How important is leaf yellowing before harvest?

My OG Kush has mostly orange pistils, and the colas are fairly well filled in with healthy buds...which tells me I may be able to harvest in a week or so. HOWEVER, the leaves are not 'yellowing out' like many people are saying is a sign that you're ready to chop. How important is it to wait until the fan leaves are turning yellow? I'm at work right now and can't post a pic until tomorrow, but I'm using five 300watt equivalent CFL's in Ocean Forest soil, and I've been in the 12/12 cycle for almost nine weeks.

it depends if you flush or not. if you flush 1-2 weeks before your planned harvest the plant will obviously turn yellow from lack of nutes. I personally like to keep them a little green all the way through.

They do not necessarily have to be yellow to be finished look at them under a.micro scope

omar924 said:

it depends if you flush or not. if you flush 1-2 weeks before your planned harvest the plant will obviously turn yellow from lack of nutes. I personally like to keep them a little green all the way through.

Click to expand...

I'm flushing, but no yellow yet. I'll have to be patient, I guess....and I have no idea where to find a little hand held microscope. I tried Wal-Mart and Radio Shack, with no luck.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2179604

This is what I have. Think I got it off Amazon.

I just bought that same scope at my local grow shop. works great. im about 6-7 weeks into flower. only my fan leaves are yellowing and have been yellowing the last week or two. I just let them go until they fall off. I figure the plant is still pulling nutes from it. everything else is nice and green on my plants. im growing 3 different strains, and all 3 have 8-10 week flower times, and all 7 plants fan leaves are yellowing.

Harvest when 1/4 -1/3 of the hairs turn red. On some really tasty skunks you can even harvest before the hairs start to turn red. You don't need a micro scope, just look at them.

Amazon has a little scope for under 10 bucks. I think Carson makes it

my experience. not all plants will have all yellow leafs , when they are done, just depends how hard you were pushing the nutes. you could flush for 2 months and those leafs don't turn yellow , belive it or not. my advice is flush for at least 14 days. and yellow or not if they are done chop them. I also had buds tested for chemicals and they came back clean. because I have family using the product as well. same situation as yours. I don't use reduced nitrogen like most people doo . yes the soil may store some fertilizer as well but after 2 weeks of clean water your good to go no worries.

Hairs should be receded and reddened off. Calyxes should be swollen to the point it looks like they are going to explode. Check your trics and harvest as close to all cloudy as possible. I have had red hairs and mostly clear trics, not a very accurate way of judging IMO. Look at everything as a package.

Strains are different, I have 5 different strains going, one starts to yellow, one starts to crisp the edges of the leaves, I have another that does not really have red hairs to judge with. Timelines will get you close but a loop will show you ripeness. Time with the strain will also help you to determine when ready.

Just cure for a bit longer if the leaves are still full of chlorophyll. That will take care of flavor.