outdoor fruiting

[tryptaminer]

do you guys/gals let your outdoor crop see the first frost of the season? i feel like this is getting close to harvest, but a pro opinion would steer me right...

thanks

[CamelTom]

im not a Pro but i have done it a few time and no i pull them right before the first frost
frost is no good for pot plants

[tryptaminer]

it's been a while, it's like relearning the art/science.


these pictures don't do much justice, hard to imagine they will gain much more girth lol

[Mushrooms201]

also no pro, but frost isnt good for most plants of similar nature. If you need more time I would insulate the plant at night to try to keep it from freezing. but that's JMHO

[junchieve]

It doesn't look like any of the pistols have changed color yet. You still have more time to go.

[kcmoxtractor]

Looks like you still have a month or so. What strain is it and what general hardiness area do you live?

[tryptaminer]

the strain is unknown. first frost is estimated to occur around October 6-14. SO it might be fair to assume to let them go until right up about then. right?


is there a specific color that pistols might turn?

[kcmoxtractor]

Hard to say what color the pistils will turn. Go to radio shack and get something with a 30x zoom, and check the resin glands. It depends on your personal preference but I prefer my resin glands all be cloudy before harvest. I guess that you could go later if needed if you built a cold frame.

[BlacHaze]

My plants look about 3 weeks ahead of yours and I haven't pulled them yet. Let them go as long as you can. Last seson, I let mine go into the low 20's. I covered them overnight with bedding. It looks like you don't have time to get them fully ripe, but let them go as long as you can. And if they do see frost, they will look beautiful. But don't forget to cover them overnight to keep the moisture off the plants. Good Luck!

[tryptaminer]

good advice everyone, what is a cold frame?

[BlacHaze]

I just put stakes around the plant and then covered it overnight.
But this can only work if you have daily access.

I even used my "cold frame" to fight against those extra rainy days.
http://forums.mycotopia.net/attachme...wwumbrella.jpg

[tryptaminer]

oh nice!

[BigAlBlack]

those need to mature more.

at least another 3/4 weeks.

frost is not bad for pot plants if they are strong.

i let my go till the second frost every year. of course that is usually the first or second week of Nov.

either way that thing needs to fill out more and all the hairs need to change from white to orange. best way to tell is get a magnifying glass and look at the resin glands and when they are all amber/cloudy, it's time to harvest.

[tryptaminer]

Originally Posted by BigAlBlack

best way to tell is get a magnifying glass and look at the resin glands and when they are all amber/cloudy, it's time to harvest.

swim has a HUGE magnifying glass layin' around somewhere, that's a nice bit of advice, because other than that it might be hard to differentiate now, from when it's actually ready for harvest


i'm gonna try to find a picture of resin glands.

[TVCasualty]

Heheheh, I just posted a comment about this same issue. I guess it's getting to be that time of year again.

Here's my two cents:

Originally Posted by TVCasualty

Mine would go until just before first frost. They can get pretty slow, but remember that the ground (and therefore the root ball) is still warm and the daytime highs are still adequate for continued growth.

I once grew a slow strain that finished after three or four frosts; I had to cover the whole plant with a big plastic bag at night (it was a big plant so I had to make a custom bag from taping pieces of sheeting together). Any bud poking out was dead by morning. The bag cover worked fine, and was worth the effort (I had to cover it 11 nights).

[Wild-find-I.D.]

hightimes has posted on this subject that once the plant has so much bud on it they can withstand a few frost it just depends how low the temp drops in the first few frost if it will be damaging or not

I'd cover it with bedding too (never plastic) plastic will burn plants once it gets too cold if your plant isnt far enough along it slows all its productions down getting the plant ready to drop seeds (seeded or not) & the roots lock up in Phosphorous because of temp hightimes posted a picture where the plant turned deep purple over nite on a cold nite from the roots Phosphorous locking up looked like purple oil was dripped all over the plant

in your pictures they arent ready yet you have at least 4 weeks to go the buds should be thicker & hairs will be yellow orange brown or pinkish purple hairs turn dark purplish or black if there are more white hairs the red then its still in flowering & not ready should be small cluters of white hairy spots opening at the tips of buds

[BigAlBlack]

Originally Posted by tryptaminer

swim has a HUGE magnifying glass layin' around somewhere, that's a nice bit of advice, because other than that it might be hard to differentiate now, from when it's actually ready for harvest

no prob.

but like i said, and others too, you still have at least 3 to 4 weeks left.

and finishing up pot plants in cooler temps helps to harden the buds more, along with changing it's colors/hues. it is not uncommon for plants to give off purple/pinkish and other colors from cold temp flowering. cold temperatures are part of the natural process for the plants. when it starts getting just right above frost temps at night, the plants start conserving energy, water, and nutrients within the lower branches and stalk. it is not uncommon for this area to turn purple if it was still green, or reddish if it was brown and hardened like a tree stalk before this period, and sometimes even swell. the longer the cooler temps have set in, the more you will see this in other areas of the plant as well. also, usually during this time there are more clouds in the sky, and around here it remains over-cast for most of the day which helps in increasing the amount of resin glands and the smell can become quite pungent too. frost is usually not such a bad thing if your plants are taller. the roots are warm because they are below the frost level and for me i've always done significant trimming during this time on the lower branches because they have usually stopped what little flowering they were doing in the first place. if your plants have fallen over from the weight of the buds, then they need to be staked up some how since usually it is the things closest to the top level of ground that have become frozen. also having more taller vegetation around the area of the plants base helps in providing some warmth to the lower parts of the plant keeping it from becoming frozen as well.

your plants are short and bushy so it would be wise to cover it when there are frost warnings. just be sure to uncover it early before the sun rises so it can absorb all that extra moisture from when everything else around thaws out.

im no expert by any means though. this is just stuff i've learned about outdoor growing. usually sativas take longer to flower and mature which increases the need to keep going well after the first signs of frost, that is if you are maximizing your pickings.

(edit) definitely cover it if it gets cold enough for frost after any rain. if the buds turn to ice, you will have lost a lot of smell and flavor, and it is usually a harsh smoke. if you water or nutrate any part of the plant directly cease this as well when it starts getting cold.

[TVCasualty]

Originally Posted by Wild-find-I.D.

I'd cover it with bedding too (never plastic) plastic will burn plants once it gets too cold

The plastic bag trick worked great for me. For light frosts I'd guess a bedsheet would be adequate, but the vapor barrier aspect of the plastic prevents radiative cooling which sneaks up on a lot of people (a sheet would too, but not as well). Let's say the forecast was for 35 degrees F so you think "no problem, it won't freeze" and then the night gets clear and in the morning you see the low temp was 35 but also see ice on your car and think "uh-oh." And your buds may or may not be ruined; depends on the microclimate they're in.

Solar water heaters that heat water directly (no heat exchanger using antifreeze/water for heat transfer) can have their rooftop collector panels freeze and burst when the low at night is over 40 degrees if the sky is clear.

At this point, I'd also cover my plants (if there were only one or two) if a heavy rain was expected (depending on the ambient humidity where you are) since that and cooler temps (slows evaporation of the extra water) can promote bud rot in high-humidity environments.