Do I need to harvest immediately or can I wait til the weekend?

[joe312222]

Hey guys,

 

I tried looking at the above main harvest post, and am a bit nervous. Here are a few photos of my NL5, sorry they're blurry. First 3 are plant 1, second 3 plant 2. Are they ready to harvest immediately, is it already too late, or shall I wait for the weekend?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Chronmasta]

hey mate, welcome aboard

those plants look like they have a little while to go imo

if they`re in heavy rain, just shake the excess water out and keep an eye out for mold....i would wait until there`s roughly 80% brown hairs on the plants b4 harvest

 

have fun

[Frazz]

hey joe, i'm in agreement with Baker^ she will still gain weight and give you a more stoney stone

maybe you can even tie up the heavy buds to a tomato stake to support the weight

main thing is to watch out is for mold which can creep in if the humidity is high and there is no airflow

whatever you do youve done a great job with her so far

 

[Sm0k3r]

Imho it all depends on the colour of the trichomes... If you can find some sort of magnification, have a look.

Something I found on www 420magazine.com/forums/harvest-preparation-curing/79156-pictures-when-harvest-trichome-colours.html

Resin gland color, potency, and type of high

 

Gland color will vary with ripeness of the individual THC glands, starting at clear, turning to milky, then turning to an amber color. There may be some exceptions, such as some of the Blue strains and Blackberry. These will have darker, sometimes purple gland heads. But by far and large, these three steps of ripeness will exist with the vast majority of strains on the market. The first stage, clear, will tend to make for a more cerebral, up high, with very little body effect. Harvesting at this stage when little if any trichomes are milky yet, can be tricky. Harvesting too early can make for a beautiful plant that will not have much psychoactive capability! THC needs to "mature" to be able to pass its psychoactive capabilities down to the smoker. This is why I always recommend waiting until 50% of the trichomes hit the second stage: milky or creamy. At this point, you will definitely have a plant which has reached its genetic potential.

 

The milky trichomes have some "cerebral" qualities, as well as some of the more "physical" characteristics of the high. The last stage, amber, brings on a more sedative, physical stone. If this is what you're looking for, than I would recommend a sativa/indica cross, or an indica dominant plant. Amber trichomes seem to ruin a sativa high if the plant goes too long. The below photo is a good example of a ripe plant: at least 50% of the gland heads have turned "milky," some heads are still clear, and a few are amber. This plant was harvested two days later.

 

Many times you'll read from new growers, "My hairs are 50% changed to brown or red, looks like its ready to come down." Calyx hairs turning color is one thing, calyx hairs withering, is another. When they have withered, they are for the most part, as ripe as they will get. But just turning red/brown does not necessarily mean the plant is ready. Calyx hairs are just an indicator that the plant is ripening, not necessarily ripe yet. I have taken full Indica strains with 60% hairs turned, and sativas when 90% hairs have turned, and they were all at peak ripeness. The trichome color is the only true indicator!

 

 

http://www.420magazine.com/gallery/data/500/when-to-harvest_1_.jpg

 

 

 

When using a magnifying glass or loupe to determine ripeness, you’re examining the resin glands on the buds for signs of maturity and/or decay. During flowering, these glands start out small and increase in size as they fill with resin. As they near maturity, the head of the gland will begin to expand and it will start to look like a tiny mushroom. This is the first sign that they’re nearing the point of diminishing returns. This is the point at which production of fresh THC laden resin has slowed and is equal to the rate of decay of THC into CBD.

 

 

The decay of THC is accompanied by a change in the color of the resin from clear to amber. This is the other sign of ripeness that can only be determined by magnification. What you’re looking for is the point at which the production of fresh resin is still just barely outpacing the decay. It’s impossible to know the exact moment. You just need to keep checking and go with your gut. 30 power magnification is enough to make the call, but 100 power would be easier to see clearly. You can find a loupe online by searching for jeweler supplies on any search engine.

Hope this helps out,

Sm0k3r

[demistify]

WOW, Smoker ... that is a very big wordy rave!

 

Joe, I say relax. wait a while ...

[Sm0k3r]

Just found it on the web, and thought it was very thorough in explaination as to when joe should harvest...

[Chronmasta]

might find that the same info has been posted here at ozstoners too

 

 

 

[joe312222]

Thanks guys, guess I will have to wait. I saw the amber bits drying and panicked a bit because I thought that was too far, I need to buy myself a loupe. It's a bit like a game of chicken at the moment though, haha, the smell is getting pretty intense, one neighbour knows and loves it, can't wait to have a bit, but not so sure about the other ones. They don't speak much english, but they seem pretty cool.

Anyway, I guess I will repost in a few weeks. Thanks again.

[Backwoodblaza]

I got a loupe on eBay pretty cheap, it's small but does the job. Found one that looks just like it dunno if it's exactly the same as mine

 

http://cgi.ebay.com.au:80/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110662591798&autoredirect=off

 

good luck