Amber

Everyone has their idea about when to harvest and how many ambers. I'm curious what's going on in layman's terms when tricomes transition from clear to cloudy to amber. It's an transitional period of the cannabinoids right? Is the THC level constant through this period? Is it possible that strains have different harvest times for different effects. In other words, Is one strain capable of delivering different cannabinoids depending on when it is harvested?

I've harvested by trichome percentage for over 10 years now. I check the flower themselves, since sugar leaves have a higher amber percentage.

IME, cannabis harvested early (less than 5% amber) is underweight, does not have a long lasting effect, and is incomplete in the terpene and cannabinoid profile. It's like eating a green pear, it's definitely not ready.

Ripe harvested (between 5% and 15% amber) has a complete terpene and cannabinoid profile, the effects are complex and last for hours and the efficacy is as potent as the genetics will produce.

Overripe (15%+ amber) cannabis starts to have a sleepy effect which I personally do not care for. The terpene profile is not as fresh and complex and the cannabinoid profile starts becoming washed out by the narcotic, unable to stay awake effect. Those who like/want this should definitely go for higher amber %'s.

Note: I'm an indoor grower. I've been told outdoor trichomes exposed to direct sunlight can turn amber quicker. I'm hoping checking trichomes within the flowers themselves will prove useful and accurate.

So yes, you'll get varying levels of cannabinoids throughout the ripening period. No, the THC doesn't stay the same, it peaks at the ripeness point for any particular strain. No, I don't recommend harvesting cannabis early for the downsides listed.


Does that help?

I left 5 plants in the pot, dark, without water, for five days; after 12 weeks flowering.

The amber increased 30%

I let 5 more plants go ten days. 45% increase.

It shorten the hanging, drying time, too. I gonna do it again!

So, less than 5%, there may be weight loss but the actual trichome count does not change. Is it possible that there are strains with desirable characteristics , meds, pain, maybe, that occur earlier in the ripening process?

Zeez said:

So, less than 5%, there may be weight loss but the actual trichome count does not change. Is it possible that there are strains with desirable characteristics , meds, pain, maybe, that occur earlier in the ripening process?

Click to expand...

Less than 5% and there's definite weight loss.


It may be possible. Like I mentioned though, the downsides are rather rough. You're losing significant weight and the effect lasts a significantly shorter time. It's like shooting yourself in both feet, so highly not recommended.

i've taken just 1 plant into deep amber, not sure what the percent was, but talking 20+ weeks of flower
i too found a relaxing effect without much stonyness or euphoria
but that investment in time is HUGE! not thinking all that many have grown to that point

Zeez said:

Everyone has their idea about when to harvest and how many ambers. I'm curious what's going on in layman's terms when tricomes transition from clear to cloudy to amber. It's an transitional period of the cannabinoids right? Is the THC level constant through this period? Is it possible that strains have different harvest times for different effects. In other words, Is one strain capable of delivering different cannabinoids depending on when it is harvested?

Click to expand...

no cannabis is going to change it's cannabinoid profile and shift from making thca + cbga + cbc and then when amber is at 10% start making cbda + thcv and cbn, the profile is genetic.

no it's not a transition period for cannabinoids, lots of studies out there where they harvest plants every week and test the through the life cycle and THCa peaks several weeks before plants finish but we know that it's not all about THC levels anyways.

waiting until plants are ripe can be almost impossible in your location outside full season, this year has been very poor anyways.

every cultivar behaves differently regarding the transition from clear to cloudy to amber. they all go amber with age and oxidation.

if you can actually grow plants to senescence they will be different every day until they die, most people are basing their decisions on economic factors like yield or bag appeal.
I choose based on effects and flavor if everything is ideal and then consider weather when outdoors or the number of weeks inside.

2 years ago the weather was shit and I harvested this ECSD before I wanted on 9-23 because of the small amount of bud rot seen here.


this ECSD came down today, it was the last but I picked the others in 2 stages and the larf from the earliest I'm already smoking and it's great!

Zeez said:

So, less than 5%, there may be weight loss but the actual trichome count does not change. Is it possible that there are strains with desirable characteristics , meds, pain, maybe, that occur earlier in the ripening process?

Click to expand...

you just can't make big generalizations about these things, as flowers ripen they get bigger and some strains are always adding plant matter and trichs.

as they ripen trichs get fatter and buds get heavier but the flavors and effects vary in this time period too so I always play around with harvest times to discover the sweet spot for me where I prefer the flavors and effects.

I like the weed the I smoke to wake up and work with harvested before the plants are ripe even though the yield may be poor.

all my daytime outdoor has been harvested, Corey, ECSD, sour dubble.
all of these have a sweet spot that I can smell between 7-8 weeks and it makes the buzz very heady and energetic with max euphoria.
it's when it smell the brightest to me.

I like the strains I prefer for pain and night taken as ripe as possible usually.

I took lots of big tops off my OGKB 2.0 when I started seeing bud rot this week and the smalls and lowers might make it another few weeks still.

try taking some of each plant down at stages and mark the harvest date so you can evaluate what you like over the winter and you'll also learn how fast they get rotten on the inside as you go.

it's also way easier for me to keep up with drying and trimming if you harvest plants in stages.

these GMO cookies triggered late and they are cloudy but it's only about where they are at 7 weeks inside.


Python Boot (Forum x (True OG x (GG#4 x CookieBoi) mostly cloudy with some amber but still needs a few weeks.

Outstanding. Thanks.

Just puffed 2.o and thinking about the ones in the garden. 6x CP

You have the genetics, it's all good.

For outdoor it's risk vs gain. If you have a plant with health or stamina questions, do you want take on the next round of tough, colder, wet weather or go for the sure thing? You don't get to choose the variables. Go for the big one, Kamikaze - all or nothing. Meh. Test buds have been excellent!.

In my short little trip into indoor gardening I have found that trichomes go much slower for me. I am always trying to find the balance. I enjoy an early harvested plants effects but dont want to lose too much weight.
I was told that amber meant oxidizing and deterioration.

Chunkypigs said:

no cannabis is going to change it's cannabinoid profile and shift from making thca + cbga + cbc and then when amber is at 10% start making cbda + thcv and cbn, the profile is genetic.

no it's not a transition period for cannabinoids, lots of studies out there where they harvest plants every week and test the through the life cycle and THCa peaks several weeks before plants finish but we know that it's not all about THC levels anyways.

waiting until plants are ripe can be almost impossible in your location outside full season, this year has been very poor anyways.

every cultivar behaves differently regarding the transition from clear to cloudy to amber. they all go amber with age and oxidation.

if you can actually grow plants to senescence they will be different every day until they die, most people are basing their decisions on economic factors like yield or bag appeal.
I choose based on effects and flavor if everything is ideal and then consider weather when outdoors or the number of weeks inside.

2 years ago the weather was shit and I harvested this ECSD before I wanted on 9-23 because of the small amount of bud rot seen here.
View Image

this ECSD came down today, it was the last but I picked the others in 2 stages and the larf from the earliest I'm already smoking and it's great!
View Image




you just can't make big generalizations about these things, as flowers ripen they get bigger and some strains are always adding plant matter and trichs.

as they ripen trichs get fatter and buds get heavier but the flavors and effects vary in this time period too so I always play around with harvest times to discover the sweet spot for me where I prefer the flavors and effects.

I like the weed the I smoke to wake up and work with harvested before the plants are ripe even though the yield may be poor.

all my daytime outdoor has been harvested, Corey, ECSD, sour dubble.
all of these have a sweet spot that I can smell between 7-8 weeks and it makes the buzz very heady and energetic with max euphoria.
it's when it smell the brightest to me.

I like the strains I prefer for pain and night taken as ripe as possible usually.

I took lots of big tops off my OGKB 2.0 when I started seeing bud rot this week and the smalls and lowers might make it another few weeks still.

try taking some of each plant down at stages and mark the harvest date so you can evaluate what you like over the winter and you'll also learn how fast they get rotten on the inside as you go.

it's also way easier for me to keep up with drying and trimming if you harvest plants in stages.

these GMO cookies triggered late and they are cloudy but it's only about where they are at 7 weeks inside.
View Image

Python Boot (Forum x (True OG x (GG#4 x CookieBoi) mostly cloudy with some amber but still needs a few weeks.
View Image

Click to expand...

Sorry to be off subject here.
Is there bud rot present in that top pic?
Man I worry I may be missing some in my garden if so, cuz that looks great to my eyes

Earlmarne said:

Sorry to be off subject here.
Is there bud rot present in that top pic?
Man I worry I may be missing some in my garden if so, cuz that looks great to my eyes

Click to expand...

yeah about halfway down.

Earlmarne said:

Sorry to be off subject here.
Is there bud rot present in that top pic?
Man I worry I may be missing some in my garden if so, cuz that looks great to my eyes

Click to expand...

There is a little brown mass slightly below center. Depending on how much your growing, some people would just trim around that bud site, or hack off and destroy the hole branch.


Not surprising, where there is some rot, nearby areas will likely show more a day or two later.


Sick plants (showing unusually amount of yellowing/wilting) during flower are prime candidates. If you are 4-6 weeks into flower, and start seeing a week plant, watch it like a hawk. I have learned to quickly destroy one plant to save the rest.

This is a bit off topic, I have a purple girl and I'm finding it difficult to read the trichs color since most of them are literally purple.