Welcome to the forums fellow home growing gardeners!
There is an eternal question that practically every new gardener asks, “Are my flowers ready yet?” That question is IMHO (in my humble opinion), one of the most legitimate questions ever posted in these forums. A new pot grower nearing the end of their first successful grow has never watched flowers, pistils and trichomes ripen. They have no experience in selecting their favorite stage of flower and trichome ripeness. Truth be told, chances are the first time gardener hasn’t ever even tried the variety they’re growing. And if it is a variety that the dispensary sells, every home grower will agree, a successful home grow will be indescribably better than what the dispensary sells you. So how can we tell a newb when his flowers are ready?
Occasionally the only way to answer a question correctly is with a question, because the only one that can correctly answer the question is the questioner. This post is my attempt to give new gardeners an insight into how they can answer that question themselves. ..and maybe a tip for experienced gardeners too.
Below is a picture of toast in different stages. So my question to you is, which slice is “ready” for butter?”
Next up is a picture of bananas in different stages of ripeness. So again I’ll ask, which banana is “ready” to peel?”
Here is a picture of steaks. Which steak is “ready” to eat?
Now I’ll post 5 pictures of my recent grow (same cola) at multiple stages of ripeness. It covers days 47, 50, 57, 61 and 66 of bloom. This cultivar's (Sk #1) suggested flower time is 7 to 9 weeks (49-63 days). So can you tell me when the flower is “ready”?”
Then there is the one question I’ve never seen posted, “Are these flowers too old?” Well, this is a picture of a gal that was over 7 weeks in bloom (a 8-10 week bloomer) that I re-vegged. Those ‘golden’ (LOL) flower nugs are about 15 weeks old. (yes, I dry herb vaped them. Smooth and very couch lock)
So when are your flowers ready? IMHO it’s whenever you are ready to harvest them. Ripeness of the harvest, IMHO, is 100% a matter of personal preference and taste. Some will like flowers less ripe and more energetic. Some will prefer medium ripe balanced flowers, and some will prefer well ripened couch lock flowers. As a new gardener, only after you have experienced consuming your flower at differing stages of ripeness can you decide when your flowers are “ready” for your personal taste and needs. Yes, you can ask for other gardeners' opinions, but if you get 5 responses, it will likely have 6 opinions
. You can look for a certain percentage of amber trichomes or the ratio of white to reddish brown pistils, but for a first time gardener asking if their grow is ready, ...that’s kind of like a lifelong vegan asking if his first ever steak is “ready”? How would he know? He won’t. So one answer to the problem is to cut the steak into 5 strips and cook each strip to a separate stage of doneness, rare to well. Eat and then decide. The same applies to your garden.
How do you know which slice of toast or banana or steak you prefer? Experience! Because you’ve tasted toast and banana and steak (unless you’re vegan) in all the different stages of toastiness, ripeness and doneness. You know what you like because you’ve already tried them. Same holds true for your flowers. So here is my suggestion. It's what I do with any new variety or even pheno I grow, it’s not just for new gardeners. Taste and effects of the ripening flowers terpenes and trichomes will change over the final couple weeks and days of ripening before harvest. I will begin harvesting a new variety or pheno by taking a flower sample at different stages of ripeness. For the Sk #1 pictured, the recommended harvest window is 7-9 weeks or 49-63 days. I’ll take a sample at what some would say is early, like at day 46 in the pictures above. Then again around 57 days (pictured) into bloom or about halfway through the suggested harvest window, and then harvest the remainder in late bloom around day 66 (pictured). Then I’ll have flowers from my plant at different stages of ripeness and can decide on what day in bloom my plant is at the perfect taste and ripeness for me. Then I know exactly when to harvest the clones that are growing in veg from that plant. My taste is what matters in my garden. The same applies to your garden. Isn’t your taste the only taste that really matters in your garden?
Isn’t the gardener's taste always the most important taste for when it’s “ready”?
Hope that helps. N2
There is an eternal question that practically every new gardener asks, “Are my flowers ready yet?” That question is IMHO (in my humble opinion), one of the most legitimate questions ever posted in these forums. A new pot grower nearing the end of their first successful grow has never watched flowers, pistils and trichomes ripen. They have no experience in selecting their favorite stage of flower and trichome ripeness. Truth be told, chances are the first time gardener hasn’t ever even tried the variety they’re growing. And if it is a variety that the dispensary sells, every home grower will agree, a successful home grow will be indescribably better than what the dispensary sells you. So how can we tell a newb when his flowers are ready?
Occasionally the only way to answer a question correctly is with a question, because the only one that can correctly answer the question is the questioner. This post is my attempt to give new gardeners an insight into how they can answer that question themselves. ..and maybe a tip for experienced gardeners too.
Below is a picture of toast in different stages. So my question to you is, which slice is “ready” for butter?”
Next up is a picture of bananas in different stages of ripeness. So again I’ll ask, which banana is “ready” to peel?”
Here is a picture of steaks. Which steak is “ready” to eat?
Now I’ll post 5 pictures of my recent grow (same cola) at multiple stages of ripeness. It covers days 47, 50, 57, 61 and 66 of bloom. This cultivar's (Sk #1) suggested flower time is 7 to 9 weeks (49-63 days). So can you tell me when the flower is “ready”?”
Then there is the one question I’ve never seen posted, “Are these flowers too old?” Well, this is a picture of a gal that was over 7 weeks in bloom (a 8-10 week bloomer) that I re-vegged. Those ‘golden’ (LOL) flower nugs are about 15 weeks old. (yes, I dry herb vaped them. Smooth and very couch lock)
So when are your flowers ready? IMHO it’s whenever you are ready to harvest them. Ripeness of the harvest, IMHO, is 100% a matter of personal preference and taste. Some will like flowers less ripe and more energetic. Some will prefer medium ripe balanced flowers, and some will prefer well ripened couch lock flowers. As a new gardener, only after you have experienced consuming your flower at differing stages of ripeness can you decide when your flowers are “ready” for your personal taste and needs. Yes, you can ask for other gardeners' opinions, but if you get 5 responses, it will likely have 6 opinions
. You can look for a certain percentage of amber trichomes or the ratio of white to reddish brown pistils, but for a first time gardener asking if their grow is ready, ...that’s kind of like a lifelong vegan asking if his first ever steak is “ready”? How would he know? He won’t. So one answer to the problem is to cut the steak into 5 strips and cook each strip to a separate stage of doneness, rare to well. Eat and then decide. The same applies to your garden.How do you know which slice of toast or banana or steak you prefer? Experience! Because you’ve tasted toast and banana and steak (unless you’re vegan) in all the different stages of toastiness, ripeness and doneness. You know what you like because you’ve already tried them. Same holds true for your flowers. So here is my suggestion. It's what I do with any new variety or even pheno I grow, it’s not just for new gardeners. Taste and effects of the ripening flowers terpenes and trichomes will change over the final couple weeks and days of ripening before harvest. I will begin harvesting a new variety or pheno by taking a flower sample at different stages of ripeness. For the Sk #1 pictured, the recommended harvest window is 7-9 weeks or 49-63 days. I’ll take a sample at what some would say is early, like at day 46 in the pictures above. Then again around 57 days (pictured) into bloom or about halfway through the suggested harvest window, and then harvest the remainder in late bloom around day 66 (pictured). Then I’ll have flowers from my plant at different stages of ripeness and can decide on what day in bloom my plant is at the perfect taste and ripeness for me. Then I know exactly when to harvest the clones that are growing in veg from that plant. My taste is what matters in my garden. The same applies to your garden. Isn’t your taste the only taste that really matters in your garden?
Isn’t the gardener's taste always the most important taste for when it’s “ready”?
Hope that helps. N2
