Do trichomes continue to develop after chop?

tstick

Well-Known Member
Like, is there some residual "life" left in the stalk and stems that enable the plants to continue to ripen the trichomes?

The reason I ask is because I am checking the trichome development on a living plant. When it gets to the milky and amber stage is when to harvest -at least according to most of the sources I have read…But if it's possible for the trichomes continue to ripen after the plant s chopped an drying, then won't the trichomes be too ripe by the time the buds come out of the curing jar months later? -thus giving the heavier, narcotic "stone" from the mostly (by then) amber trichs?

How do you time the harvest so that the FINAL outcome is mostly milky trichs and some amber?

Also…Does anyone just let the plant dry in the pots? I grow in soil and I was kicking around the idea of just stopping water and light at day 63 and letting them dry out in the soil. Will the plant continue to grow too long of I do this? Like, will keeping it in the soil even without water and light, somehow extend the flowering period and thus allow the plant and trichs to go too long?

Thanks
 

vitamin_green_inc

Well-Known Member
The trichromes will continue to mature hence why most say harvest at 10% amber. I believe the plant is still alive for 2-3,days after chop, at least marginally, but do not qoute me on that.
If you let it dry out it will make it dry hang quicker but you don't want quicker, you want a nice slow dry. Experiment though, its fun!bongsmilie
 

bigsteve

Well-Known Member
Once a plant part has separated from the plant it will not continue to mature. I think that rumor got started because the pistils will continue to get darker for a day or two after being chopped. It looks like the pistils are still maturing as they get darker but that is a factor of them drying out, not maturing. BigSteve.
 

vitamin_green_inc

Well-Known Member
But plants are still alive after being cut? Clones are. Drying out would mean that the plant still has enough water to support itself right?
Once a plant part has separated from the plant it will not continue to mature. I think that rumor got started because the pistils will continue to get darker for a day or two after being chopped. It looks like the pistils are still maturing as they get darker but that is a factor of them drying out, not maturing. BigSteve.
 

tstick

Well-Known Member
I'm going to attempt to allow the plants to dry out in their pots.

Just completed week 8 of flower. I'm going to let them go for another week to ten days longer.

I pulled a good percentage of fan leaves and any other leaves that weren't producing any trichomes.

I will continue to "pre-trim" the plants this way and then when they are milky-ripe, I will switch off the lights and let them continue to slowly dry out in the dark, in their pots for another week to ten.

When they start to crisp up, I will cut down the branches and jar them with as much of the branch intact as I can easily fit into the jar to transition from drying to curing as slowly as possible.

When the humidity in the jars stays around 65% a for a few days, I will store them in a cool, dark place to do the long cure.
 

vitamin_green_inc

Well-Known Member
I would maybe take a small sample bud this week to test the high. I would also take a picture of the trichromes before you throw the firla in the dark. Then at harvest, then after drying. The memory can play tricks on us but photos are more diffictlult to fool!bongsmilie
 

tstick

Well-Known Member
Well, I have a small microscope that I use to check the trichomes.

On my first grow, I think I harvested too early. The smoke turned out really nice, but was on the "active" or "up" kind of high side. I'd like to allow it to grow awhile longer this time to see what happens.

I've got two strains in the tent right now -Vortex and White Widow X Sour Diesel. The WW cross shows milky and amber trichomes on the top cola, but clear trichs on the lower branches. So, I'm sure that parts of the plants will lend different effects when everything is said and done.

The Vortex is really stinky and the buds are getting dense and hard, but there's still a lot of new white hairs shooting out. TGA Subcool (the inventor of Vortex)'s website recommended a 50-55 day harvest window….and I harvested at 55 days, but I'm taking everything to at least 9 weeks this time. Even if I lose some of the THC potency I'm hoping to develop the terpenes more and get a really rich flavor (hopefully!)

I took off another big bunch of leaves and the plants are almost completely lollipopped now. I am trimming over a period of time in order to avoid any stress to the plant. My Vortex pheno is sensitive to any little thing and will send me a nanner if it gets displeased. So far, so good!
 

vitamin_green_inc

Well-Known Member
You could also stagger your harvest. Take the top mature parts and then wait a couple of daya-week to let the blower buds mature more
 

GrowIt216

Member
I hate finding old threads that never got updated :(

Hope everyone here that commented is doing well and that everyone had great harvests ever sine! @OP, hope your drying in pot theory turned out great!
 

Cardlee P

Well-Known Member
Well, I have a small microscope that I use to check the trichomes.

On my first grow, I think I harvested too early. The smoke turned out really nice, but was on the "active" or "up" kind of high side. I'd like to allow it to grow awhile longer this time to see what happens.

I've got two strains in the tent right now -Vortex and White Widow X Sour Diesel. The WW cross shows milky and amber trichomes on the top cola, but clear trichs on the lower branches. So, I'm sure that parts of the plants will lend different effects when everything is said and done.

The Vortex is really stinky and the buds are getting dense and hard, but there's still a lot of new white hairs shooting out. TGA Subcool (the inventor of Vortex)'s website recommended a 50-55 day harvest window….and I harvested at 55 days, but I'm taking everything to at least 9 weeks this time. Even if I lose some of the THC potency I'm hoping to develop the terpenes more and get a really rich flavor (hopefully!)

I took off another big bunch of leaves and the plants are almost completely lollipopped now. I am trimming over a period of time in order to avoid any stress to the plant. My Vortex pheno is sensitive to any little thing and will send me a nanner if it gets displeased. So far, so good!
Really rare is 55 day dope. Subcools stuff was dank but hardly fast finishing.
 

Geeked

Member
Yes they continue to develope. As long as there’s enough humidity or moisture around; plants will still live. Hence the reason why you have to mist clones cause they don’t have the root system yet to absorb water so they absorb thru leaves. Also hence why clones root better under high humidity. Plants are unique, they can root anywhere that they need to. I believe that’s what those pair of hairs at each nodes on male and female cannabis plants. No one knows what their purpose is but I think and pretty sure those can be turn into roots if buried under the soil.

cloning is easy. And if you want 9 out of 10 success rate. Focus more on misting the leaves than soil saturation. Soil still has to be damp but if clones can’t get their water, they won’t stay alive long enough to root. Mist the leaves at least3-4 times a day and the clones will root within days.
 

Green Refuge

Well-Known Member
Terpene ratios do change considerably from chopping to drying to curing to consuming months later. They can increase and decrease but there's no hardcore evidence of how to influence those changes.
 
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