How early can you chop?

avillax

Well-Known Member
Hello, so this time, in my first organic outdoors grow with autos, I'm noticing deficiencies but also, something that seems to be a good side effect: buds are maturing faster. I have 2 Mexican Airlines by fast buds. At 5 weeks into flowering 90% of trichomes are milky, only 10% clear and a few amber. Also 50% of hairs have turned brown. Would it be too soon to cut just the top of a cola? I want to do so in 1 week. I want full euphoric effects, and at 90% milky would it be not strong not mature enough?
 

Failmore

Well-Known Member
The only amber on that plant is going to be on the leaves. Harvesting now will only make it a short lived crap hi. Let the plant finish.
 

Failmore

Well-Known Member
My hairs are 99.5% brown and I have no amber.

20211108_181707_resized.jpg

No amber on that bud. At least non on the buds themselves.
 

weedstoner420

Well-Known Member
"Reading" the trichs is a pretty advanced technique, and their appearance is only part of the equation for determining ripeness. For your first time, forget about trying to judge ripeness based on trichome color, leave that for when you have more experience.

No plant is going to be ripe with 50% white pistils (hairs), no matter what the trichs look like. Better to wait until at least 95% of pistils are brown, then wait a week or two, then see what the trichs look like, if you feel like it.

In fact, something I wish more people would do (myself included, in hindsight): let one of the plants (or at least a few branches) mature as long as possible, as long as it doesn't die or start to mold or rot. Then you will see the full ripening process and where it goes. I suspect your patience will be rewarded.
 
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avillax

Well-Known Member
"Reading" the trichs is a pretty advanced technique, and their appearance is only part of the equation for determining ripeness. For your first time, forget about trying to judge ripeness based on trichome color, leave that for when you have more experience.

No plant is going to be ripe with 50% white pistils (hairs), no matter what the trichs look like. Better to wait until at least 95% of pistils are brown, then wait a week or two, then see what the trichs look like, if you feel like it.

In fact, something I wish more people would do (myself included, in hindsight): let one of the plants (or at least a few branches) mature as long as possible, as long as it doesn't die or start to mold or rot. Then you will see the full ripening process and where it goes. I suspect your patience will be rewarded.
OK sure, but same thing happened to a Zamal x Nepal Jam that I chopped 2 weeks ago. I actually chopped it after 8 weeks in flowering which was just EXACT and only 50% of hairs were brown, yet it 30% of trichomes were amber and the rest milky. The effects are strong but too sedating for my taste. I was looking for something more euphoric which was supposed to deliver, instead, it seems as if I let it mature for a little too long. I was surprised too, first time with organics, like I said.
 

Rurumo

Well-Known Member
OK sure, but same thing happened to a Zamal x Nepal Jam that I chopped 2 weeks ago. I actually chopped it after 8 weeks in flowering which was just EXACT and only 50% of hairs were brown, yet it 30% of trichomes were amber and the rest milky. The effects are strong but too sedating for my taste. I was looking for something more euphoric which was supposed to deliver, instead, it seems as if I let it mature for a little too long. I was surprised too, first time with organics, like I said.
i have a hard time believing a zamal x nepal jam had 30% amber trichomes at 8 weeks.
 

xtsho

Well-Known Member
OK sure, but same thing happened to a Zamal x Nepal Jam that I chopped 2 weeks ago. I actually chopped it after 8 weeks in flowering which was just EXACT and only 50% of hairs were brown, yet it 30% of trichomes were amber and the rest milky. The effects are strong but too sedating for my taste. I was looking for something more euphoric which was supposed to deliver, instead, it seems as if I let it mature for a little too long. I was surprised too, first time with organics, like I said.
Guaranteed that plant wasn't even close to being done regardless of the trichomes. I don't even look at the trichomes because they are not as reliable as so many people think they are. And the clear/cloudy/amber for a head or body high is unreliable as well.

But it was your plant to harvest early if you wanted based off of some trichomes.

Going by trichomes alone is the number one cause of people harvesting early.
 

drsaltzman

Well-Known Member
I dunno, maybe it's the picture, but I see zero bud swell.
Looks like a very immature plant.

Anyway that seems to be the consensus avillax.
You are trying to judge trichomes on an immature plant.
That doesn't work.
 

avillax

Well-Known Member
OK, you guys are probably right. I just checked the dates and I chopped my Zamal x Nepal Jam on October 28, and it started sprouted in July 12 and it started flowering in less than 5 weeks, so let's say that by August 20 it was already flowering, that gives it 69 days of flowering, and ACE says it is ready at 63, so it was a good time when I chopped it. Gotta give these Mexican Airlines at least 3 more weeks then.
 
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