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Harvesting:
A typical cannabis plant bred for indoor cultivation will average around 8 weeks from when you turn back the lights to harvest. Strains that run as fast as 6 weeks or as long as 12 are not uncommon, but the bulk lie in the 7-9 week range. A couple weeks before harvest time, you will notice that the creamy white pistils are starting to turn brown. Be careful not to confuse brown pistils from natural ripening to premature ripening due to heat stress. When most of the pistils are brown, and production of fresh white ones has slowed, start checking the trichomes, or 'crystals', with a 30x magnifier. They start off clear, and the plant will have a sparkly look in bright light. As it ripens, the trichs cloud, and the appearance of the buds becomes more frosty or hazy. When almost all of the trichs are cloudy, your harvest window has begun. Harvesting early will maximize the cerebral effects of the strain you are working with, while a later harvest, when the trichs are starting to turn amber and the THC is degrading, will give you a more body-oriented stone. This is nice for painkilling (muscle pain in particular), anti-anxiety, and anti-insomnia purposes.
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