want opinion on when to harvest

these girls have been under 12/12 for 7 weeks. please let me know how long i should wait before harvesting

at least a month

really a month? i was told to wait until 60% of the trichs are amber. it seems that they're already around 10-20% amber

They seem a little inmature for any eminate harvest. But if you have been looking at the trichomes, and they are the color you like, then it's time! The tric's are your best indicator. Good luck & good grow.......BB

many more weeks.

I would say let the plant mature
if you cut early, it probably won't be as nice as it could have been, even if its at the amber trich % you're after

It looks like you have some time still. What you might want to consider if you have more clones of that strain that you are going to run with is to harvest some now, some in a week, the following week and so forth. Cure and dry them all properly and have fun experimenting with when is 'best' to harvest when you get to taste. Then next round - you will know when to do it. Pulling too early and you risk missing the mass increase in the calyxes that happens at the end of the cycle.

i have to admit this is my first grow. at the beginning of the grow, the cfl's were placed too far from the plants, causing them to stretch significantly. at this point, they're hitting the ceiling of the 4 ft tall stealth box they're in. due to space and budget restrictions, these plants are not getting the light they deserve. they are under 13 x 23w @ 2300k, but the lighting is not too evenly dispersed among the budding sites. maybe that's why everyone is saying they're so immature - they just didn't get enough light. in that case, is it ok to let them flower for a few more weeks rather than harvest at 60% amber trich's? i thought if i wait too long beyond that stage that the plants start to lose potency rapidly

It could very well be the light intensity is not enough to produce the typical buds that most of us are used to seeing when things are ready. The overall white pistils and deflated calyxes are what I was going off of. The trichomes are definitely the key indicator to overall ripeness, and when you harvest has a lot to do with the type of affects you feel (head high vs couch lock, etc.)

While it is true that over ripening will decrease potency by breaking down the THC, it is something that does not happen overnight - there typically is a good sized harvest window that is the sweet spot. What strain is this?