Trichomes & Harvesting

Agraves

New Member
Not ready. Too many new pistils for it to be even close to finished. 3 weeks at least...

Just to clarify, those white hairs are each attached to a calyx (sometimes two hairs per calyx). Calyxes provide the bulk of the weight and surface area of a bud. When the hair is white it means that the calyx it is attached to is immature, meaning it is small. The calyx is only at full size once the pistil hair has turned orange or orangey-brown.

If you harvest a plant when it still has white pistils you are losing YIELD. Potentially a significant amount, since a lot of strains don't bulk up properly until the very last 2 weeks.
This is great info - thanks so much. I also invested in a more powerful magnifier since I posted, so I can see the trichomes more clearly and can actually see if some ARE clear (which there are some). I’m brand new to all of this and have been taking a crash course in cultivating since (unexpectedly) receiving this beauty. Thanks again for your help!!
 

MajorCoco

Well-Known Member
This is great info - thanks so much. I also invested in a more powerful magnifier since I posted, so I can see the trichomes more clearly and can actually see if some ARE clear (which there are some). I’m brand new to all of this and have been taking a crash course in cultivating since (unexpectedly) receiving this beauty. Thanks again for your help!!
Glad to help. In an effort to be helpful I'll also add...which hopefully you won't mind since this is your first grow...these are not entirely healthy looking plants. Healthy enough to finish probably, but your yield is unlikely to be good even if you do leave them 3 more weeks.

I can't tell what hasn't gone right from what you've told us, but they really should be much bigger buds than they are at 6 weeks. Don't sweat it, as your first grow is always a steep learning curve, but do go through each part of your grow (lighting, growing environment, watering and nutrition etc) and be sure to check that each was within the correct range.
 

Agraves

New Member
Glad to help. In an effort to be helpful I'll also add...which hopefully you won't mind since this is your first grow...these are not entirely healthy looking plants. Healthy enough to finish probably, but your yield is unlikely to be good even if you do leave them 3 more weeks.

I can't tell what hasn't gone right from what you've told us, but they really should be much bigger buds than they are at 6 weeks. Don't sweat it, as your first grow is always a steep learning curve, but do go through each part of your grow (lighting, growing environment, watering and nutrition etc) and be sure to check that each was within the correct range.
So, I just went outside to check on it and it broke in half. I have no idea what happened. Could have been a squirrel or could have just been weak from improper care. I’ve been learning as I go, which probably hasn’t been easy on my plant.
 

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MajorCoco

Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear. That's always a bummer...They are much bigger plants than I thought from the first pics, so you've done good anyway. Stems look a little woody perhaps, which can be a sign of problem, but generally they don't look bad. Not very bushy though...which makes me wonder what sort of pruning you've done.

They look like pretty big container. Are they in dustbins?! (garbage containers...if you're american!). If they are then make sure they dry out properly between waterings as they could hold a lot of water at the bottom...! (sometime having too big a container makes is difficult to know whether the bulk of the root-ball is in the dry or wet part of the container!)

Also..when you say 6 weeks since flowering...how sure are you? Outdoors plants usually have localised end-dates (e.g Late Sept in Northern Europe), rather than flowering periods (which is for indoor plants, where the change to 12/12 is sudden.) Each variety actually starts to flower at slightly different photo period. Many will start to flower at 13/11, or even 14/10...but doing 12/12 guarantees that 100% of known strain will flower...so that is why everyone goes 12/12.

Outdoors, where the photoperiod changes slowly flowering is usually longer than with indoor grows.
 

Agraves

New Member
Sorry to hear. That's always a bummer...They are much bigger plants than I thought from the first pics, so you've done good anyway. Stems look a little woody perhaps, which can be a sign of problem, but generally they don't look bad. Not very bushy though...which makes me wonder what sort of pruning you've done.

They look like pretty big container. Are they in dustbins?! (garbage containers...if you're american!). If they are then make sure they dry out properly between waterings as they could hold a lot of water at the bottom...! (sometime having too big a container makes is difficult to know whether the bulk of the root-ball is in the dry or wet part of the container!)

Also..when you say 6 weeks since flowering...how sure are you? Outdoors plants usually have localised end-dates (e.g Late Sept in Northern Europe), rather than flowering periods (which is for indoor plants, where the change to 12/12 is sudden.) Each variety actually starts to flower at slightly different photo period. Many will start to flower at 13/11, or even 14/10...but doing 12/12 guarantees that 100% of known strain will flower...so that is why everyone goes 12/12.

Outdoors, where the photoperiod changes slowly flowering is usually longer than with indoor grows.
I found a pic from when I first started to see white pistils popping out and it was dated Aug 6th, which I thought occurred in week 2 of flowering, but Im just going by something I read, so I may have started tracking this stage too soon.
 

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JonnyGrows

Member
Hey all, new here...doing my first indoor grow, any thoughts on harvesting with 5% amber coverage ? Currently in week 9 & see more cloudy trichomes...I was wondering if any has harvested with 5% amber and how it turned out ?
Negative & Positive feedback appreciated

Thanks
 
Are we there yet? Some skilled eyes would be appreciated. About 2 weeks ago it was suggested that I wait 1 - 2 weeks. Should I wait longer or do you think it's good to go? Not all buds are at the same stage so I'm thinking I'll have to work my way down the plant in stages.
 

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Puff_Dragon

Well-Known Member
looking at those pics, and trying to compare to what I grow; those could still go another two weeks (or so).
It is hard for me to say, you might be at the early part of your harvest window(s). imo: I'd give it (at least) another week. As I don't see much amber over all the pics.
Also, when you do harvest; harvest during a night cycle when the plants are particularly smelly (as opposed to night cycles when the plant smell drops). Total 'bro science' there, but I find good success harvesting when they smell particularly 'ripe' (and are in my favourite tric colouration).

Peace.
 
Much appreciated, Puff. I was kinda thinkin the same thing myself... didn't want to accept it but I was thinkin it. A friend gave me this plant at the beginning of veg. It's now going into it's 10th week of flower. I guess I got one of them 10 to 12 plants. Talk about trying someone's patience on their first grow... :). It's all good, though, I got lots to smoke while I wait. Thanks again and Happy thanksgiving
 

Puff_Dragon

Well-Known Member
Much appreciated, Puff. I was kinda thinkin the same thing myself... didn't want to accept it but I was thinkin it. A friend gave me this plant at the beginning of veg. It's now going into it's 10th week of flower. I guess I got one of them 10 to 12 plants. Talk about trying someone's patience on their first grow... :). It's all good, though, I got lots to smoke while I wait. Thanks again and Happy thanksgiving
np.
fyi - I start counting flower days from when first pistils appear (about 7-10 days after flip).
Most of my strains are 70% (plus) Sativa. 12 weeks is the standard flower time :) I can cut off a week ..but I lose some quality (flavour+high).
I have a Malawi x Panama (100% Sativa) that I might take 14 weeks (currently at 82 days *84 days=12 weeks*)

Saying that, even the indica strain I grow takes 10.5 weeks (in flower) to really express itself.
And I always grow (now) using clones from a mother plant (as opposed to seed). Which gets my veg time down a little.
 

Cappuchino

Well-Known Member
Yesterday I watched a lecture of a hash maker and he said interesting thing about when trichomes are ready to harvest (starts on 19 minute):
How does it correlate with your experience?
 
Interesting.... Thanks Cap! If this really is the case... that there is a more obvious uniform indicator of ripeness across the entire plant taking guess work out of the equation... harvest time will become fool proof and quality will be optimal. Great benchmark... if this truly is the case across all strains.
 

tko2184

Well-Known Member
Question on taking plants early I have 5 in a tent pure headstash and I have spider mites it is day 56 week 9 beginning I’m thinking of pulling them here is why I need advice bc I did the alcohol spray thing and it worked but they came back of course then I vaccines but too time consuming and vac was big I was doing more damage than help and lastly bc o or two of the tops don’t snell like banana anymore but hey and the bud is slowly turning brown when cal ax and trich checked cloudy w amber and some clear but they apple fritter and banana og only need a week more and the fatso needs two roughly what should I do carry on or pull them if I pull am I sacrificing I just want the buds to smoke and get me high I was only getting a feel for them any advice is hella appreciated
 
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