New High Times Suggests Harvesting Earlier...RIU Rejoice!

gumball · Feb 4, 2011

Total Head said:
no one has really touched on the fact that a pollinated plant will take longer to mature regardless of what the hairs or trichs are doing. right now i have a couple chiesel that i am dying to chop but they just don't look done. most of the hairs are all brown and it's not packing on the weight the way i would like, but the trichs are about 10% amber. if i can see the hairs sticking out and they haven't receeded into the bud it's just not done to me. the catch 22 is that if i let this (lightly) pollinated plant fully "mature" the way i want it to it will essentially be overripe. very annoying. in the pic you can see all the brown hairs (ignore all the necrosis lol. she's a trooper) but to me the plant is not done. it's actually throwing out more fucking pistils.

This iis a situation where I would recommend partial harvest. Take the buds which look most ripe "to you" and let the others go a touch longer. You will at least have some variety

kbo ca · Feb 4, 2011

instead of posting on here when to harvest, find out for yourself. Harvest one of your plants with clear trichs one with milky and one with amber and you be the judge. don't take "K's" word for it. even if he does have a bad ass trimmer, or grow room.

Brick Top · Feb 4, 2011

kbo ca said:
instead of posting on here when to harvest, find out for yourself. Harvest one of your plants with clear trichs one with milky and one with amber and you be the judge. don't take "K's" word for it. even if he does have a bad ass trimmer, or grow room.

The point of the High Times article and what I have said, for years, is about harvesting at peak levels of THC. What you are suggesting is of course fine but it is instead about personal preference which if it happens to come with amber trichomes equates to having grown past peak levels of THC.

Basically there is a difference between your suggestion and the point of the thread. One is about peak levels of THC and the other what someone might prefer even though it could come at the cost of decreased potency.

As is said, to each their own, but what is preferable to each does not equate to maximum levels of THC just because when they harvest gives them their preference. Personal preference does not decide when peak levels of THC are reached, only timing does that and it comes earlier than very many people believe or will accept.

It also does not address the fact that people grow until amber trichomes attempting to get something that is not actually achievable that way, which is increased levels of CBD when instead they end up with decreased levels of THC and increased levels of CBN. If that is preferable to someone, then that is what they should do, but they should know they are not actually achieving what they believe they are achieving. They are not ending up with increased levels of THC, and instead just the opposite, and they are not getting the true couch-lock body stone of CBD and instead getting a fake couch-lock, and all that goes with it, due to increased levels of CBN.

gumball · Feb 4, 2011

Brick Top said:
The point of the High Times article and what I have said, for years, is about harvesting at peak levels of THC. What you are suggesting is of course fine but it is instead about personal preference which if it happens to come with amber trichomes equates to having grown past peak levels of THC.

Basically there is a difference between your suggestion and the point of the thread. One is about peak levels of THC and the other what someone might prefer even though it could come at the cost of decreased potency.

As is said, to each their own, but what is preferable to each does not equate to maximum levels of THC just because when they harvest gives them their preference. Personal preference does not decide when peak levels of THC are reached, only timing does that and it comes earlier than very many people believe or will accept.

It also does not address the fact that people grow until amber trichomes attempting to get something that is not actually achievable that way, which is increased levels of CBD when instead they end up with decreased levels of THC and increased levels of CBN. If that is preferable to someone, then that is what they should do, but they should know they are not actually achieving what they believe they are achieving. They are not ending up with increased levels of THC, and instead just the opposite, and they are not getting the true couch-lock body stone of CBD and instead getting a fake couch-lock, and all that goes with it, due to increased levels of CBN.

and the way you explained it earlier, that Amber harvest sounds like the one which will give a high that brings on anxiety and just not a great high feeling. would you agree to that at all?

Would you have any high CBD strains you would recommend?

Brick Top · Feb 4, 2011

gumball said:
and the way you explained it earlier, that Amber harvest sounds like the one which will give a high that brings on anxiety and just not a great high feeling. would you agree to that at all?

Would you have any high CBD strains you would recommend?

Normally anxiety has been blamed on a racy sativa but over the years I have from time to time read messages from people who said they went to heavy indicas and amber trichomes believing they would relax them more and had major anxiety so I suppose in at least some percentage of smokers that could be the cause for anxiety.

I am not much of a couch-lock lover so I do not really keep track of strains that do have more CBD in them but other than a few that have only fairly recently been created there are very few strains to be found that are as high as 2% to 2.5% and most are under 1%.

Here are a few newer strains that are high to VERY high in CBD, but because of it very low in THC. I have no idea where they can be found and for something with a fairly high percentage of THC but still a decent amount of CBD, I do not know what to suggest. 'The Dutch Masters' have pretty much bred almost all of the CBD out of everything they have made.

The Blue-Ribbon Plant
The plant richest in CBD is a “True Blueberry/OG Kush” cross grown in the mountains south of Yreka by Wendell Lee of Full Spectrum Genetics (not to be confused with the lab in Colorado). Dried buds of TB/OGK have been sent for testing on four occasions by Harborside, the dispensary with which Lee is associated. Samples were consistently found to contain about 10% CBD (with THC levels around 6 to 7%). On the only occasion that a crop grown outdoors by Lee was tested by Steep Hill lab, it was found to contain 13.9% CBD.
Two other labs have confirmed the CBD content of Lee’s TB/OGK.
Lee is now working to “stabilize the genetics” and produce TB/OGK seeds. Several plants he provided to Project CBD (a nonprofit organized by writer/activist Martin Lee to promote research) are being grown out by experienced hands. Processed medicine and clones will be available at dispensaries in the months ahead. Details will be available on ProjectCBD.com, a website that will be launched by mid-August, according to Martin Lee (no relation to Wendell)
The California strain richest in CBD proportionally, “Women’s Collective Stinky Purple,” tested at 9.7% CBD and 1.2% THC. It was brought to Harborside by Grower #1 who also grows a strain called “Cotton Candy/Diesel” that was found to contain about 6% CBD and 6% THC. Grower #1 gets her starter plants from friends in Northeastern Mendocino County. Is there something in the genome of plants that have been swapped over the years by growers in those hills that encourages expression of CBD?
Another strain containing more than 8% CBD, grown indoors in the East Bay, was brought to Harborside in late April. “Omrita Rx3” is the name the grower has given it after learning that it was of special interest to SCC doctors.
A few weeks later a strain called “Harlequin” was found to contain about 8% CBD. And soon thereafter a pound of “Jamaican Lion” tested at 8.9% CBD. Clones of these strains are being grown out and will be available through Harborside and Project CBD in the months ahead, along with the Soma A+ that was first to be identified.
Pineapple Thai (5% CBD, 2.4% THC) is being grown out by Herbal Solutions in Long Beach.

gumball · Feb 4, 2011

Brick Top said:
Normally anxiety has been blamed on a racy sativa but over the years I have from time to time read messages from people who said they went to heavy indicas and amber trichomes believing they would relax them more and had major anxiety so I suppose in at least some percentage of smokers that could be the cause for anxiety.

I am not much of a couch-lock lover so I do not really keep track of strains that do have more CBD in them but other than a few that have only fairly recently been created there are very few strains to be found that are as high as 2% to 2.5% and most are under 1%.

Here are a few newer strains that are high to VERY high in CBD, but because of it very low in THC. I have no idea where they can be found and for something with a fairly high percentage of THC but still a decent amount of CBD, I do not know what to suggest. 'The Dutch Masters' have pretty much bred almost all of the CBD out of everything they have made.

The Blue-Ribbon Plant
The plant richest in CBD is a “True Blueberry/OG Kush” cross grown in the mountains south of Yreka by Wendell Lee of Full Spectrum Genetics (not to be confused with the lab in Colorado). Dried buds of TB/OGK have been sent for testing on four occasions by Harborside, the dispensary with which Lee is associated. Samples were consistently found to contain about 10% CBD (with THC levels around 6 to 7%). On the only occasion that a crop grown outdoors by Lee was tested by Steep Hill lab, it was found to contain 13.9% CBD.
Two other labs have confirmed the CBD content of Lee’s TB/OGK.
Lee is now working to “stabilize the genetics” and produce TB/OGK seeds. Several plants he provided to Project CBD (a nonprofit organized by writer/activist Martin Lee to promote research) are being grown out by experienced hands. Processed medicine and clones will be available at dispensaries in the months ahead. Details will be available on ProjectCBD.com, a website that will be launched by mid-August, according to Martin Lee (no relation to Wendell)
The California strain richest in CBD proportionally, “Women’s Collective Stinky Purple,” tested at 9.7% CBD and 1.2% THC. It was brought to Harborside by Grower #1 who also grows a strain called “Cotton Candy/Diesel” that was found to contain about 6% CBD and 6% THC. Grower #1 gets her starter plants from friends in Northeastern Mendocino County. Is there something in the genome of plants that have been swapped over the years by growers in those hills that encourages expression of CBD?
Another strain containing more than 8% CBD, grown indoors in the East Bay, was brought to Harborside in late April. “Omrita Rx3” is the name the grower has given it after learning that it was of special interest to SCC doctors.
A few weeks later a strain called “Harlequin” was found to contain about 8% CBD. And soon thereafter a pound of “Jamaican Lion” tested at 8.9% CBD. Clones of these strains are being grown out and will be available through Harborside and Project CBD in the months ahead, along with the Soma A+ that was first to be identified.
Pineapple Thai (5% CBD, 2.4% THC) is being grown out by Herbal Solutions in Long Beach.

I understand not liking the couch lock feeling very much. I rather enjoy the motivation and focus I can achieve through smoking. But there are times when I rather like feeling nothing

thank you for your contribution :clap:

Brick Top · Feb 5, 2011

gumball said:
But there are times when I rather like feeling nothing thank you for your contribution

I can understand that. It is not like I never smoke an indica or never enjoy being zoned out, it is just rare for me. A number of years back I would grow Slyder and or Mangolian Indica from Sagarmatha Seeds now and then and enjoyed them, and Medicine Man (the original White Rhino) and White Russian are ones I will still grow now and then, and there have been and still are few others .. but when I grow one it tends to last me a very long time because I don't go to those jars very often and when I do it is usually a late evening thing when fairly soon I will be in bed snoring and farting.

solarguy · Feb 5, 2011

View attachment 1424788

i harvest early sometimes i would say 75% clear 25% milky, i see a much more energetic high... IMO you sacrifice density in some cases tho...

i have harvested a burnt plant early and saw no milky trichs yet i got stoned as shit...energetic tho couldnt fall asleep to save my life.

kbo ca · Feb 6, 2011

You should grow it out how you like it man. if your weed comes out how you personally prefer it, who gives a fuck if its not at peak thc. especially if you like it better at a different stage.

Brick Top · Feb 6, 2011

solarguy said:
i harvest early sometimes i would say 75% clear 25% milky, i see a much more energetic high... IMO you sacrifice density in some cases tho...

i have harvested a burnt plant early and saw no milky trichs yet i got stoned as shit...energetic tho couldnt fall asleep to save my life.

It seems that some people in this thread, not saying you, just some people, totally fail to understand the difference between the words "earlier" and "early."

The subject of the thread is; "New High Times Suggests Harvesting Earlier." It said; "earlier," not; "early" and that is what people need to keep in mind, what they need to remember when commenting. "Earlier" only means when plants will be at their peak levels of potency and not in any way meaning harvesting; "early" when the trichomes would not have fully matured and would have at least to a fairly large degree only precursors. "Earlier" is in relation to later, as in after plants have grown too long and there is a fair percentage or more of amber trichomes and the plants have passed their peak level of potency.

Growers always seem to claim they want maximum potency so I fail to understand the resistance of some to harvesting when plants will be their most potent?

Who here sets out to and then intentionally grows for reduced levels of THC levels, raise your hands. If you are a lover of larger amounts of amber then your hand should be up in the air right now.

Who here attempts to do their best to grow in a way so they will achieve maximum possible levels of THC, raise your hand. If you are a milky/cloudy lover with a very small percentage of amber your hand should be up in the air right now.

homebrewer · Feb 6, 2011

I've noticed that my trics even at day 20 can be cloudy, does that mean they're ready to harvest? I think that a plant is ready for harvest when it shows multiple signs of ripeness (swollen calyxes, red/orange/brown pistols, and a change in tric color and structure).

shell · Feb 6, 2011

Finally a picture of some amber trichs... does anyone have any more pictures of amber trichs? This is our first harvest and god forbid we pass our prime.

Brick Top · Feb 6, 2011

homebrewer said:
I've noticed that my trics even at day 20 can be cloudy, does that mean they're ready to harvest? I think that a plant is ready for harvest when it shows multiple signs of ripeness (swollen calyxes, red/orange/brown pistols, and a change in tric color and structure).

I have never seen trichomes that were cloudy/milky at 20 days of flower .. though I have had them where they were a colorless clear, a clear yellow or a clear amber from day one. In cases like the second two you can only go by clouding and not by color change.

But if you wait for pistils to change color and recede when would you know to harvest if you grew Matanuska Tundra since it is a strain that has long been known to have all or mostly white pistils still standing up and not receding when it it fully ripe?

Regardless of what many, or most, believe there is not the true connection between pistil color and condition and ripeness that is claimed.

It, like the amber trichomes means maximum potency, belief is nothing more than an opinion, a belief that came about through early observations previous to the discovery of trichomes being the most accurate way to determine when plants are prime for harvest and it was repeated enough times that it eventually took on an air of being fact.

It is the case in some strains, but not in all, so it cannot be relied on in all cases to be a true sign of a mature ripe plant.

xivex · Feb 6, 2011

Well said bricktop. Makes sense to me.

homebrewer · Feb 6, 2011

Brick Top said:
I have never seen trichomes that were cloudy/milky at 20 days of flower .. though I have had them where they were a colorless clear, a clear yellow or a clear amber from day one. In cases like the second two you can only go by clouding and not by color change.

But if you wait for pistils to change color and recede when would you know to harvest if you grew Matanuska Tundra since it is a strain that has long been known to have all or mostly white pistils still standing up and not receding when it it fully ripe?

Regardless of what many, or most, believe there is not the true connection between pistil color and condition and ripeness that is claimed.

It, like the amber trichomes means maximum potency, belief is nothing more than an opinion, a belief that came about through early observations previous to the discovery of trichomes being the most accurate way to determine when plants are prime for harvest and it was repeated enough times that it eventually took on an air of being fact.

I've grown a lot of strains in my time and pistol color (50-75% red/orange/brown) has always been a good indicator of ripeness, always. Is that the only sign of ripeness? Surely not as you've pointed out the one strain out of thousands whose pistols apparently don't recede. That's why good growers will look at a few indicators like calyx swelling and/or tric color.

This isn't an exact science as in my many years in this hobby, I've found the 'harvest window' to be a good 5-7 days which makes harvesting prematurely or late hard to do for the experienced grower.

CaptainCAVEMAN · Feb 6, 2011

So in your experience, have you run into a situation where some plants are showing several signs that they are ready even though they would be weeks early? I have harvested quite a bit I suppose and usually, even though you can't just mark a day on the calendar 8 weeks out and that is harvest day, USUALLY the calendar at least helps. In this case I have Great White Shark from Greenhouse Seeds at day 36. Awful early to look that ready don't you think?

homebrewer · Feb 6, 2011

CaptainCAVEMAN said:
So in your experience, have you run into a situation where some plants are showing several signs that they are ready even though they would be weeks early? I have harvested quite a bit I suppose and usually, even though you can't just mark a day on the calendar 8 weeks out and that is harvest day, USUALLY the calendar at least helps. In this case I have Great White Shark from Greenhouse Seeds at day 36. Awful early to look that ready don't you think?

First of all, cheers to the healthy looking plants!

In my experience, I've never run into a situation where my hairs are red and my calyxes are swollen weeks before their expected date. I'm a cloner with more moms than I'd like to admit to so growing these clones over and over and over makes for a 'zero surprise growing experience'. The only time I'll ever have trouble diagnosing an exact date to harvest is when I'm growing a strain for the first time and it's from seed. For some reason, growing from seed presents some maturity issues. I've had indica-dominant seeds with huge fat leaves at day 70 with immature calyxes and not a single red hair. Regardless of tric color, I would never harvest a plant like that. I'd also never keep the clones from it

.

In regards to your pictures above, given the red hairs and mature looking flowers, only at that time would I pull out my tric-scope to see how the trics look. Based on your pics above, and it's hard to diagnose plant maturity from just one or two main buds from the plant, I'd say keep an eye on them because if they were mine, I'd be pulling them down in the next 7-10 days. I'd harvest sooner than that but I've never seen a strain mature in the 30 day range. However, some BOG strains I grew back in the day were easily done at day 45. Again, hard to tell without seeing the whole plant or actually growing it myself.

Btw, when do you start your 'flowering count'? Some around here count from the day they see pistols, some count from the first day of 12/12.

Chechero · Feb 6, 2011

Brick Top said:
they are not getting the true couch-lock body stone of CBD and instead getting a fake couch-lock, and all that goes with it, due to increased levels of CBN.

Wow, Brick Top I don't like to correct you but you have to stop giving all this unqualified info. CBD has nothing to do with couch-lock it actually induces the exact opposite reaction, one of alertness and wakefulness.

Proof that CBD enhances alertness and suppresses sleep:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T99-520TJYV-3&_user=10&_coverDate=01/22/2011&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_origin=search&_sort=d&_docanchor&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=c95f726f42773b694bd9b6c31951b251&searchtype=a

Also see page 237 the chart indicates that THC is actually more couch-lock than CBD: http://mcforadhd.free.fr/Russo_Tale_of_Two_Cannabinoids_Med_Hypoth_2006.pdf

Certain sesquiterpenoids are responsible for the sedating effects known as couch-lock.

Fellow Gunjaneer, Chechero

MomaPug · Feb 6, 2011

Brick Top said:
Not every strain will have pistils that have turned orange or red or brown and receding when fully ripe. Sagarmatha's Matanuska Tundra is one of the strains where it is normal for most to all pistils to still be white and standing up/out when the plant is fully ripe. It is one of the strains that has proven that pistil color is not a truly accurate way to a judge ripeness as it is believed by most to be.

So true Brink Top....I grow SMT and if I waited for the pistols to turn from white to orange or brown I would wait forever, they just don't.

Chechero · Feb 6, 2011

Brick Top said:
Normally anxiety has been blamed on a racy sativa but over the years I have from time to time read messages from people who said they went to heavy indicas and amber trichomes believing they would relax them more and had major anxiety so I suppose in at least some percentage of smokers that could be the cause for anxiety.

I am not much of a couch-lock lover so I do not really keep track of strains that do have more CBD in them but other than a few that have only fairly recently been created there are very few strains to be found that are as high as 2% to 2.5% and most are under 1%.

Again, I have to correct you. THC has been known for some time now to be an anxiogenic (causing anxiety.) It does not matter if it is a sativa or an indica what matters is the THC CBD ratio. CBD is a proven anxiolytic (anxiety reducing.)

Neural basis of anxiolytic effects of cannabidiol: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20829306

Method of Action of CBD in Anxiety page 567:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=ZNIorLciZCoC&pg=PA567&lpg=PA567&dq=cbd+for+anxiety&source=bl&ots=tZBbqSoZCC&sig=IOEwOzh6cggZYQCoXy45rz1_uPk&hl=en&ei=H1X4TKPVHIbCsAPyns3TAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CD0Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=cbd for anxiety&f=true

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2cAFRAX3Gs

come on now Brick Top I know you know better, people listen to you~

New High Times Suggests Harvesting Earlier...RIU Rejoice!

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