# Amber Alert



## subcool

So you have worked hard for 8 weeks! You have invested money into equipment and possibly genetics; you have invested time and dedication to get to this point. How can you tell when its time to harvest your gooey girls? Well fire one up and lets take a look at the best way to be sure youre harvesting at peak potency, or at least you will better understand what happens in the final weeks, so you can harvest for the specific type of high you prefer.
The harvest window is one aspect of the craft which unfortunately, gets over looked or the grower simply doesnt have the patience to wait-out the last few days, to insure max THC content. Some strains are better harvested before their peak THC production and some are better harvested after their peak THC production. This is what Robert Clark wrote in his book Marijuana Botany about trichomes and what they tell us; The elevated resin heads appear clear, since fresh resin is still being secreted, often being produced in the cellular head of the trichome. At this time THC acid production is at a peak and CBD acid levels remain stable as the molecules are rapidly converted to THC acids, THC acid synthesis has not been active long enough for a high level of CBN acid to build up from the degradation of THC acid by light and heat. Terpene production is also nearing a peak and the floral clusters are beautifully aromatic. Many cultivators prefer to pick some of their strains during this stage in order to produce marijuana with a clear, cerebral, psychoactive effect It is believed that, in peak floral clusters, the low levels of CBD and CBN allow the high level of THC to act without their sedative effects.
What the hell does this mean? 
When growing Indica hybrids, unless you want to end up on the couch, its best to harvest when the trichome heads are fully formed but before they start to cloud over and turn amber. According to the maturation time of the specific strain this could take as little as five days or as long as two weeks. If you allow an Indica to go too long you can dramatically affect the taste and high. Fortunately going too long is not a real problem for most people. I like to study close-up photos taken with a high resolution digital camera; however an inexpensive hand-held microscope works wonders. It almost looks like you are in an alien world when looking at resinated buds using fifty-times-power. 
With the Sativa dominant hybrids you want to make sure that all the trichome heads are fully formed and also about thirty percent amber. Letting a plant mature beyond this will risk flavor as well as, the finished smoke may be harsh with very little high. There are exceptions as I mentioned; Haze has three different harvest windows all being very late into flower. It is every growers job to learn what he or his patients prefer in the terms of High. 
We have not yet addressed yields because if you are at the third stage of floral maturity with fully form trichomes, then we will have to assume most strains have packed on all their final weight. Even then, there are variables but we can use the guide-lines spelled out below to help gauge the best harvest window for your plants based on the trichomes.

1. Fully formed but still clear will provide a cleaner up high with less sedative effect; this is the best window for heavy Indicas.
2. Fully formed and turning slightly cloudy or milky; this is probably the best time to pick most hybrids available today.
3. Fully formed completely cloudy or milky with at least thirty percent of the heads turning amber; this is usually best window for the late maturing Sativas such as Haze. This is also a good window when using the plant primarily for Hash production.
Take for instance the Jacks Cleaner harvested at fifty-six days; all trichomes are still visibly clear with very few turning cloudy. At this point it has a very up high and an in-the-head buzz. I get some good visuals and the lemon flavor is sour and a tad tart. The same plant, left just one more week at sixty-three days flower; the trichomes have turned milky white and a good portion, about thirty to fifty percent, are deep amber almost the color of cola. Taken at this time the smoke is heavy and thick, the lemon zing has been replaced with a musty sweet lemon smell that reminds me of Lemon Heads candy. The high is now all body high and very much a sedative. We would smoke this only as our night time medication. It is almost an example of a plant taken too late, however we do this because of the medicinal properties she takes-on at this late stage. 
Another example is Killer Queen. At forty-nine days flower, she has a candy-like smell and taste with that same up high. If you were to harvest her at sixty days flower, she becomes Super Killer Queen, with a more skunk-like smell and a thicker trance-like high.
The mistake to try and avoid is harvesting before the trichomes are fully formed, so as mentioned in the guideline; most growers whom use this method, harvest at the point in which the majority of the heads are cloudy. Harvesting before this window will produce bud that is less potent, containing less essential oils and trepans, causing your finished stash to take on a grassy or green taste, even if it is dried and cured correctly.
Another good method would be harvesting some of the more mature buds, usually being the upper or main colas. This will allow more light to shine down on the lower portion of the plant, not only will the buds mature further but they will also pack on some extra size. 
If you have a nice digital camera with a macro feature, try taking some close-up photos and use a photo editing program such as Adobe. This will allow you to zoom in close so you can see what the necked eye cannot see. If this is not an option, Radio Shack sells battery-powered hand-held microscopes for about fifteen dollars.
Take advantage of this information, it will help maximize the results of your favorite strain, or help you determine the harvest window of something new.

Written by Subcool
Editing by MzJill


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## ozzydiodude

Great Info thanks:48:eace:


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## pcduck

ozzydiodude said:
			
		

> Great Info thanks:48:eace:



:yeahthat:


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## 2Dog

yes maybe should be a sticky.. the 1st pic on the left is so amber...


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## the chef

Very nice!


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## Locked

Nice post sub...looks like I might be harvesting on the late side...maybe i shld harvest a lil earlier...I like the clear up high more then the couch lock high...


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## the chef

One question though, does different artificial lights affect your harvest window?


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## subcool

Yes it can but I go only by the resin for indication.

Sub


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## dirtyolsouth

Thanks so much for the info and stunning trich pics Sub... awesome stuff!  LOVE it!   I did a paste up in Word to make it easier on my baked eyes so I thought I'd share...

*So you have worked hard for 8 weeks! You have invested money into equipment and possibly genetics; you have invested time and dedication to get to this point. How can you tell when its time to harvest your gooey girls? Well fire one up and lets take a look at the best way to be sure youre harvesting at peak potency, or at least you will better understand what happens in the final weeks, so you can harvest for the specific type of high you prefer.*
*
The harvest window is one aspect of the craft which unfortunately, gets over looked or the grower simply doesnt have the patience to wait-out the last few days, to insure max THC content. Some strains are better harvested before their peak THC production and some are better harvested after their peak THC production. This is what Robert Clark wrote in his book Marijuana Botany about trichomes and what they tell us; The elevated resin heads appear clear, since fresh resin is still being secreted, often being produced in the cellular head of the trichome. At this time THC acid production is at a peak and CBD acid levels remain stable as the molecules are rapidly converted to THC acids, THC acid synthesis has not been active long enough for a high level of CBN acid to build up from the degradation of THC acid by light and heat. Terpene production is also nearing a peak and the floral clusters are beautifully aromatic. Many cultivators prefer to pick some of their strains during this stage in order to produce marijuana with a clear, cerebral, psychoactive effect It is believed that, in peak floral clusters, the low levels of CBD and CBN allow the high level of THC to act without their sedative effects.

What the hell does this mean? *
*
When growing Indica hybrids, unless you want to end up on the couch, its best to harvest when the trichome heads are fully formed but before they start to cloud over and turn amber. According to the maturation time of the specific strain this could take as little as five days or as long as two weeks. If you allow an Indica to go too long you can dramatically affect the taste and high. Fortunately going too long is not a real problem for most people. I like to study close-up photos taken with a high resolution digital camera; however an inexpensive hand-held microscope works wonders. It almost looks like you are in an alien world when looking at resinated buds using fifty-times-power. 

With the Sativa dominant hybrids you want to make sure that all the trichome heads are fully formed and also about thirty percent amber. Letting a plant mature beyond this will risk flavor as well as, the finished smoke may be harsh with very little high. There are exceptions as I mentioned; Haze has three different harvest windows all being very late into flower. It is every growers job to learn what he or his patients prefer in the terms of High. 

We have not yet addressed yields because if you are at the third stage of floral maturity with fully form trichomes, then we will have to assume most strains have packed on all their final weight. Even then, there are variables but we can use the guide-lines spelled out below to help gauge the best harvest window for your plants based on the trichomes.

1. Fully formed but still clear will provide a cleaner up high with less sedative effect; this is the best window for heavy Indicas.
2. Fully formed and turning slightly cloudy or milky; this is probably the best time to pick most hybrids available today.
3. Fully formed completely cloudy or milky with at least thirty percent of the heads turning amber; this is usually best window for the late maturing Sativas such as Haze. This is also a good window when using the plant primarily for Hash production.*
*
Take for instance the Jacks Cleaner harvested at fifty-six days; all trichomes are still visibly clear with very few turning cloudy. At this point it has a very up high and an in-the-head buzz. I get some good visuals and the lemon flavor is sour and a tad tart. The same plant, left just one more week at sixty-three days flower; the trichomes have turned milky white and a good portion, about thirty to fifty percent, are deep amber almost the color of cola. Taken at this time the smoke is heavy and thick, the lemon zing has been replaced with a musty sweet lemon smell that reminds me of Lemon Heads candy. The high is now all body high and very much a sedative. We would smoke this only as our night time medication. It is almost an example of a plant taken too late, however we do this because of the medicinal properties she takes-on at this late stage. *
*
Another example is Killer Queen. At forty-nine days flower, she has a candy-like smell and taste with that same up high. If you were to harvest her at sixty days flower, she becomes Super Killer Queen, with a more skunk-like smell and a thicker trance-like high.  

The mistake to try and avoid is harvesting before the trichomes are fully formed, so as mentioned in the guideline; most growers whom use this method, harvest at the point in which the majority of the heads are cloudy. Harvesting before this window will produce bud that is less potent, containing less essential oils and trepans, causing your finished stash to take on a grassy or green taste, even if it is dried and cured correctly.*
*
Another good method would be harvesting some of the more mature buds, usually being the upper or main colas. This will allow more light to shine down on the lower portion of the plant, not only will the buds mature further but they will also pack on some extra size. *
*
If you have a nice digital camera with a macro feature, try taking some close-up photos and use a photo editing program such as Adobe. This will allow you to zoom in close so you can see what the necked eye cannot see. If this is not an option, Radio Shack sells battery-powered hand-held microscopes for about fifteen dollars.
Take advantage of this information, it will help maximize the results of your favorite strain, or help you determine the harvest window of something new.

Written by Subcool
Editing by MzJill*


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## cmd420

That first pic with the amber trikes is killer


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## Mutt

nice post...i agree gotta work with those sat doms...i'll run some of my cuts 1 year testing out different spots of the window finding the sweet spot for each strain i deem as a keeper...then when i give the cut away the notes go along with it


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## umbra

While I agree in principal with the ripeness of trichomes and the type of high, I think personal preference plays a big part. Some folks want a more sedative affect, especially if they suffer from insomnia. Additionally, it does help much if you're trichomes are purple, ha, ha. Here is double purple doja F3 from Outlaw, lol.


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## Locked

Umbra that thing looks like it might bite me...
Sick pic Dude...very nice


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## PencilHead

Hamster Lewis said:
			
		

> Nice post sub...looks like I might be harvesting on the late side...maybe i shld harvest a lil earlier...I like the clear up high more then the couch lock high...


 
I dialed this in grow before last, stopped harvesting with much "cola" colored amber at all--I love the high and the stickiness I'm getting now.  I've changed my definition of amber from dried-blood to more beige or cafe-au-lait.  

It seems that with the potencies increasing, the peeps are moving more toward uplifting effects, hence the renewed interest in C99 caliber sats.  JMO.


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## legalize_freedom

Good post.......beautiful pics!  Sometimes it's hard to explain cloudy/amber trichs to a new grower...definately a good time to add pics!  Thanks again Subcool!


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## subcool

umbra said:
			
		

> While I agree in principal with the ripeness of trichomes and the type of high, I think personal preference plays a big part. Some folks want a more sedative affect, especially if they suffer from insomnia. Additionally, it does help much if you're trichomes are purple, ha, ha. Here is double purple doja F3 from Outlaw, lol.


Wow I am surprized youd have something in your garden that my pollen chucking self had a hand in.
Lifes so funny at times. Its also a very small world to me.

Nice shot btw


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## umbra

subcool said:
			
		

> Wow I am surprized youd have something in your garden that my pollen chucking self had a hand in.
> Lifes so funny at times. Its also a very small world to me.
> 
> Nice shot btw



forgetaboutit


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## Rosebud

That was the best description I have read to date. Thank you! I needed that.


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## stinkyelements

Sub u sure helped me make a final decision good thread thanks for the extra info


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## ishnish

:aok:
Good clean explanation.  thanks Subcool.

and Umbra, how'd that purple taste?  looks delicious!


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## umbra

It was. Everything from outlaw genetics has been first rate.


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## mrcane

I will be saving this post for future Ref. Thank You for clearing things up some..


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## ston-loc

Drying out my "early flowered" GDP outdoor harvest, that is now flowering again. Was just going to leave it all to not stunt the new growth, then decided to hack it. All of what I took is 2 times more amber than the first left amber pic. Guess that will be the "need to go to sleep" stash  
Awesome info! Thanks from a first time grower :aok:


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## Hitman2013

great info i found this thread very use full info hope to put it into play soon godbless


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## bud88

Kudos to Subcool for the info! Will be very helpful to this noob in 4-7 weeks!!!

Thanks......:48:


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## Kindbud

Subcool is a pro haven't talked to him or a lot of the older members in along time i watch his show on youtube every now and again i stole parts of his soil recipe to make my own version so sub ig u ever see this thanks bud


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## Batman

Looks very tasty!)


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## Bongofury

Great info subcool. very very good info. Thanks man. :farm:


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## greyghost

Great stuff.


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