no microscope whats your method for harvest window?

[hereigrow]

Hi all I just wanted to hear some methods for harvest window when you dont have a microscope to look at trichromes. i never had one but 90% red hairs is usually chop time, I feel like alot of people on here go 10 weeks no matter what.

Current crop is at 50 days and looks about 90% red hair. Im debating on taking it down...Idk what do u guys do?

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I usually wait...

There are a few varieties that are ok at 50 days... what strain are you running?

I don't go by hairs... I go by the way the trichs look from a foot or so away. Trichs look shiny on the plant when they're full and clear. Then they look shiny white and then dull yellow to a reddish amber. You can see this change without a scope but it takes some getting used to.

Turn off the HID, if you're using one, and look at them in natural lighting. Having a white wall behind the plant can help.

Stay Safe!

 

[hereigrow]

It's a sour d x ssh the ssh mom finished 56 days like clock work. The pheno I chose REAKS of garlic but looks alot like a northern light buds with sour d leaf structure.

Funny thing my lamp cord was loose and I didn't know it so I think they had little to no light for about a week.lol shocked them to ripen a little quicker i think.

 

[SeaMaiden]

Hi all I just wanted to hear some methods for harvest window when you dont have a microscope to look at trichromes. i never had one but 90% red hairs is usually chop time, I feel like alot of people on here go 10 weeks no matter what.

Current crop is at 50 days and looks about 90% red hair. Im debating on taking it down...Idk what do u guys do?

Great question, one I had some years ago and here are the tips that another friend gave me that really helped.

Watch the buds themselves--are they continuing to fatten or put on weight, or have they stalled for at least a week?

Pistils--mostly red (90% sure seems mostly red to me), or are there still a lot of new, fat white pistils popping out? New pistils usually mean additional budular growth (I don't think I made that word up, but my spellcheck sure doesn't like it).

Overall appearance of the plant--is the green fading, or are you seeing more yellowing, starting from bottom/inners up? Is it beginning to remind you of fall colors? (Not all plants do this, and how much you observe can be as much a result of temperatures/conditions and feeding as it can be particular variety/strain.) If they're dropping or have dropped most of the fan leaves it's not long to go.

Hope this helps.

 

[Sat X RB]

budular growth (I don't think I made that word up,

yep! is yr plant still putting on weight/flower or has it slowed down? you SHOULD see this if yr close to yr plants.

(Ha Ha Seamaiden ... you DID make up that word, didn't you?!)

 

[hereigrow]

Ya they are def in self cannibal mode for at least a week already. Trichromes r shining like little gems and appear silver. I chopped today the whole thing was stressed because of a molasses problem l
ocking out Ca (sea maiden knows all about that issue,she chimed in alot on that thread thank you very much.)and then my stupid ballast cord. All in all they came out very nice in spite of all that.

Maybe ill get some pics tommorow. Thanks again everyone and i would still like to hear some of the communities personal methods for peak potency at harvest. I understand it can be very personal opinion but pleasr share

 

[SeaMaiden]

I smoke too much weed to really be able to discuss peak potency very well.

I'm glad to have helped, truly. Now you've gotta get ready for the next run, don't ya?

 

[mr cheese]

Well whats shocked me the most other than ppl thinking red hairs mean a plants ripe is the fact you didnt notice your light wasn't on for a week!! How were you feeding them? In the dark??

P.s.. red hairs dnt mean a plants ready, theirs plenty of strains out their thst carry on flowerin with full red head! Lol.. trics are the only sure fire way unless your familier to ur strain obviously

 

[SeaMaiden]

I disagree that trichomes are the only surefire way to tell if your plant is done. I've seen plenty of girls go without developing cloudiness, staying clear then suddenly jumping to amber, to know that anyone using only that metric would have trouble understanding what might be happening. I've also seen plenty of girls stay cloudy and then never seem to hit any amber. How would you gauge doneness in either of those events?

That's why I like using the different methods I outlined above, along with scoping trichomes, except that this thread is about how to tell without a scope, so I told him.

 

[John Deere]

I'm with SM. I look at the whole plant and don't focus on any single area as my indicator. In fact, the only reason I get my scope out is because I like looking at trichs.

 

[señorsloth]

a 30x jewlers loup with led's is only about 5 bucks...it's the best thing you can use...microscopes zoom in too much, you can only see a few trichomes at once, and often are forced to remove a budlet or leaf to look at the cristals, meaning you have a very very incomplete look at your plant, one calyx could easily be almost completely amber while one an inch away has almost none...and leaves almost always amber up completely before the buds even get to 10%...your best bet is to go get a cheep jewlers loup, and look at your triches with the hps off, that will make it much easier, hps light makes ambers almost invisible...

if you are dead set on not getting one then go to google and type in "zeus's take on harvesting" it will pop up a thread on another forum...a forum almost exclusively for poser 14 year olds but this thread is very very good info and 100% true...if you read this thread and follow it to the letter you will never need a microscope...

personally i think both methods work ok, but the best is to use both, if your buds meet zeus's requirement AND your at 25% amber then you are ready to go...

 

[Sat X RB]

How would you gauge doneness in either of those events?

Ah SeaMaiden ... another new word: "... doneness"!

this season's crop is GOOD, yes?

 

[Ichabod Crane]

Your plant will start using less water. That is an indication to start checking if you have not already.