The question that comes up a lot from new people is when to harvest? This article should clear it up for new growers. There are two ways to determine when a plant is ready for harvest. One way is by looking at the pistils. Pistils start out as white, and as the plant ripens the hairs start to turn red on the bud area of the plant. . If using this method, harvest when the hairs are form 20% red, to 80% red, 20% is a milder high and 80% is a couch lock high. Important! some varietys of MJ may not get alot of amber in the trichs, but with practice you will learn the difference with the plants..Notice the difference in the color of the hairs in the picture?... The next method which is the best one to judge when the plant is ready, is to look at the trichome’s. The Trichome are the crystals you see developing on the buds. This is where most of the THC is stored When you look at them they look a lot like small clear mushrooms. At first they start out clear, then cloudy, and then a amber reddish color. Depending on the high you want will depend when you harvest. Do not harvest when clear. When they are cloudy you can harvest for a more energetic high. When they are 50% to 80 % amber in color you will want to harvest if you are looking for a heaver body and mind numbing stone. The first picture is a close up of a bud shot. you will notice trichome's all over the bud. The next shot you will notice the trichs are about 60 to 70% amber in color. The last shot is from a trichome chart that has been posted on GK before. This should answer all question as to when to harvest.
