Greetings, kudos and thank yous to this forum and all your help and insight. I’m a newb attempting my first grow, and I’ve been reading as much as I can (find it rather addicting actually!).
I’m stumped because I’ve got five plants and one of them has been on a different pace since day one. She’s about 3 feet tall as advertised (and confined to a plastic pot) and the pistils and the trichomes on the bud seem ready, but only about the top 2/3’s of the plant–whereas the pistils are still white on the lower 3rd.
She flowered about 5 weeks ago. From what I read that is way too early, but she’s completely different the other 4 plants which are still flowering and way behind.
My question is two fold…
What’s the best way to harvest top without hurting the plant (and hopefully promote more production down below)?
Am I way too early to be harvesting it at all? I don’t mind a bit of “less than full potency” because I want to have some uplifting, energizing options, but I don’t want to make a total newbie mistake.
Attached pics are my ugly duckling from afar, a bit closer, then a close up of trichomes on top buds. Any guidance and advice appreciated.
thanks!!
5 Likes
You can simply chop the top at wherever you see fit. You’ll want the pistils to be 85% brown before you consider chopping it.
Some people chop all at once or take just the top and let the lower finish. I chop the whole thing. It’s not wrong it’s just personal preference.
3 Likes
It looks very immature to me. I see the amber trichomes but they are probably all on sugar leaves. These turn much sooner than bud trichomes. I grew Jack Herer auto indoors. sprout to harvest was 136 days.
Here she is a week before harvest
Use a jewelers loop or scope to confirm condition of bud trichomes
3 Likes
Definitely close on the pistils, but damn I know I know I’m probably being impatient 
What’s funny is that the other 4 same day/species plantings are short, stubby, and the pistils are lilly white. A friend said “they’re all different. Look at my human twins…one is 6’4” and the other is 5’6". It is what is is."
3 Likes
Thanks for the help. I’m new to this, but that was the thought. Kind of like what you’d drink if you were having more than one
2 Likes
Wow! Those look awesome! Indoors and still that long. I’m humbled. Dope slapped.
What’s the one thing you’d recommend to fatten up in the last few weeks?
2 Likes
Besides waiting, just be sure to continue feeding PK to help boost flower production. Not everyone flushes, (water only) that is a personal preference. When in a medium, it’s almost impossible to remove all nutrients anyways.
3 Likes
I don’t flush. IMO it just washes away the soils nutrients. But I water only the last few weeks. 
1 Like
It was an exceptional plant. Even though it was an auto it did not start to flower until day 50. I think that had a lot to do with it’s size and production. @Covertgrower has you covered. Good flower oriented nutrients and hope for perfect weather, no pests and a light breeze to keep rain and high rH problems at bay.
While growing this JH indoors I also had three outside. They never made it to harvest. Nasty caterpillars made sure of that.
2 Likes
Had a few caterpillars on my plants as well, but I think I caught early and the Jack’s Deadbug seem to do the trick. Now I’m onto a new WPM issue and thankfully there’s a boatload of info in the dedicated thread.
There always seems to be something lurking to stand in the way of success in this endeavor 
Just came across this blog and have a question. Im at 93 days and am wondering how close these are? I see beardless grew his in 136 days and being my first auto and thinking 70 days Im confused. These are Jack Herer autos what are your thoughts on how far along they are. Trichomes are still clear.
1 Like
@traveler05
Others can weigh in but I’m thinking you’re not quite there. Like you said–trichomes are still clear. I definitely think we get caught up in thinking we’re going to have a certain number of days to harvest from sprout, but then mother nature does it’s own thing. I’ve read and read on these threads and the only sure thing seems to be the trichomes.
We seem to be on the same schedule. My five Jack Herer auto seeds germinated on 6/12. One of my plants started flowering about 50 days in, and that’s the one I posted with questions about harvesting. I’ve waited 2 plus weeks and am going to harvest today (with the top vs all being a game time decision) as all the bud trichomes are all cloudy and some are ambering.
Not all my plants are on the same pace. One that didn’t flower until last is going to produce the biggest yield, but I’m guessing it’s going to be a few more weeks. They all seem to be different even though they all had the same medium and nutrient schedule. They’re all different sizes and shapes…even the bud structure. Tells me it’s got a lot to do with genetics?
Interestingly, I chose the auto flower feminine seeds because I thought it would be “weed for dummies”. I’m not thinking that anymore Between raining nearly every day in July (and August has brought remnants of the hurricanes etc), fighting the caterpillars and combating the powdery mildew–I’m psyched I’m going to have anything to harvest at all. Outdoor growing is not simple.
It’s hard, but I’m hooked bad 
1 Like
just got back in town and checked my plants, do these look normal?
1 Like
Thank you Bazinga-BoDangles for giving your comparison on the plants as we seem to have had the same conditions and issues. Still waiting for the buds to tighten, and the trichomes to cloud, but mold is getting to one of my plants. Keeping my fingers crossed I can get some yield.
@traveler05
I learned a lot this summer. Locally it might be up there with the worst weather seasons for a first time grower growing outdoors. Trichomes got where I wanted but buds never tightened. It was a pain to trim just 1/4 pound and have them look like a fraction of the nuggets I see posted by others.
But this community is great for not panicking! I’m curing my lean buds in Grove Bags and holding at 62%. The other 4 little autos made 2 lbs of cannabutter yesterday and I sampled a few tokes. The Jack Herer delivered and it was wonderful.
Now on to baking and experimenting with dosage. 
Its good to know that these things happen in the grow world. It certainly has been a learning experience for next years outdoor grow.
