Harvest Soon????

[projectdiy]

I'm anxious to get to harvest@ middle of 12 wks. Still a bit clear, waiting for some amber.
I should begin to get that color soon since the company has 12+- on their info.

Does anyone have any ideas on estimates of time left in flower?

Thanks for the valuable help you provide.

[90Gizmo]

I joined GWE after my first grow was just a few days into the dirt. So I had time to read a lot of "is it ready yet" posts. It seemed that the answer was always the same. Soon every time I read another is-it-ready post I'm picturing Arnold Schwarzenegger on Mars being asked "so how long do you plan to stay" ... and Schwarzenegger says "Two weeks."

[Blowdout2269]

Can you share some pictures of the whole plant?

[projectdiy]

Will do that.

[projectdiy]

Blowdout, here is a pic of the whole plant. It is in the 12 wk from first set of leaves.

[Blowdout2269]

Has the lights been on a 12/12 schedule its whole life? If not, about how many weeks ago did you flip the light schedule to flower?

[AGH]

When I was 13, I worked at a family run Chinese restaurant as the dishwasher. I worked there until I graduated high school. Shortly after I started, I was often asked to help cook when they were busy. To start, I was put on the fryer which seemed pretty easy. I asked how long to keep the chicken in the fryer for the sweet and sour chicken. The answer: til they're done. I asked how will I know when they're done and was told: they'll be cooked. I thought he was being an a$$hole, but really, he was giving me the most truthful answer possible. After f-ing it up a few times (at first, when getting the hang of it, I always would cut a piece or two open to make sure they were done) I got the hang of it and understood that the only answer to how long to cook the chicken really is 'until it's done'.

Moral of the story, grow your plants til they're done. You'll know they're done when they look done. You may f-it up a couple of times and harvest a little early or a little late, but eventually you'll learn to find the sweet spot and you'll be able to do it time and again with absolute precision! And, contrary to poor outcomes of serving raw chicken, if you harvest too soon or too late, no one gets sick! Either way, you have some weed, so yay for that!

[Blowdout2269]

Well there's several ways to determine when to harvest.
Trichomes are one. With good magnification you can watch the bulbous tip of the trichome go from, clear, to cloudy(milky if u will), and then amber. Most people prefer 15-20% amber in color overall. This can create a more sedative effect from the finished product. Get yourself a jeweler's loop or some other form of good magnification.
Stigmas/pistols are another. Later in life the flowers should have little to no white "hairs" (unless she is foxtailing). The stigmas will appear orange in color and be curling inward when she's close to done.
And last, an overall diagnosis of the entire plant. What are the colors of the leaves? How long has it been flowering? Is it still drinking water as much? As the plant reaches the end of its life she will start to fade. Like leaves in the fall. She will not be drinking much and will really start to exhibit lighter greens, yellows, and maybe purples. This generally means that she's reaching senescence.
Me personally, I would use a combination of all three of these to determine when to harvest. But nowadays I kinda just know. Though I will still often reference my notes and examine as needed.
It comes down to personal preference. But do not harvest early. Over time you will be able to read your gals and just know. I'll find some pics for ya soon.
I hope you find this helpful. Good luck!

[Blowdout2269]

You might find these helpful.

https://www.growweedeasy.com/harvest

https://www.growweedeasy.com/foxtails

[Blowdout2269]

Ten charact

[ChubbNugg]

You could do weekly comparison photos. This photo shows very little amber. And very little milk. It could be the angle of the light. I'd wait a week, take another photo, then compare them. The endgame here looks a little rough and I'm not sure if they will ever turn amber now. Only time and good macro shots will tell.
Cb