White widow, week 11 flower, little to no amber?

[reddog4321]

I have a white widow that does not seem to be turning amber. Notice the buds even started a bunch of new grow (new white pistols). Do the tri's always turn amber?

I know there is a nute imbalance with the leaves turning up, need to empty and clean out the res.

 

[RuchaYolanda]

They will continue to throw out new pistols...but are you checking the trics with a scope or just eyeballing it? Maybe someone else can weigh in - but they look done to me?

YO

 

[darkdestruction420]

Trichomes will eventually amber regardless, it is a sign of the thc's degradation. If its at week 11 and you've got all cloudy trichs i'd probably go ahead and harvest. I've looked at the pics like 4 times now to form that opinion, lol, some of it really doesnt look totally ready, but at this point you might as well start your next grow.

 

[reddog4321]

YEs, I use the radioshack scope. I just started seeing some amber trichomes but my guess is it is 1% right now.

 

[reddog4321]

And there is still some clear trichomes and lot that are partly cloudy.

 

[darkdestruction420]

if youve got some clear still i would wait.

 

[RyanTheRhino]

are you only using t5 bulbs for flower.

 

[reddog4321]

T5 all the way. I mix the bulb colors depending on stage. In this little 2' x 2' grow tent, I had a 400wat MH/HPS that was way too powerful. It was always too hot and I think the light was too intense as the plants all turned white (I read that too much light can basically bleach the plants white and think that is what I did). I've gotten awesome results with these T5's, nice and dense and I can keep the temp in the high 70's/low 80's. This is just for personal. I've been doing a SCROG-like approach. I don't like in traditional SCROG where you have the screen attached to the tent or structure. I wanted to be able to take the plants out. So I attached screening directly on the planters. I'm going to try a shorter longer configuration next time. This time around I did not prune any leaves either. If anything I got more bud this time. But hard to compare different seeds.

In terms of ripeness should I go by the just the head of trichome or the whole thing? A lot of them are cloudy white on the head, but the stem seems to be clear. I'd say generally the trichoms are about 20% clear, 75% cloudy, and less than 5% amber.

I also grew a Purple Power in here at same time. That finished faster than any plant I ever grew, sorry no pics. That was done flowering by week 8 or 9 at the most. Pretty purple color but I notice it is not a very strong strain. In fact bagweed seeds seem to have produced stronger weed. Looking forward to this WW though! First time with this and can't believe all the white!!!! But I am patient and want to pick it ripe.

 

[wildcajun]

I am a T5 grower also , i hope you have flushed ?? Because you are so damn close , looks about like my current grow i still have all clear ,but i am ready to turn the light off for a day and chop ,probably the 5th

 

[RyanTheRhino]

dude if your plants look like his they have much more time left. do not cut on the 5th.

but anyway i know everyone says get a scope and look at the trics bla bla bla. but i can tell when its done when the bud swallows up the hairs.

 

[allSmilez]

dude if your plants look like his they have much more time left. do not cut on the 5th.

but anyway i know everyone says get a scope and look at the trics bla bla bla. but i can tell when its done when the bud swallows up the hairs.

Really? I was gonna suggest the same thing about the hairs. If you look at that first pic especially, the hairs have CERTAINLY disappeared in those buds. And that 4th pic looks like some secondary buds, which would account for the white hairs. Much more time left, I doubt. I'd cut the main buds now. Leave those mid-level ones another two weeks

 

[reddog4321]

That is the odd thing. It is like layers. The buds did swallow up a lot of hairs and seemed to be on the way to done, then it started making all new hairs with growth accelerating later in the flowering cycle. Maybe that is just how it goes.

I haven't tried flushing yet with any plant. Does it really make that much difference? I worry about not giving enough nutes and losing potency.

 

[sniffer]

nutes have nothing to do with potency

 

[reddog4321]

Really? I was gonna suggest the same thing about the hairs. If you look at that first pic especially, the hairs have CERTAINLY disappeared in those buds. And that 4th pic looks like some secondary buds, which would account for the white hairs. Much more time left, I doubt. I'd cut the main buds now. Leave those mid-level ones another two weeks

Yes the 4th pic is a secondary and that is why that looks less ripe. The 5th and last pic is a good example of what I'm talking about. There is some amber deep in those bud, and swallowed up hairs. But then you can see that new layer of calyx forming with all new white hairs. Is that normal for it to keep growing like that? My experience has been with bagseed up till now.

 

[allSmilez]

The only time you don't wanna flush is if you plan on making seeds. But you're not, AND YES, there is a huge difference. You want smooth smoke that is easy on the throat and lungs. But if you're chopping anyway, then flushing now is pointless. I haven't grown the Widow, but if it's more indica, I'm surprised you haven't seen any amber. Still though, if the trichs are cloudy, chop it. You still got those lower buds, and amber is only good if you want a longer lasting high that'll put you to sleep.

 

[allSmilez]

But then you can see that new layer of calyx forming with all new white hairs. Is that normal for it to keep growing like that? My experience has been with bagseed up till now.

As far as that "new growth," I've only experienced that with some sativas. And I know of some guy that had the same thing happen right before he was gonna harvest, but I don't know what forum it was. He chopped anyway. Shit, sounds like you got some sativa showing, but I'm not a pro. I'm sure someone can answer that better than me. Hell, if you have the patience, see where it goes instead of chopping. Good luck with that bro

 

[reddog4321]

This has been helpful. Thank you everyone for the comments.

 

[RyanTheRhino]

dont chop yet bro you still have like 2- 3 weeks. bu i would start flushing soon

 

[stinkbudd1]

Man i will say this from the looks of them buds you dont have much time left! I have had two strains that never had its pistals turn redish or brown at all and one of them was the only white widow i grew and the other was a Ice grow i did some strains not many do not have red or brown hairs when your buds start to look like lil knotts all clustered up and the hairs receed into it you are just about ready to go!!!

 

[reddog4321]

Man i will say this from the looks of them buds you dont have much time left! I have had two strains that never had its pistals turn redish or brown at all and one of them was the only white widow i grew and the other was a Ice grow i did some strains not many do not have red or brown hairs when your buds start to look like lil knotts all clustered up and the hairs receed into it you are just about ready to go!!!

This portable SCROG approach works really well with the flat T5 lighting. Seems to produce lots of medium buds at the top in a small amount of space, and a lot of popcorn. This plant was severly bent with plastic ties to the mesh in addition to being woven through the mesh. Not well organized. I probably should have made the screen lower, bending the plant younger. Snapped a couple branches although miraculously they kept right on growing. The cola is 2-3x size of pictured buds, at the top but growing sideways.

So I should starve this poor plant for 2 weeks with no nutes?