Thank you. I was trying to get an idea of when to start checking trichomes since, from what I've gathered, it is pointless to look at them prior to the pistils receding and the calyxes swelling and I'm not sure exactly what THAT looks like. Milky, clear, and amber seems much more straightforward.
Yep I’m glad to help. I know it’s tough for new growers to know what the various signs of maturity look like. From my experience the signs are pretty darn consistent and happen in order. I’ve had a couple plants over the years that might have matured weird, but all in all cannabis plants usually follow the same pattern.
First the stigma turn red and shrink. Once a solid 90% have done that it shows the plant is done trying to reproduce.
After the stigma change the swell starts. The plant won’t look like it’s growing much on the outside. But the buds will be swelling up internally and putting on significant weight and density! The swell usually takes 2-3 weeks.
As you get near the end you can start watching the trichomes for the final decision on harvest. 100 cloudy is the goal, but is nearly impossible. So watching for a few ambers makes sure you don’t end up pulling early with lots of clear.
