Seeking help identifying harvest time

This is my second planting. The first went very well and I harvested 9 oz from one plant - approximately 3 ft tall by 2 ft wide. I'm new to this (even smoking), and I think it went well.
My second planting was 3 plants. I have already harvested the first two (got 8 oz dried and bagged) plants but the there is just a big question mark fro me. It is a different strain (a gift and I don't know the name of it). I don't know when to harvest it though.

From reading many posts I have determined that the best harvest time is when the hairs are about 75% shriveled and browning. Recently I purchased a small hand sized 30x microscope so I could view the tricomes. The tricomes of the first two plants were about 80% cloudy. It is my understanding that the tricomes begin clear and progress to cloudy and then amber. Mostly cloudy means more of a 'head' high while mostly amber means more of a body high (I think this is correct).

So here is the problem. On this third plant the tricomes are mostly cloudy now but the hairs are almost all still white! Any suggestions? I am afraid that if I wait until most of the hairs are brown then most of the tricomes will be amber. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

i'd go by the trichromes and forget about the color of the hairs cuz the trics are the main determinant.

Trichomes are your best indicator. Is this a sativa or indica? With a sativa you want to keep it to the mostly cloudy (head high) and the indica to the amber (body high/couch lock). I have a thrich chart in my signature.....feel free to look.

Hope this helps ya out!

Have a good one!:thumbsup:

Thanks for the help Cas and Psycho4Bud. I have a follow up Q Bud - does one determine if their bud is sativa or indica simply by harvesting at different tric times?

Nope, it's the strain of plant. Proper harvest just optimizes what the plant has to offer. Do you know the strain or is it just bag seed?

Have a good one!:thumbsup:

im not sure if this will help u but.....