When should the "fad"e be allowed to set in?

A quick question for you experienced organic enthusiasts. I am growing several Querkles and they are beginning to lighten up with a slight nitrogen deficiency (natural fade). They are 3-4 weeks into flowering so they have another 4-5 weeks left to go.

My question is this; should I begin to let them fade naturally now and hope that they retain enough photosynthetic tissue to not decrease yield or should I hit them with a light dose of some organic nutes and hold the fade off for another week or two?

uhhh "fade" not "fad"e.......

That seems early to me. I would feed if they were mine.

Why does Kushman says in one of his video that he prefers to harvest when the plant is still lush green? I mean what is the science behind wanting the plant to fade? It seems like it doesnt affect the flowers, the flowers are just as green when you harvest them? I just harvested a plant that was all green and ready and I was proud... so whats the deal!?

i would feed, it wont do any harm.

add some base soil on top.

i dont like fade. i try to not let it happen. i would rather have nice green leaves all the way through. green is what is needed for photosynthesis

Thanks for all the responses everyone.

I am under the impression that some fade is not a bad thing but given that there is still a month or more of flowering time I am going to hit them with a nice and easy alfalfa tea 2-1-2 and maybe a little rock phosphate 0-2-0 and see if that will restore the deep green in the lower fan leaves.

I enjoy the look of the fade as it helps bring out the accessory pigments like carotenoids, anthocyanins, xanthophyll etc. that give you the purples and blues and pinks. Some growers argue that too much nitrogen upon completion detracts from the taste and smell of the bud but I can not say one way or the other without running my own side-by-side grow.

I've noticed that my most "faded" buds were the ones that burned smoothest and tasted best. They burn down to a wispy white ash, instead of chunky black funk. I don't think you have to worry about the chunky black funk if your growing organic, though... Just might not be as smooth as it potentially could.

i try to the fade started week six in my supersoil plants.....around the same time im flushing my cocoa plants..... green= chlorophyll, chlorophyll tastes like hay..... the plant realizes its at the end of its life when the fade it set correctly and shits resin and plumps up. what you also find is the smell explodes once you get into your fade. the fade is necessary.......if your on the search for dank. sorry for running on, super stoney this afternoon

If you are using the supersoil i would just top dress it with that. I had a black afy x haze i made start to fade in the 3rd week in a 5 gallon smart pot i top dressed with supersoil and a week later its getting the color back. The fade i believe you want to come on the last few weeks of flower before its finished. I bel ieve the master Subcool himself says that when theres a good fade and the leaves are all turning yellow and he harvest it always tastes best. With the fade turning the leaves yellow you have less chlorphyll in them than when there green making the taste better. I cant quote him on all the points he had but i know that i did read that he says the plants taste better with a good fade than all green. The yield may be hurt from this but if your growing for taste and your own personal then yield shouldnt be all that much of a goal. It is a goal to me somewhat but not as much so as last year. I just want the dankest buds around. I already pretty much do but there not all organic and i know i can do much better. If i could find subcools logic on the fade i would post for you cause i cant 100% accurately quote it cause its been a few weeks since i read it.

Thanks Robear and Chadly, I made a quick organic tea something like a 5-5-5 and hit them with that. I will see how they respond to it. They are growing in 7 gallon pots with maybe 30% super soil so it would appear that Querkle handles super soil quite well. My Plushberry stopped active growth for 3 weeks after I transplanted it into a pot with super soil...clearly not all strains have the same nutrient needs. Hopefully the fade will return in a couple weeks and another experience under the belt.