Amber Trichomes? How amber exactly? 100X Magnification, some amber, but how much?

Just picked up a $13.00 100X Magnifier, I can see some Amber on the triches, but I'm not sure if they're supposed to be like gold or just kindy cloudy with a hint of color, Please advise. First Timer,

Thanks
 

BigDubbs951

Member
Dude your trichs are over mature...peak potency happens when a majority of the pistils are cloudy and look like a golf ball sitting on a tee. Harvest when around 20% of the pistils are amber and 80% are mostly cloudy. It goes downhill from here... gotta give Zandor his props..he educated me on this issue. Happy harvest.
 

Brick Top

New Member
The singular correct trichome color for when to harvest is whatever trichome color best fine tunes your harvest the most/best that you can, of course within genetic limits, making it as good for you and for you alone as you possibly can.

People preach specific trichome colors and tell others that is the very best time for the person to harvest. Well all that was actually told was what the other person liked the most for the strain types they grow, and nothing more. It was pure personal opinion that normally will be limited to some certain general range/grouping of strains.

To one person trichomes that are mostly clear and just a few have become slightly milky means perfection. To someone else dark amber is the bees knees. The things that make something right or wrong are partially personal preference and the rest is due to differing plant genetics.

Just because of differing plant genetics alone any color chart or advice has to be taken with a grain of salt regardless of how spot on it might seem at times. THC levels peak sooner than most believe them to, or that most charts claim. The thing is that at that time much THC is not fully psychoactive, even later it is not all psychoactive but there is less earlier even there is more actual THC overall. Rather than allowing the THC to turn psychoactive while drying and curing many grow longer to basically ripen on the vine. But when that happens you lose THC.

Once trichome color begins to change THC is oxidizing and breaking down into CBN. While most strains will begin with a clear trichome color it is not impossible that they can begin slightly yellow or slightly amber. It is not so much the individual first or original color but when it begins to change, to cloud, to darken that THC is oxidizing.

Genetics will always make a difference, that is if the difference is great enough. A pure sativa has the highest percentage of THC it will have just before the first bit of clouding begins. To many that would be seen as being far too early to ever considering harvesting. But it would be prime time for a true connoisseur of sativas. Of course the more or less equal opposite could at times be the case. A pure or almost pure sativa will just hit its maximum THC level sooner than other strains that have some amount of indica, more making for a slightly more significant difference. But some people tend to believe there is an across the board right or wrong, good or bad, perfect for all situations and genetics moment to be told to others and the precise moment to harvest.

They are full of manure.

What all that means is each individual has to learn what general type of genetics they prefer and what each genetic grouping/makeup chosen should give them, which should be targeted to give the person the very most of what they hope to end up with.

As in if someone enjoys to get stoned instead of high and likes what is called by many ‘couch-lock’ effects but still have maximum levels of THC to purchase genetics that are high in THC levels and high in CBD levels and harvest slightly earlier than they might think they should. The higher percentages of CBD will give them part of what they want and the increased levels of THC will boost overall performance.

That makes more sense than someone purchasing something that is as high in THC as they can find but that might be low in CBD, ‘couch-lock,’ and trying to make up for it by allowing plants to grow to long resulting in increased amounts of THC lost to oxidation turning into CBN, that causes a ‘messed up and I don’t want to move’ feeling that is confused by many as potency and ‘couch-lock’ and believed to be ‘better.’ At least it always made far more sense to me. Why willingly trade off some of the most coveted of all cannabinoids, THC, increasing CBN that is only being sought for because someone did not pick genetics that were high enough in CBD to begin with because they had to have the flavor of the month strain and then attempt to bend it into giving something other than what it was really genetically meant to offer?

Once someone actually figures out strains and effects of cannabinoid in differing proportions, then they need to learn how to tickle out of it that little bit extra that makes it the very best for them, and for them alone harvest, and then do things that way regardless of how many people wrongly claim them to be doing things incorrectly.

We attempt to create something we love as best we can, but at times there are two ways to get to what seems to be pretty much the same place. But the similarity is really only superficial and regardless of perceived similarities one route is most definitely an injudicious option to pick. Sadly far to many pick that injudicious option on a regular basis.
 

Cali chronic

Well-Known Member
yeah brick top that is the way I see it too--- so I pick and choose when and which to harvest---I have found that by experimenting of what you think looks to be someones idea or yours for that matter oif ripeness cut it dry it and vape it. wait another week (note tri clr) and clip again. I have one that is like in its 11th week of flowering that I have harvest once and got a jar full and now I am bout to get a second jar and bakking goods... like any fruit pick as they ripen.
 

Silky Shagsalot

Well-Known Member
damn brickman, that's one "you had to be straight" post, no?? lol!!! i wonder, since wine, cheese, and the finer things in life continue to "age" as it were, i would imagine the trichomes could as well. so what say you? does they or doesn't they? i've never thought to check. even mild chili will eventually turn into hot in the freezer. i've always wondered about trichomes??? personally, as soon as i see a hint of amber, i harvest. this usually means mostly cloudy for me with an indica. with a sativa, more of a 50/50 clear/cloudy. i wish i had the patience to grow more sativas.
 

ElectricPineapple

Well-Known Member
yes for about 2 weeks the trichomes will continue to mature. sometimes its only a week. so if you harevst almost all cloudy, then you will probably end up 60/40 cloudy amber. also curing helps stop the oxidation of THC into CBN and that is why cured weed is better than non cured. when you dry you will lose a little THC to oxidation, unless you do a long dry. which also makes for smoother smoke, since it gives the chlorophyll longer to evaporate out. this is why some weed will be bad tasting and harsh. there is still chlorophyll in the bud. also, how THC is formed is through a fermentation process, that is also initiated in the cure. you can initiate this in the last days of flowering, by drowning your roots to where no oxygen can get to them at all for 3-10 days, or turning off your bubbles in a bubbleponic system. this start anaerobic respiration which in turn start to break down sugars and carbs in the leaves and buds, or fermentation, thus converting them into THC. this will make your buds far more potent, and will have basically started the process of a cure before you even chop. this is even better because fermentation needs nitrogen to work, and will pull it from the leaves. if you dry with some big fan leaves and your trim still attached, the fermentation will continue in you drying process, then when you cure, anaerobic respiration will again take place, and make your buds that more potent, tastier and of course smellier. the last two will only pertain to certain strains since some, like NL # 5 has little to no odor.
 

NoCeilings

Well-Known Member
well said bricktop and electricpineapple. @electric, im assuming youve starved your roots of oxygen and seen the effects first hand? how would you do this in soil? (sorry for the thread jack)
 

ElectricPineapple

Well-Known Member
well i couldnt do it this grow, because i did not plan on this method when i started flowering and quite frankly, dont want to spend the money to get more buckets. but you just have to move the plants rootball, to become dry enough to take out of container, and put a trash bag over the rootball, and put back into the container, then fill it with water, until the water level remains above the soil level. the trash bag keep is from draining. this will eliminate the air in the rootball, initiating fermentation. also, i have not seen this first hand, but riddleme, did a lot of research on it and found many truths in it. he heard it form a hippy way back when, and wanted to see if it was a myth. his buddy just tried it in one of his bubbleponic systems. he has not posted back with results on it since he just moved and has no internet.
 

bigv1976

Well-Known Member
Wow man this thread changed everything I think about harvesting and I just realized I have 3 Big Bang to chop. Thanks bricktop!!
 

Cali chronic

Well-Known Member
well i couldnt do it this grow, because i did not plan on this method when i started flowering and quite frankly, dont want to spend the money to get more buckets. but you just have to move the plants rootball, to become dry enough to take out of container, and put a trash bag over the rootball, and put back into the container, then fill it with water, until the water level remains above the soil level. the trash bag keep is from draining. this will eliminate the air in the rootball, initiating fermentation. also, i have not seen this first hand, but riddleme, did a lot of research on it and found many truths in it. he heard it form a hippy way back when, and wanted to see if it was a myth. his buddy just tried it in one of his bubbleponic systems. he has not posted back with results on it since he just moved and has no internet.
Why do you have to remove them from the container? Why cannot you just submerge the pot into a bucket or bag as suggested?
How does this help with flushing?
 
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