So I updated my first post to remove auto-flower reference. That is wrong.
Question: Since 12/12 occurs 2nd week of Sept, can I 12/12 this plant now and then allow 2nd plant to mature naturally? That would be 5 months of veging and then 2 months of natural 12/12. Would become a pretty large plant I assume.
yes you could. would transplant…either into the ground or a larger pot as to not get root bound for that amount of grow time. Outdoors, Critical Blue can grow to 5 feet, under pristine conditions…so figure 4-5 feet. Come sept / oct, you will be in harvest mode
Will Do. Thanks, Mike, and all others who helped.
Hey, Mike (and others), an update:
After concerns with heat in greenhouse I moved plant to my veg garden, where it has gone insane! Larger by 3x, fatter by the same. I have had it a 12/12 for a couple of weeks and am noticing hairs (or proper reference) shown in image. Also a heavy smell. How close is this plant from harvesting? What would I be looking for as telltale sign it’s ready?
you have only just begun. Time for the buds to develop. You will want to defoliate some of the lower leaves before she gets too heavy into flower…never more than 30% defoliation, at a time. Each time you defoliate, you wait 2/3 days to see recovery before you defoliate again. Do not try to drink the ocean…little at a time…great looking plant, likes where you put it and the soil too
Trying to figure out the proper way to defoliate, I came across this article: How To Defoliate Cannabis Plants For Bigger, Better Yields - RQS Blog
Aware that everyone has an opinion, this author recommends I not defoliate. Bear in mind I’m in W Texas where sun is high and bizerker almost every day and we have a constant 15mph wind. Given those conditions, one would think plenty of sun gets to all buds, and maybe plant built canopy to protect itself? What say you?
If all the buds are getting flower, you can leave it alone. If it were an autoflower, I would not touch ore recommend defoliation but as a photo, she can send more nutrition to the flowering tips. It just appears the nodes are very tight and you could let some air in the under canopy so as it gets hotter, you do not create a humidity barrier at the soil level…No problem leaving as is, especially noticing the growth and health of the plant
10-4 on humidity. However, I’m sure even with tight plant that shouldn’t be an issue here in the desert.
So I read another article which opines that plant should continue growing for another week, and then one month later should be good to go. That timing sound right to you? 7 weeks from 12/12 for Critical Blue?
thee is no set time. Too many factors change things so we do not go by age, we go by trichome development. Recommended time is just that, a recomendation
I guess I’ll recognize trichomes when I see them, which I thought I did. First plant; learning through experience.
you really need a jewelers loupe / microscope / hd camera to see the trikes…do not just go by the top trikes…you want to see the core / deep part of the buds. Tips mature differently that the rest of the bud
I do have handheld microscope. Those buggers just looked like trikes to me. Will continue to observe.
Hey, Mike. I have 4 images below. 1st is of top buds, 2nd is top bud and it sure looks to me as if there’s amber in there, 3rd is bud which gets least sun and showing cloudy trichomes. 4th is plant I’m growing naturally. Same age as plant in my first post but what a difference in canopies.
Are we all ready here?
pic 1, 2, 3 - about 10 days…A tiny bit of amber but MOSTLY milky - clear to milky. Tops always are the NEWEST so trikes can be deceiving…Always go into the middle of the bud to get a good idea of where they are at. I do not see any NEW growth (white pistils) so she is in the waning position…
water using icecubes on soil for next week or 2…no nutes…
pic 4 - is JUST Beginning to flower…she has an entire 6-10 weeks of flowering left (depending on temps, nutes, hormones)
The full moon is near the 24th of June…you want to be ready for then unless she shows signs of not being ready
Ok, 10 days it is. Very low humidity here so I figured I’d throw a roll of toilet paper (unused 
) in a large, black garbage bag and hang the stalks within to dry. Sound good?
My plan with the 2nd plant is to let it grow naturally. All through the summer and then it should start flowering when we’re 12/12 here - middle of sept.
Same age, same seeds, same dirt. BIG difference in pots, as in the 2nd one was planted in ground when it grew 8" tall.
Yeah, I remember when you first posted it and wondered about it NOT GROWING…
If the elite growers here recognize that pots hold growth back why haven’t I seen or read of any growers using raised beds?
I utilize Raised beds…for all my auto’s. Right along with my tomato, zucchini (yellow & green), pumpkin (mini white, pink) basil (companion). All my photo go in containers. In winter, I move auto over to 1/2/3 and some 5 gal cloths…My raise bed is the easiest to tend…best producer. I compost and turn every year
