So OMBB, I'm curious what made you decide they were ready. Trichome color? Feel? What do the trichomes look like on these?
Printable View
So OMBB, I'm curious what made you decide they were ready. Trichome color? Feel? What do the trichomes look like on these?
Hey Chromo,More than 50% are "milky" or translucent. The edges of the sugar leaves are drying/dying and the Trichs are too in those area's. Water uptake has fallen off and they just appear "done" to me.
They are in a dark room for a few days and then I will re-evaluate to be sure. If for some reason I change my mind, they can go back under the lights I guess.
The HPS girls stayed, but they have "cloudy" trichs as well. They have been behind from the beginning, but Chlorosis has hit them hard in the last 4-5 day's and they are turning the corner.
Am I early for my Indica strain?...I don't think so, but we shall see. I can only go by what I have read to decide if they are done or not. Color/cloudiness of the Trich's seems to be subjective and I have not personally seen a group of pics that definitively indicate stage with color/cloudiness.
Next time I will keep at least one of the new girls in flower past where I think they are done next round, just to see what happens.
If I'm wrong?...Oh well, it's a learning process and I am not disappointed with my progress at all. Grow and learn, that's all I can do.
....and If the "sampler" bud I took at 7 weeks is an indicator, it's going to be just fine. :jointsmile:
If they're not taking water I would think that's a pretty goo indicator they're done. But everything I've read or been told in this forum suggests erring on the side of longer. Ranger waits a week from the point where he thinks they're ready. I have a feeling this is going to be the hardest part for noobs like us. Even Rosenthal says the most common mistake people make is harvesting too soon. Have they shown the last-gasp "swelling" of the calyxes that people talk about?
They go from clear, to cloudy, to milky, to light amber, then dark amber. Neither of you are ripe yet! Easy on the eagerness boys, you're gonna pee in the floor! (Well that works on Tito anyway! LOL!) Hey, if you're having anxiety & heart palpitations, go to the ER, not the GR. Anxiety is such a bitch when it gets this close, & I'm really bad for picking on you, so I'll stop. But seriously, I think some deep breathing would help the both of you. I'm kind of afraid you're going to panic & harvest too early. Just trust the trichrome color. You can go from all milky (still not ripe enough for my taste) to mostly milky with about 20-30% amber. So don't harvest before they're ripe. You will have wasted all your time, effort & money. I'm going to google THC/trichromes & see if I can find macro shots. Dont remember where I was on line the other day & saw some excellent ones, but they're out there if you look for them. Theres some lingering around here but I've no idea what thread. You guys need to have a good long look so you can feel more confident about this harvest thing. I'll get back to you with what I find. :)
catbuds you are amazing.
For me the "wait another week" has just come from experience. Probably starting from 'take the top' and let the bottom go ahead fill some more. And then seeing the world of difference another week makes at this time. Down stairs, it was I'll take this one cause it's so ripe, then in natural light, sh#t this is as green as a gourd.
It was really turned into, take one to to try, and while waiting for it to dry to try, darn these others sure got better. This is the first place I have found that thought I needed a magnifying glass to harvest with, probably doesn't work in the dead of night out in the field anyway. Smell and firmness, like a really nice breast, generally tells the tail. A buds got to fill, air makes no weight.
Told you not to give her any shit, see, we don't want to run her off!Quote:
Catbuds you are amazing.
Maybe not all of us old people get dumber as we get older.
Yous funny!
-- Ok guys. I googled ripe trichomes/THC & there it was. First on the list. & Chromo, I found your avatar! Look at those pics untill they are very familiar. It will help you feel comfortable with judging your own.
-- Ranger, I harvested by feel & smell for years untill I needed it as meds. Then I wanted to seperate my am meds (milky) & my pm meds (amber) to properly treat my ailments according to the time of day. At that point, it became more than just about the high, it had a real job to do. My little scope has a white LED light so you're not fooled by the color of the grow lights. HPS makes EVERYTHING look amber. I wasn't convinced this made such a difference untill I made the comparison. Been a believer ever since.
Feel... smell....breast...?... Ranger....if you find a breast that smells, maybe its over ripe. Did you check its trichomes?
[quote=tlranger]Maybe not all of us old people get dumber as we get older.[/QUOTE
You know, it would probably be to our advantage if we got dumber BEFORE we got older...... then it wouldn't hurt so bad to look in the mirror! (Oh god forgive me! I'm stoned! Who's thread have we jacked now?) ;)
OMB, we're gonna have to change your name to 'Jack'!
Thank you, you wise guru's you. :thumbsup: I put 'em back under the lights just a minute ago. Hopefully 24 hrs in the dark didn't scare 'em.
The HPS girls got hit hard with Chlorosis today...They sure did make that turn. Out comes the loupe for another 30 minute exam. Lol
Must.....resist....harvesting....:jointsmile:
Thanks again, nothing to lose by waiting.
Must.....resist....harvesting....:jointsmile:[/QUOTE]
Thank god the borg's not here.... resistance is NOT futile! LOL! NAH, the dark didn't hurt them. Some say it speeds ripening. But they're pretty tough gurls. Only boys are afraid of the dark!
30 min exam...?... 'Jack', are you playing dirty doctor with the gurls?...... Hummm? ;)
It's true...I look up their skirts every chance I get! Lol...Just looked again, mostly cloudy and some amber's too.
I looked at some images using your search parameter's Catbuds, good to see some hi res macro shots of the various stages, thank you. Now I just want more magnification....Looks like a run to the store for 60x tomorrow.
After looking at the pics, I am right there.
You guys using your scopes can answer me this. Being an old school mainliner(I try for one nice bud per plant), is the end of that bud really the ripest part of the plant. With the bottom not as far along. I'm always picky during harvest. And my main ranger use to always wanted to take the end of off the nicest died bud. I start at the bottom and work my way up, on a dried bud that is.
it could just be pheromones!!Quote:
feel...smell...breast
Thank god the borg's not here.... resistance [/QUOTE]Quote:
Originally Posted by catbuds
This surprised me. Grandson is spending weekend here, some don't want me alone. He is coming up to watch sci fi movies with granddad. Guess I better get some food!!
The way a plant finishes is different for different strains. Some from top to bottom, but others go bottom to top. My present haze plants seem to be going from bottom to top. The bottom buds have slowed or stopped developing pistils and the pistils are drying up but the tops are still rushing out pistils and appear to be no where near harvest. Under a scope the trichomes are all clear with some colored (red/amber) but not translucent.Quote:
Originally Posted by tlranger
Ranger, I start a the bottom too & let the dummy be all excited thinking he got the best of the rest! Look at it this way, when a sativa bud runs, like say from a light leak or something, where does that running new growth come from? The tip top part of the bud, right? Where does the hairs start browning first? Last? I like that couch-lock knock me out kind of high, & the bottom part, being older, is riper. By the time the top trichomes are just starting to turn slightly amber, sometimes the bottom is becoming over ripe.
-- Pheromomes! HA! HA! Good one Ranger! LMAO!
-- OMB, my little handheld microscope is 60x - 100x magnification. $12.99. + tax @ Radio Shack. Its a great little tool. Need a steady hand though & you'll still want to keep your loop. Dutch Pimp posted that for us a while back. He posted a link to 'drying & curing your buds' too & I used to send noobes to it when they harvested their first grow. Its on here somewhere. You'll have to find it & book mark it. Its the best tutorial you'll find on the subject, & you'll be needing it soon! ;) ;) ;)
The best microscope I have ever used is made for diamonds ( yes I do know how to look at those too and determine 'ripeness')….it sells on amazon for under 5 dollars- it is an LED lit 100X….I have several, one for almost every little pocket and purse and GR…..good thing I also have a shitload of rocks around too - my scopes and scales are claimed by them…heheQuote:
Originally Posted by catbuds
My AfgooeyXLemon Skunk plants are definitely ripening top down, even though I clearly have several phenotypes. A lot of nuggety stuff in the lower canopy is just now getting going. Catbuds is sure correct when she says to get out from under the HPS to judge trichomes. When I was checking with my hand loupe under the lights, the trichomes seemed much more advanced (cloudies and ambers). Once I started bringing cut leaves and popping them under the scope (which also has a white LED) everything was different. Mostly clear with some cloudies. I'm almost 50/50 right now with no ambers.
Yeah, that's true too. 'From the bottom up' was Big Berthas way, & after having her for 20+ yrs, I guess her habits became mine. I have had nugget type buds (bag seed) that were round & compact that ripened evenly all over. If I remember right, my skunks & northernlighs ripened from bottom up. I was given some seeds by a distant cousin. The hairs on those buds browned evenly, but the trichs ripened from the top down. I remember that well, because it was prone to hermies & I kept a close watch on her with a scope. It was worth it because it was the best high with the best taste I'd ever had. I need to keep more variety in my grow. Kinda have a tendency to get stuck in a rut. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Shovelhandle
Ok. It is a users preferance. Clear is immature. Cloudy/milky (terminology can be interchangeable) is when thc is present & ready, cbn just starting to come into play. Amber, cbn comes to the forefront as thc starts to degrade. All amber, dark, forget about thc. Its all cbn at this point & what you have is a tranquilizer. A combination of milky/amber is what you're after. More milky, an energizing up kind of high. More amber, that would be your couch lock, like what OMB & I are both after. I LIKE any kind of pot buzz, but insomnia & muscle spasams, night pain lead me to the couch lock buzz. A few energizing buds are nice to have around for the am with my coffee on the mornings after I've had little/no sleep, but have things needing done. Hope this helps you 'younguns' decide what you want. My man Ed's right. Ripeness is a personal choice!Quote:
Originally Posted by Chromophore
-- I'm going to go see if I can find 'ripening & cureing your buds' so I can lead you guys right to it. Its a necessary read, & YES, its very important! ......I'll be back......
Oops! Before I go... OMB.. Did you harvest plants before you had AMBER??? If you did, you missed the couch lock high you are after. Hummm... boy, you don't need to learn how to grow (you can already do that), you need to learn how to be patient! Don't move till I get back
Nothing cut mama....I'm not moving until you get back!
Wait....can I go to the bathroom? ;)
Thanks for that explanation catbuds, that's just what OMB and I need at this point. I personally prefer the "up" and "talkative" effects, but this is for a patient and she wants the pain relief. However, she also wants to combat the exhaustion those goes along with her auto-immune disease, so based on what you're saying I probably want to harvest when I'm at 50/50 cloudy/amber. I still have a ways to go. I still have a lot of clears that are small and in the process of filling.
Well OMB after reading through the curing and drying thread, one thing became very clear: you and I are going to have to somehow acquire even MORE patience. It's like torture.
Hey Chromo, the other issue with reading the Trichomes is the plant continues to produce clear one's during the process. Hence my apprehension...So I have clears, cloudies, a few milkies and some amber....and I hit 8 weeks today.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chromophore
Now my biggest issue is space. I added 4 new girls into flower 12/31 to replace the 4 I already had in flower and now it's getting mighty crowded since they are really starting to pop. Tough problem to have, huh? Trying to get my timing down for a once a month, 2 plant harvest. Just trying to keep myself in meds, that's all I need.
It will workout well if the T5 girls are done in another week and the HPS one's follow a week later.
That way I will alway's have 2 that should theoretically be higher in THC or CBD's...a 2 week stagger in total 12/12 time.
..... that's the (current) plan anyway. Then I will know which one works better for me. (THC or CBD's)
Hahahaha....No, wait a second.That will be another week to dry and then a month to cure.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chromophore
AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGH!! :(
I can understand completely. Always very anxious to know how good the results are. But time is what gives us the results we want. Once I got going, having a good head stash from the previous grow and the grow before that is the best reward for our efforts. I must have lots of patience though, I like to smoke the long flowering haze strains. So I must endure the long flowering time to get the herb.
Here's what I do to make sure I have 'milky ams' & 'amber pms'..... 'scope my buds twice a day. Harvest when I have some buds milky with just a little amber, but most buds amber with just a few milky. Then as I manicure the buds, seperate them into their two seperate piles & dry on a rack. Jar them separately & label as am & pm. That covers all the bases for my medical needs & keeps the old head happily buzzed too!
-- Yep OMB, that's the thread! Bookmark it?
-- To acquire paitence, one must first reach a zen like state & then.... FUCK! WHO THE HELL AM I KIDDING!!! LMAO!! I HAVE ABSOULTY NO PAITENCE EITHER!!!! NOPE! NODA! ZILCH! LOL! Guys, I'm lucky if I can keep my hands out of the curing jar the first week! That thread will teach you how to reach perfection in your buds. Now if anyone can find find a thread that teaches patience, I'll jump on that one with all. Four. Feet! ;)
-- OMB... Go to the bathroom..... unless you want to mop the floor....... ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
Since we're on this topic, I have come across several sources/people who mention a sudden swelling of the calyxes that supposedly marks the final attempt for pollination. It is after this "popping" that they harvest. I still think trichome distribution is the most logical way to assess ripeness, but I'm curious what you old-timers think about that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by catbuds
Hehehehe....yep, patience is NOT one of my virtues! Thanks Mama...I barely made it but I had to wait until you got back. ;)
Now to make the situation worse, my Volcano arrived today. It's beautiful, and I have no Meds. :(
Wait, did I say this before?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG GGGGGGH!!!!!!
In my own personal experience, its true that this final plumping is a signal that the plant is attempting to breed before it expires, but has no bearing on the ripeness of the trichomes. Most strains would be NOT ripe at that point. Since the buds would be at their plumpest, prettiest state, you'd have great bag appeal, but wouldn't have reached the psychoactive potential. I've seen many people do this to their blueberry for bag appeal, which helps if you want to retain that round nugg shape, but when I smoke, I'm more concerned with thc, cbd/cbn, & terpinoids.
-- Chromo... salvia d..... MNS has a sub forum of medical plants which has a thread devoted to your plant. So why aren't you there yet? Crystal found the medical plant forum & I'm not sure her family has seen her since. Arent you interested in hearing how others use it in their shamanistic practices, etc.... I'm going to hound you till go over & check it out. Dont want you leave here, just broaden your horizons. Its a seed bank too, so a lot of the forum is devoted to history, breeding & genetics. Very large pics too. Go...... :)
catbuds I can't talk about Salvia too much or I'll get another infraction, but I will definitely check that out. I am really interested in talking to people about growing practices. My plants are really sick and I think it's an unusual reaction to thrips, but I need to know if others have had these symptoms. I treat thrips with Minute Pirate Bugs, which gobble them up like there's no tomorrow, but the bugs are very hard to purchase at the moment.
By the way, what is the full name of that forum? When I search for MNS I get nothing.
Mr Nice Seeds. When I joined, I just googled MNS, but one of our friends just got popped (because of odor exhausted by his fans, nothing to do with the forums) & it would seem they've stepped up security since the po po took his computers & even his wifes ipad. Rangers been having trouble, but Crystal & Weeze got in yesterday. If I can catch one of them, I'll send them here to tell you what they did to get in. ;)
Chromo your gonna love this place!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Chromophore
I couldnt get in through regular server- had to go through google's 'startpage' duck duck go would not let me into the forum….once I saved it though it let me on from my regular server.
I had to go to MrNiceGuy seeds….then went down the main page to a forum topic and clicked on it- then from there I was able to find the main forum menu…
Yes there is a whole THREAD about that demonized dinged word that I won't type here!
And the breeding info is way more than I can read for months but very good stuff!
see ya there!
crystal I registered and am just waiting for activation. Thanks for the instructions.
Found it with Bing, registered, got activated, looked at some cool stuff, saw some familiar names, and bookmarked. Since then then I can get to home page or store, but the entry to forums locks me up every time. Have to shut down and restart, then I come back here to family territory.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chromophore
I may have to check that out. So I get home and I have a new Volcano and no meds. Long story short, one the girls lost a small arm and the Volcano is Bitchin'! :stoned:
Hmmmm....I suppose I should look at the Trichomes....Eh, whatever. I got a new toy. ;)
Hey Crystal! Come help Ranger! We've gotta get him over there!
OMB, I knew you couldn't hold out! Not with that new toy staring you in the face! Congratulations on the volcano..... but are you even going to make it to the curing jar? Its different if your sitting on some stash while you go through these processes, but if not....? Humm. You're only human. Come on over to mns. Do what Crystal said. Your mind is a multidimensional thing... so expand the dimension. ;)
Ranger. Think of this as one of those family trips. You have to go wither you want to or not! Lol! Crystal has a trick. She will help you. ;)