Wow…..the group seems to really be attacking the OP, who simply wanted to keep fellow farmers from shying away from GSC, b/c of its low yielding reputation.
While I have to agree that the buds will need longer than 2 weeks, the OP isn’t seeking opinions on when the plant will be ripe. He/she has handled this unsolicited advice with best of manners.
It looks like the OP has the ability to move the plant inside or under shelter in the event of bad weather, which is a huge plus.
I’ve grown my fair share of plants outdoors and they were directly in the ground. There were times when the plants would have benefited from a little more time in the sun, but the weather forecast was a death wish. So, I harvested and the smoke was excellent…..never once did I think or hear from anyone else who smoked it, that it was lacking or immature.
Since we have opened this up to a ripening discussion, I’ll throw my 2cents in the hat:
It’s been my experience that basing ripeness on trichs is fine for a finished product that will get you plenty high….but not the main factor for truly mature/ripe buds.
My buddy just lost an entire huge section of an outdoor plant. A tree limb fell on it and snapped it. The plant was only in week 5 of flower……not as far along as the OP’s plant.
Anyway, he hung it for the hell of it and after drying for about 2 weeks, the buds were smoked by him and a few friends. They are all daily smokers with a good tolerance. They all reported that the taste was not what they are accustomed to but the high was surprisingly stout.
That said, in 2 weeks the OP plant may give him/her exactly what they’re hoping for…..as far as the effects….
But, the true potential and aesthetic qualities will not be realized until the buds go through the same basic progression as all do…..meaning the calyces swell, new pistil production stops except for a stray one here and there, the pistils turn brown/orange AND recede back into the calyces.
I’ve seen buds with mostly cloudy trichs and even a few ambers, that weren’t anywhere close to ripe. Those same buds had the same trich profile 2-3 weeks later when the buds were ripe.
I used to be a diehard believer that if there was single white pistil showing the plant was not ready. However, I’ve changed my belief just a bit on that particular subject.
It’s been my experience that the beginning of the window is better for the Terp retention.
Good luck to the OP…..you have a nice grow and it would be great if you sent more pics in a week or 2.
I very much appreciate your post. I admit, I felt attacked from some of the responses I received to my post. As you so clearly recognized, my only purpose was to let some growers know that, based on my (admittedly limited) experience with GSC, it is not a terrible producer if treated well and properly. For those who like Indica, it supposedly produces a very nice product. My sister loves GSC but it is very rare to find it here in the pot shops. I grew this plant for her, and I put alot of love and care into her. She won't produce as much as my Sour Diesel, but still it will be a respectable yield.
Thank you for drawing attention to the original purpose of my initial post. I didn't realize that posting here would result in such negativity and controversy. As far as when my plants will be "ready", I am best qualified to judge since I am familiar with both the signs of maturity as well as what happens here in Maine when Summer turns to Fall, and how plants respond. Within the next few weeks, we will almost certainly get our first frost. Most outdoor growers here harvest with the first frost, or even let their plants grow through the first couple of frosts (which are usually mild). We are right on the verge of 12/12 daylight. That, combined with the sharp dropping temperatures, really kick plants into overdrive with respect to the finish. We have a beautiful week ahead here with sunny, warm days and chilly nights in the 40s predicted. I expect both plants to respond with some nice coloring, and increased trichome production. I am already seeing some expressions of purple from both plants. As far as the "ripeness" is concerned, I have come to believe that it takes experience and intuition born of experience to know when to harvest. So many factors are involved. And yet, some people tend to overthink it in pursuit of what they might consider to be perfection. I understand the desire to see a plant grown to "perfection", but if you have made it to the final weeks of flower, say the last week or two, it becomes only a matter of degree. If the pistils have all turned orange/brown, curled in, and the majority of trichomes are cloudy, you can expect to harvest some good bud. There are other factors that need to be considered, like climate, overall plant maturity, and what you are looking for in terms of psychoactive effect. Personally, I prefer to harvest early rather than late because I prefer the taste and I do not want any sedative effect. That's just my taste. So knowing when to harvest depends, in no small part, on what it is that you are hoping to achieve - a heady, cerebral and energetic high versus a sedative body buzz. Again, it takes experience to know when to harvest depending on what your personal preferences are.
I am personally not hung up on achieving "perfection" with my plants, by which most people seem to mean that point when THC production has peaked before beginning to degrade. For me, it is more about responding to the climate, knowing when to expect the first frost, and basically getting tired of taking care of the plants in general. Although I have found that outdoor grows take much less attention than indoor grows, it still takes work to have a nice grow. All of these factors have to be considered when it comes to harvesting.
Lastly, I just did some trimming of my Sour Diesel plant - a few bottom branches that I knew were not going to produce much. These were buds that were well developed, but small. After drying them out, I smoked a sample. The joint was extremely resined and I got a major buzz. The taste wasn't great but the buzz was definitely there. My point being that from this point on, I could harvest tomorrow and have some killer weed. Would the buds be as fat and heavy as if I waited until the last moment? Probably not. But as I keep saying, it's not all just about yield. It's about knowing what you want, what your particular growing situation is, and what your expectations are. If you know that your buds are almost ready, but you have a week of solid rain ahead, maybe it's time to harvest, even if they haven't achieved biological "perfection".
As you pointed out, my plants are in large pots which allows me to move them as necessary. As a result, I am able to reposition them to get maximum sun, which means 12 hours of full sun (assuming the sun is shining). Also, I can move them inside if necessary. This is why from now on, I will only grow outdoors in pots.
Anyway, I appreciate hearing from other growers as to their experience. But if we could keep it positive, I think alot more growers would feel inclined to post their thoughts, questions, and experiences. I am pretty hard skinned but after some of the responses I received I decided I would not post again to this forum. It was only because of your thoughtful post that I decided to stick it out. I may not be an expert (yet) at growing marijuana, but I am no dummy. Furthermore, while I only have four years of growing pot under my belt, my father was a horticulturist and growing plants of all kinds is in my blood. My father was actually a founding member of the International Lilac Society and even created a new Lilac strain called "Melissa" named after my sister. He received a Presidential award from Ronald Reagan for his contribution to the cultivation of Lilacs. I grew up surrounded by incredible gardens, made up of rare and exotic plants, many of which people did not think could thrive in Maine. I learned a great deal about horticulture from my father, as did my siblings. So, for all those who flooded me with negativity, or questioned my experience or knowledge, y'all can kiss my a**. And I mean that with the kindest sincerety.
