[OPINIONS WANTED] How do YOU determine harvest window?

[N/A-Greengo]

In the past, I experimented quite a bit depending on what effect I wanted for the final product. If the buds were developed enough I have harvested plants with almost no amber, and with a nominal 20%+ clear trichs for the zoom. And opposite of that, I have waited and harvested plants that have had 20%+ amber in hopes of a sleepy couch locking buzz. Lately, I just wait for about 5-10% amber.

 

[DCLXVI]

I followed everyone else's advice and invested in a USB microscope. Trich check for color

 

[Tony420]

Still learning...... anyone got an "old school" way to determine? I'm still trying to get good enough magnification/focus.

 

[Cooterjuice]

I start checking trichomes once most pistils turn and start to pull back into the buds. I won't wait for amber necessarily. Once I see mostly cloudy I'll plan my chop day

 

[MrAutoGrower]

I give them 8 weeks minimum of flower. Sometimes push them to 9 and keep an eye on the trichomes. Pistils don’t matter to me because they turn orange pretty much whenever they please.. from heat, too much nutrients, to hermies. Around week 7 of flower is when I begin watching trichomes. Once I start seeing a decent percentage of amber I know they’re ripe. I don’t have a specific percentage, maybe 10-20%?

 

[420Forever]

it'z all about the trichz! 30% amber for me ppp

 

[Olderfart]

I certainly have my own opinions on this, but I was curious how all of you felt about the determination of when to harvest? @Cultivators @Global Moderators @Admin

What make you decide on when to chop your plants?

No right answers, no wrong answers, just curious how everyone is making their determinations.

I chop according to the trichomes, looking for amber. Some strains cooperate, some not so much.

 

[automan2]

As I've aged and the old people syndrome kicked in, I've began letting a plant or two go till all amber so when it kicks, it kicks good.

 

[Jean-O]

I certainly have my own opinions on this, but I was curious how all of you felt about the determination of when to harvest? @Cultivators @Global Moderators @Admin

What make you decide on when to chop your plants?

No right answers, no wrong answers, just curious how everyone is making their determinations.

I like to harvest at different times until I know a strain. IE I like to chop at all cloudy, 5-10% amber and a late harvest at 30 to 50% amber. Once you know the strain and at what point you most enjoy the effects then you know the best harvest window for that strain. Im a big believer that the harvest window has more to determine the Sativa and Indica effect for a strain but you wont know the best time frame until you have grown the strain out several different times and harvested at different levels of trichome development. Some strains have better effects at all cloudy and some have better results when harvested with more heavily amber tric development. I don't believe you can ever maximize a strains potential in one grow.

 

[Olderfart]

As I've aged and the old people syndrome kicked in, I've began letting a plant or two go till all amber so when it kicks, it kicks good.

If you have had all amber in an auto strain, you have more patience than I do. I have taken quite a few to far older than breeder specs (including Mephisto), and doubt that I have ever seen as much as 30%. I'd love to get more sleep effects, but worry about leaving them too long.