Trich color and potency

Does anyone know the facts about how much the potency is reduced if a plant is harvested while most of the trichomes are still clear? I know I'm supposed to wait (roughly 50/50 sativa/indica strain) until most of the trichomes are cloudy and a few turning amber before harvesting, and I'm exactly 7 weeks into 12/12 today. So I have 1-2 weeks left but may have to chop early (tomorrow).

I'm trying to find out roughly how much the potency would be reduced if I do this (say, 7-10 days earlier than normal). Will I lose 90% of the potency, 50%, only 10%, etc. (assuming buds are dried and cured properly)? Just looking for a ballpark number if anyone knows. Thanks.

I could be wrong, but the color of the trics aren't the potencies factor, number of them is. Color seems to dictate the type of high.

potency is genetic... a 20% number means that 20% of the cannabanoids the plant produces are thc(what you want). on the other hand the amount of trich's is compleatly dependant on growing conditions. a plant in better conditions will produce more of them and will be better weed... as for the harvesting early.... i wouldent do it... they say to wait a cetain amount of time for a reason... harvesting early may get you a fuckload of headache weed, that is no good to you.. so my suggestion is.. find a way to let them keep going

all that information is strictly third hand take it how you like

I have heavy trich-coated buds now and I guess my real question is on the THC content of the trichs at different stages.

If potency depends only on shear number of trichs, regardless of their age, then harvesting 7-10 days early would be a reduction in potency only due to fewer trichs per bud now than in 7-10 days from now (assuming more grow in over this time).

On the other hand, if THC develops in the trichs mainly in the last 7-10 days as they turn cloudy and them amber, then I can see the "headache weed" scenario OSHiT describes since although I have a lot of trichs, they would have little TCH because they are not yet "ripe."

So that is the $64K question ... are trichs 7-10 days from proper harvest simply devoid of THC and so produce headache weed? If so, then I have to find a way to give her another week or two.

give her atleast anothr week... im sure a few days early wouldent kill it... but 2 weeks is pushing it... usually people like to harvest alittle later... rather then earlyer

OSHiT said:

give her atleast anothr week... im sure a few days early wouldent kill it... but 2 weeks is pushing it... usually people like to harvest alittle later... rather then earlyer

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this way the bud is bigger and BETTA AND FATTER JUICYER AND NUGGIER AND DANKIR!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OSHiT said:

give her atleast anothr week... im sure a few days early wouldent kill it... but 2 weeks is pushing it... usually people like to harvest alittle later... rather then earlyer

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So you're saying that THC production in the trichomes does only occur after the harvest window has been reached and not before. Right? So harvesting 10 days early would produce weed with no potency, even if the buds are covered with frost, because there is no THC production yet in the trichomes. I suppose I can cut a small bud from the middle of the plant and try it out to get the answer.

Snake said:

So you're saying that THC production in the trichomes does only occur after the harvest window has been reached and not before. Right? So harvesting 10 days early would produce weed with no potency, even if the buds are covered with frost, because there is no THC production yet in the trichomes. I suppose I can cut a small bud from the middle of the plant and try it out to get the answer.

Click to expand...

right
but harvesting early would have potency but just not as much....
and the flavor will not have been developed?? shit