When To Finish Your Plants Based On Strain and Trichomes

I am in 6 weeks of flower and wanted to start a thread discussion to get opinions on the best Trichome color for harvesting based on the strain or type of cannabis.

I have been grappling with the timing of the flush to determine my end results for my Trichomes. I have a Blue Dream Santa Cruz Cut and a Somoas which is Forum Cookies crossed with Face Off OG.

I know a lot of people like Amber color, but from my understanding that means conversion of THC to CBN. I would think the great effects of a Sativa would be diminished by too much CBN. Thoughts?

Also, if I have an OG, would the high be supported by CBN or not really need it as it is already more "Couch Lock" from the Indica genetics?

From what I have read, both of my strains are hybrids with the BD leaning more Sativa, however I have trained them to the same height and they seem to be same Trichome color and finishing around the same rate. I am thinking this has to do with the BD being very Sativa in look, length, and high, but the finishing time is more Indica around 8-9 weeks.

If I have it right, I am looking for more THCA, which will be in the cloudy Trichomes to support the best high to compliment the hybrid traits of my strains.

Any comments on my grow or discussion about Trichome development based on the strain and intended outcome would be killer. Peace.

dont over think this...in a few cycles its going to be on auto..... harvest when all trichomes are solid milky when they begin to darken. this is when they are ripe. when they are brown they are degrading. some people like firm peaches, some mushy....
if you doubt pinch off a bud and dry it try it, decide it then

chemphlegm said:

dont over think this...in a few cycles its going to be on auto..... harvest when all trichomes are solid milky when they begin to darken. this is when they are ripe. when they are brown they are degrading. some people like firm peaches, some mushy....
if you doubt pinch off a bud and dry it try it, decide it then

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Thanks for the reply. For my grow I am not too worried. I am going to be going for cloudy and adjust anything on the next grow. I just thought that I see a lot of threads about debate over the color and not really anything about the strain and how the Trichomes can play into those factors.

Of course they all have their relative finishing times based on the strain. Thought that maybe some would look for different finishing traits in the Trichomes based on the strain. I have never had enough grows to really test. I am on my 3rd and the first 2 were 10 years ago, and I have always gone for cloudy. Peace.

I like the dry n try idea... find the right spot for your girls and your taste...

Thats only way i can harvest current round, i changed out my uv bulbs right as flowering got rocking, had done this before no issues, the new brand of bulb i grabbed and was told was same thing just different brand to my old ones was not, it sunburned the eff out of my girl n me too! Shes recoveroing a bit, her growth was permnetly stunted. Whats there is maturing and samples are promising but still letting her go a bit... its only way cuz the sunburn turned all the trichs on top amber already but ones underneath were very clear... so im just drying and trying and never buying thise bulbs again...

Watching those trichs then dry n try wud be best while taking a note or two so when u find ur sweet spot you can nail it next time without as much work

Huckster79 said:

I like the dry n try idea... find the right spot for your girls and your taste...

Thats only way i can harvest current round, i changed out my uv bulbs right as flowering got rocking, had done this before no issues, the new brand of bulb i grabbed and was told was same thing just different brand to my old ones was not, it sunburned the eff out of my girl n me too! Shes recoveroing a bit, her growth was permnetly stunted. Whats there is maturing and samples are promising but still letting her go a bit... its only way cuz the sunburn turned all the trichs on top amber already but ones underneath were very clear... so im just drying and trying and never buying thise bulbs again...

Watching those trichs then dry n try wud be best while taking a note or two so when u find ur sweet spot you can nail it next time without as much work

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Thanks for the advice. I assume you mean cut some off at different stages to try it out? I have seen a method for taking down branches at a time but never thought about doing it to do some clear, cloudy, and amber. I would definately try something like that on my next grow because I will be switching from scrog to sog cause I am sick of not being able to reach back with the trellis in my closet.

My girls attached at mid 6 weeks. BD 2 in back and 3 Somoas in front.

Use a USB microscope to see the trichs. Sample from a bud not leaf. Trichs are more advanced on a leaf.

LOL, if the strain even ambers!

Many new strains don't....
Taking a bud off the plant and dry and smoking. IS NOT any kind of quality way to judge the end result! Curing properly, changes way more then people think!

Trich's taken before they are ripe (any kind of clear), are not good. Period!

You worry about the class of THC in the trich. Kinda a dumb idea really. By far the vast majority of the THC is "A" or Delta 8... It is not "changed" into D9 till you smoke it. The temps of "smoking" decarb the THC and convert it to D9......

"ripe" Weed is trich's that when changing to "amber" reach their peak. As that ages farther it gets to ""brown" and those are the degraded trichs that have gone over to CBN rich....

Like I said, many of the new uber potent strains, don't amber! Never been a cookies fan, other then a strain that almost no one has....26 cookies.

Gr33nman33 said:

Thanks for the advice. I assume you mean cut some off at different stages to try it out? I have seen a method for taking down branches at a time but never thought about doing it to do some clear, cloudy, and amber. I would definately try something like that on my next grow because I will be switching from scrog to sog cause I am sick of not being able to reach back with the trellis in my closet.

My girls attached at mid 6 weeks. BD 2 in back and 3 Somoas in front.

Click to expand...

Yes sample as you go. I do agree to a degree with Who, it is not final verdict as good curing is a big part of the puzzle, but it can help you get a feel for the change over time.

I suppose if you wanted to be really "Scientific" you could make notes on the appearance and then cut a bit and properly trim dry and cure it at different stages... So then by the next round you could have sampled through properly finished product at different stages.

Also you can get a bit of this if you trim alone and over time. I tend to, and just do a bit a night over a couple week period, I LST and use SCROG nets to get big wide flat topped girls so will "mow" a few inches, and in that time the I work accross the plant it give the next few inches a day or several more to mature out... It's really quite the art, one I don't feel I'm a piccasso at yet.

Curious how big is your closet? What I did with my SCROG was I went high enough off floor and did it and nipped the back corner by my design so the net doesn't go in the back corner, I can crawl under my Girl(s) and pop up in that little opening in back corner to get the back and middle I can't reach from the door.... I'm just in a 6x6x7 area...

Huckster79 said:

Yes sample as you go. I do agree to a degree with Who, it is not final verdict as good curing is a big part of the puzzle, but it can help you get a feel for the change over time.

I suppose if you wanted to be really "Scientific" you could make notes on the appearance and then cut a bit and properly trim dry and cure it at different stages... So then by the next round you could have sampled through properly finished product at different stages.

Also you can get a bit of this if you trim alone and over time. I tend to, and just do a bit a night over a couple week period, I LST and use SCROG nets to get big wide flat topped girls so will "mow" a few inches, and in that time the I work accross the plant it give the next few inches a day or several more to mature out... It's really quite the art, one I don't feel I'm a piccasso at yet.

Curious how big is your closet? What I did with my SCROG was I went high enough off floor and did it and nipped the back corner by my design so the net doesn't go in the back corner, I can crawl under my Girl(s) and pop up in that little opening in back corner to get the back and middle I can't reach from the door.... I'm just in a 6x6x7 area...

Click to expand...

I have a 4x4 with another 1x2 to the side where my AC and Intake fit. 5 girls from clone. I wish I could pop out the other side! Girls are wall to wall.

I think on my next SOG, I will have a tent dedicated to drying and I can test a few branches from each plant at different stages to really test myself. Right now I am going to be sticking with whole plant hung drying. Peace.