I need some Trichome help...

So, I got some seeds from a friend, and he says it is Humboldt Upsetter. It has been a strange grow, and I am at 7 weeks since flip, but they are looking close. This is my fourth grow, and this is the part that always stumps me – when to harvest for the best results. I have never harvested less than 8 weeks. I am concerned of the amount of amber in the trichomes. Or, am I seeing things? If you guys could take a look at my photos and let me know what you would do – Wait? Chop?

I say chop chop. Looks like some of the heads are even collapsing. They might be just very thin walled.

Chop!!

Yea chop it will continue to ripen another few days, after chopping scope it again in three days and you'll see a ton of amber.

It’s funny; I guess the days of bout a pound and 2 more weeks are gone here at roll it up.

but this is why I don’t even look at trichomes, very misleading, I would give it a week or two personally just based on bud picture at end and not sny trickle shots, trichomes can become brown and amber from multiple things other than ripeness….
Let em go 8 weeks you’ll be happy

Trichs look ready but full pics of the buds look to need a little more time. Have they been bumped around a bit or squeezed too much? That can affect the trichs also.

green_machine_two9er said:

It’s funny; I guess the days of bout a pound and 2 more weeks are gone here at roll it up.

but this is why I don’t even look at trichomes, very misleading, I would give it a week or two personally just based on bud picture at end and not sny trickle shots, trichomes can become brown and amber from multiple things other than ripeness….
Let em go 8 weeks you’ll be happy

Click to expand...

Agree on the bud photo but all the other trichomes are milky. Thats why I'm saying chop. Not to mention a bunch of those trichome heads are completely missing. Odd for sure. Edit: Also personally I tend to harvest on the early side. I'm a "mostly milky" type guy. I like minimal amber typically.

Those flowers don't look anywhere near ripe to me. *shrugs* The close-ups look like the trichomes are ripe in that particular area....but the overall plants and buds look like they have weeks to go.

EDIT: I don't know it that is an automatic flowering cannabis plant or a marijuana plant. But if it is an automatic flowering cannabis plant, then I have no idea what to expect from it or how to tell if it's ripe or not. I only work with photoperiod marijuana plants.

Are you getting scope shots of the actual caylexes themselves or the sugar leaves? Ime the sugar leaves amber much faster than the bud trichomes!

Instead of focusing on trichs I tend to look at how the plant is acting. Has it compelled stop growing, is the pistles all receding and orange red. And for me I can tell when a plant is done by when it literally stops drinking water.

green_machine_two9er said:

Instead of focusing on trichs I tend to look at how the plant is acting. Has it compelled stop growing, is the pistles all receding and orange red. And for me I can tell when a plant is done by when it literally stops drinking water.

Click to expand...

This exactly. However in this case those trichomes seem to be degrading severely. Thats the reason I said chop.

Seems like those trichome pics are from sugarleaves, can we get trichome pics from buds?

Hey, congrats on making it to week 7! Humboldt Upsetter sounds like an interesting strain—props to your friend for sharing. Timing the harvest can definitely be tricky, but trichomes are a solid way to gauge readiness.
From what you’re describing (and if the photos show a lot of amber), it sounds like you’re getting close. Here’s the general breakdown:

Cloudy trichomes = peak potency, lots of THC.
Amber trichomes = more of a body/couch-lock high (CBN levels increase).
Clear trichomes = not quite ready yet.

If you’re seeing mostly cloudy with a little amber, it’s a good time to chop if you want a balanced effect. If it’s mostly amber already, you might be leaning into the heavier, more sedative side. If that’s not what you’re aiming for, you might want to harvest now.
One thing to consider—different parts of the plant might mature at slightly different rates. You could do a staggered harvest, taking the top colas first and letting the lower buds mature a bit longer.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the effect you’re looking for. If you’re unsure, harvest a small bud now, dry it, and test it. It’ll give you an idea before committing to the full chop.
Good luck, and enjoy the fruits of your hard work!

I’d be waiting for a bit more swell if it were me, and seeing those pistils recede further into the calyx.. try taking some more trichome shots from- a couple of different buds (ones you don’t handle preferably) - check some of the lower ones, might be a strain that likes layered harvesting? - and as others here have said.. make sure you are viewing the calyx trichomes, not the leaves.

Full plant pic would help, but from what I can see from the pics..... it's not quite ready.

Trichome heads could be missing from too much handling.

Full plant pics would help more to determine though.

And at the end of the day, it's your plants. Chop them when you want to.