That’s ok, you don’t have to believe shit. I never asked you to. Just go see for yourself, it’s not rocket science.
1 Like
A number of them are curled over. There are some with the heads already sideways! You can definitely see the taper on the stalk of the trichome.
2 Likes
Hey bud, i’ve looked at your microscope thread a few times, its very interesting to me, I’ve had an interest in microscopy since I was kid, I’ve a compound microscpe and digital camera thingy for it, it’s great i love it, that said and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s not straightforward to see anything on the plant.
I don’t like removing anything until it’s ready, the colour of trichs are a readily identifiable gauge i think.
2 Likes
Yah for sure it’s an easy indicator. I had drawn that original sketch for someone who had a crop he was waiting for to harvest and wondering why it wasn’t turning amber. So I drew him that sketch and he was like oh they are coming down! I’ve posted that several times, but this was the first time people got really agitated about it for reasons unknown. @WhiteHotAfterburner I haven’t seen him for… months and months.
4 Likes
@Star_Dog I have a dissecting microscope I use for trichomes. You don’t need to make a slide you just put the bud on a platform and use the microscope. Another term for dissecting scope is a stereoscope and they let you see a little more 3D than a compound microscope but don’t magnify quite as much.
4 Likes
Has anyone given a good explanation for why @JoeCrowe would be wrong? I know I am new here, but I am surprised sometimes at how upset it seems some get when new information is presented.
I appreciate you posting the information man! Not your fault if people don’t believe you, but I think its important that the information is available for those who are looking for it.
4 Likes
hah hah trust me, I’m used to that by now 
2 Likes
I literally had no clue about this new way of choosing the right harvest time.Is It doable with a small USB microscope?
@JoeCrowe @ThePotanist
2 Likes
Sure is! You can use the zoom on your phone camera if you have a relatively new phone. Like just new enough to have a camera with zoom
2 Likes
So basically I have to check for Trichomes starting to bend over?Like being tired?
3 Likes
Yeah when they start to bend over they are nearing the end of their growth. I started doing this and buds look better than ever after a dry/cure
5 Likes
Harvested this a few days ago - probably should have checked this thread as something “new” to try. Sounds interesting. Don’t know if I’ve ever noticed a bending, but I’m not that observant. I think this was close to 70 days - I don’t have a microscope but my hand held camera can take decent trichome shots -
See any bending?
Any bending I do see appears to still have clear heads.
9 Likes
Loads of them are bent! It doesn’t form a U just like kind of wilted over sorta. Sometimes the head goes completely sideways, and the trichome never progresses from there.
4 Likes
So those would be an example?
8 Likes
100% examples 
3 Likes
It gets increasingly harder to maintain high terpene levels as the plant ages into proper maturity. Harvesting a plant early to preserve the terpenes is easier than growing them perfectly all the way out.
I don’t pay much mind to trichomes when judging when to harvest.
7 Likes
@lusid i don’t think that is a bad strategy at all!! We could easily argue that the best time to harvest is when you are happy with both trichome growth and smell.
We all have our preferences for what we like and I think hearing how other people choose is really interesting!
4 Likes
I know they’re really good for there 3D imaging, the downside to a compound is they work best looking at flat slides its got no depth of field.
Ive never owned a stereo microscope but I keep an eye out for them, a while back I missed out on a Greer Heerbrugg macroscope over a tenner.
It’s a matter of time lol.
1 Like