👉 I started the week thinking I would be harvesting a branch or two a day. I planned on starting at the top with the Queen and just work my way down a little at a time every day or so. This was to allow the lower levels of branches more time to mature to get an even result from top to bottom as far as bud 'ripeness'.
👉So I did start with the Queen. The trichomes looked perfect for what I wanted, mostly cloudy. This Queen cola was not 'typical' when compared to most Auto flower plants Ive grown. It wasnt even the highest of the colas on the plant. It was about the size of a pine cone and frosty. I did a close trim in it and hung it on my drying rack to dry. After one day the cola was placed in a paper bag and hung until its weight was 25% of the original wet weight after trimming. That took two more days and last night it was placed into a jar with a hygrometer. 12 hrs later the hygrometer was at 91% so I opened the jar lid. I will leave the lid open probably all day, may even take the bud out of a while and put on the hanger. It will repeat the process till stable at 62%.
👉 What I found at trimming was that perhaps the flower could possibly pump up a little more. Also it has so many leaves it made me start to hate leaves. I that made me conflicted because leaves are why everything happens...food factories. I could see the issue before I got close to harvesting and I am happy I didn't go on a massive defoliation campaign. That wouldn't have helped the sugar leave issue. I have been taking leaves for a few weeks now even though it may be hardly noticeable. It took a long time to do the type of trim I like. I avoid snipping calyx's as much as possible and will snip as many sugar leaves as close as I can. The rest of the harvest of this plant is going to be penance for just a few of the thoughtless or stupid things Ive done in the past...a trim purgatory that is going to be close to trim hell. But if the end result is as good as the white widow Ive had in the past, it will be pain worth enduring...if its a dud that tastes like grass because of all the leaves then I will learn how to make extracts. Almost always a bright side with cannabis.
👉So I will continue lots of pre-trimming any large sugar leaves on colas around the top and work my way to the bottom. I will also continue nutrient laden fertigations and get a little more plumpness of the flowers to offset the leaves. The plant is still thirsty and I see new calyx's on all the buds. I'm going to mix my nutrients between the late bloom mix and the ripen mix, with extra Flora Bloom, and extra KoolBloom.