First Journal

[HemperFi]

Hey growers -- I have been away -- well, my computer stopped working for a couple of days -- it just decided to work again this morning. I made a grusome 12 hours drive on Wed. to get my Marine Corp Son. I cooked a turkey in my BBQ yesterday, and we ate well -- nice to see him again (it's been almost 3 years). His brother came up last night and we had a great visit -- me and my boys together again He went home with his little brother. They had some plan to do something together today. I hope they come back to the lake today sometime. My Lance Cpl. will fly back to San Diego Sun, and I'd like to spend a little more time with him. I understand the bond between him and his little brother though, and everything is cool.

My ladies are bulking up nicely. I'm seeing mostly cloudy trichs -- a few amber -- but I also see new growth on the buds. The AK47 has buds on it two inches in diameter -- lots of them. We will see what it produces, but I'm thinking (w/limited exp.) that there is a good 6 oz in the tent. More than half of it on the AK. Sun. when I take my son to the airport, I will stop on the way home and pick up Mason jars and a scale. I haven't bought them yet because I didn't want to count my chickes before they were hatched. They are hoovering right around 60 days now -- it won't be long, and even if I took them down today they would be some fine smoke, so I can say that I have done it -- I grew a crop. I know things can go wrong during the dry/cure, but I believe I have it well under control. RH is averaging around 45%, I have a perfectly dark, dry place to hang them, and I've had a little practice now at curing. I believe I am going to have a harvest we can be proud of -- and I think I'm going to have a 4oz plant on my first grow -- I could be wrong -- we will see. Life is good on the old boat today --

I'm just giving the girls water now. The seedlings look great, and the plants in vedge are ready to be turned -- everything is working out nicely on this floating garden.

I missed coming in here the last couple of days -- You-all are kinda my extended family now

Peace

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Glad you had a nice Thanksgiving with your family.

I want to tell you not to get too hung up on weight, especially the first crop. You are not going to have a 4 oz plant...maybe not even a 3 oz. one. Like I said, a 4 oz plant is really quite large (here is a pic of a plant over 2' wide and over 4' tall with large rock hard buds. She probably came out between 3 and 4 ozs.) http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=101431&d=1235343335

The weight is not the important thing. Growing and enjoying your own is what is important. You are going to have some nice bud to smoke.

 

[HemperFi]

Very true Goddess -- I'm really not concerned w/ weight. I know i'm going to have some good smoke, and that is fine with me -- this grow

Hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful.

I will post a pic of the AK next time i take her out of the tent -- I've had to lower the light twice so far because she is sagging so much from the weight of some dank looking/smelling bud. The quality of the smoke is way more important to me than the weight -- for sure...

peace

 

[HemperFi]

How close do these look to you?

 

[Rosebud]

The only way i can tell if a plant is ready is the tricomes, so i am no help.
They look nice though Hemper.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

Rose is right--no one here can help you. Check the trichs and if they say they are ready, they are ready. She is looking nice!

 

[HemperFi]

Thank you, Rosy, Goddess. Do they get ripe from the top down? Where on the plant should I look at trichs? I'm going to let them go another few days.... I guess lol -- it's all okey dokey

I know now I will harvest some nice smoke -- thank you soooo much.

Peace

 

[Locked]

I check the trichs on the buds at different levels of the plant. My tops usually are done before the lower buds. Nothing wrong with taking buds at different times and finding out where the sweet spot is for you and your taste....especially if you plan on growing them again. jmo Looking good HF....you shld be smoking your own pretty soon.

 

[Rosebud]

I have taken the top off Train wreck and left the bottom go a couple more weeks. Are you going for functionally stoned or on the couch..locked?

 

[HemperFi]

Rosy, I just want to get reasonably high, or higher, but what I want most is taste and stanky smell. I am tired of smoking the Cuzz's immature, green tasting, hay smelling weed. It does get me high, but I am after some stank

Hamster, thanks man. I like the idea of different highs from different places on the plant at different stages of development. So weed gets coucher as it ripens? Is there a real big difference?

I doubt seriously that I will allow it to get too ripe, lol

Peace

 

[Couchlocked]

There is a huge difference especially with heavy hitting strains. I can take a Heri at 8-9 weeks and get locked. If it goes to 10 or 11 weeks, it is like morphine IMO.

 

[HemperFi]

So, somewhere in the middle of that would be just right? -- 9 weeks?

 

[Roddy]

:ciao: Hemper!

 

[Rosebud]

You need to look at the tricomes they start out clear, then they go cloudy then amber. For a cerebral high and a more energetic high (strain dependent), you would take them at mostly cloudy. On the couch... more to amber.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

There is a huge difference especially with heavy hitting strains. I can take a Heri at 8-9 weeks and get locked. If it goes to 10 or 11 weeks, it is like morphine IMO.

I have to say that I disagree. I do not find a huge amount of difference harvesting the plant at different times. It is more letting the bottom part of the plant catch up to the top part of the plant before you harvest.

 

[HemperFi]

Well okay then, that gives me a little to think about -- I suppose it's like everything else concerning this wonder plant -- with experience it gets easier and easier -- with NO experience it is difficult -- I'm thinking as long as the buds are getting bigger and keep sagging more and more, they are still not ready. I am checking trichs -- mostly cloudy -- some amber, some clear, and I guess I could take them down now and get some excellent weed. But it will just get better if I allow them at least another week. I need a scale and some mason jars. I will go find them today. My Marine has to go back today. He has had a good time, and it has been great seeing him again after three years. I doubt I will see him again until he gets back from Afganistan. He plans on spending Christmas w/ his girl friend and their child up in Wyoming.

I have never had a whole ounce of good buds, so I'm not real sure what it would look like growing, but there are some BIG buds on the AK -- lots of them -- I'm still predicting over three ounces on that plant -- we will see, but it just keeps getting bigger and stankier -- the trichs are mostly cloudy, some clear and some amber. I could take her down now and have some great weed, but she keeps getting bigger, so I'm going to let her go -- perhaps another week. When the strain report says 8 or 9 weeks does that mean from the time the plant starts to flower or the whole time its been growing?

 

[Rosebud]

The time is from when you flip to flowering. Sounds like a taste test is in order.

Glad you and your son had a good visit.

 

[HemperFi]

Thanks Rosy -- a taste test?

How do you quick dry a bud without losing its potiential?

I was thinking of taking a branch off the WP -- it doesn't seem to be growing anymore, and the trichs are mostly cloudy -- some amber -- but by the time it dries right the rest will be ready -- can I just toss it in the microwave?

 

[Roddy]

no no no....no nuke! Cut a few buds off (about enough for a very large joint cuz it's gonna shrink up), trim it clean and then cut it up
and lay it on a plate, let it sit out over night or so and it should be ready to smoke. Might take a bit longer, but you get the idea. This will still have a green taste, but you'll find out the type of high!

 

[HemperFi]

thanks, Roddy, I will NOT nuke it --lol -- I do get the idea.