# Trichome changes after buds swell



## ifsixwasnin9 (Jul 10, 2012)

What kind of time period do trichomes change color after buds are finished swelling? Mine always take a long time and in some cases never change to amber at all. I have an autoflower that is mature and has been a month since buds stopped swelling but still clear trichomes. Is the color change dependent on nutes, temp, humidity or just maturity? The temp and humidity can slow down the whole process? (The autoflower has been on HPS 12/12 since flower started.)


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## Hushpuppy (Jul 10, 2012)

I think the trichome color change is both dependant on the factors that you listed and on the strains' genetics. I have heard of some that just won't change over to amber without being damaged. I have some Burmese Kush that I pulled today that were at almost 15% amber at 7 weeks flat. I think that temp can absolutely slow down the whole process. Humidity would have to be really high to have an adverse affect on the growth but it can happen. Autos are a different animal so I'm not too sure about that myself. I would suspect that the nature of the autoflower can cause them to finish without the regular change. I think the bad thing with the autos is that they are still trying to lock down the genetics to get the best of both worlds and that is probably causing some variability in the traits from plant to plant, which makes it a pain to know the harvest peak period.


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## Locked (Jul 10, 2012)

Give this a read...one of the good things that we got out of all that drama with subby being here>>>http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=52724&highlight=Amber+alert


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## Hushpuppy (Jul 11, 2012)

Very good read  I learned something yet again :doh: I now know why my Bro's smoke is always grassy smelling and tasting while mine is better (being the same strain and grow setup) He is pulling too soon, while I let mine go until I see some amber trichs.


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## ifsixwasnin9 (Jul 11, 2012)

I'm going to bookmark that page! Good information. Exactly what I need to know. Thanks! (I wish someone would *sticky *good information like this.)

These are just some useful excerpts:

_"When growing Indica hybrids, unless you want to end up on the couch,  it&#8217;s best to harvest when the trichome heads are fully formed but before  they start to cloud over and turn amber."

"the best harvest window for your plants based on the trichomes:
1. Fully formed but still clear will provide a cleaner &#8216;up&#8217; 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&#8217;s such as  Haze. This is also a good window when using the plant primarily for Hash  production."_


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## Hushpuppy (Jul 11, 2012)

One thing to remember about this information...There is no single gospel for this or any of the methods involved in growing and enjoying MJ. There are too many variables to count that affect how any one individual grows and harvests. The best method is the one that you find after multiple grows of a strain where you try different things until you find what works for your likes and situation. I have found that the more I grow a single strain the better it gets because I learn all the little nuances of that plant and then revise my methods to improve on it. Multiple experience mojo for your Auto growing ventures


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