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HELP! Trichomes

You are welcome Dan. What this now leaves me wondering is when to harvest my CBD strains. It now sounds like waiting to see amber is a definite minus with regard to potency. Rosenthal also says THC is at its peak when triches are clear.
 
For highest CBD i would think it would be best to aim for cloudy trichomes and early amber development. As per my post below, this would provide the highest levels of CBD.
 
DANGERDAN Can you give me citations for your statement: "Amber is really not sought after with indica based strains."

I have read otherwise, and each day I realize just how much each one of us must depend on our own experiments to determine what is valid and what is internet legend about cannabis. So if you can please tell me where this information comes from?
 
Here you go. :) The reason it is not ideal is because of the higher concentration of CBD in indica strains and its interaction with CBN when more amber is developed.
 
I'm sticking with what Rosenthal says about trichomes: "The trihcome caps are bulding. The vast majority remain clear but a few have changed color to white or amber, indicating a change of THC to CBN, a less psychoactive cannabinoid. The odor has increased and reached peak intensity." (Marijuana Harvest p. 79).

My understanding of what he's saying is that by the time CBN is replacing THC, everything is beginning to degrade, including terpenes and other cannabinoids.
 
Starramus, I have been in the habit of harvesting when many triches are still clear and bulging. Plain and simple: this is when THC is at its peak quantity.
 
Ed rosenthal is a horticulturist, while robert clark is a cannabis botanist. I would wager based on the discoveries by robert clark that rosenthal has changed his view on trichomes or would change his view. Although he is correct, once CBN is replacing THC the degrading process has started. But this appears to happen when there is any sort of color shifting in the trichome. The shift from clear to cloudy represents another process, where by this indicates the deceleration of THC production. At this point it appears THC stalls and creates a higher CBD to THC ratio as CBD production increases. It has been shown through laboratory testing, that THC is highest when clear and CBD is highest when cloudy. Then once color is introduced, degradation of all the cannabinoids starts. Including the conversion of THC to CBN

As you pointed out in your thread on AK, it all depends what type of high you want with where you want to harvest. Which my three stage guide details those different effects. Nice lookn plant btw
 
Well Dan, not exactly ANY color shifting, as we have learned about the clear amber trichome sativa-dominant strains. The color-shifting occurs with the indica dominant strains. That part of the discussion on Riddleme's page explained my experience with the Purple Haze x Malawi sativa I grew last year: the trichome behavior was quite different.
 
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I dont know what you mean by that post, what i have previously said is backed up by mel frank and robert clarke. There is a stage where there can be cannabinoid biosynthesis and cananbinoid degradation, which can crossover from still developing levels of THC to degrading levels.

Here Robert Clarke describes it.

"Variations in the level of THC in the same trichome as it matures are the result of THC acid being broken down to CBN acid while CBD acid is being converted to THC acid. If the rate of THC biosynthesis exceeds the rate of THC breakdown, the THC level in the trichome rises; if the breakdown rate is faster than the rate of biosynthesis, the THC level drops."

Basically you can have degradation of THC (amber) while still having rising levels of THC.

If your willing to know more let me know, i thought i might have sensed a bit of hostility in your writing. If not i apologize.
 
No Dan, no hostility meant whatsoever!! I based that comment on what I read about the sat. dom. strains that never go milky, only turn amber and darker--until of course the stage where they're like a rotting apple and they are all brown.
 
Ok thats good, :)

Yes i remember reading about the particular strains that do not go cloudy, but these are rare. Indicating they are high THC producers because their biosynthesis continues well into and past maturation. Like i have said before, the clear to cloudy is a seperate process from the color shift process. But i could understand the confusion. Just remember, even though THC degradation occurs, does not mean THC is still not developing. When resin goes from clear to cloudy or opaque, this indicates the deceleration of THC production. Not the overall level of THC.

Most strains i know however do go opaque or cloudy before oxidation of THC occurs, but as said some do proceed past
 
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