m420p
Well-Known Member
I found this very informative article explaining almost everything you will need to know about when to harvest. Let me know if anyone wants me to copy and paste it.
Edit: Its pretty long so I'll just take out the good parts and leave the link at the bottom of the post if you want to check out the rest.
A indication of plant maturity is the color of the pistils, the little hairs that grow from inside the calyxes. Their purpose is to collect male pollen to fertilize the ovum inside the calyx, creating a seed. When no male pollen exists calyxes grow dense without any seeds, resulting in sinsemilla cannabis. Near the end of the flowering phase, pistils change color, entering the window of peak maturity. The ratio of white pistils to red pistils determines the type of effects your plants are likely to produce: a high or stone. In the final few weeks of the flowering phase, the pistils change from bright white to a rusty orange or brown, signifying the end of the plant?s life cycle.
Examining Trichomes As the amount of trichomes covering your plant increases, you should take a closer look at them, maintaining a light touch to avoid crushing the resin glands. Your best bet is to purchase an inexpensive 25x microscope (available at most electronics stores), and most pocket microscopes have a small light to help you get an illuminated peek at your trichome development.
When you cut small buds from your plant to test them, you want to concentrate on the stalked glandular trichomes. The coloration of the gland heads can vary with different strains and maturity, but most start with clear or slightly amber heads that gradually become cloudy or opaque when THC levels have peaked and are beginning to degrade. Regardless of the initial color of the trichomes, with careful observation you should be able to see a change in coloration as maturity levels off. Some cultivators wait for about half of the trichomes to go opaque before harvesting to ensure maximum THC levels in the finished product. However, you will also want to try samples at various stages to see what is best for you. While you may be increasing the total THC level in the cannabis by allowing half of the glands to go opaque, there will also be a larger percentage of CBN, which is why some people choose to harvest earlier while most of the trichomes are still clear.
Now you understand how trichomes develop on your plants and how to examine them as they turn from clear to opaque, indicating THC breakdown.
Early and Late Harvesting Every strain has its own unique window of peak maturity, typically one to two weeks long. However, there is a difference between harvesting early or late within that window, depending on whether you want a head high or a body high.
As cannabis matures the chemistry of the plant changes, as does the type of effects. While these differences in chemical nature still require a lot of research to fully understand, you can utilize them to produce different types of highs for different needs.
By harvesting earlier in the window your buds tend to produce more of a cerebral head high, an effect much more pronounced in Sativas than Indicas. A head high is more psychedelic in nature, providing you with a pleasant mental "up" state, often ideally suited for social situations when you still need to have your wits and plenty of energy.
If you choose to harvest later in the window, your buds produce more of a body high, which is conversely more pronounced in Indicas than in Sativas. A body high is similar to a narcotic ?down? effect, usually associated with being ?stoned?. A down type of high is often desired in the late evening to calm nerves and drift into sleep. A late-harvest yield is often sought by medicinal cannabis users to ease pain and increase appetite. If you choose to harvest somewhere in the middle of the peak window of maturity, you don?t necessarily get the best of both worlds, but more of a happy medium. If you aren't sure what type of high you like or want, aim for the middle and you likely won?t be disappointed.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/articles/4822.html
Edit: Its pretty long so I'll just take out the good parts and leave the link at the bottom of the post if you want to check out the rest.
A indication of plant maturity is the color of the pistils, the little hairs that grow from inside the calyxes. Their purpose is to collect male pollen to fertilize the ovum inside the calyx, creating a seed. When no male pollen exists calyxes grow dense without any seeds, resulting in sinsemilla cannabis. Near the end of the flowering phase, pistils change color, entering the window of peak maturity. The ratio of white pistils to red pistils determines the type of effects your plants are likely to produce: a high or stone. In the final few weeks of the flowering phase, the pistils change from bright white to a rusty orange or brown, signifying the end of the plant?s life cycle.
Examining Trichomes As the amount of trichomes covering your plant increases, you should take a closer look at them, maintaining a light touch to avoid crushing the resin glands. Your best bet is to purchase an inexpensive 25x microscope (available at most electronics stores), and most pocket microscopes have a small light to help you get an illuminated peek at your trichome development.
When you cut small buds from your plant to test them, you want to concentrate on the stalked glandular trichomes. The coloration of the gland heads can vary with different strains and maturity, but most start with clear or slightly amber heads that gradually become cloudy or opaque when THC levels have peaked and are beginning to degrade. Regardless of the initial color of the trichomes, with careful observation you should be able to see a change in coloration as maturity levels off. Some cultivators wait for about half of the trichomes to go opaque before harvesting to ensure maximum THC levels in the finished product. However, you will also want to try samples at various stages to see what is best for you. While you may be increasing the total THC level in the cannabis by allowing half of the glands to go opaque, there will also be a larger percentage of CBN, which is why some people choose to harvest earlier while most of the trichomes are still clear.
Now you understand how trichomes develop on your plants and how to examine them as they turn from clear to opaque, indicating THC breakdown.
Early and Late Harvesting Every strain has its own unique window of peak maturity, typically one to two weeks long. However, there is a difference between harvesting early or late within that window, depending on whether you want a head high or a body high.
As cannabis matures the chemistry of the plant changes, as does the type of effects. While these differences in chemical nature still require a lot of research to fully understand, you can utilize them to produce different types of highs for different needs.
By harvesting earlier in the window your buds tend to produce more of a cerebral head high, an effect much more pronounced in Sativas than Indicas. A head high is more psychedelic in nature, providing you with a pleasant mental "up" state, often ideally suited for social situations when you still need to have your wits and plenty of energy.
If you choose to harvest later in the window, your buds produce more of a body high, which is conversely more pronounced in Indicas than in Sativas. A body high is similar to a narcotic ?down? effect, usually associated with being ?stoned?. A down type of high is often desired in the late evening to calm nerves and drift into sleep. A late-harvest yield is often sought by medicinal cannabis users to ease pain and increase appetite. If you choose to harvest somewhere in the middle of the peak window of maturity, you don?t necessarily get the best of both worlds, but more of a happy medium. If you aren't sure what type of high you like or want, aim for the middle and you likely won?t be disappointed.
http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/articles/4822.html
. But I talked to a family member he got the strain from and they said it was NL.
! lol