A Newbies First Grow

I need up primarily using DE instead of Neem to suppress insect activity on the girls. I used yellow sticky sheets hung above the plants to monitor insect activity changes. When spring temps were in the 80's and low 90's the white files were a major concern with massive plume swarms in the early AM hours. The plants were already well established but were being effected. I started dusting the plants with DE and blasting the nearby trees and foliage with water to knock any eggs or hiding insects during the heat of today. I would spray neem and DE in the evening on the surrounding tree and rose foliage. I bought both praying mantises and lady bugs. I haven't dusted DE in about a month since the beginning of the stretch. The heat also killed most of the white flies and other nuisance insects. There are a number of spider species in the area that are very active making web nets all around insect activity. Just the other day while trimming some under growth, we found a few mantises and lady bugs. They are typically around in the cooler times of the day. The residual DE under the canopy doesn't seem to bother predator insects, although i have been shaking the plants to dust off the rest of the DE every day or so. I decided not to rinse the plants down as this will leave them wide open to attack, as I will not be putting ANYTHING to deter the insects, since they are now in full flower mode. AS the weather cools i will undoubtably may get more insects. The rains, if they come will kill them off and I am ready with hoop house cover.

I want to make sure I am recording significant changes during flowering for other newbies to see. Even if I am making false assumptions, I think it will help myself and others as we get more grows under our belts.

I think I am seeing the end of stretch happening and the takeover of cylax swelling and stacking with a change in aroma indicating an uptick in resin production. I have estimated flowering phase to have started 7/25, so from a calendar perspective it looks like this is where I am at at the near 3 week mark of the start of flowering as well. Just trying to get the most accurate timeline on this grow.

You're well on the way. I'd say the next significant event to look for is pistil formation. You'll start seeing clusters of pistils at the tops and internodes.

Like this:



And:

Yep. We drop to under 14 hrs of sun a day in 4 days, so I am thinking within the next week I will see that happening.

I've been under 14 hours for a little bit now, and that plant in the pictures and her sister (same genetics) are the only ones that far along. My more sativa dominant hybrids are taking longer, just the nature of the beast.

You've done a fine job so far. Keep it up!

socaljoe said:

I've been under 14 hours for a little bit now, and that plant in the pictures and her sister (same genetics) are the only ones that far along. My more sativa dominant hybrids are taking longer, just the nature of the beast.

You've done a fine job so far. Keep it up!

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I believe the sativa ratio in my girls is really drawing my flowering period out. That and the hot weather that has dominated Wisconsin this year. The sun placement is really forcing the issue in my favor now though. Wisconsin summer's end REAL quick!!

Fall is projected to be dry and above average temps. Perfect for buds!!

When is your typical first frost up there? My grandma used to live in Illinois not far from the Wisconsin border, but I was only ever there in late spring. As far as weather goes, I don't even know what that word means...as the saying goes, in Socal we have 3 seasons; last summer, this summer and next summer.

BrewersToker said:

I believe the sativa ratio in my girls is really drawing my flowering period out. That and the hot weather that has dominated Wisconsin this year. The sun placement is really forcing the issue in my favor now though. Wisconsin summer's end REAL quick!!

Fall is projected to be dry and above average temps. Perfect for buds!!

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Congrats on making it this far! I know how excited you must be!
Tip for a noob* the soonest it will be done is the last day of sept...so have that in your head and do not cut earlier unless there are issues

It's not just the sativa extending your flowering...it is the northern longer days. I know that many are farther ahead of us and budding...but we got a few weeks of extra veg so that is awesome. They look awesome and you should know that once they really start building pistils in clusters everything will happen super fast then.

ganga gurl420 said:

Congrats on making it this far! I know how excited you must be!
Tip for a noob* the soonest it will be done is the last day of sept...so have that in your head and do not cut earlier unless there are issues

It's not just the sativa extending your flowering...it is the northern longer days. I know that many are farther ahead of us and budding...but we got a few weeks of extra veg so that is awesome. They look awesome and you should know that once they really start building pistils in clusters everything will happen super fast then.

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You are too kind, fellow Badger!!
Yes, the pistil clusters have me very excited. I am anticipating a last week of October, first week of November for harvest. Obviously, that is best case scenario. But, long range has us having an awesome fall, so it is very possible I can extend to optimum condition for harvest. However, mid October would make me happy, worst case.

Hasn't this been as close to a perfect Wisconsin summer as possible? Makes me love being here!!

socaljoe said:

When is your typical first frost up there? My grandma used to live in Illinois not far from the Wisconsin border, but I was only ever there in late spring. As far as weather goes, I don't even know what that word means...as the saying goes, in Socal we have 3 seasons; last summer, this summer and next summer.

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It really can vary. Early would be mid October. Late would be mid November.

BrewersToker said:

It really can vary. Early would be mid October. Late would be mid November.

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I had no clue that we were that far off!
Here we get frosts as early as sept. (Not hard frosts mind you usually but frost all the same) and to get to mid Oct for here is pretty rare!

ganga gurl420 said:

I had no clue that we were that far off!
Here we get frosts as early as sept. (Not hard frosts mind you usually but frost all the same) and to get to mid Oct for here is pretty rare!

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Lake Michigan's warm water in the fall really impacts the air about 20 miles from shore to inland. So there could be frost in Madison but none in Milwaukee. Of course, by winter, the lake fuels snowfall.

Wow....crazy our state is lol.

P.s. was just out on Lake Superior two days ago....seen this small island and decided that next yr I must go on this island and get high on it lol

I would!!

I have 3 a Lil further behind that look like yours but the majority of mine are sitting here....

Today we go under 14 hours for the first time here in SE Wisconsin. My girls are well aware, as they are really starting to focus less on stretch and more on bud sites and stacking pistils. I believe we are very, very close, based on the visual record today.

When you are so close you can taste it!!

Wish I could just nudge her over the edge somehow....

I have three HUGE fan leaves low on one of my girls. They are serving no real purpose that I can see. I am wondering if I see big fan leaves like this, attached directly to the stem, with no new growth since flowering started on them, if they can be pruned?

I hate cutting anything on my babies, but there are some large fan leaves blocking direct sun from some lower bud sites that I would like to get more sun to, and cutting them is the only real option.

The waiting game continues. But damn, I know she is close.
Just...
So...
Slow...