However, with the right knowledge base and tools at their disposal, clone and cannabis seed growers can make a much easier decision before it’s time to chop their mature cannabis plants down for their bountiful harvests.
For cannabis growers, valuable tools like digital microscopes are super-affordable and easy to use for anyone seeking to properly harvest the cannabis plants they worked so hard to cultivate.
There are many reasons why digital microscopes have started to become the grower’s standard come flower and harvest time. So, ditch the jeweler’s loupe and hop in the saucer with me while we learn about how and when to harvest cannabis plants according to trichome color using a digital microscope.
Affectionately known to cannabis consumers and growers as “frost,” trichomes are the microscopic, hair-like formations found on the surfaces of cannabis and other plants. Dense trichome coverage or “frost” is highly sought-after by most cannabis consumers and cultivators for its bag appeal, aroma and potential potent effects.
Biologically evolved to ward off bugs, diseases, and other environmental factors, trichomes on cannabis plants also contain the cannabinoids and terpenes that make weed the sticky, dank, flavorful, frosty, and potent sensation that we all know and love.
THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, CBC–you name the cannabinoid and it lives in the trichomes, along with all of the major aromatic compounds aka terpenes found in cannabis such as: myrcene, linalool, limonene, humulene, terpinolene, and caryophyllene [1]. The amount of trichomes directly correlates to how potent and high-quality a specific harvest will be. Harvesting at the peak of the trichome development ensures max flavor and potency.
For cannabis plants, there are three distinct types of trichome structures that are found on the entire structure.
Trichomes develop around the 3rd or 4th week of the flowering stage, so it’s important to begin to examine them around that time for ripeness which will be determined by their color [2]. And don’t get lazy if by the time the trichomes are supposed to change color, they haven’t yet, as trichome color can change any day without notice.
When examining trichomes during this stage, pay attention to the following colors as indicators of when to harvest your cannabis plants:
Generally, many growers like to harvest their cannabis flower when there’s mostly cloudy/milky trichomes mixed in with some amber-colored trichomes. Around 85% cloudy/15% amber-colored trichome ratio is an ideal time to harvest your cannabis plants. [2]
As an alien, I can easily see all the trichomes on my own cannabis plants down to a microscopic level without even so much as a squint, but for my humanoid homies, you’re going to need some help to do that!
Growers utilize many different methods to examine trichome color when deciding whether to harvest their cannabis plants. However, in today’s technologically advanced age, there’s a major edge to using the right kind of equipment to make that determination.
Yup, I said it–cell phone cameras and jeweler’s loupes lack the right amount of magnification and optical zoom capability. In order to see the trichomes clearly and more efficiently, a good zone is anywhere in the 40x-100x magnification range, and neither a cell phone camera nor jeweler’s loupe can actually achieve that.
So many of my humanoid grower friends just starting out have learned the hard way that there’s more important details that they missed when determining the color of their trichomes before harvesting, specifically due to using a jeweler’s loupe.
Jeweler’s loupes only average around 10x magnification as the standard for gemologists and jewelers. Many jeweler’s loupes will claim to go up to 20-30x magnification or higher, but in reality, they often fall flat in being able to do so. That’s because magnification beyond 10x starts to degrade the depth of field in such a small handheld device as a jeweler’s loupe, making it nearly impossible to get a proper view of the trichomes to make the right decisions.
The result is a disappointing lack of potency, aroma, taste, and effects that unfortunately, a lot of time and effort went into because the grower didn’t get a deeper, more magnified view of the flower buds.
Often, my friends are using an iPhone or Android cell phone lens and optical zoom. These built-in cameras and lenses are great for taking pictures of the sunset and your dog. However, when trying to determine the trichome color and ripeness of your cannabis plants they’re no bueno. It is, however, possible to upgrade your phone to a cumbersome and often pricey telephoto lens capable of a higher degree of zoom.
The most optical zoom power for any android phone model currently is only 10x, while iPhones only get about 5x optical zoom power. Again, to see into the trichome structure more clearly is in the 40-100x range, so any humanoid using their cell phone camera to determine trichome ripeness will be doing themselves a potential disservice, right along with those of you with a jeweler’s loupe attached to your face.
The absolute hands-down best way to view and make the right decision of when to harvest your cannabis plants is by using a digital microscope to determine trichome ripeness. Any other method besides having a friendly space alien look at your cannabis plants for you will severely lack the superior magnification and imaging capabilities of a digital microscope.
There’s a lot of reasons why digital microscopes are the best way to figure out if your trichomes are ripe and your cannabis flower buds are ready to be harvested.
Digital microscopes also help growers see mites, pests, and the overall health of the cannabis plant much easier and regularly.
Digital microscopes are user-friendly and usually only take just a few minutes to get used to operating. Here’s how to get started using a digital microscope to better view your cannabis plant and it’s very important trichome ripeness and readiness.
A digital microscope that has adaptability to do what you need is a top concern when deciding which model to purchase. Handheld and mounted features are important, so buying a device that can do both takes care of that concern immediately.
A quick look at online retailers shows high-quality digital microscopes that range anywhere from $25 to several hundreds of dollars–just read some product reviews to see if it’s worth the price tag. On top of adaptability, some other features to look out for include:
You’ve already put in so much hard work and investment with your cannabis seeds and equipment purchases, so it’s critical to finish strong at the finish line. Should you choose a solid, highly reviewed option that fits in with your budget, just consider it a small price to pay in order to get the piece-of-mind that comes with properly assessing the trichome ripeness of your cannabis plants before harvest time.
Until next time, Greg the Alien here wishing you the best of luck with your growing and harvesting!
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