Yes, I get that. But when you loup it where do you look. All parts of the plant are at different
. I walk out in the garden, look at a plant, and think, "it's last week of October, rain is forecast, and you just look ready. Or not". That's why I put the part in there about how I need to focus more on quicker plants.
I hear you on everything.
A lot of times I 'make light' of the situation, and a lot of those times i use a more in-your-face or scacastic approach to point out the futility of the objective(s) that people are trying to achieve. They don't seem to get it that i get it. And mostly it's probably because trichomes are such a new field, so very little is known about this subject at the present time.
However, ive been reading articles and scoping trichomes this whole year, throughout their various stages, and i find them not only incredibly fascinating, but i firmly believe that, if done correctly, and by yourself, that trichome colour can play a major role in determining "your" perfect harvest time.
And to your point about where I'm reading on the plant, im in full agreement. There is no
one good point, and in reality, if one where to scientifically come up with a more accepted rating system, then measurements would have to be averaged across multiple, universally accepted points. There's no argument there, and I'm certainly not trying to advocate any of my methods, here.
There is, however, a correlation between clear <> amber <> cloudy ratios AND, let's call it "Quality". And you can define quality however you want (headstone, flavor, couch-lock or energetic high, aroma, etc.).
I really don't care. It's up to me to decide and experiment by taking different samples at different ratio stages (which i have been doing) and them comparing them all so that i know (or find out) what ratio it is that that i like. I can then use that ratio - that i have done all my own legwork on - as a very good general guideline to know when to harvest the plant the next year.
Most ppl are saying that a higher amber to cloudy ratio is the perfect time to harvest, which gives you the perfect balance of stone and all the other esthetic attributes. Who knows? Maybe they're right. But, i may end up testing the mutiple harvests, and after all is said and done, absolutely
F'n hate the high with the very high amber ratio, and really like the 50% clear to 50% cloudy ratio, or maybe even the 100 %Clear, which, btw, no one seem to be testing or trying.
It's therefore up to me to decide - no one else, 'cause in this case, i don't give a damn about anyone else's opinion, it's my plants and my high.
To your quedtion: I'm therefore loupe'ing the top, choice buds (the entire bud), up to twice a day, sometimes, and just making notes and taking pictures. I then arbitrarily decide when enough of a ratio has changed from the previous stage that i labeled, and then arbitrarily labele that new stage, again (20٪ amber, for example). At this point i cut one whole stem, physically label it and it goes off into the drying and curing process. I then just repeat this process as long as i can before frost hits, and then that's as far as you can go.
My loupe'ing and scoping and analyzing, therefore, only means anything
to me. At some point in the future, when I've collected a few years of data, and someone has done exactly the same with their plants, then we can sit down and compare notes. And if enough people do this, we eventually come to some sort of consensus, that can be used by everyone, as a reasonably accurate guideline to determine when it's time to harvest your plant - using trichome ratios.
Right now, reading a lot in this forum, about using trichomes to establish harvest time, i see that this practice is still in its infancy.
I'm therefore just opening up and including the trichome/harvest topic, here-and-there, to see what other people think.
I'm also trying to enlighten and encourage others that they can do the same, and therefore become more acquainted with the different, and possibly wonderful qualities of their own grow, and not just read and believe what others say all the time.
