well there are 3 ways to really tell when a plant is ready...
One is to snip abit off,dry and smoke,,if you like the high then chop....haha,,however this is there least reilable way.
Another,,as you say,,is to look at the trichomes,,they are the bit you use a mag glass,,or somthing like that,,I use a microscope..and as the trichs deveolpe the go from a clear blob,through to mushroom shape,,thats them at the end of there 'growth' as it where...they then go from clear,,to cloudy or milky white,,to finally turn amber. when they start to turn amber thc producting has peaked and its time to chop. so if there more amber than milky its time to chop. there is many disscussions about how many should be amber before chop,,wht percent etc... but its really up to you,,the more 'milky' trichs than amber gets you more of a excitied,up beat high, and the more amber there is,,within reason and strian dependant,,gives you more of the sit on your head,sink into the couch high.
Another less accurate way,,the way I do it,, is by watching the white pistel hairs,, as these grow out the grow striaght and then over time bend then slowly start to die back. turning amber and then swelling in the calyax(sorry if my speling or terms are off,,im quite baked) ,,bascially when the hairs are turning amber at the bottom of the bud faster than white ones are growing then the plant has peaked and will genrally degrade in thc from then on. So,,,,,
Hope that helps,,there a really good sticky thread in the harvest bitty,,hell you probly know this ,,but yeah has good pics to show what I mean,,,,
Take it easy...
