too early = no high and a sore throat.
Too late = potential couch-lock.
I think I need to get a better loupe / scope. I'm having a hard time seeing the difference.. plus I've still got plenty of white hairs yet to turn orange..
 

kindasobr

Well-Known Member
Looking good champ :)
Not long to go now hey, another week and they should be ideal!!
Thanks! I hope you're right.. It'd be nice to have my first harvest ready to smoke for Christmas and New Years!

I've got another scope: Carson MicroBrite Plus 60x-120x

Should be easier to see whats what when the time comes.
Hopefully I can get better trichome pics from it..
 
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eastcoastmo

Well-Known Member
Thanks! I hope you're right.. It'd be nice to have my first harvest ready to smoke for Christmas and New Years!

I've got another scope: Carson MicroBrite Plus 60x-120x

Should be easier to see whats what when the time comes.
Hopefully I can get better trichome pics from it..
You'll have smoke for xmas mate :)
Good work on the scope too, you'll get good use out of it!!
 

kindasobr

Well-Known Member
Weekly Picture Day!!! (Day 56)
The obvious difference between scope pictures is 60x (small) and 30x (bigger) respectively

Best part of my day today.. checking on the status of these ladies. I can't speak for the infamous 45-55 day Green Crack flowering time at this point except to say that'd be quite premature from my limited experience with this strain.. still, I feel I'm getting a decent return for my efforts. At this point, who cares about a few more days?

eastcoastmo I think you're right, after seeing these pictures I believe I will have some
fresh bud for Christmas!

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eastcoastmo

Well-Known Member
Weekly Picture Day!!! (Day 56)
The obvious difference between scope pictures is 60x (small) and 30x (bigger) respectively

Best part of my day today.. checking on the status of these ladies. I can't speak for the infamous 45-55 day Green Crack flowering time at this point except to say that'd be quite premature from my limited experience with this strain.. still, I feel I'm getting a decent return for my efforts. At this point, who cares about a few more days?

eastcoastmo I think you're right, after seeing these pictures I believe I will have some
fresh bud for Christmas!

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Plenty of cloudy trichs in there mate, looking great :)
 

kindasobr

Well-Known Member
New pics w/ the new scope: Carson MicroBrite Plus 60x-120x

Only managed to get one "post-worthy" pic at 120x.. still seeing a few clear trichomes,.. I wonder how much area on each plant do most experienced growers look at before making any decisions on the overall ripeness?

A few pics of the original clone in flower.(day 58 She's not giving up the biggest buds of the bunch, but I'm guessing she'll come in 1st for greatest overall weight. In any event, she's frosty and smelling amazing! :weed: Excuse some of the browned tips.. leftovers from some earlier nute burn, and the leaves were too small till now to prune.


My Afghani Reg. (free seed from Herbies) Although she's been in many of the pics, she hasn't
gotten the attention on this journal that she rightfully deserves. :cuss: Here are some overdue pics. She's on day 40-44ish.. I posted a more exact figure in previous posts, but honestly she got tossed in as an afterthought w/ the Green Crack when I realized they weren't stretching as much as expected roughly 2 weeks after I started the (6) of them.

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kindasobr

Well-Known Member
(Day 61) Green Crack Flower:

Took a good long look at them this morning.. The tops are swelling to a nice fat well defined point, and the white pistils have stopped appearing, most of which have turned or are turning orange. The trichomes have been steadily clouding, and I'm developing a much better understanding of the ripening process through these regular observations. Thanks to Bugeye for the tip!

The leaves (top and bottom) are beginning to yellow slightly from the tip and working its way back (towards the bud). From what I've read and been told, this seems to be the norm when they're close to finishing, so another good sign. I didn't notice, but I wonder if this symptom starts at the bottom, or the top of the plant? plant wide? Hmm..

Fed them yesterday with molasses @ 1/2 tsp/gal pH 6.0. Hopefully the last watering they'll need, but wtf do I know.. :dunce: Went real easy and with much reservation after very clear warnings from eastcoastmo about the use of molasses and it's pitfalls (thanks, by the way ;)).. Only reason I gave 'em anything at all this late in the game was because it'd been over 3 weeks since the last feeding of bloom ferts (due to infamously short flower time) and I've only given them pH'd water since. I didn't want to shortchange myself at the end.. figured a low dose would do them some good (and hopefully make 'em POP) Thoughts?

New pics will be posted in 2 days.. (every Wednesday! Weekly Comparison shots)
Thanks for reading, and as always comments, tips and suggestions are always welcome!
 
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