What Color Should Trichomes Be Before Harvest?
With the Autumnal Equinox rapidly approaching, many cannabis farmers are starting to inspect some of their crops in preparation for harvesting.
It is very important to know the perfect timing when it comes to your cannabis plant, as harvesting it too early or too late can affect the overall taste and smell of your cannabis flowers.
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What color should trichomes be before harvest? The answer is amber. Eventually, the head of a trichome will be filled with clear liquid, which will turn milky-white and then amber. When the trichomes are milky-white and amber, the plant is ready for harvest.
In this short read, you will learn more about the three tools commonly used in determining the right time to chop your cannabis plants.
Determining the Harvest Time of Your Marijuana Plants
When it comes to harvesting your marijuana plants, finding the harvest window should be taken seriously.
This is because harvesting them when they aren’t ready can affect their psychoactivity effects.
Some cannabis strains are better harvested during their THC production peak, while others are perfect a few days later.
Flowering Time
Flowering time is an excellent time to harvest your plant. There are flowering time guidelines for harvesting, but the accuracy is not 100%.
The Indica strain is usually 7 to 9 weeks, the Sativa dominant strain is 10 to 12 weeks, and the Hybrid dominant strain is 7 to 10 weeks.
The timeline given in weeks tends to be a good match for harvesting indoor or light-dep growing experience.
Pistils/Hairs
Pistils or hairs are parts of the sex organ of the female cannabis plant. Usually, the pistil will appear white during most of its flowering cycle.
Once the end of the flowering cycle approaches, they will start to become red or brown.
For most strains, the flowering plant is at its highest THC level when the pistils are 60 to 70% brown or red.
Checking the pistil status can give farmers an idea as to how much longer to wait before harvesting the plant.
Trichomes
The trichome head can change from clear to a fully amber color as it starts to mature or ripen.
This is an excellent indication that it is time to proceed with the harvest because the pistils are mostly brown.
Also, it indicates that the plant is at its optimal ripeness. Usually, the trichome’s head starts to fill with clear liquid, which over time turns milky-white and then amber.
Conclusion
Overall, to find the right time to harvest your cannabis plant, you must pay attention to it.
A common mistake here is harvesting the cannabis plant when the trichome is not fully developed.
Harvesting early means less-potent buds that will taste more like grass or hay. Hopefully, what is mentioned above will give you an idea of the right harvesting time.