Waiting for Amber Trichomes . . . and waiting . . . and waiting

[Nonagronomist]

So help me out. My trichomes won’t turn and I’m worrying. Here’s the specs:

• Auto Jack Herer x AK47 x Siberian ruderalis
• Outdoor grow, Northern California, in home-made ‘supersoil’
• Currently 90 days from germination

Plant is now looking extremely raggedy, with almost no functioning leaves. As an autoflower, it showed pistils at about 4 weeks, and so has been “in flower” for over 60 days. However, the trichomes are almost exclusively white, with less than 1% amber trikes being found on exterior, sun-purpled leaves. Weirder still, all of the pistils had dried up to red, and suddenly last week, the plant started putting out new pistils (and presumably new calyxes).


My raggedy girl

I don’t want to shortchange myself if the plant is still packing on the trikes, but I’m concerned that simple exposure to sun and air could be degrading the THC (THCA?) even without amber trichomes.


New pistils and almost-all-white trichomes

Harvest or hold off?

 

[SPLFreak808]

So help me out. My trichomes won’t turn and I’m worrying. Here’s the specs:

• Auto Jack Herer x AK47 x Siberian ruderalis
• Outdoor grow, Northern California, in home-made ‘supersoil’
• Currently 90 days from germination

Plant is now looking extremely raggedy, with almost no functioning leaves. As an autoflower, it showed pistils at about 4 weeks, and so has been “in flower” for over 60 days. However, the trichomes are almost exclusively white, with less than 1% amber trikes being found on exterior, sun-purpled leaves. Weirder still, all of the pistils had dried up to red, and suddenly last week, the plant started putting out new pistils (and presumably new calyxes).

View attachment 3708835
My raggedy girl

I don’t want to shortchange myself if the plant is still packing on the trikes, but I’m concerned that simple exposure to sun and air could be degrading the THC (THCA?) even without amber trichomes.

View attachment 3708836
New pistils and almost-all-white trichomes

Harvest or hold off?

They are all the same color? Just clear and cloudy? No red/purple/pink/yellow ect?
Did you notice the spider mites?

 

[Nonagronomist]

Nearly all seem to be cloudy, with maybe 5-10% still clear, and maybe 1 in 1000 amber.

As for the webs, this is an outdoor grow and I have at least 5 varieties of regular spiders living the the grow area. They eat most of the other bugs. Also there's a little yellow beetle that loves to curl up and die on the leaves. I'm not worried, although I understand that spider mites can be a real problem indoors.

 

[whitebb2727]

Some autos will not produce amber.

 

[Nonagronomist]

Some autos will not produce amber.

That's what I'm worried about. The buds continue to put on bulk, so I'm just going to be patient.

 

[whitebb2727]

That's what I'm worried about. The buds continue to put on bulk, so I'm just going to be patient.

It will fade out, turn yellow and fall colors and then shed leaves.

 

[SPLFreak808]

Nearly all seem to be cloudy, with maybe 5-10% still clear, and maybe 1 in 1000 amber.

As for the webs, this is an outdoor grow and I have at least 5 varieties of regular spiders living the the grow area. They eat most of the other bugs. Also there's a little yellow beetle that loves to curl up and die on the leaves. I'm not worried, although I understand that spider mites can be a real problem indoors.

I figured I'd just let you know, since i can actually see some webbing establishment on the cola, im surprised they even got that far up the plant when outdoors.

 

[Nonagronomist]

I figured I'd just let you know, since i can actually see some webbing establishment on the cola, im surprised they even got that far up the plant when outdoors.

Yeah, I did a little research and ran out back to examine the troupe, and there's extremely slight evidence of webbing in maybe two other places. But no leaf nibbling at all.

I'll keep an eye on it, even though I'm thinking it's from a more conventional spider that's been leaving similar webs on the spaces between the outside of the pots and the surrounding vegetation.

I'll be smoking some of those spiders (along with the stray beetle corpse and the odd milkweed seed) in a few weeks.

 

[calliandra]

I'd say wait another week or so to let the trichs go all milky, then chop.
The way you describe how her buds were setting and then restarted bloom, that's called foxtailing, and is regarded as a sign of "we're almost there" in lots of strains - I've grown 2 of that kind and in both the trichs never went amber - but straight from milky to dark brown, which is when the THC really starts degrading.
Just to toss in my 2c

 

[Budzbuddha]

I would say you are there ... 8 weeks in flower ( 60 days )
Since amber means begining degrade , why look for that.
It looks hella frosty ( cloudy ) and pistil recede .
Dont let the mites keep feeding .

 

[yeatster]

Yeah, I did a little research and ran out back to examine the troupe, and there's extremely slight evidence of webbing in maybe two other places. But no leaf nibbling at all.

I'll keep an eye on it, even though I'm thinking it's from a more conventional spider that's been leaving similar webs on the spaces between the outside of the pots and the surrounding vegetation.

I'll be smoking some of those spiders (along with the stray beetle corpse and the odd milkweed seed) in a few weeks.

I have grown few Jack Herer Autos. I have harvested @day 88,with mostly cloudy triches. I have harvested @ 99days with 30% amber. My opinion, It wasn't worth waiting for amber. In fact, I prefered the earlier harvest.
I would chop.

As for smoking spiders, look up "bud washing".

Peace

 

[Nonagronomist]

I have grown few Jack Herer Autos. I have harvested @day 88,with mostly cloudy triches. I have harvested @ 99days with 30% amber. My opinion, It wasn't worth waiting for amber. In fact, I prefered the earlier harvest.
I would chop.

As for smoking spiders, look up "bud washing".

Peace

Hmm. Washing seems pretty radical. I might try that on a bud or two, just for a test. I now have 8 plants in sequence, roughly 2 weeks apart each, and so will be harvesting nearly continuously for the next few months. Very petite harvests, admittedly.

Also, your recommendation to harvest now rather than wait is just what my impatience wanted to hear. Now I have to get the angel on my other shoulder to go along.

 

[black jesus]

Water won't knock off the good stuff. I would chop and throw a new batch out. You might start getting nanner if you try to ride it out...

 

[Nonagronomist]

Water won't knock off the good stuff. I would chop and throw a new batch out. You might start getting nanner if you try to ride it out...

Yeah, it's already June and time's a wastin' even here in California.

 

[black jesus]

Yeah, it's already June and time's a wastin' even here in California.

I'm in cali as well. The bay...I just threw another syrup outside. I hope it can get as big as the other 2 I have. I have one more but I'm using that one to try to get pollen for a seed run. I'm yet to actually get seeds. I've tried 3 times

 

[Pat666]

Yeah, it's already June and time's a wastin' even here in California.

I'm growing some Herer autos too and running Ito similar issues I'm in day 87 and buds showing a few Amber Trics but half the hairs or more are still white and buds are tiny. Everyone keeps telling me it's nowhere near done but I'm worried I'm gonna wait too long

 

[GreenSanta]

you know if they were not bred 100% auto ( nothing is ever 100%) it might have too much photoperiod in the genes and the days are still too long so it's foxtailling then revegging ?

 

[purplehays1]

some strains will never go amber, no sense waiting and risking bugs/mold ect

 

[Pat666]

my last post fucked up so deleted it. anyway my plants are indoors so luckily no mold or bug issues. And I think once I see 10% Amber Trics I'm gonna start to selectively harvest and let the buds that are hidden away rt now ripen a bit before taking Them Waiting blows but it may end up being worth it and I figure as long as there isn't too much Amber on the plant I should be in the clear. Thanks for the input GSanta an PurpleH

 

[Nonagronomist]

my last post fucked up so deleted it. anyway my plants are indoors so luckily no mold or bug issues. And I think once I see 10% Amber Trics I'm gonna start to selectively harvest and let the buds that are hidden away rt now ripen a bit before taking Them Waiting blows but it may end up being worth it and I figure as long as there isn't too much Amber on the plant I should be in the clear. Thanks for the input GSanta an PurpleH

I ended up accelerating harvest of all of 'em upon discovering bud caterpillars. I'll have to try again sometime to get a decent baseline — but there are so many strains to try, if one isn't an obvious star, then it might not be worth the time. Go on to something new!