I’ve heard it mentioned many times that clear trichs give clearer experiences, and that if you want to increase potency you should wait until trichs are cloudy or amber-colored
Not sure how accurate this actually is, or if it’s an oversimplication. I’ve tended to aim for half clear and half cloudy in my experience, and I hear also that they continue to mature after harvest
Anyway, with that said, would somebody mind finessing some expertise on this topic? Preferably someone who has experimented with all three and come to reasonable conclusions
This is purely preference, so you’re going to get a ton of responses.
People generally agree: more amber, more sedative.
I shoot for 10% or so because I like headier effects.
Some go 20-30. At 50% in my mind, it’s over ripe, but like I said, entirely personal preference
I’ve Pulled them Clear on some done the half amber half cloudy on others let some go full amber and I finally settled on Full cloudy with 5 percent amber as what worked best for me.It’s going to be about what your body chemistry is and works for you.Also some Cultivars Behave differently at different stages of Tricome maturity.I had one of Baudelaires Cindy 99 and I harvested that one at almost all clear a touch of milk.Never again that shit gave me the sweats like night terrors and a racey paranoia high that would have you peeking out of window blinds not being able to even speak.Did that one out all milky at about a quarter Amber was a nice Enjoying experience.Sometimes you gotta play around just be careful there’s some shit out there that will bite back.just ride the lightning Till it’s over and it will be ok
That’s the way : considering the ratio and not a global approach (all cloudy, all clear, all amber etc …).
I like to harvest at what i’m considering as the chemotype peak, just before it drift (not only for potency, for terpens also). I’m supposed to partially harvest the plants (main cola then lower stems) to be optimal but i never do it. So the last days i’m watching the trichomes of the plants barely three times a day, to cut when i’ve the most diversified trichomes ripeness. Like a military camo ^^, can’t find a better image of what i’m seeking. Not clear, not cloudy, not amber … but the three at a time barely balanced.
@CapnCannabis lol that’s some of the truest shit I have seen typed! Yeah some are racy had one damn near had panic attacks every time I smoked it. In the end I was just like yeah that was a bad idea. Finding the balance and really it’s just finding out what works for you. I like a slightly more ripe, than early. But that’s just the buzz I like.
It’s a kind of “holly window” where you get the most of the strain : full spectrum / most of nuancies of the flavors and also of the high in its specific psychoactivity. It’s not technically linked with the ripeness of the plants but more with the activity of the plant giving its maximal enzymatic and hormonal activity at this point. Off course it’s more tricky to spot for a short strain, and you have more margin with a long haze.
As someone above mentioned it varies a lot with strain when you should harvest. And it varies a lot with your own preference of the type of high you prefer.
I have found that with Sativa’s you want cloudy as clear trichomes at harvest make for a racy high and can be paranoia laden in some but not all strains. Some Sativa’s you want just a touch of amber. Where with Indica’s for me I want cloudy trich’s with about 25% amber. If you let trichomes mature to much with some Indica’s the result can mean that your smoke will make you sleepy and want to crash.
These results as I have stated vary a lot with strain, many hybrids will act differently according to the ratio of Indica/Sativa and also the strain of Indica/Sativa in the mix.
Perfect ripeness in some strains for a great high are not perfect for terpenes in that strain. Finding the balance of a certain strain can require some experience and dedication or just plain luck.
This is why I always log my information on every strain I grow. It definatly gives you an advantage if you want to revisit a particular strain.
Trichome color can give an idea of cannabinoid and terpene profile, but it’s not a reliable measure of potency. Clear trichomes may have less THC, cloudy trichomes may have more THC, and amber trichomes may have sedative effects. However, other factors like genetics and growing conditions can also affect potency. The best way to determine potency is through trial and error with different strains and consumption methods. Curing buds may enhance their potency and flavor, but it varies by strain and preference
IME some strains will have barely a trichome that reaches amber, or at least not within a frame that anyone would consider the buds harvest-ready in, where other strains will get amber trichomes much faster.
In all cases, the longer you leave the cannabinoids to ripen, or degrade, the “heavier” the effect will become. I’ve had a dealer in the past that always had the same pot, and I always disliked it. I suspected very late harvests with that source, the bud was always kind of no-ish. Like the opposite of more-ish. I often felt close to nauseated by smoking that weed, and if I had another source in those days I would have definitely gone with the other source. It was more of an Indica smoke though. Just not grown out right afaict.
I liken it to the Sativa/Indica discussion. There’s the UP and the DOWN, and, for me, there needs to be at least SOME down in the smoke, so the more “up” a strain is in it’s effects, the higher the chances I’ll let it run it’s course for as long as possible.
There’s of course a cut off point where returns diminish in terms of potency and quality, and it’s imperative to harvest buds before that point. Smelling, looking, taking a strong magnifiying glass or microscope to the glands, they can all be used for determination of harvest moment, but to really get an idea of each strain and where YOU want it, I recommed just trying a few harvests in the staggered way. Clip some buds that look “à point” to you, note the ripeness of each single bud or budlet, dry em and try em, and leave a short week between each clipping so you get a really good idea of what you want and when to get it.
For me it’s always been long waiting times, and the more Sativa a strain gets the more true that becomes and my outdoor season doesn’t allow it for most Sativa strains. Good thing I’m more of an Indica lover.
I had 3x Gelatos each cropped weeks apart with different trichs in each.
Clear: racier, clear headed. (most “green” after the cure)
cloudy: what I expected, great headspace where you’re stoned but you’re functional. (“standard”)
amber: muddy headspace, great for night time but total couch lock. (deepest after cure)
First thing is, we need to properly identify what an amber trichome really is.
I truly feel the amber trichome is very mis-understood.
A true amber trichome will not be withered, it should remain clear or translucent.
I truly feel a withered tricome has gone too long, it is over ripe.
But
We need to test this idea with real science.
Me personally, I use sex organ maturity to judge ripeness.
I’ve read a few times here that there’s a point near harvest time that people “just know” it’s ready, by a certain change in the smell of the plant. That’s all I know about it, as the one time I inquired about it, I was basically told the same thing, that you “just know when you smell it” basically. What that change is I have know idea. Like it gets a pungent alteration or something. I’d love to get some input from others about it, if this is even a real thing.
