For my eyes, it hard to tell. focus on a specific area and be aware light shine reflections.
USB-stand mounted microscope x1600 for clearer pictures
My Area specific focus, still too clear.
Yours, my thought is more time is needed. More amber pistils should show.
Multiple forum postings colors and timing for harvest discussions.
Are your pictures are sugar leaf trichomes?
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Good morning. One thing that I noticed is that your pictures above are of the “sugar leaves”. This is not going to give you an appropriate reading on your trichomes. You want to get images of the bud itself.
The trichomes on the sugar leaves produce faster results. If you utilize sugar leaves for trichome status you’ll be using an inadequate reading resulting in premature or over mature harvest
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Busted, you got that right.
2023 PNW wether and calendar has dictated my outdoor harvest.
USB microscope used to capture weekly/daily pictures for checking stage.
Clearly all my plants need longer, before harvest.
This lady is almost a year old, and still needs more tme.
She just wants to live forever.
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The original pics I took were dead on but admittedly were from my first attempt at a microscope. I assured the scope was honed in on the top of the colas with these. Do you have differing opinions now?
I’m confused about your reply b/c all of the pistils in the pics I attached were amber. The trichomes weren’t all amber, but the pistils are.
I can’t tell if your trics are cloudy or reflecting light.
Clearly, your pistils are amber, but more time is needed, would be my guess.
I need clearer pictures. In my picture, yes sugar leaves, but see the colors coming into fruition (as in darker). Forum postings often advise longer, especially for new growers.
I world harvest some and wait on others, develop your library of harvest colors.
Is this plant ready ? the lowest part in the plant still got some white pistils . Do i have to wait for the lowest bud pistils to turn amber and curled?
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Welcome to the fun.
Forum has plenty on harvesting.
YouTube videos on harvesting.
Especially DeBacco University series
“Selective Harvesting” or Harvesting for ROI (Return of Investment, or Return On Investment).
Enjoy your harvest.
Can you post pictures of the plant itself as well. Your pictures are semi blurry above. It’s very difficult to make it the decision or offering opinion rather based on the pictures above. There’s a dial on the microscopes neck that will help you clear the picture up by turning it one way or another.
Also microscopes have the light on them. You’ll get the best quality picture when you turn the light at its lowest setting. At least that’s been my experience
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A good photo of the entire plant would be helpful. Plus a photo of the side buds. (Buds halfway up the plant) Just to see what the structure of them look like.
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Sometimes I just snip a small chunk and take it out into bright natural light without the loupe light on. I think its much easier to see the true condition. Sometimes those LED lights make everything look wrong.
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These were taken with a microscope with a light right over the main cola buds. Does that help you make a better assessment?
Here’s one of the entire plants, but the one I’m focusing on is on the left b/c the one on right has been slower in its development. The tric pics were taken today with a scope with its light on. Does this help you make an assessment?
Here’s the whole set up, but I’m focusing first harvest on left side plant b/c the right side has been slower to develop. Seems about 2 weeks behind the other despite being planted at same time. But the one on right germinated better, so it makes sense the other is a tad slower.
I wouldn’t be concerned at all about your time differential between two plants that popped at the same time but finished much later than each other this is very common.
I noticed you did a post approximately 34 minutes ago with some trichome pictures. You’ve got a lot of Milky and a good amount of Amber that I seen and a few clear. Theoretically I would say it’s ready but again that’s totally up to you and what you like. I personally look for just about when I see in your middle picture above approximately 34 minutes ago.
Nonetheless, maybe this can help you out a little as well
Your buds look very small from the picture. How long is this plant been in flowering?
Both seeds have been in the dirt since Aug 31, so it’s been 11 weeks today. It’s an auto, and ILGM says it s/b done in 10-14 weeks. The colas do seem smaller than some others that I’ve seen, but I think that has to do with the LST that I did on both. Instead of them being stacked, they’re more spread out from when I tied branches down to the fabric pots to allow more light to penetrate to the lower bud sites.
Regarding that chart you sent, I’m fairly certain that my trichs on plant 1 are in the “cloudy” category and the “clear” category for plant 2. I watered on Sunday and the dirt is still wet today. Looks like it’ll be Saturday before they’d need water again. I think, based on this chat, that it may be time to harvest the first this weekend and the second one next weekend. Do you think I should flush them with just Ph water (no nutes) before harvesting?
The pistils aren’t the best way to determine when to harvest. You really need to check out the trichomes under a microscope. You can get one on Amazon for less than $20. Make sure it has an app that allows you to view and save pics on your phone.
The reason why is b/c pistils should be amber and curled, but it’s not uncommon for there to be some white ones on the lower bud sites. Technically, the top of your plant could be ready while the lower could use another week.
Get the scope. You won’t regret it. And it makes some awesome screen saver images 
I like to flush for a week. This assures me there’s nothing left behind. And you’re correct, no nutrients on your flush. If you absolutely had to harvest it I would still at least do two flushes but I like to do a week if possible.
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Ok I’m gonna flush water the left plant on Saturday or Sunday and then I’ll harvest that one the following weekend. I’ll give the other one another week of nutes and then flush it for a week. Thanks for the tips.
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