Harvest Timing Question

Hey everyone,

I am a newbie with one harvest under my belt. I know how you are supposed to look at the trichomes (I have a good microscope). You want to harvest when they are milky and definitely before a lot of the trichomes start getting amber.

My question is this. I have a plant with trichomes looking like this, but about fifty percent (a little less than 50 in lower branches) of the hairs are red. Are you supposed to harvest even if you have some fresh looking knots of white hairs that could add to your yield?

I don't ever see finished and cured buds with white hairs. For my recent/first harvest, I went by the trichomes with this same situation, but I was wondering if I was missing something. The white hairs from that harvest turned light orange. Is this how other people harvest sometimes?

If I had a good camera I would post a pic, but the quality would suck with what I have.

Please give me your opinions. I don't want to go to early and lose out, but even with my limited experience the trichomes are starting to look ready.

Thanks,
Your newbie

cirigan311 said:

Hey everyone,

I am a newbie with one harvest under my belt. I know how you are supposed to look at the trichomes (I have a good microscope). You want to harvest when they are milky and definitely before a lot of the trichomes start getting amber.

My question is this. I have a plant with trichomes looking like this, but about fifty percent (a little less than 50 in lower branches) of the hairs are red. Are you supposed to harvest even if you have some fresh looking knots of white hairs that could add to your yield?

I don't ever see finished and cured buds with white hairs. For my recent/first harvest, I went by the trichomes with this same situation, but I was wondering if I was missing something. The white hairs from that harvest turned light orange. Is this how other people harvest sometimes?

If I had a good camera I would post a pic, but the quality would suck with what I have.

Please give me your opinions. I don't want to go to early and lose out, but even with my limited experience the trichomes are starting to look ready.

Thanks,
Your newbie

Click to expand...

Sounds like you're getting a growth spurt, so give the new growth some time to ripen. 30% amber is fine overall

But people do harvest when there are still some white hairs left, correct? I can wait, I'm not desperate for it, or crazily excited like I was the first time.

I think harvest is the most important part so I am trying to educate myself on timing as best as possible.

Hairs will continue to turn color after harvest. (Think apples, or bananas. Pick em green, they turn yellow, or red, or stay green. lol)

From what your describing you don't have to worry about being too late to harvest.
Although you may have a good scope, i'm sure the ratio isn't as high, cloudy to amber as you might think.

Even if you waited until, let's say all the hairs turned and receded into the buds, and the plant took on an amber hue.
The worst that can happen is you're a zombie for a few hours.

If you've still got new growth, you can let them grow. They're still producing new resin too.

Are your trichomes stalked and looking like mushrooms? The plants start to go from looking sugar coated, to looking fuzzy when that starts.

How long have they been in flowering?
Pictures if you can get some help too.

There are some great posts on when to harvest here. Lots of pictures that show what a difference even a few days can make in the final apperance of the plant.
You'll see, "when it looks done" a lot.
It's true though.

That's not to say harvesting early is bad.
Depends on what kind of high you want.

Good luck

Probo 24 - I fly by the seat of my pants. I don't even remember how long they been flowering. I need to start thinking of stuff like that. Strain PPP. It is 2 clones. I'll wait and see; what you said made sense to me, but I don't want to be too zombied.

thanks

cirigan311 said:

I don't ever see finished and cured buds with white hairs.

Click to expand...

As the white pistils dried and cured after harvest they would darken.