Banana hermie - Harvest or wait?

Grow Cycle Harvesting
1

I have 5 female photo period plants growing indoors. The seedlings came up 13 weeks ago, and I am in the mddle of the 5th week since switching my CMH light to 12/12.

I have found a few “bananas” growing from the buds of at least two of the plants. I have not found any pollen sacs - only a few isolated bananas.

My question is, should I go ahead and harvest now? Or wait another week or two? Or … ?

At 5 weeks of flowering, the buds have not yet reached peak maturity, but some of the pistils have turned brown, and some of the tricomes are getting cloudy (and some are purple!). I am very inexperienced at judging bud maturity, but the two parent strains are said to require 8-10 weeks of flowering before harvest. So, I would guess these plants should grow for another 3 weeks (or more) before harvesting.

I don’t really care if the buds have a few seeds, and I don’t really care about getting the utmost potency or quantity. What I do care about is keeping the smoking quality good - developing/preserving the terpenes as much as is practical for flavor and aroma - and avoiding a harsh smoke, where possible.

The plants are a first generation cross between Strawberry Glue and Sour Plum. The seeds were not feminized.

1 Like
2

If you found one, there’s more you haven’t found. Entirely your call.

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So true!

But it would be easier for me to make the call if more experienced growers could comment on what happens to banana buds if they are allowed to mature.

Can I expect ALL buds on all 5 plants in the grow room to produce seeds, or only the buds with the bananas?

Ignoring potency, and quantity - can I expect the smoking quality to increase, as the buds become more mature? Or to decrease as the buds make seeds? Or to stay about the same, just with the added inconvenience of seeds?

4

Probably find 2-5 seeds in each plant.
They will mature the same as the rest.
I’ll tag some others.
@Myfriendis410 @MattyBear @imSICKkid
@kaptain3d @HappyHydroGrower @Bulldognuts

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Watch the color of your trichomes: if the plant is frosty now, keep an eye on it and if overnight it doesn’t look frosty it’s time to harvest. Having a few seeds spread around is no real biggie but if the plants were fertilized, all of the energy will be re-directed into producing seeds and your trichomes will show that right away.

This has been my experience.

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I’ve not had this situation, so it’s to say yes or no. But at five weeks I can’t imagine that they are mature enough to cut and get thc levels that will make it worth it.

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Thank you for the reply! I can certainly live with a few seeds from each plant.

8

Thanks for that. I did not know trichomes can turn from cloudy back to clear. My trichomes have started to turn cloudy. I will watch them.

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They’ll go from clear or cloudy to nonexistent. If you notice a ‘frosty’ look to your plant one day and the next; nothing, that is what I mean.

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Ahh! Thanks for the clarification!

And thanks to all who replied. I plan to let them grow for now, and see what happens.

The buds are pretty frosty. Hopefully the will not regress.
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