First let me apologize in advance, I’ve been posting like a nutbag lately. But its with good intentions i assure you. During my research i read things like cloudy or milky is where you want to be and thats max maturity. Then i read that you want a 50/ 50 mix of amber and cloudy for a full body and heady experience. Then i see that amber is when the trichromes degrade. As im sure all levels if you will of development will provide some type of something. Im kind of lost on this one here. I dont want some mediocre, but i reckon for being a novice i cant really expect the holy grail , lol. Shoot would anyone be willing to chime in , or is it really all down to a personal choice of what kind of effects one would be looking for? All in all ive definitely learned that its all about patience but ive also heard you could miss the window rather quickly. Things like waiting for hairs to curl and a percentage of amber to white are confusing as well. Some say that if all the hairs are amber , that its over ripe. Some say it still may have weeks left , ( based on trichromes). I can say personally i have pulled flowers with a 70 / 30 mix of amber to white hairs some curled and some not, and it was not as pleasant as I’d planned. So i would assume that it would be all based on trichromes development as thats where all the goodies tend to be if im correct? Anyway sorry this is so long and sporadic, just trying to get a clear understanding.
True, but a few days isn’t substantial. You only lose perhaps 4 or 5% of potency per week after the peak THC content iirc. What happens is that THC oxidizes in CBN. CBN is the cannabinoid that makes you sleepy.
Correct. It’s a balance between THC and CBN.
You will see trichomes begin to get cloudy a week or 2 after the pistils have browned and receded back into the bud. Going from cloudy to say 50% amber takes another week or 2.
You might find these helpful:
Im studieing up on all of this. Im going for the trichomes to be all cloudy with just a few amber tricohomes. I dont care for the sleepiness or the munchies and the “couch lock” effect really isnt my cup of tea. Im an artist. I play the guitar and i love painting pictures and i really enjoy doing work on the house. I try to stay active all day. This is why i choose Sativa over Indinca when i go to the dispensary. I had no idea that i could effect the amount of THC/CBN in the flowers by harvesting sooner. This is very important information. Thank you.
Heres my most recent picture i painted and here are my Vintage Fender Stratocasters.
I always laugh at the typo in that chart. Cough-lock.
This is all good stuff @Bluedream1. @MartyMarajuanaseed, nice painting! Did you paint your guitar into Jimi’s hands? I just took some trichome shots of my buds this morning. Sour Diesel Autoflowers at 7 weeks of flower. The orange hairs are a good indication, but it is worth looking at the trichomes for a definitive answer.
These are mostly cloudy with no amber. I will give them another 4 days to a week and chop them for my liking. In 4 days to a week, most will still be cloudy and very little, if any, amber. The window isn’t as small as you might think. These things change slowly. It is worth getting a $30 digital microscope to see the trichomes clearly. A jeweler’s loupe is OK, but it won’t give you these images.
I have a good magnifying glass and i believe i might have a jewlers microscope laying around somewhere. Thanks. Im writing this information down in my journal. Once i see the tricohomes turn cloudy, give them 4 days to a week to ripen but, any longer, they will start producing less THC and begin producing CBN.
Gottcha! Thank you very much!
The timing of changing from cloudy to amber probably depends on the strain. Some strains can take 10-12 weeks of flowering to mature, others as little as 6 weeks. This is my 3rd round with sour diesel autos, so I know what to expect.
@MidwestGuy thanks man.