Trichome advice & help

[Curiousnoob]

Hello,
I have taken some photos of my trichomes and was wondering if i could get some guidance or information. I have been looking on the site for some information regarding trichomes in flowering stage, but cannot seem to find it if there is any. If someone could point me in the right direction that would be great.
Ladies (strawberry cough) have a 12-14week flower period, they are in their 6th week of flowering lights were 12/12 but have dropped to 10/14 yesterday as they getting heavy and I'm running out of time space.
I think they are all still clear? 10% of hairs are turning. When they start turning how long do they usually take? As I would like to get a flush in the week before harvest. I would like to find a medium I guess a half/half of opaque colour (I think,first time growing) anyway here they are. Maybe @AngryBird who has been very helpful in the past could help or point me in the right direction of someone that could. Thank you all.

 

[Emilya Green]

congratulations, and nice pictures... you have mostly clear trichomes. You want to wait to harvest when you have 2-5% amber trichomes, bare minimum... and some people like their pot to have 10% or more... it really is a personal preference.

First your trichomes will be clear.. they have nothing in them.
then they will go cloudy... they are starting to be filled with resin
next they turn amber.. they are ripe at this point, maximum thc content
lastly they turn black as they start to degrade.

 

[Emilya Green]

Other notes:
The "hairs" pistils turning colors does not indicate the ripeness of your product, it simply notes that flower is reaching its maximum ability to draw in pollinators, trying to get a bug or a bird in there to help it produce seeds. Since you are not producing seeds, this process really doesn't apply to your operation. You are concerned only with the trichomes.
The flowering time on your plant can not be hurried. There are many 8 week flowering plants out there that you could have been done with a lot sooner, but you chose a long flowering 12-14 week plant. Trust me, it will be worth it... but you have to stick it out or you will have simply wasted your time up till now. The last two weeks of flower is where all the magic happens. Stop giving nutes at that point and watch as your buds will almost double in size and will pack on those trichomes... and then the trichomes will start to get their color. Good luck... it takes patience above all else to grow good pot.

 

[Curiousnoob]

Perfect, thank you @Emilya. I should have added you in the post aswell, as you have been very helpful with your support!
So just as they turn amber 2-5% of?
Obviously each strain is different in how quickly they mature? Is there a guide once the pistols start turning?

 

[Curiousnoob]

So wise!
Do you adjust your light less than 12 hours?

 

[AngryBird]

Emilya said it in a better way

 

[Emilya Green]

So wise!
Do you adjust your light less than 12 hours?

Under HID I played with the Gas Lantern pattern and some others... but under LED I have no energy concerns, thus I will be using standard 12/12, the proven winner every time.

 

[Curiousnoob]

Ok great, thank you ladies. I think that's all I need to know for now. Thank you both for all your support.

 

[MrFortwenty]

Those pictures look like sugar leaf trichs, you want to judge ripeness by the calyx trichs.

Sugar leaf trichs mature WEEKS before the calyx, if you go off of those you'll chop way early. The fact that your sugar leaf trichs look like that tells me you have a long way to go

 

[Curiousnoob]

Hey @MrFortwenty, they were from the little leaves that grow out of the flower? Is that the sugar leaf? I will search calyx trichomes and do some reading thanks!

 

[MrFortwenty]

Hey @MrFortwenty, they were from the little leaves that grow out of the flower? Is that the sugar leaf? I will search calyx trichomes and do some reading thanks!

Yes those are sugar leaves

 

[Curiousnoob]

Ok great, thanks for the advice!

 

[Curiousnoob]

Day 55 of flower
Hello peoples, ok so I have just checked my ladies and 3 out of 5 are showing amber trichomes. Yay!

The other two ladies have more clear than opaque atm, so I'm guessing a little more time is required.
The three that have the trichomes which are starting to turn amber will be put on a water only schedule as of today to flush out nutrients. Can I ask how long you need to flush before they will be clear of nutrients and ok to start drying? Also have any of you washed your buds before? I have read the article about doing this and as I had a fungus gnat problem and alot of the flowers seem to have a couple gnats on each I'm thinking of doing so?

 

[Zincite]

Great looking macro shots thanks. I'm watching for sure.

cheers

 

[Curiousnoob]

Thanks, took about 150 shots to get 5 decent ones. But definetly worth it for under $10