someone please explain this to me!!

[kittykronic]

i'm an oldtimer 44yrs. to be exact..been growing for 15 yrs. back in the day we did'nt go by color of trics as an indication of when to harvest..we went by swollen caylaxes, leaf curl and when hairs were about 80-85% turned color..you know the plant had an amber look,it just looked ready..i have 4 plants that have been flowering for roughly 7-8 wks. now..i went out and bought a high powered microscope 200x to see the trichs (pretty kool really)..my question is how do you all determine when your plant is ready and the percentage of color ratio of the trics..for example i pulled one leaf off one bud and it had mostly cloudy trics,but another leaf off another bud had mostly amber trics.a third leaf was mixed clear, cloudy and amber..i read where people in their reports for example say trics,10% clear, 80% cloudy 10%amber and i see their pics and say to myself that was way too early to cut..it seems to me to get a good indication atleast half the plant must be looked at and a guesstimate made..someone please explain this to me..i feel like all the years i've beem growing i might have been short changeing myself..thanks all..

 

[guest 77721]

Here's a guideline to follow. The idea is that you have some control over the final product by when you harvest.

It's my experience that the older parts of the bud are at the bottom which change to amber earler than the tips which are new growth. Sometimes you have to take a sample from a couple of places on the buds to get a better idea. I don't sample from the top area, either middle or bottom.

 

[sunnydog]

I just do it the old way :wink::wink:

SD

 

[VirginHarvester]

You have to go by judgment and there's no right or wrong answer necessarily. Some people harvest a little less "ripe" because they might want the more sativa high of a strain if it's a sativa, or even very ripe on an indica because they really want it to be on the heavy side of its indica effects. You might be growing a haze for instance and take it to mostly amber in order to quiet down those effects. Go by your own instincts.

One thing seems sure is that a strain with all clear trichs isn't really ready regardless of how the rest of it looks. If you're getting quite a few legitimate amber trichs it's probably ready. I don't think there's an exact science to it other than just making sure it's close to being ready, not too early, not overdone. Some people intentionally let theirs go really long and mostly or all amber just to give their strains a heavier effect but that's a decision you have to make. I think most people would agree that a strain should be true to its advertised effects at around 50% amber. My personal feeling is that if you get to 80% amber that many of the trichs are way overdone- that is the thc is not "spent" but just kind of over ripe.

 

[Doobie Nyce]

same here... I can always tell when they are done.

I just do it the old way :wink::wink:

SD

 

[MrMortakis$moot]

great advice!!!

check a few various places on the plant and also use your "old-timer" instinct & you'll be fine. also.. you're right, it's damn cool looking at the trich's under a microscope!

 

[GrowingHigher]

A lot of it is simply personal preference. I like to harvest with an even ration of clear to amber with mostly cloudy trichs. Sometimes that is 10:80:10 like you suggest but living things are variable and it probably will never have this exact ratio.

its a balance of what variable high you want and can get from a certain plant based on trich ripeness (earlier harvesting favors cerebral highs, where as late harvesting favors couchlock, narcotic highs -within the range of that strain) and the maximum weight potential of your plant. If you harvest early for the high you may loose out on weight.

One thing to remember when harvesting based on pistil color is that pistils may change color when touched, if you foliar feed, or spray insecticides or herbicides. Their color change is not as closely correlated to cannabinoid content as trichome color.

 

[JamieShoes]

EDIT - what redgreenry said :wink:

 

[North]

KittyK,

Given the responses,Maybe try harvesting some buds of a single plant at all 3 stages, then smoke to see which you prefer.

I'm with sunnydog, I eyeball em.but I'm also an outdor grower, I dont have the luxury of fawning over my plants daily.

 

[Mc__Nugget]

wow, thanks red green! this is perfect!

 

[kittykronic]

thank you all who tried to clarify this to me..being an eyeballer too...i did find one tset subject that i would have considered done..mostly red hairs, curled crunchy leaves and swollen caylaxes..but when i look under the scope, (i took your advice redgreen and went from middle and bottom of buds) the trichs were mostly cloudy and clear..i'll give her another week..it is definetly different growing indoors..i have had plants in september outside ripen overnight from temps dropping to the mid 40's..but checking trichs is very kool and i will just take some at various stages and see the difference..never knew there really was a difference, just figured it was weaker from cutting early..one other thing i noticed the smaller trichs also change their color to amber much faster than the tall standing ones...you all have been great thankxx and peace

 

[Hal]

Hey Kitty..

If you are going to purchase a tool to view your trich's with, you should check out this thread:

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=108924&highlight=Bionicam

I have the basic RadioShack microscope that most growers seem to own, but I have always found using it to be a pain in the ass due to handshake (and my hands are pretty still...). The Bionicam takes a picture, and makes viewing much easier in my opinion. You can get much more accurate percentages of the trich ripeness as well when you have a photo of the trich field to look at.

I would have a Bionicam right now if not for the shitty shitty economy

 

[tokinsmokin]

i'm an oldtimer 44yrs. to be exact..been growing for 15 yrs. back in the day we did'nt go by color of trics as an indication of when to harvest..we went by swollen caylaxes, leaf curl and when hairs were about 80-85% turned color..you know the plant had an amber look,it just looked ready..i have 4 plants that have been flowering for roughly 7-8 wks. now..i went out and bought a high powered microscope 200x to see the trichs (pretty kool really)..my question is how do you all determine when your plant is ready and the percentage of color ratio of the trics..for example i pulled one leaf off one bud and it had mostly cloudy trics,but another leaf off another bud had mostly amber trics.a third leaf was mixed clear, cloudy and amber..i read where people in their reports for example say trics,10% clear, 80% cloudy 10%amber and i see their pics and say to myself that was way too early to cut..it seems to me to get a good indication atleast half the plant must be looked at and a guesstimate made..someone please explain this to me..i feel like all the years i've beem growing i might have been short changeing myself..thanks all..

Your right on the money. I've seen trichs that are clear, cloudy, and amber all on the same plant. To decide which color is more prominent than others is too hard. So honestly just keep going by red hairs and calyxes.