Need some advice - almost done?? Frost approaching??

So this is my first real attempt to grow properly... my last grow was simply in a closet with a 400W HPS and water HA! They were actually quite potent, but I think i got lucky around harvest time (I'm almost certain that I chopped them too early) so this time I want to make sure they are ready!

Can someone please look at my pics and let me know what sort of timing I'm looking at?? Average first frost here is Oct 6, so I don't want to wait too long and I am thinking of flushing now.

I looked at some fresh trichs this morning under 40x and nearly all are cloudy with a few amber here and there but not many. Spotted one or two clear trichs, and since the sample was taken from the top cola, I am wondering if the lower buds are still a couple weeks away.

I am seeing some amber in both of the macro shots, the buds look like they could go a little longer but it is your choice. If you had to harvest now, it would be good, another week or 2 will get you into couch-lock land.

glad someone is on the same page as me - was thinking of flushing this week and chopping Oct 6-7 - I figure that way I'll have more a "couch-lock" taking from the upper colas and if I want more of a head high, I can smoke from the lower buds? does that sound possible? lol

I'll be keeping an eye on temps at night... going down to 5-6C (40F) both Sat & Sun night, but then warms up again Mon-Tue... Should be OK until the 7th.

SCT1984 said:

glad someone is on the same page as me - was thinking of flushing this week and chopping Oct 6-7 - I figure that way I'll have more a "couch-lock" taking from the upper colas and if I want more of a head high, I can smoke from the lower buds? does that sound possible? lol

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It is very possible, it will depend on the variance between upper and lower buds.

Wicked - will do just that then. Will cut down next Friday and then just keep Colas and lower buds separate Can't f-ing wait!

Any other opinions? Does a week sound about right?

I'd give them as long as possible. I have held herb outside through a bit of frost before.

As mentioned above, the trichs are close. If cloudy is right in the middle of clear and amber...... it looks like yours are just a notch or two on the side of clear, but very clsoe. Also I think your buds might have some more filling in to do.

For those reasons I would try to hold off as long as I could.

Until the threat of hard frost is imminent, I would hold off too. You could get lucky and get closer to the finish line than you think.

Is there a period to wait that is TOO long? I understand that THC degrades over time (can someone validate that?) so I don't want to chop too early, but also don't want to wait too long.

14 day forecast doesn't dip below 4 degrees C, but should I wait much longer than 2 weeks? Seeing as I already have a few ambers, from what I've been reading it doesn't seem that they should take much longer than that.

I only ask because "as long as I could" is extremely subjective... now that they are really starting to take form, I am already trying to wait as long as I can lol

As long as you could refers to watching them closely. The frost will be here before they have a chance to degrade. They could easily go another 4 weeks without degrading.

I don't think those trichs are amber. Some trichs get color from the plants genetics. I've seen purple trichs in other pics, and no way was it ready. Also they look more clear than cloudy. You won't be able to see through them at all when they are cloudy. So I think your confusing purple for amber. Those do look like they lean towards the Indica side though,they should finish soon. I think your chop date is close, but make sure to check again before you do. Don't just chop because thats when you planned to. Nice plant! It looks a little like my avatar pic. I'm hoping to use the same plant, but with a mature bud to update my avatar. Good luck! Good harvest!

Noballs said:

I don't think those trichs are amber. Some trichs get color from the plants genetics. I've seen purple trichs in other pics, and no way was it ready. Also they look more clear than cloudy. You won't be able to see through them at all when they are cloudy. So I think your confusing purple for amber. Those do look like they lean towards the Indica side though,they should finish soon. I think your chop date is close, but make sure to check again before you do. Don't just chop because thats when you planned to. Nice plant! It looks a little like my avatar pic. I'm hoping to use the same plant, but with a mature bud to update my avatar. Good luck! Good harvest!

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Thanks!! I'm still not completely satisfied, but there's always next year

I'll try to take another pic tomorrow with a better camera and higher X mag for a fresh opinion (this is cell phone camera + zoom lol) . I took a sample a few days ago (from a bud this time), and most trichs are certainly cloudy. Can still see a handful of clear, and a few dark amber mixed with a few light amber. I'll check it out again tonight and see. I forced flower last week of July - about 9 weeks now into flower, so I figured it should be pretty damn close lol.

I learned last time not to just chop when you "think" it's ready without checking the trichs... I was on another forum and read to "chop when all the hairs have darkened"... but didn't read further HA!

Sounds like you have it under control. That was a rookie mistake. See how you have grown? (pun intended)

Little Tommy said:

Sounds like you have it under control. That was a rookie mistake. See how you have grown? (pun intended)

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A mistake I'm glad I only made once - the rest of my mistakes I intent on learning before hand before next year's grow - or maybe do a few short veg's over Jan-Apr.

always more room to grow thanks for the help - more pics to come!!

there is an article in the nov. issue of high times about trics and harvesting,from what I gather thc begins to degrade sooner than what most people say or go by,but Im a firm believer in if it aint broke dont fix it but it was a good article check it out

New pics - no new pics of trichs yet, but will hopefully have some shortly! 1-2 weeks??