# Trichomes...How Long From 1st Milky's to 1st Ambers???



## NorthofEngland (Mar 2, 2014)

My plants are on DAY 62 of Flower (after 48 Days of Veg).
For weeks now I've been checking the trichomes with a magnifier
and they have remained colourless and clear (like splashes of spring water, frozen in space).

I expect that, very soon, the trichomes will begin to turn milky 
(it's nearly week 10 of Flower so it cannot be far away...)
my question is:

*Once the first milky trichomes appear, how much longer does it usually take before the first amber trichomes become visible???*


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## Sand4x105 (Mar 2, 2014)

I'm sure you know...

Trichomes are not the only way to see if your plant is done...

Top cola no new hairs... so no new hairs growing up from top cola...

Then those hairs that were up on top, will recede back into bud...

That is when harvest window opens...
That is when I harvest... and yes Trichomes will be peak creamy...

And I never ever let my Trichomes go Amber on purpose... Amber = Degraded = No THC = why would anyone want that?

You might wait until your plant starts to shrivel up and die before the trics turn amber....

I left a plant 4 weeks after I pulled it's cloned sisters...

4 weeks later, no amber... just a slightly shrinking bud...

Good Luck on the wait... 

The answer for the plants I grow... how long between milky and amber... forever/never...


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## Sand4x105 (Mar 2, 2014)

If they look like these... you are good to go... no amber.... all milky.... all good....


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## vostok (Mar 2, 2014)

Plants rarely go all crystal or white or amber at once rather in patches, once the plants trics go mostly the color or ripeness you require then harvest ...easy!


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## tip top toker (Mar 2, 2014)

It varies strain to strain. Although after a while, I just ignored trichs and just harvested when they looked ready. Yo begin to get an idea if where it is at regardless if the use of a scope.


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## NorthofEngland (Mar 2, 2014)

It's my first ever crop so I have no frame of reference from past experience.

As of now the trichomes are 100% colourless and clear.


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## NorthofEngland (Mar 2, 2014)

Sand4x105 said:


> I'm sure you know...
> 
> Trichomes are not the only way to see if your plant is done...
> 
> ...





The top colas still have hairs (pistils).
They turned from white to rust some weeks ago,
but they're still there.


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## racerboy71 (Mar 2, 2014)

you have any pix of the entire plant n.o.e.??

and i tend to agree with sandy.. some strains will go amber fairly easily, and others you could wait forever for them to turn..
i like to look at not only the trics, but also that the pistils have all receded back into the bud, and lastly that the calyxes are all fat and swollen, and a lot of times you'll start to see slight fox tailing going on when they get close to being done..
the plants usually take on a completely different look ime when they reach the point of being ready to chop down that just screams and lets you know they're ready.. i like my plants finished as i had made the mistake of chopped a good idk, 2 weeks or so early on one harvest and was so pissed at myself that i swore i'll never make that mistake again..

some people will say the clearer the trics, the more up the high will be, and the longer they go, the more heady, but idk, imo, you're never going to get that up motivational high from an indica no matter how clear the trics are, nor are you going to get that couchlock stone from a sativa ..

but i'm rambling, pix would tell us a lot..


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## NorthofEngland (Mar 3, 2014)

They're in the dark for the next 7 hours but I'll take a few cameraphone pics later.


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## kindnug (Mar 3, 2014)

racerboy71 said:


> you have any pix of the entire plant n.o.e.??
> 
> and i tend to agree with sandy.. some strains will go amber fairly easily, and others you could wait forever for them to turn..
> i like to look at not only the trics, but also that the pistils have all receded back into the bud, and lastly that the calyxes are all fat and swollen, and a lot of times you'll start to see slight fox tailing going on when they get close to being done..
> ...


People seem to claim if you want indica with no couchlock then harvest early.
I don't think those people have 1st hand exp., early harvested bud is harsh!

If they want 0 couchlock, then grow a pure/mostly sativa!


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## BWG707 (Mar 3, 2014)

You could always pick a small bud off it and quick dry it then test it out. It will taste a bit off but you will be able to tell what type of high it gives you.


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## tip top toker (Mar 3, 2014)

BWG707 said:


> You could always pick a small bud off it and quick dry it then test it out. It will taste a bit off but you will be able to tell what type of high it gives you.


I've always found quick dried bud gives no real indication of what the actual high is going to be like.


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## racerboy71 (Mar 3, 2014)

kindnug said:


> People seem to claim if you want indica with no couchlock then harvest early.
> I don't think those people have 1st hand exp., early harvested bud is harsh!
> 
> If they want 0 couchlock, then grow a pure/mostly sativa!


 yup, agreed, i hear it all the time.. pick your indica's early for an up, motivational high, which imvho, is complete bs. like you said, if you want couch lock, grow an indica, if you want up, grow a sativa... it's rather simple really.. but yeah, i don't buy into getting an up high from an indy no matter how soon you chop, it's just going to be premature bud that never lived up to it's potential, not up..


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## NorthofEngland (Mar 3, 2014)

kindnug said:


> People seem to claim if you want indica with no couchlock then harvest early.
> I don't think those people have 1st hand exp., early harvested bud is harsh!
> 
> If they want 0 couchlock, then grow a pure/mostly sativa!


How do I put this diplomatically.....???
When people talk about making slight changes to grow techniques then claim they can taste (or feel) a difference, in the end product.
it's my belief that they have convinced themselves of this - rather than it being a reality.
Like a 'shaken, not stirred' martini - Virtually no one would have a palette that was so refined as to distinguish one from the other. 

The Pepsi Challenge is a bit of a myth and real tests have shown that the vast majority of people cannot distinguish Coke from Pepsi.
Psychologists believe that the advertising is the dominant factor in making some choose Coke and others Pepsi.

If the same plants were harvested in a staggered rime frame
and people were given a blind test of Clear. Milky and Amber Trichomed smoke
I doubt I one in a thousand could differentiate.

By knowing, before smoking, the trichome state, a placebo type effect encourages them to experience 
what they expect to experience.

But no indica us going to have a vast array of difference from energetic to coachlock
Even if the triches are red, gold and green!


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## tip top toker (Mar 3, 2014)

NorthofEngland said:


> How do I put this diplomatically.....???
> When people talk about making slight changes to grow techniques then claim they can taste (or feel) a difference, in the end product.
> it's my belief that they have convinced themselves of this - rather than it being a reality.
> Like a 'shaken, not stirred' martini - Virtually no one would have a palette that was so refined as to distinguish one from the other.
> ...


But pepsi is horrible, coke isn't. I can certainly taste the difference.

That aside, i fully agree, the placebo effect is a powerful thing and seems prevalent throughout the growing world. Hey, i got a really good yield this time, it must be this super expensive bloom boost, not even a thought that they might simply have gotten better at growing or have a different pheno etc. People will convince themselves of anything.


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## NorthofEngland (Mar 3, 2014)

racerboy71 said:


> you have any pix of the entire plant n.o.e.??
> 
> and i tend to agree with sandy.. some strains will go amber fairly easily, and others you could wait forever for them to turn..
> i like to look at not only the trics, but also that the pistils have all receded back into the bud, and lastly that the calyxes are all fat and swollen, and a lot of times you'll start to see slight fox tailing going on when they get close to being done..
> ...


Here's a few pictures taken a few hours ago.
It's their 62nd Day of 12/12 Flower (and they had 48 Days of 18/6 Veg).

These 2 photo's are close ups of the mainstem top colas
I have pictures of the entire plants
but it's taking about 40 minutes to upload each picture....
and, more times than not, the upload fails after 25-30 minutes.
NIGHTMARE!


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## NorthofEngland (Mar 3, 2014)

View attachment 3012253These are two pictures of the same plant. (P1)
Full plant and close up of mainstem top cola.

View attachment 3012255These are two pictures of P2.
P1 is the far left, front
P2 is the middle, front.

P9 P8 P7
P6 P5 P4
P3 P2 P1

The TOP COLAS are about similar diameter to a soda can, at their thickest part.

They are very dense and heavy - causing me to add canes and tomato cages for support.

It's my first ever crop and I am immensely proud - but the quality of the photo's isn't good 
and, often, do not do justice to the plants.


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## racerboy71 (Mar 3, 2014)

i'd give them about another 10 days or so noe, looking good imo, but just a lil more time for me tastes..


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## NorthofEngland (Mar 3, 2014)

racerboy71 said:


> i'd give them about another 10 days or so noe, looking good imo, but just a lil more time for me tastes..


I was thinking about cropping some at the weekend (5 days away)
then looking at the rest on the following weekend.

My reasoning was to decrease crowding and allow the light to better get at the less matured buds
(which are all more sheltered than the bigger, riper buds)
And, also, to allow myself to learn a little about the differing aspects of buds taken at different times.

Here are more photo's.


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## churchhaze (Mar 4, 2014)

Great results, especially for a first time. I agree with harvesting some now just to see the difference, but don't get carried away. I also agree with racerboy that premature weed doesn't make it more heady. It's just premature weed. It's like saying picking premature apples will make them taste more like pears... if you like that pear taste....



NorthofEngland said:


> View attachment 3012294View attachment 3012295View attachment 3012296
> 
> I was thinking about cropping some at the weekend (5 days away)
> then looking at the rest on the following weekend.
> ...


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