No orange tips? - northern lights

[CupidTheConqueror]

Howdy folks! I just got a quick one for ya today'

So I planted myself some Northern Lights (afgani X white widow? Afgani X Thai? I can't quite recall)
And I've never grown this particular strain before.

The pictures I've attached to this post are of 2 & 1/2 weeks worth of flowering time. The buds are looking full, and there is resin building up on the lower bud leaves.

However, I'm not seeing any colour change - either orange/red/purple.

Now, professionally grown northern lights has a fair amount of orange colouring. But I'm just a filthy scrub and this is just my lazy backyard grow. While the plants seem to have developed well enough, they are definitely planted waaay too close, don't get the "fullest" sunshine (minor morning/evening shadow) and haven't received any particular special treatment on my part.

Should keep waiting and stretch out the flowering until I see orange? Or should I harvest soon to reduce the risk of losing potency? I know that once they are ready to harvest, you can't leave them too long. But the CGB and pictures of of the harvested bud don't give me a clear picture of when "ready" is - and I'd hate to roll the dice on a guess.

Thank you for giving this a read, and any advice or comments are much appreciated !

 

[mysticepipedon]

Forget whatever colors you're talking about. Get a hand lens/magnifying glass/digital microscope or magnification instrument of your choice and look at the trichomes. They will be clear now, and for the next few weeks, then turning cloudy, then turning amber.

When they start to turn amber, you're done.

Depending on where you live, this could be a battle between plant maturity and cold weather.

Most plants turn colors late in flower, not at the stage you're in now.

 

[lvstealth]

you have roughly 2 more months to go. good luck! the colors will or wont come as they see fit, but cutting it down will serve no purpose at all! way to early to harvest!