To harvest or not?

[nonamejustbud]

Hey all I'm doing my first grow and I'm getting close to harvest time I think? I am growing a strain called Chocolope and another called purple train (purple haze x trainwreck) I got the clones from a disp. and overall they look great. They were in veg for 7 weeks and they have been in flower for 45 days. My question is... from all my research I've done they should be in flower for 9-10 weeks however I have been checking the trichomes with my handy little scope I got from radio shack and I am seeing mostly cloudy with a few amber. It seems it is too early for them to be along this far but if they're ready they're ready, correct? Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

 

[Maripan]

Only being on my second grow, I am not an expert as yet, but I understand that when the trichomes go from clear to milky to about 30-50% amber they are ready. My ladies are supposed to go 12 weeks, just finished week 10, and the trichomes are more clear than milkly, but no amber yet. I expect them to start turning Amber in the next week, then be ready in two, as planned.

 

[nonamejustbud]

Wow, that's a great grow you have going. Excellent

 

[dread]

first they are clear,then milky,then amber

if u start seeing amber ,u have got an ,,harvest window '' of 7 to 8 days

after that they are too far gone&effekts fade away
my two cents
grtz
D.

 

[VIKINGtrich]

Sounds early, but if the trichs are done, then its done...Nothing you can do about it. Re-check to make sure, and if yoru findings are accurate, CHOP.

 

[Thelynx]

make sure your hps is off when you are checking them,it may make it seem more trichs are amber than when checking under a cfl or white light

 

[ibjamming]

Pick a bud, dry it and see what you think... It won't be EXACTLY like a properly dried/cured bud, but it will give you an idea of what it's like. If it's to "speedy" let it go...if it's perfect, chop it. It usually gets less "heady" and more "body" the longer you let it go.

Good harvest!

 

[nonamejustbud]

Thanks for the advice, I'll let them go longer and keep an eye on them. I'll try and post some pics, another noob question... Is it ok to use a flash on your plants when they are in flower during "lights out"? It seems the pics would turn out better that way??

 

[CheifnBud2]

The flash could cause the plants to go hermi IMO. photo during light hours.

 

[nonamejustbud]

The flash could cause the plants to go hermi IMO. photo during light hours.

Thanks Cheif, I only asked because I have seen on here people say they took pics during lights out and I thought the light would hurt them but maybe because it's just a split-second flash it will do no harm??

 

[michael68]

Thanks Cheif, I only asked because I have seen on here people say they took pics during lights out and I thought the light would hurt them but maybe because it's just a split-second flash it will do no harm??

bro no need to worry about taking a few pics with the lights off, the flash isnt gonna make em hermie that fast lol.

just go in when the dark period just starts or something. dont be messing around in the middle of their dark period and letting a bunch of light leak in for periods of time.

 

[Maripan]

Yes, I stand corrected: Clear, then milky, then amber.

 

[CheifnBud2]

Ya, you could take a few pics in the beginning of the dark period and they should be fine, good idea.

 

[fatigues]

The #1 Noob mistake is harvesting too early. It's also the #1 Experienced Grower's Mistake, too.

Your mission is clear: Resist the temptation to harvest early.

Wait until the trichs are at least 25% amber -- up to 50% for some people's preference (in general 25% amber is going to be less of a couch lock stone than 50%; this is dependent upon the strain, however).

It doesn't matter if it takes 14 weeks to get to that point. If that's how long it takes-- that's how long it takes.