Hi everyone, I'm dealing with a "quick finishing" strain that is supposed to have 6-8 week flowering period. Well today marks the end of the 8th week of flowering and although the buds are covered in trichs and are looking quite delicious (I tested a small piece of one with excellent results) they are all still quite clear. I guess some look somewhat cloudy but most look clear still.

Is it possible that some strains just don't turn amber when they're "ripe"? Should I just go ahead and harvest or wait until they turn amber, however long that might be. Thanks for advice

Hey there, you might want to wait a little bit more, because i think it's gonna be ready in a matter of days now..

First i recommend to stop nutes feeding if not done yet.
Second, try to lower your temp at night, this will help the buds ripe quicker.

That said, look closely for the trichomes to turn all milky or amber in the next few days... depending on what kind of "high" you'd like.

Hope this help!

Wish you the best harvest!

The breeder set's the flowering timeframe based on their lights, (likely 1000w HPS) their medium, (likley hydro) their nutrient regimine, under optimal conditions, and with a working knowledge of the strain.

In other words...your results may vary.

Patience.

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i've also read that the time frame is the earliest possible to judge for commercial grows. not sure if that's true or not, just something i've read.

-shake

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I would really like to see what other folks have to say on this one. I believe you need to use the microscope and see at least a few yellow or turning brown tricomes before harvesting. A High Times article I read said that 1/2 the tricomes should be yellow or brown and 1/2 should still be clear. I am not sure what category the cloudy tricomes fall into though I have seen them and know what you mean. That being said I am human and have gone against my own belief in the past. I ususally regret it later on.

To be honest I believe you have to smoke each new type of weed for the first time in a day to see how strong it is. People love the purple kush but if you are really going for the best high I believe that afghan goo is better. Cut a little now and compare it to some harvested when the tricomes turn yellow or brown and see if you can tell the difference. I usually can.

Trichomes progress from clear, (not mature) to cloudy, (mature) to the over-ripe (a technical term) rusty. (or amber if you prefer, or brown...same thing) A pocket microscope or loupe is unnecessary if you have good eyes and a 5x magnifying glass.

Perhaps you could cite the edition, because although I've been growing for quite a few years, I've NEVER seen the trichomes skip the cloudy (a milky color) phase. Closest exception...as new foliar growth grows late in flower, the older trichomes are mature already as immature trichomes are appearing in the new growth.

Regarding trichome maturity:
Depends on the effects you want, and what you are using it to treat. Some folks get too paranoid, or react negatively if the plant is over-ripe. Some can't handle the shit expanding in their lungs. Some can't tollerate the harshness of immature or un-cured smoke. Some blend the ripe buds with the over-ripe buds for a different effect. Some segregate them entirely for a certain flavor profile...

A lot of the variables depend on it genetics, (sativa or sativa dom, indica or indica dom...) who is growing it, the methods they use, the lighting and nutrients, skill level of the gardener, adherance to fundamental biological principles, local humidity, ambient co2 levels, fresh air and temps...then there's the cbn/cbd interractions and concentrations, and...well...the list
goes on...

More time reading on CanCom, less time with your nose in High Times looking at the pretty pictures...

__________________
Your disappointments grow in direct proportion to your expectations.
If you are comfortable with your facts, you should assume I'll be comfortable challenging those facts.

Horticultural Myths and Folklore
Fox Farms Feeding Schedule
Dealing With Heat Issues in the Desert
Rusty's Bonsai Re-Vegging
CanCom Troubleshooting Forms

Also...if trying to take a lady past her prime, (more than roughly 25% amber trichs) she will start to lose vigor and growth will virtually stop. Possibility of late-stage nanners, and death is soon to follow. (it's an annual)

Yup.

__________________
Your disappointments grow in direct proportion to your expectations.
If you are comfortable with your facts, you should assume I'll be comfortable challenging those facts.

Horticultural Myths and Folklore
Fox Farms Feeding Schedule
Dealing With Heat Issues in the Desert
Rusty's Bonsai Re-Vegging
CanCom Troubleshooting Forms

Rusty thanks for the info. Knowledge is good. I appreciate your explanation as to the cloudy vs amber or brown. I had a problem last year because I wanted to see more amber or brown tricomes and kept waiting but the buds started to cabbage (not sure if that is an official term). That is when you have nice solid buds then they start to get a wierd late growth out of the middle of the bud and if let to grow more the buds will lose their solidness and start to become airy and less solid. I am not sure how this affects the smoke quality but I think it is negative. I will keep this information on cloudy tricomes in mind when I harvest. I still need the hand microscope. With my eyes I need a 5x just to read.

Getting there myself.

__________________
Your disappointments grow in direct proportion to your expectations.
If you are comfortable with your facts, you should assume I'll be comfortable challenging those facts.

Horticultural Myths and Folklore
Fox Farms Feeding Schedule
Dealing With Heat Issues in the Desert
Rusty's Bonsai Re-Vegging
CanCom Troubleshooting Forms

In my yard I just use the juice from my wriggly ranch (red worms) and the buds are fat. I wonder if the supplements in the soil at my spot are causing the buds to cabbage where your hard buds start to grow out the middle then become less solid.

The one thing about what we do ... it will teach you to be patient. Just wait they'll come around to your liking.

Patience gets harder and harder when the choppers start flying. I went out to harvest 3 plants last year then the chopper flew over and I harvested 6 instead.

That's why I moved everything inside. No more prying eyes from above. Plus the fact I can get 4 or 5 grows in a year now instead of just one.

That sounds really good but I am in a tent half the time and off the grid so power is a major issue. I need to get serious about doing light dep to get an earlier crop at least to have some early smoke. I am smoking branches the rain knocked off now so really looking forward to the buds filling in and the trichs becoming cloudy, amber or brown. Some of the immature stuff is already decent so I can hardly wait.