thc4me2

I grew three autoflowering strains, which were partially harvested when they looked ready - plenty of trichs turning golden. I left just a few buds on the lower branches. I then pollinated them with two male autoflower strains that I had been growing. All three of the plants now have seeds, but what I'm wondering is how I will be able to tell when the seeds are ready to harvest. Do I simply wait until the plants die on their own, or do I take a seed pod every week or so and open it up to take a look at the seed? When I did this last week, the seed was green, pretty hard but still crushable with between my thumb and finger. Will the seeds need to be brown before I harvest them, or if the seeds are still green and I cut down the plants, will the seeds continue to mature? Once pollinated, how long does it take for seeds to mature?

I'd like the best of both worlds - I'd like to be able to smoke the buds and also have viable seeds for my next crop. I've grown girls before, but never with the intent of establishing some seeds, so this is new territory for me.

TIA.

chappie

It should be pretty obvious when the seeds are ripe. They split the bract and you can see them. They should look just like bagseed or seeds you pruchase. They should come out of the flower very easily, even when the plant is still alive. Just pry one or two out, examine them, and you'll know if its time to harvest. Then dry the plant normally, and use deseeding technique of your choice.

If the seeds are pale green/white and soft, you definitely need to wait longer.

__________________
take it easy,

~~~chappie~~~
8 Miles High/Kalichakra
Chappie's Crockpot ratio: 3.5z wet trim per lb of butter = 16 servings

countyspud

I was in Vancouver last year and visited the Vancouver seed bank.
Basically they harvested all the rest of the buds from the plant and left the seeded bud for another few weeks. Longer is better. I don't think you can leave them on too long.
The larger the seeds the better. The darker the seeds, the better.

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Plant a seed, crack a smile.

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CamperDon

Good morning,

I would think it would take the entire flower cycle to mature the seeds (8-10 weeks) depending on when they became pollinated.
In one of my flower cycles a few harvests back, my Ladies hermied from a light leak pollinating themselves (three different clones) three weeks into their 12/12, I allowed these to flower for 14 weeks thinking the seeds would mature somewhere within that and then given the prolonged time to alloow the plant to go back to makin bud (if that even happens) since bud growth slows IMHO to put all its energy to produce seed stock assuring the "Plant" growth next year, since MJ is an annual (a once a year crop in the great outdoors) she would go dormant in the fall after harvest leaving behind very little green to sustain life or even go bare dropping all its leaf and come back next spring emerging with new foliage.
I also feel that if left alone the seeds would eventually push there way out of the flower to ride that wonderful free fall to the ground where it'll soon sprout upon the feel of a little moisture on its shell. And the cycle would begin again, next year

Have a Great day and Good luck
don

p.S. I would've wrote this yeaterday when I clicked on your post but, I was unsure of my answer and wanted to wait for other more knowledgable members to give there thoughts, sorry for waiting.

thc4me2

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to let them go until the seeds start breaking free or until the plants die - whichever comes first. Looking forward to my next grow already.

CropReport

I do seed runs fairly often. Once you cut them and hang them, just let them dry and then cure just like you would seedless herb.

If the seeds are fully formed, they'll be ready to pop when your herb is ready to smoke. -CR

CamperDon

Good morning,

WoW CR, they continue to mature and ripen even though the plants been cut & dried?? nice info to know ... (maybe I could've gotten away with not allowing mine to have gone the 14 weeks..)

Thanks Crop and have a Great day
don

mattdreads

they mature after harvest, but nothing happens with them from the plant after harvest. besides maybe the first 24 hours...

I pollinated my harvest 3 weeks before harvest and got loads of mature seeds. the seeds that were in the light were more matured the lower branch buds that were also less mature. logic.

they don't always pop out and become visual either. I think may depend also on the strain. more then 1 of my prego tops it was impossible to see the seeds until I tore into it, and then there wasn't much left afterwards. I only had one or 2 seeds that were actually visible. before I'd seen those I thought my pollination was a failure. LOL

3 weeks, plus 7 days drying gave me nice, dark, definitive markings and rock hard seeds. let them sit for 2 to 4 weeks before germinating them. I just the first round into paper, so knowck on wood.

MD

CamperDon

I have my first set of 5 F1 (S1) not sure which to call em but either way, Trainwreck seedlings in the flower cab now in there 3rd week and flowering beautifully. These seeds came from a Trainwreck female that had become pollinated by an AK47 and KGB during a light leak four sessions back. Six beautiful dark brown tiger striped seeds (of more than 70 collected) were germinated on 7,17, grown vertical under two 48" HOT5 strip lights until 11.6 when they were added to the cab.
Yesterday, I had to pull two of them down LST because they grew to tall for my Cab which is fine by me ... Just wasn't planning on another LST Project i'm sure i'll be pulling the other three down in no time as they are blooming buds all over the place.. I luv the FF soil, nutes & sup's, man I can see a major difference (improvement) in flower growth, density and resin production from these products to the stuff I once used.. In my grow op, as said by others, your mileage may vary.

Have a Great day and hold on to your hats, the wind is blowin hard in Cow Town
don

CropReport

They don't mature so much as they just dry and harden. Seeds, when they are still green, are soft and will mold, crush, etc.

I think everyone on this board should do a seed run just for the experience.