Let's talk trichs!

After much consideration and a modest amount of experimentation, I think I have come to the conclusion that waiting for amber trichs is overrated at best. Now I understand that folks talk a whole lot about the properties of the high going from cereberal to couch lock based on trich color.I myself have used this method to judge harvest time on some grows.

Trying to keep an open mind, I have taken samples of various strains during flowering and "tested" them out ( who dosen't, right?). The difference in the quality and length of the high seems to be about the same when I have judged the same strain during the cloudy phase and the mostly amber phase.

Many growers I have discussed this issue with report pretty much the same opinion.In fact, most of the growers I know that grow commercially say that they harvest a little early because the bud cures up nicer, looks better, and smells/tastes better. From what I have seen with my own eyes, I have to agree. Those of you that buy your green from dealers or even clubs- take a look at some of the stuff you bought that you consider " the absolute best shit you have ever had "- tell me... are the trichs mostly amber?

I am very interested to hear your opinions from experience, not what you have read or been told. It seems to me the best way to tell when a plant is truely done is by looking at the leaves. I think that when a plant is done, all of the fan leaves will have dropped or chaged color. Bud leaves ( sweet leaves ) will still be green. It's that simple.

Am I insane or what?

you can change the leaf color by feeding or not. i've kept plants green until the end. don't flush and keep up with the nitrogen and your theory flies out the window. i think they are done when they stop producing new growth. if the high is no different then why not let them go longer? i judge by the swelling of the trichs and the rate of new growth.

Well, what you are talking about is called Cannabinoid Biosynthesis: THC acid and the other necessary Cannabinoid acids are not even physcoactive until they decarboxylate (loose an acidic carboxyl group[COOH])... It is the cannabinoid acids which move along the biosynthetic pathway, and these acids undergo the strategic reactions that dertermine the positions of any particular cannabinoid molecule along the pathway.

After the resins are secreted by the granular trichs they begin to harden and the cannabinoid acids begin to decarboxylate(turn amber). Any remaining CDB acids are ripen by heat within a few days after harvesting...

Basically, after the trichs turn clear amber its peaked and ready to harvest ... when the resin heads are no longer transparent it has began to degrade...

fdd2blk said:

you can change the leaf color by feeding or not. i've kept plants green until the end. don't flush and keep up with the nitrogen and your theory flies out the window. i think they are done when they stop producing new growth. if the high is no different then why not let them go longer? i judge by the swelling of the trichs and the rate of new growth.

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Well, what I am saying is- by looking at the leaves and at the swelling O' the buds.You can pretty much look at a plant and know when it's done. But it almost seems like most varieties will start to yellow at a certain point regardless of what you feed them?

these trichs started to turn green. i don't know what that means.



"raft" trichs...........

Means you have a new breed of monster there.


I don't know- I think I am just going to eyeball this harvest and see how I do. No magnifying glass.

shamegame said:

Means you have a new breed of monster there.


I don't know- I think I am just going to eyeball this harvest and see how I do. No magnifying glass.

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that's what i do.
then when i think it's ready i wait 1 more week.

fdd2blk said:

these trichs started to turn green. i don't know what that means.



"raft" trichs...........

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sorry - getting confused here.

so fdd you are saying that although the trichs are clear, if there is no further growth they are ready?

Did you spray that plant with the green trichs? Use any new ferts on it? maybe it's excess nitrogen from you feeding them veg nutes until week 6.
I bet that green stuff is pure N heh.

aren't those trichs just green looking because of the light reflecting off the green leaf behind them?

shenagen said:

aren't those trichs just green looking because of the light reflecting off the green leaf behind them?

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that's what it looks like to me.

according to some research i read and posted here before the trics are changing from CBD to THC with the addition of UVB light. When the THC matures it will begin to degrade back into the precursers CBD. It is at this point that the degradated THC will give a stonier buzz then cerebral high.

if say you do not notice the difference, I will control experiment the same thing on my next harvest to see if i can tell the difference. I'm hoping for the stoniest i can get.

anyone else ever experiement to see this?

i know what i'm talking about. they were green.



when the bud is ripe the trichs will be cloudy, the calyxes will be swollen, the buds will look hard, the hairs will get curly, the new growth will slow, ........ you can't just take one factor into account and call it good.












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these pics are of several different plants. different strain. note the fact that you see amber trichs yet no cloudy. looks like a lot of clear and amber in a few pics. then others are nice and cloudy. each strain is unique. you gotta learn to read the plant. it will tell you when it's done.

You don't know what your talking about those weren't green trichs. Really...I wish you could contribute something valuable to this forum.....BIG NOT!!! I'm just kiding, what did you do...put some green food coloring in your foliar spray. I love those close ups though. Ever since I got my magnifier, I've been going around the house looking at everything under it!

shenagen said:

You don't know what your talking about those weren't green trichs. Really...I wish you could contribute something valuable to this forum.....BIG NOT!!! I'm just kiding, what did you do...put some green food coloring in your foliar spray. I love those close ups though. Ever since I got my magnifier, I've been going around the house looking at everything under it!

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i had 2 different strains. one had green trichs one had amber. i flushed for 2 and 1/2 weeks before i took those pics. if you look close you can see it goes up the stalk. i have no idea what it is.

WoW. What a gorgeous site.