Animal Cookies Auto - First Time Outdoor Grow in Week

[JMM]

Hi, I am growing Animal Cookies and seek help with the final stages of my grow.

Indoor or outdoor? - size of grow?
Outdoor, 4 5 gallon fabric pots

Otigin of seeds?
Royal Queen

Regular, feminized, or autoflower?
Auto

Origin of water. PH, EC/TDS of source water?
Well water ph 7

PH and TDS/EC of if mixed solution?
Nothing added

Grow method? Soil, Soil-less, Coco, Hydro, Aquaponics. Please explain.
Soil, mother earth groundswell to start, top dressed with lush when it started to recede. These were recommended to me by 2 local cannabis growers. Lush feeds for 6 weeks only adding water. I started in mother earth because it was lowest % nutrients I could find offline at .1%N

Nutrients or fertilizer system used.
The plants received a microdose of 10-10-10 all purpose fertilizer (dosed as 4-4-4 at 1/8 strength, less than a palm full for all 4 plants), while I was away for a week, about 2 weeks ago by someone.

This is an Outdoor grow near Mount airy NC and I shield my.plants from the storms and water them manually as needed. right now I’m at 2 gallons per pot every 3 days.

How long have you been growing?
First grow

What budget have you set in order to grow successfully?
Spent like 350 so far I want to take it all the way though

Always try to upload a clear picture in white light of any issues you may have to allow the community to identify your issue.

Can anyone tell me when to harvest? I’m thinking I have a week or two. Should I put them in the shade for last 2 weeks? Someone else said to put them in total darkness 2 days before harvesting. My head is spinning with all the info. I need a decisive plan forward from a reliable source. Their harvest period is in September according to their site but did I plant them early? I don’t want to take them too far and ruin it.

They sprouted through the soil on May 22, and here is what they look like now, i hope i selected the right pics, I’ll try to get magnification of the trichomes in another shot

Thanks in advance lmk if there’s anything more info I can provide. Im just happy I made it this far but I’m worried about these new leaves appearing on my buds. I’ll try to get better pics of it in another post I’m just figuring this all out so bear with me pls.

Thanks in advance

[HMGRWN]

Hello @JMM and welcome to the community. These are my own opinions based on info and pics provided.

@JMM

harvest period is in September according to their site

Harvest period for an auto depends on when it sprouted rather than time of year. Generally speaking, autos can be from 10 to 14+ weeks before harvest.

@JMM

sprouted through the soil on May 22

More important is when they started flowering. Most autos will continue to fatten and ripen for 8 or more weeks of flower.

@JMM

magnification of the trichomes

Once most/all of the pistils have darkened and shriveled, that is the best way to determine harvest day.

@JMM

put them in the shade for last 2 weeks

That can help accelerate the ripening/finishing up.

@JMM

total darkness 2 days before harvesting

Grower’s choice. I have done it but don’t see any real benefit, same with water only or flushing, totally up to the individual.

@JMM

decisive plan forward from a reliable source

That reliable source will be you after you get over the new grower jitters.

[Graysin]

@JMM

I’ll try to get magnification of the trichomes in another shot

That would help establish when is good. Bear in mind, “ripe” is in the eye of the grower. For me, ripe is mostly cloudy with a touch of amber. Often times that conflicts with this:

@HMGRWN

Once most/all of the pistils have darkened and shriveled, that is the best way to determine harvest day.

Because what @HMGRWN says is true - you shouldn’t really check trichomes til the buds are ripe enough to be worth checking, but once you get a good feel for what “ripe” means (there’s a visual swell the buds take on, but it’s one of those “see it can’t explain it” things) - you can check trichomes once the buds swell.

As it stands, I think you’re within the window to start evaluating trichs. More amber = more of a sedative high.

@HMGRWN

@JMM

total darkness 2 days before harvesting

Grower’s choice. I have done it but don’t see any real benefit, same with water only or flushing

Agreed 100%

@HMGRWN

That reliable source will be you after you get over the new grower jitters

Also agreed 100%

Learning to grow is a battle but once you have made it this far, you’ve seen all the things you need to be able to make the educated decisions. After this harvest, dry and cure, you’ll be good to knock another one - or ten - out of the park.

[JMM]

@HMGRWN

More important is when they started flowering. Most autos will continue to fatten and ripen for 8 or more weeks of flower.

they began to flower on July 1, so that’s almost 6 weeks I think

@Graysin

As it stands, I think you’re within the window to start evaluating trichs. More amber = more of a sedative high.

I did my best with the pics, it’s hard to get clear shots in the breeze but I think they are all mostly pretty clear and I def want some CBN in there so I’m going to keep watching for signs of cloudiness and amber color. I think I see some color traveling up a few stalks idk, but I think they need just a little more time?

One thing that interests me is one plant is not budding as dense like the other 3, it has a lot of frosty leaves coming out it but not distinct buds like the other 3, they seem really really fluffy. That plant is picture #4 in the first post, and the plant on the far left in the last picture. Is it possible they will densify on their own?

I’m liking the looks of the other 3 plants though minus the pests, I’m having to pick off little gnats that land and get stuck and die in the pollen, I used diatomaceous earth in the beginning and it worked good but i think I’ll use neem oil next time, I know I can’t put it on the buds but its odor might deter them from landing on them?

I sure look forward to doing this again with photoperiods and ill do a cookie cutter grow of some kind I kind of winged it this time

I have learned a lot from scanning this site and nothing beats a second pair of eyes, thanks for the replies!

[Graysin]

@JMM

I def want some CBN in there so I’m going to keep watching for signs of cloudiness and amber color. I think I see some color traveling up a few stalks idk, but I think they need just a little more time?

Yep, dead on. More time = more color in the trichs. Not sure they will ever turn purple like the buds, sometimes they do. But they will get amber in the pinhead on the trichome when the thc has degraded into CBN.

@JMM

Is it possible they will densify on their own?

Maybe. It’s also possible the phenotype is just bad for bud structure. Some plants lend themselves to being used for hash, rosin, concentrate, or edibles more readily than others. If it’s sticky and frosty but you can’t find enough of a bud to actually smoke, I’d say that’s a prime candidate for bubble hash.

@JMM

used diatomaceous earth in the beginning and it worked good but i think I’ll use neem oil next time, I know I can’t put it on the buds but its odor might deter them from landing on them?

My suggestion for flower-time pest control is Captain Jack’s Dead Bug. It’s spinosad, organic pest control (a bacteria, I believe), and is safe to use all the way up to the day of harvest. As far as Neem oil, I generally don’t like it but it’s fine to use in veg, especially if you have enough of a pest problem that it’s beneficial to alternate between pesticides.

@JMM

ill do a cookie cutter grow of some kind I kind of winged it this time

I’ll be curious to see if you do. I’m a year in and I still haven’t managed to get a cookie-cutter grow in. I keep trying but some wrench always makes it’s way into my plan.

[HMGRWN]

Those trich pics are quite clear and spot on target.
@Graysin got you covered with the advice Capt. Jacks and a little more time.

You will want to do a bud wash when you harvest though.

[Hogmaster]

Well said

[Fieldofdreams]

@Graysin @HMGRWN thats an excellent tutorial y’all just gave!! FANtastic!!

[JMM]

Ok so I just developed what I believe is a mold/bud rot problem.

I’ve got what appears to be mold/rot in one or two random buds in all four plants. I keep them out of the rain on a porch, but we have had violent storms with sideways rain so one day they got soaked, and I shook them, but this is likely the result of that excess moisture and overcast humid days. Here is a picture of one bud disected on the plant: I am confident it has rot. I instantly buried the infected part so I didn’t get a picture of it.

I went out and bought captain jacks neem oil ready to use spray. So I cut off the infected flowers at the stalk and buried them too, then applied neem oil to the plant injuries and surrounding foliage, the top of the soil. I cut off about 2 or 3 grams of flower including some healthy parts.

I feel like my trichs need some more time to amber,

And I know my plants have purple in them, but I’m worried sick about it spreading further and ruining my best buds. It’s really hard to detect before it’s too late.

This spray is hard to use in minute amounts, can I soak a qtip in the oil and apply it directly to the cuts?

should I keep applying this stuff to the leaves and not the buds or just spray where I see mold appear on the buds after cutting it, or spray without cutting new areas? There are no directions on this bottle and Google is vague

If y’all could help describe exactly how I treat this going forward my plants would appreciate

[Fieldofdreams]

@JMM I believe there are recipes you could research where you mix peroxide into water and foliar spray to combat WPM on the surface but BR from inside is probably much more difficult. Probably need to remove those affe Ted load so as not to allow further transfer spreading.

[JMM]

Im concerned as well as to what this is

I got a couple of these and idk if there’s rot but does this mean this whole flower should be cut

[Fieldofdreams]

@JMM I don’t trust my experience level to make that call for someone else but I love how @PurpNGold74 diagnosis plants. He’s kinda a guru with that.

[Graysin]

Bud rot looks to be the case. I’m gonna grab @Storm @MeEasy @HMGRWN @Newt one of these fine folks may have some helpful guidance. I tend to just chuck things that don’t play nice, but you’re so far along a peroxide treatment is worth a shot.

[Storm]

If dry and crispy or wet and slimy will be rot typically. A close check and removing ANY you doubt is better than a total loss. Then a peroxide spray AFTER you are sure its gone. Doesnt look too far gone so clean and carry on.

[Newt]

Appreciate the tag, but I’ve not had to deal with it, so not sure.

[HMGRWN]

@JMM

I keep them out of the rain on a porch

@JMM

the result of that excess moisture and overcast humid days.

Sorry to hear you have rot. I lost an entire Strawberry Cheesecake auto under almost identical conditions.

@Storm

removing ANY you doubt is better than a total loss.

Better safe than sorry. Also I think I would go ahead and chop because rot can spread fast.

@JMM

captain jacks neem oil

Not sure this is effective on rot, only bugs.

@Fieldofdreams

mix peroxide into water

I did try this but still think chop and wash is your best course.

[JMM]

By chop and wash, to be sure, you mean harvest the plants?
I dryed a half gram over 2 days and hit it uncured it got me high, not gonna lie, and didn’t taste bad at all.

Funny though there are fat buds at the bottom forming still and there is even new growth on some of the older flowers, not sure what’s going on there
Example:

I have white hairs coming out of a lot of buds all of the sudden, not sure why. It’s like a new growth spurt but this late in flower I didn’t expect it.

Here’s what my largest plant looks like with the wound in its side:

So I should just harvest all now, or keep cutting away anything suspicious then treating the area with the solution until week 8?

Thanks for the guidance its really priceless

[Newt]

This is a nanner:

It will open and spill pollen and cause seeds, if not removed soon enough.

[JMM]

this means the plants are stressed and turning Hermie
Or I’ve waited too long to harvest
From my research, I’m guessing it’s the prior from overwatering and heat stress given how my leaves are V’d. Or maybe a mag deficiency.

I’m at the end of week 7 of flower and I enter the week 8 auto harvesting period tomorrow, but I wanted to take them to 10 weeks but if i don’t have a choice ill harvest now, there is some amber forming in the trichs I think

The only info provided by my source is late October is the harvest window and I obviously planted too early i guess so I disregard this

And correction, my seeds are sourced from Crop King seeds, not royal queen seeds as stated in the original post

am I looking at having to cut them down now or did it just mean continue to cut off infected flowers

There’s no need to panic right, I’m guessing if I’m seeing these I should harvest before any explode into seed or just cut them off?

The knowledge of these things otherwise difficult to find is invaluable, thank you. I am excited to harvest but I can deal with these issues if I can keep going like the other guy said. Idk where I’m at tbh. Here was now vs July 3

Thanks for all the help

[JMM]

Says I can’t edit last post, so here is an update all 4 plants and the suspected nanner that have appeared:

I just want to be clear am I cutting these things off and keep pushing for a week or am I looking at chopping them down and trimming them?

By chop and wash you mean cut them down and do a bud wash right, not chop off affected materials and wash with peroxide spray? Just making sure I know what I’m doing

Oh and wet trim vs dry trim, I haven’t found a way to decide what to do there. I’ve got my drying and curing materials primed and ready tho

Thanks for everything so far