Conflicting advice on trichs. Wondering if now is trhe time..

I read a lot on here that you want the trichs partly amber before you harvest, also that you DON'T want that. My sativa is in it's 11th week of flowering now.

So I went to the hydro store can got a 30x loupe to get a good look at things ( I did get the radio shack 60x, but it's almost impossible at that magnification to look at buds on the plant) I told him that many hairs are turning brown, and there are some white ones still coming in. On most buds the seed (less) pods are pretty evident, and the hairs have receded somewhat. I used the loupe and all trichs are cloudy. It actually appears they were MORE cloudy before and now are more opaque. No signs of amber.

Guy at the shop said if they start turning amber, it's past the peak and beginning to degrade. So on a sativa, is that correct? Below are some pictures taken Monday so they're 4 more days older now. Pick now or wait til I see amber?

hey man, you have been posting this pic for a while now. Is this recent?? Even with the pretty poor quality distant pics you seem to have a fair amount of white hairs. Which I would say (from my reading and advise--Im no pro) means you have some time left. However, if your trichs are white and amber you could harvest. My suggestion is to harvest some today, some 3 or 4 days from now, and more in a week or 2. This way you can see if their is any difference. There is no risk cause you have all cloudy and amber trichs so it is atleast very close.

BTW, I am on multiple sights and I have read in different place lately that the best trichs are a translucent amber. They look clear and amber at the same time. Some sources say this is the characteristic that most cannibus cup winners have.

Also, it looks like you have a mold on your leaves. Be careful. Speaking from my vast experience (i just harvested my first grow) a few days of wet sloudy weather at this point and you could be in trouble.


What I did was harvest a bit, examine the trichs, dry it for a few days, and then smoke it. Then a few days later do it again. This way you will feel comfortable that your smoke is poten and you will learn a lot from comparing trich development, plant progression, and the high.

Good luck man

partially amber means its starting to get ripe...if they're all dark amber its past their prime...but if they're mostly cloudy, and some amber...then id pick.

Based on your pics...they look almost ready...I'd say harvest 3-7 days from when those pics were taken...so if those were 4 days ago...harvest within a few days.

Thanks..no sign of amber yet. As I originally said, I've been told amber is when the degradation starts so cloudy/opaque is the way to go. And I 've heard the opposite
And jolly, I've posted over the past month in FDD's are they ready thread. So the plant and branches are the same ones and look similar, this is just the latest (well, from last Monday) shot

obijohn said:

Thanks..no sign of amber yet. As I originally said, I've been told amber is when the degradation starts so cloudy/opaque is the way to go. And I 've heard the opposite
And jolly, I've posted over the past month in FDD's are they ready thread. So the plant and branches are the same ones and look similar, this is just the latest (well, from last Monday) shot

Click to expand...

this is true but for indica's this is what you want amber trichs sativas i would pick when i see about 5% amber then you know you have all the tyhc the plant is goig to produce

i'm sure i've read that some sativa strains don't turn amber

rastakolnikov said:

i'm sure i've read that some sativa strains don't turn amber

Click to expand...

this is true as well, but i would venture to say it isn't exactly common.

as many others have said before me, don't just watch your trichs watch everything. Hair recession, trich color, foliage color, calyx swelling, the works. also, taking those samples as it progresses is also sound advice, especially if you plan on working with the same strain for a while =D

That's what I thought. So based on all that and what I see, I could harvest at any time now. Next weekend at the latest

judging by your pic i would say your in your window, but i wouldnt exactly say you should cut anytime. next weekend doesnt sound bad, but i wouldnt say latest. my initial thought was 7-10 days from that pic, so i suppose your guess is right about on =D, but that doesnt mean that time couldnt come up and find that it could use another 5. These things arent exact science.

alot of first time growers should learn and heed the advice, that mj is not an exact science.

SACReDHeRB said:

alot of first time growers should learn and heed the advice, that mj is not an exact science.

Click to expand...

exactly....its a damn weed, it wants to grow...dont make it rocket science..!!

SACReDHeRB said:

alot of first time growers should learn and heed the advice, that mj is not an exact science.

Click to expand...

^^ good words

i think RIU is very helpful BUT alot of guys on here have an EGO and always try to 1 UP the next man it confuses new growers!!

That's true, in the end it's a simple plant with simple needs. Sun, water and nutrients. It's the small details that drive you crazy. Being overly concerned with PH, too much/not enough nutrients etc. I think most growers want a perfect plant with the best yield and quality so we over-obsess with the little things. And nothing can be 100% perfect

this is what happens if you just let it grow

there are 6 pics only one shows up in attached thumbnails, just press next

Still no sign of amber in week 11! In the sun everything looks frosty, but with a 'scope no amber at all anywhere...all white

I'm not seeing any swelling of the buds at this point, although the seed(less) pods are all there. I'm begining to think this one may not get amber. Taking things day-by-day

hmm. is it a sativa?

Looks to be 100% sativa

thats why, dont usually go by amber trich's with a sativa. Mine is like yours too, chop around halloween, maybe a week before