SOIL Amber & Clear Trichs? Bulbous heads?

[Grundogg]

Hi! Quick question.. I’m in the start of week 8, 6 different strains, but all projected at 8-10 weeks of flower. This may be a noob question but I’m noticing some amber trichomes mixed in with the clear ones. Usually it goes from clear, to milky white and then to amber... what causes early amber trichomes? It can’t just skip the milky white phase and jump straight to amber right? I did have some light burn in week 4-6 of flower so that might be it.. only new pics I have handy have wife in the way.. other tent has the 3 LST plants in 5gals.. they have a few amber trichomes also, but most are clear...

2nd question is on one of the plants I’ve noticed that a few colas are starting to lose their conical shape and becoming more bulbous. Everything that I read said this means they are past harvest and getting too much light exposure. There are some large buds forming on the side of one or two of the main colas... does this affect the product? Can I just shave those off the final buds? And since these aren’t ready based on the trichomes should I just raise the lights or reduce the output?

[bboyfromwayback]

First off, those pics cracked me the fuck up!

Make sure you check the trichomes on the buds themselves. The trichomes on the sugar leaves will turn a lot sooner so don’t pay attention to them. Each plant is different and some mature faster than others so just use the breeders guidelines as a general guestimation. I currently have a predicted 9wk strain going into week 11 and it’s just starting to get red pistols so you never know. I may pop the next seed in that pack and it’s done in 10wks. Once they reach the harvest window the tri’s can change dramatically day to day so it’s normal to have some clear one day then amber the next. Congrats! Your grow is looking good. I know patience is a true test right now, just keep telling yourself you didn’t grow these plants 3-4 months to harvest early😉

[Grundogg]

Thanks bboy. I’m trying to hold out. I’m also afraid that if I wait too long the buds will have too much body drag.. i’d prefer a headier high and I keep hearing to let them turn amber if looking for a more couch-lockish or body high.. does it really convert the thc by that much to have a material effect if you wait until you see amber trichs? Also, do you ever see amber on any trichs mixed in with clear trichs, before the clear ones turn milky white? Or is this something unusual? Also, any thing you think could contribute to that?

[bboyfromwayback]

That’s normal progression. Checkout this thread and follow along if you want. Another grower posted a poll the other day in relation to a article they read on trichome color at harvest. There were a couple of us close to harvest so we’re doing a test. My next round will be going to flower as soon as my current one is finished so I’ll be running the experiment again in 10wks or so. I’ve always put my plants in the dark when the tris are mostly white with 10-20% amber but according to the article we should be waiting. I’m confident with all the members on this forum we can properly test their findings.

I was tired last night and too busy laughing at the look on your wife’s face amongst all the bud lol Your plants are still green and have a good bit of white hairs. My guess is you still have a good 2wks to go. I don’t start checking tris until most of the pistols have turned red and they start curling in. Simultaneously as that begins to occur the leaves will start turning colors just like trees do in the fall and the plants will stop consuming water. The number one indicator for me anymore is when the plant only needs water once a week. Once those 3 things have occurred; mostly red curled in pistols, leaves turning/dying off and slow water uptake you’ll know you’re in the harvest window. Then it becomes a personal choice on tri color.

I also like to put my plants in the dark on a Thursday, that gives them 2days in the dark and I have the weekend to harvest. Have to plan that too bc trim jail f’ng sucks. I’m not going to lie! It needs to be done but it’s the worst part of every grow. I just had 4 autos take longer than expected and that harvest ran into my current one leaving me 4 autos snd 3 photos to trim at the same time. Pretty sure my wife faked a cold last weekend to get out of helping but I have no proof🤔

https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...300#post474304

[Mlevy420]

Thanks @bboyfromwayback!!! I am right at that point of fighting the patience bug here. The last week or 2 is the GD worst...to whack or not to. Using a loupe is a bitch and this will be my first indoor harvest. Thanks for the killer info man, always enjoy reading from someone who knows their shit.

[bboyfromwayback]

I’d like to tell you waiting them out gets easier but I’d be lying. It doesn’t

[Anansi]

Grundogg how big is your tent? Mine is 5X5 and like you, I like leaving some space between the plants for me. Also, tell me about that light. Thanks.

[Grundogg]

Thanks B-boy.. so, it turns out letting my wife sun bathe in the tent was a bad idea.. I found a few spider mites on all 4 plants in my 4x4 tent. Some of these plants look really really close, although I would like to wait another week... now I don’t know what to do!!! Should I chop early b/c of the spider mites, or just ride it out and keep squishing them... thereby don’t appear to be a ton but I’m sure there are many I don’t see.. never dealt w them before... I don’t want to spray this late in flower.. what are my options?!? I posted another thread in this site looking for tips.. also, how do you do a partial harvest since it requires putting the plant in the dark fit 48 hours... what happens to the rest of the plant that you don’t harvest if it is in the dark for 48 hours? Any diluted spray I can use that is safe for flower? Also, what is the downside of letting the mites run wild, besides the webbing since they seem to stay away from the buds.. obviously in veg or early flower it would kill the plant and destroy any potential harvest but in this case, won’t they just eat away the leaves... which if done slowly may be better than just chopping early? Really appreciate any tips! Also, are you sure I need 2 more weeks..? I’m at 9 weeks 5 days now. And most of hairs are dark and curled in and trichomes milky and some amber for the most part (they’ve gotten more over the last 5 days.) here are a few pics of the mites and the worst looking leaf.. no webbing yet and just a few mites per plant..

[JohnEmad]

Lots of people including me having pest problems. I am spraying 50/50 iso and a mild dish detergent solution on mine. Hope they don't taste bad afterward.
My aphid problem is much less and hopefully gone in another week.

[Grundogg]

Anansi- this one is a 4x4 with a roof that is triangular- designed to fit in Attics but if fits perfect in a basement room of ours.) 7 foot tall in the center but sides slope down to 4-5 feet. I just upgraded to an LED Optic 8 Plus light in this tent. I love it. It has 8 COBs (90 degree lens is standard- mine has 120 degree lenses which allows for 5x5 flower. Light is silent even though it has 8 built in fans.. 6 COBs have one type of light and 2 of them have another.. max power draw is 500 watts and puts out very little heat.. light penetration is excellent. The new one (Optic 8 X) has a built in timer and slowly brings the light on and off like the sun rising and setting.. it’s also $1500 where as the 8 plus is $1,000, but I got a good deal from a friend who has 20 of them in his warehouse. You can adjust Bloom and veg output but it also has “Bloom Enhancers.” Def recommend. In smaller tent I have a spider farmer SF-2000 and another smaller Viparspectra light in the tent...but I could probably get by with just the SF-2000 in this tent which is a 4.7 ft. X 2.5 ft. X 8 ft... I know weird dimensions... but I love it.. it is also Spider Farmer tent.

while I’m at it, do you have any tips for spider mites at this stage? Anyway to get rid of them without damaging the quality of the buds?

[Grundogg]

bboyfromwaybackAnansi
Forgot to add mentions so you see my reply and answer my pleas foe help! If you guys know of any smart people on this site, please add them here so they can help me!! Mlevy420 pls tell me your name is Marc.

[Mlevy420]

No sorry dude. Nor related to a Marc. Best of luck if you are looking for him ✌️

[bboyfromwayback]

I’d goto the main GWE site and see what they recommended. As far along as your plants are I would finish the grow as normal then disinfect the crap out of everything. I’m sure GWE has a article or four on it

[ChadWestport]

General rule of thumb is to harvest when you have 10% amber, 80% milky and 10% clear trichome heads. After a few harvests, you may find your own preference.

The amber heads are reported to have more of a sedative, body effect. The clear heads have been reported as being more cerebral and energetic high. Either way, you'll want the majority to be milky. These effects can be attributed to the maturation process of cannabinoids within the trichome heads. True they will continue to mature slightly as they hang dry. The milky to amber is a visual representation of the THCa turning into CBNa.

[grouchyoldman]

Great discussion!

Since no one else has mentioned it, Light Burn can definitely cause premature Amber/brown trichomes! I had that happen when I mistakenly used an 50:50 Alcohol/water spray to wack a SpidermiteThrip infestation with the lights on.

The spray worked on the bugs, but the next morning my poor plant had a bad sunburn & loads of amber on the buds. Lesson: if you use that spray during flower, do it when you are putting them to bed and turning off the lights!

I grew the plant out to harvest and the smoke was interesting. If I smoked the green parts it was buzzy, if I smoked the burned brown sections it was mellow.

Here's a link with some pics: https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...mite-treatment

-Grouchy

[SoOrbudgal]

What's the question? LOL no really cause this is going where?

[Mlevy420]

If the trichs are where you say they are for color, I would consider taking them down. The investation will just be harder to get rid of letting them breed more. Just my opinion, but those pricks can get out of hand very quick.