Hey @Dirt_Wizard thank you very much for the links man, it’s much appreciated!
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I’m starting to think that the cuticle or trichome “skin” is what goes cloudy by shriveling a bit and scattering light… I’m not entirely sure that the interior resin goes cloudy itself. I see a few examples of ambering trichs that are really round and taught… those are clearly going from clear to amber directly.
I get this impression when sweeping the focus through the trichome slowly. I almost need to post a video rather than a picture to convey it.
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What I suggest is taking photos of the trichomes every couple of days or if you feel adventurous, every day. Their growth forms a pattern for sure.
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wow, is it like that all over the bud, or are there intact trichomes as well?
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This is right out of my grinder! I just found an intact one as the subject. I’m not sure what structure it’s out of.
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This is GOOD SHIT 
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You can usually sample a single calyx from the branch node below the bud clusters. Otherwise it can be hard to get a good sample.
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For this shot I took a video of this scene for about 10 seconds. Then I exported 96 frames of the video and loaded them in ImageJ as a stack > register align > z-project and output a nice clean image.
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These amber trichs sure look like they’re leaking to me. (?)
This is about 10-days out from finish according to my data.
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I certainly see some leakers @Longtooth !
You know those little odd hairs that sometimes show up on buds? I was able to touch a pin to some trichomes and pull the resin like a rope, it will form thin “hairs” or quasi-fibers!
CLICK THE IMGUR LINKS FOR HIGH RESOLUTION.
OG board software is auto-uploading everything and editing my posts to replace the image with a crappy looking version.
Check this one out, 104 image stack:
https://i.imgur.com/calGfjU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FqxWXD7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/erRS1MC.jpg
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This!! I can’t agree more, well said.
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Really great topic.
FWIW - The plant matures at different rates at different parts (upper, middle, and lower). So one part of the plant may be “ready to harvest” while another part isn’t there yet.
Frenchy Cannoli has some insight into this, and he speaks from a hash-maker perspective, which he distinguishes from a flower harvester… lemme find those… A three part article FC wrote for Weed World
WW123+Dimensions+of+Ripeness.pdf (2.9 MB) WW124+Dimensions+of+Ripeness+P2.pdf (2.3 MB) WW125+Dimensions+of+Ripeness+P3.pdf (2.3 MB)
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Something that i have always pondered about maturation…surely it happens in stages even within individual buds? I mean…the trichs on the very first calyxes…the very “heart” of the bud…must have long matured by the time the entire plant has finished…Amber trichs to me,just mean that this is the final “layer” of calyxes and the plant is now officially in senescence
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The trichomes only start to gain verticality when bloom starts. Before that, they look like tiny fish eggs, or frogs eggs.
This is veg.
57 days later…
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Thanks @Zanzibar!
I read the whole 3 part series and then decided to let GPT-4 summarize it for us too.
- Image(s) > Text OCR > Chat GPT-4:
I also wanted a more personal experience so:
ARTICLE 1 of 3
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In this article, Frenchy shares his experiences working with Hashishins, who are experts in producing high-quality Hashish from Cannabis resin. Frenchy learns various techniques and methodologies from them, such as sieving and pressing, which are based on the natural characteristics of the resin. He also discusses the importance of timing and maturity in producing the best quality resin.
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Frenchy works with Cannabis resin, which contains over 80 cannabinoid compounds created by the combination of terpenes and phenols. Although he lacks deep knowledge of the biological processes of trichomes and the resin within them, Frenchy aims to understand the mystery of resin quality.
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Frenchy has a revelation when he realizes that mature resin heads fall at the slightest touch, similar to how ripe fruits fall from a tree. This leads him to adapt the ice-water sieving technique, which preserves the resin’s purity and allows for different levels of ripeness to be collected.
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The color of the resin varies from dark amber to milky, indicating different levels of ripeness. Frenchy washes the material multiple times, with each wash shaking a different level of ripeness from the leaf matter. Factors such as geography, climate, genetics, and the grower’s knowledge all play a role in determining the resin’s quality.
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Frenchy emphasizes the importance of harvesting the Cannabis plant at the peak of its flowering cycle, as harvesting too early or too late will result in lower quality resin. The article concludes with Frenchy’s intention to further explore the final two weeks of resin development, which are crucial for quality, in a subsequent part of the article.
ARTICLE 2 of 3
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In this article, Frenchy continues discussing the ripeness of trichomes in Cannabis plants, focusing on color changes and qualities indicative of maturity. The color shift in resin glands from clear to milky white and eventually to various shades of amber is genotypically dependent, similar to the ripening of fruit. Genetic makeup and growing conditions greatly influence resin development, so evaluating ripeness solely based on color may be insufficient.
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Samantha Miller, President & Chief Scientist at Pure Analytics, assesses ripeness by examining the coloration of individual resin heads rather than the overall trichome production. Both Miller and Frenchy advocate for the “Darker Side,” believing that different shades of amber represent various dimensions of ripeness, with the ideal gland being 60-80% amber and 20-40% clear.
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Harvesting during the later stage of the flowering period is essential to achieve a majority of resin glands with this ideal coloration. The article discusses scientific research on the development of Cannabis trichomes, with significant transformations in cannabinoids occurring during the later stages of the flowering cycle. This is similar to fruit reaching peak sweetness and maturity only when allowed to ripen fully.
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Despite high concentrations of cannabinoids in some flowers, the amount of resin formed in the trichomes may be minimal. To fully understand this mystery, it is necessary to study the entire development of trichomes and the cannabinoids within them. The article mentions the biosynthesis process of Cannabis, which is complex but essential for creating plant-based cannabinoids.
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In conclusion, Frenchy aims to accurately judge resin quality on plant material rather than after the resin has been sieved, dried, and pressed. The third part of the series will be dedicated to Samantha Miller’s methodology for determining ripeness and its impact on the overall quality of flowers and resin.
ARTICLE 3 of 3
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In the third article, Frenchy discusses the importance of understanding the genetics and regional origins of Cannabis plants to create ideal growing conditions for trichome production. Cannabis plants, as highly variable xerophytes, are better suited to arid environments. Trichomes protect the plants by producing secondary metabolites and preserving humidity. Optimal cannabinoid production occurs in environments with reduced water usage, controlled humidity, and lower soil fertility.
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Samantha Miller’s research demonstrates that maximum cannabinoid accumulation occurs at 40% humidity in hydroponic environments. High humidity affects nutrient intake, as plants absorb moisture through their leaves and less water and nutrition through their roots. Environmental conditions influence cannabinoid biosynthesis, impacting the potency of Cannabis.
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Resin ripeness is crucial for the quality of the flower, but most growers and consumers only consider the overall coloration of the resin heads. Frenchy suggests evaluating the shading of individual resin heads for accurate assessment. Miller’s research shows that peak potency plateaus at 60-80% amber and 20-40% opaque glands.
The three-part series focuses on the importance of trichomes and their ripeness in determining the quality of Cannabis resin. Here are the key takeaways and conclusions:
- Trichomes are crucial for Cannabis resin quality, as they contain psychoactive and medicinal compounds.
- Ripeness of trichomes can be influenced by genetic makeup and growing conditions, making a generalized approach to judging ripeness inadequate.
- Different shades of amber in resin heads represent various dimensions of ripeness, with the ideal resin gland coloration being 60-80% amber and 20-40% clear.
- Harvesting during the later stage of the flowering period is essential for achieving optimal resin quality.
- The development of trichomes and cannabinoids within them is complex and should be studied in detail to understand the intricacies of resin ripeness.
- Assessing resin ripeness based on individual shading rather than overall coloration is essential for accurately determining the quality of Cannabis plants.
- Understanding genetics, regional origins, and growing conditions is vital for optimizing trichome production and cannabinoid accumulation.
- Controlled humidity and reduced water usage lead to increased cannabinoid production, as Cannabis plants are better suited to arid environments.
- Accurate assessment of resin ripeness is crucial for the future of the Cannabis industry, as it directly impacts the overall quality.
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I would steer clear of frenchy’s “science”, it’s just bullshit baffles brains.
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Amazing shots! I’m starting to hear you and gain your intuition here.
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So the trichome itself has it’s own development arc, grows longer over time, then sorta hunches over, and eventually bursts or falls off the stalk. Each one has it’s own life cycle.
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At the same time, the plant is senescencing, and at peak flower, the plant triggers a change in cannabinoid profile within the trichome heads, regardless of the individual trichome development arcs. Each trichome is in some part of it’s own growth cycle, yet all get triggered for a change to cannabinoid profile at peak senescence.
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The change in cannabinoid profile is evident by the change in coloration, where Frenchy is suggesting an 80% amber trichome content under the scope. This does not mean that 80% of the trichomes are amber, but that the content of any single trichome is at 80% amber and 20% clear - something we can only see through a microscope.
@JoeCrowe and others, what are your thoughts on this, am I getting closer to some understanding here?
P.S. totally understood on Frenchy. He’s marketing himself first as a character, which always sets off the silent alarm to me.
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I use the smell of the plant, as well as the microscopic view. I used to use the lab software to count the cloudy-vs-amber-vs-clear, but found that to be superfluous.
349 image stack, this one taken from a 1920x1080 video on my wooden bench. The PC fan, also on the bench, is maybe a little too much vibration and I could see some regular periodic banding in the images. The one huge drawback to this microscope that it vibrates with whatever harmonics are present on the bench surface, and any air currents will cause the individual trichomes to sway!
-Imgur: The magic of the Internet
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