Harvesting--what to look at?

On Christmas Eve my plants will have been on 12/12 lights for 65 days, or about 9 weeks. I have a sativa hybrid and an Indica hybrid. I'm not exactly sure what I"m looking for. I have a 30x loupe and a 60x-100x microscope. I'm looking on the buds...the crystals look white on the 30x...I haven't tried a higher magnification yet.
I'm afraid they are going to finish and over ripen. I don't want that to happen. Can someone tell me how to know when to start looking? It would seem like I'm in my final weeks for the Indica. Maybe not quite for the Sativa.

When I harvest, do I cut the plants at the base of the stalk and hang upside down? When do I start trimming all the leaves off the plant. When do I trim the leaves off the buds?

What do I do with all the trim? Do I lay it out on some newspaper to dry?

Folks, I've never finished a harvest before. I have been reading my grow bible and articles, and forum posts. I still feel insecure in this area.

Any ideas on how to wrap things up?

Im sure you, like myself, have watched and read several websites and youtube videos. All good but still have that insecurity, like you said.
I'll be watching this thread to get some answers myself.

Goodluck planehopr

you will see the amber ones soon, actually there,s usually a few through out later flowering. another week or 2 and you should be there bro, patience. you wont over ripen. its like black n white lookin at amber n cloudy trichromes....peace

I cannot address all your Qs but here is what I have.. If you are 65 days from 12/12 Flip....you are most likely around day 50-55 of Bloom. I never start counting my days until pistil balls begin and stretch slows. Any Pics? Better to be chopped a week late than a week to early. Sounds like you will have a Happy Greeen Christmas.. HO HO HO MERRRYY CHRISTMASSS.

Harvesting is an art as every strain and plant differs significantly. Some plants are ripe with 50% amber 50% cloudy, some at 25/75, others at 75/25... so trich color alone is not the sole indication of ripeness. I would advise you to take into consideration the following: Scent, calyx swolleness, trich color, and age. When in doubt harvest several times at different intervals.

check your trichs for half amber half cloudy, cut off your branches one at a time trim the fan leaves then trim the bud. I save the trim leaves for making kief.

so can I just cut off branches and hang them individually? Or should I harvest the entire plant? Gastanker, you suggested I harvest in intervals. I have 9 plants, so I could harvest whole plants in different intervals. Or I can cut off branches with buds.

That is a clearer picture...do you harvest the entire plant and manicure while its hanging, or do you harvest branches and manicure them and hang them.

You can harvest whole plants of just branches. Many people harvest top down - take the bigger more mature colas and then wait to cut the lower smaller buds until they have matured a bit more.

Gastanker said:

You can harvest whole plants of just branches. Many people harvest top down - take the bigger more mature colas and then wait to cut the lower smaller buds until they have matured a bit more.

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Ok, thanks for letting me know. I will harvest riper colas and manicure and hang them, then I will harvest the rest of the plant. I get the feeling that this isn't exactly rocket science...but I've been told it can take like a week for 1 person to break down a pound. With 9 plants and inexperience I'm sure I'll have at least 9 ounces--still a lot of work.

planehopr said:

Ok, thanks for letting me know. I will harvest riper colas and manicure and hang them, then I will harvest the rest of the plant. I get the feeling that this isn't exactly rocket science...but I've been told it can take like a week for 1 person to break down a pound. With 9 plants and inexperience I'm sure I'll have at least 9 ounces--still a lot of work.

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If I was expecting 9 zips, I wouldn't harvest them until I thought they looked dead!

You didn't say if they we from seed or clones, makes a difference.

My clones show sex right away, seeds takes a lot longer.

Give it some more time.

My clones showed sex almost immediately. Why would you wait until they look dead?

planehopr said:

<SNIP> Why would you wait until they look dead?<SNIP>

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Looking at Trichs is good!

I am just sayin, that I usually wait until the leaves are turning and falling off, to make sure they are done, unless I need the weed. I like mine done.

I've had a hard time with the small microscope I got from Radio Shack. I ordered this:


from Amazon, should get it next week.

So i will be lookin more closely at the trichs.