Ok. Last years harvest on an outdoor grow was a disaster. Living in Northeastern USA I battled mold which wound up literally destroying over 90% of the harvest. So this year starting out again outdoors in 5 gallon containers. With the cool to cold evenings and rainy days in September, I decided to move my plants indoors. Flowering started around the last week of July, first week of August. Not sure of the strain, they were clones. So here’s the question, I moved the plants in about 3 weeks ago and they are doing well, Started 12/12 on 2 HiGROW 1000w full spectrum LED lights. Yesterday moved to 10/14. The buds are swelling and look very sticky, glistening, 20% turned to brown on the buds, however the trichomes look like they have not matured. They seem to be still not developed. They have not formed a nice mushroom head. They look more like hairs than trichones, seemingly, immature. I usually harvest by trichones but it seems like they are not making any moves. I think I have probably 2-3 weeks left to harvest. Did moving the plants indoors under LED lighting stunt the trichones development? And will that effect the overall potency? Usually by now I have well developed trichomes.emphasized text
Have any pics? Some of the overall plants and some close ups of trichs if you can, and under natural light would help too.
They are pretty frosty, but I just don’t see good trichomes development. I don’t know if it’s the strain or if the transition to indoors stunted/ stopped the trichomes development.
A lot of white pistils too. You have a while, why did you cut them to 10 hours of light?
I thought a light change might kick in the trichomes. I just changed the lights yesterday. They have only had one day of 10/14. Think I should stay on the 12/12.
I do. You’re taking away from some photosynthetic energy right about when they’ll make their final bud swell.
Ok. Will do. I’ll switch it back. You think the trichomes just haven’t matured yet. I usually harvest the 2nd or third week of October depending on temperature forecasting. Avoiding the frost Obviously. So I’m looking at about 12 weeks currently from first sign of flowering. Never grew indoors so I’m moving to indoors, probably permanently now. Just bought a house and have the room now for that. Again I don’t know the strain. The pots that they came in were labeled SD so I’m assuming Sour Diesel and the other were labeled B.B./LD. So Maybe Blueberry…something.
Switching to 10/14 will slow down their growth. Think about it. Less light equals longer maturation.
The change in light spectrum/intensity may have also slowed them down.
Here is some trichome information I was reading the other day . THC and other medicinal cannabinoids are only found inside the heads of three different types of trichomes:
- Bulbous
- Capitate sessile
- Capitate-stalked
Bulbous trichomes appear on the surface of the entire plant but are so small (10-15 micrometers or microns) that you won’t see them without the aid of a microscope. For reference, the width of a human hair is 40-50 microns.
Capitate sessile trichomes are the next largest group. They are slightly larger than bulbous trichomes and are significantly more abundant. Capitate sessile trichomes start to take on the more familiar head-and-stalk shape.
Capitate-stalked trichomes are the most common of the bunch. They range in size from 50-100 microns which means they can be seen with the naked eye. Capitate-stalked trichomes are composed of a basal cell (stalk) topped off by a waxy gland head.
Scientists used to believe that essential cannabinoids such as THC were created in the calyxes, or green plant tissue, which serve as the womb from which the mushroom-shaped trichome glands grow. Scientists now observe that the trichomes themselves create the cannabinoids and terpenes. Yes, the trichomes grow from the body of the calyx, but it’s the trichomes themselves that ultimately produce the cannabinoids.
it sounds like the experts have this one figured out. May i add my novice perspective? 2 HiGROW 1000w full spectrum LED lights most likely produce 400watts or less of actual light. the general idea for indoor grows is you want up to and about 50 watts per sq ft. if you have 800 watts of actual light and more than 16sqft in your grow space you may have too little light.
another point to think about. you were an outside grow right? the sun delivers 1000watts of light energy to the grown per sq meter. a sq meter is 10 3/4 square feet. lets round down and say its 10 sqft. That means the sun delivers 100watts per sq ft.
Your plants may not have enough light. for two reasons. 1: they may not meet the generally accepted 50watts per sqft. 2: most indoor grows are significantly weaker than the sun. go figure.
one other piece i dont know. What is the size of your canopy or grow space?
It’s 4x8x7 feet. I just set it up a few weeks ago. It’s a work in progress. Lights seem to be giving OK results. I want to stay with LED. Any recommendations on lights?
Interesting read. Thanks. As you can see in the pics above, I don’t have any well developed trichomes. Harvest period in my area has usually been 2nd to 3rd week of October depending on trichomes and/or weather. Early frost would require an early harvest. And we constantly battle mold issues being outdoors. So perhaps I just have a ways to go as @dbrn32 has said.
How high above canopy are your lights?
Two hlg-550 or equivalent, fool proof easy money.
My lights are 16” from top. 63” from the floor.
Wow @dbrn32. Amazon price of $938 ea. Is that a good price of is there another vendor that’s cheaper?
HLG-550 has a 3000k and 4000k Light available. What would be the difference? I’m assuming one has more desirable characteristics for growing what we’re growing.
You can get hlg-600 kit is very similar setup with larger driver for around $700. The extra current runs them a little warmer, but you can dim to 80-85% and be pretty solid.
Go with 3000k, has better flowering recipe and still will veg plants pretty well.
Thanks. Gonna take a couple paychecks for that one. Maybe my wife will get me an early Christmas present. 