I'm getting some strange readings here captain.

[Weedly]

I've been keeping a close eye on the trichomes of this indica plant, but all I was seeing was clear through my usb microscope. Today, I happened to look at them through my photographer's loupe, which isn't all that powerful, and I noticed a lot of the trichs are amber. However, when I try to photograph them, both with the LEDs or with an exterior incandescent light, it is very tough to see the ambers, so I manipulated them in Photoshop and all I now see are amber and clear. Any idea what's going on?
The plant is well into its 10th week since first pistils, mid-11th week since flip. Data sheet says 7-9 weeks. I definitely don't want any anxiety or paranoia causing weed, but I'd still like a fair amount of THC. Some couchlock is just fine.
First pic is as close as I can get with phone, next are through USB microscope, final are buds with phone. Where are the cloudy?

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

@Captspaulding - I believe your assistance is requested.

 

[Weedly]

@Captspaulding - I believe your assistance is requested.

Oops, I forgot there was an actual captain onboard. Would still love his insight though.

 

[goner]

i dont know why, but i rarely see cloudy or milky trichomes in my grows. lots of clears and then i start seeing ambers. so i quit looking through my loupe and now chop based on swelling calyxes, a drop in water uptake, and that general doneness look.

pic 11 looks like textbook swollen, ripe bud to me.

 

[RegularRebel]

THC is degrading because of the amber.

 

[LoveGrowingIt]

Oops, I forgot there was an actual captain onboard. Would still love his insight though.

He can certainly provide excellent advice. I was joking, but I also know some folks find it easier to be helped by only one person.

The plant is well into its 10th week since first pistils, mid-11th week since flip. Data sheet says 7-9 weeks.

Some folks argue that flowering begins when buds appear, not from the flip. That can be as long as 2 weeks from the flip.

I'd say your plant is darn close to being ready to harvest.

 

[Ninjadogma]

I've been keeping a close eye on the trichomes of this indica plant, but all I was seeing was clear through my usb microscope. Today, I happened to look at them through my photographer's loupe, which isn't all that powerful, and I noticed a lot of the trichs are amber. However, when I try to photograph them, both with the LEDs or with an exterior incandescent light, it is very tough to see the ambers, so I manipulated them in Photoshop and all I now see are amber and clear. Any idea what's going on?
The plant is well into its 10th week since first pistils, mid-11th week since flip. Data sheet says 7-9 weeks. I definitely don't want any anxiety or paranoia causing weed, but I'd still like a fair amount of THC. Some couchlock is just fine.
First pic is as close as I can get with phone, next are through USB microscope, final are buds with phone. Where are the cloudy?View attachment 2394669View attachment 2394670

This is a good illustration of that "personal choice" thing. Everything's there - clear, cloudy and amber. How do you like your fries.... light, medium, well done or a perfectly balanced blend of all of the above? Thats kinda what I shoot for.

 

[Ninjadogma]

He can certainly provide excellent advice. I was joking, but I also know some folks find it easier to be helped by only one person.


Some folks argue that flowering begins when buds appear, not from the flip. That can be as long as 2 weeks from the flip.

I'd say your plant is darn close to being ready to harvest.

For consistency, I start my count from when I shorten the day, and from this count, my outdoor Ice Cream Cake takes 12 weeks and my Durban Poison takes 14 doesn't matter summer or winter or how closely I'm inspecting to make that decision. Just how it goes with the two specific phenos I'm abusing these days.

 

[Weedly]

How do you like your fries.... light, medium, well done or a perfectly balanced blend of all of the above?

That’s kind of the problem. I’m new to weed and not completely sure. I’ve only ever had it from the dispensary. I do know that anything that’s more than 20% indica will send me clawing for the moon. The stuff I’ve read about clear trichs causing anxiety and paranoia is a little scary, but I don’t want to lose all the thc in making sure there are no clears. I’m so confused.

 

[Ninjadogma]

That’s kind of the problem. I’m new to weed and not completely sure. I’ve only ever had it from the dispensary. I do know that anything that’s more than 20% indica will send me clawing for the moon. The stuff I’ve read about clear trichs causing anxiety and paranoia is a little scary, but I don’t want to lose all the thc in making sure there are no clears. I’m so confused.

A lot of that comes from the strain itself, notably Sativas. Just a thought, since you're still kind of getting acquainted, why not try incremental harvesting so you can see how you like it. Don't let us tell you what works best for you. Keep your jars marked, try them out, you'll figure out which way you like best. More amber trichomes are going to mean more degraded THC and the presence of CBN, the cannabinoid that THC breaks down into. It has a sedative effect. Some folks consider it a gain, not a loss... Especially those growing it as their night time stash.

 

[Ninjadogma]

A lot of that comes from the strain itself, notably Sativas. Just a thought, since you're still kind of getting acquainted, why not try incremental harvesting so you can see how you like it. Don't let us tell you what works best for you. Keep your jars marked, try them out, you'll figure out which way you like best. More amber trichomes are going to mean more degraded THC and the presence of CBN, the cannabinoid that THC breaks down into. It has a sedative effect. Some folks consider it a gain, not a loss... Especially those growing it as their night time stash.

And be sure to check out the educational sections here on how to do drying and curing when you do chop so you can get the best out of all that long wait.

 

[Weedly]

More amber trichomes are going to mean more degraded THC and the presence of CBN, the cannabinoid that THC breaks down into.

Okay, that makes sense. Now how about terpenes? At what point are they strongest? Or do terpenes and the clarity of trichomes not correlate? I’m asking because I’ve learned that I really like the effects of myrcene. This strain is supposed to be high in it. I’m definitely a nighttime hitter.

 

[Weedly]

And be sure to check out the educational sections here on how to do drying and curing when you do chop so you can get the best out of all that long wait.

Thanks! I didn’t know they were there. Reading now.

 

[Captspaulding]

So some plants never go to amber, but i can see here there is a good enough amount, other wiseni apply the red/brown pistil read.
Ill chop when 95% of pistils are red in a strain thay doesnt show amber trichs. As a back up method. But you have amber here, just a feather for your cap….
Once a plant once it gets to changing its physiology late in flower shifting to cbn, it can go from 20-25% to 75% almost overnight depending. Now terps can change massive in jar over a normal 30 cure, from gasey pinene, to all limonene yo mycern as the herb dries.
A huge driver in that is the amount of air that you allow into a curing jar when you’re doing diligent to change out the air and whatever interval of time you’re at during cure there are times when I get a real nice change and something I’m curing and I’ll pull it a little early if that is right where I like it in the sweet spot and I’ll go ahead and I’ll vacuum pack that shit and I’ll put it away to try And save that flavor for later so it’s like taking a picture you can keep but you’ll still have a portion that you keep in cure, which at the end of the day can have a completely different pallet just from a longer cure from the bonus chunk stashed. This is subjective though and not a 100% method because ambient temps and a vac packed sack can still cure an depending on ambient rh and temp of your curing space.
So this is how i set my curing jars up.
Much easier than bouncing a rogue hygrometer out of a full jar, and gives a more solid reading. Name of the game is keeping the jar as close as possible to that 62% humidity in jar making sure to stay away from hot temps and high rh. You’ve just gotta keep an eye on your temperatures. Make sure the room you’re curing in is climate controlled and keep an eye on that higrometer so you know when you’re over that 70% number you stay over that for too terribly long without checking your jars, you could be tempting fate. So just stay on top of what you’re doing. Don’t open the jar too many damn times just make sure it doesn’t start creeping up into the mid 70s on the humidity side of things and that the room that you’re carrying in gets nowhere near above 79° in my experience, I live in the swamp though so I don’t fuck around

 

[Captspaulding]

Also, stop stop grabbing your nuggets so much,
A ton a damaged trichromes here, always grab a stem under whatever cola you are inspecting.
You work way too hard for that shit man

 

[Weedly]

@Captspaulding and @Ninjadogma Thanks for all your sage advice. I can read, read, read, but until I get it from experienced people regarding my grow, it all seems like water in a creek to wade through.

Also, stop stop grabbing your nuggets so much,
A ton a damaged trichromes here, always grab a stem under whatever cola you are inspecting.
You work way too hard for that shit man

I think you’re referring to the amount of trichomes without heads in the pics? I was wondering about that since I try to be really careful. But then I realized that that bud I’m photographing is right in front and gets jostled by the tent flap every time I open and close it. I’m hoping there’s more good stuff inside the bud that hasn’t been destroyed.
I feel like I’m any day now on this plant, so I’ll try to get a better read on some buds farther back and less disturbed.

 

[RegularRebel]

Okay, that makes sense. Now how about terpenes? At what point are they strongest? Or do terpenes and the clarity of trichomes not correlate? I’m asking because I’ve learned that I really like the effects of myrcene. This strain is supposed to be high in it. I’m definitely a nighttime hitter.

They are the strongest outside in the sun.

 

[Weedly]

They are the strongest outside in the sun.

The second chart is especially troubling since I’m after myrcene, although I can’t tell from the chart what RV and CP refer to.
Wouldn’t that mean commercially grown weed would lack myrcene as well? But going by the dispensary labels, some strains are quite high in it.

 

[RegularRebel]

I can’t tell from the chart what RV and CP refer to.

RV and CP are types used in the test.

Wouldn’t that mean commercially grown weed would lack myrcene as well?

Perhaps

But going by the dispensary labels, some strains are quite high in it.

Anyone can print a label with whatever information they like. Each plant will test different because they are all unique, like people. My advice is to drop "belief " completely in favor of knowing the truth.

A terpene like that can drop completely out of the genetics if its artificially grown as in under artificial lights/conditions.

 

[VitaMan]

I've been keeping a close eye on the trichomes of this indica plant, but all I was seeing was clear through my usb microscope. Today, I happened to look at them through my photographer's loupe, which isn't all that powerful, and I noticed a lot of the trichs are amber. However, when I try to photograph them, both with the LEDs or with an exterior incandescent light, it is very tough to see the ambers, so I manipulated them in Photoshop and all I now see are amber and clear. Any idea what's going on?
The plant is well into its 10th week since first pistils, mid-11th week since flip. Data sheet says 7-9 weeks. I definitely don't want any anxiety or paranoia causing weed, but I'd still like a fair amount of THC. Some couchlock is just fine.
First pic is as close as I can get with phone, next are through USB microscope, final are buds with phone. Where are the cloudy?View attachment 2394663View attachment 2394664View attachment 2394665View attachment 2394666View attachment 2394667View attachment 2394668View attachment 2394669View attachment 2394670View attachment 2394671View attachment 2394672View attachment 2394673

Breeders stated flowering times are optimistic. Keep in mind that they have perfect environments, higher tech equipment than most hobbyist have etc.

I usually assume 7-10 more days and sometimes up to 3 weeks longer than stated.

As for your trichomes: Those born most recently will still look clear. It looks to me that most are cloudy. That amount of amber would likely indicate chop time for my taste.

You can always cut a smaller bud and *quick dry it. If the effects are what you want then harvest.

*put in paper bag or envelope and place that in silica or uncooked rice for 12-24 hours. It won't taste like properly dried and cured but should give you a close approximation of the effects