by Jorge Cervantes
Late Harvest
Trichomes start to degrade faster and faster. Harvest now for a heavier high.
White pistils turn brownish-red as buds continue to ripen. In some strains, peak potency is when half of the pistils are white and the other half have turned brown. This test is only a general guide to peak potency.
The most accurate way to tell peak potency is to look at resin glands on growing plants with a 10X-50X magnifier. My favorite is a 30X handheld microscope with a battery-powered light. You can quickly check several buds daily for peak potency.
Harvest after peak maturity for higher levels of CBD in relation to THC to yield more of a body stone. Indica, afghani, indica-dominant and afghani-dominant and afghani-dominant strains harvested now produce a heavier body couch-lock stone. Sativa and sativa-dominant strains harvested after peak potency yield more of a body stone too.
Look at the capitate stalked trichomes, the ones with a ball on top of the stalk. They develop clear to translucent resinous trichomes. More and more well-formed trichomes continue to appear as they reach peak potency. harvest when these resin glands form more slowly than they degrade. Bulbous tops and stalks start to deform when they degrade. handling buds will bruise and deform resin glands. Such damaged resin glands should not be confused with naturally deteriorating ones.
Often resin glands on strains change colors and deteriorate as plants ripen. The trichomes turn from clear to translucent to amber. All glands do not change color at the same time.
hair-like cystolith trichomes contain no THC They are visible with the naked eye and with magnification. Find thee protective trichomes on tops and bottoms of leaves, stems, and buds. They exude substances that repel pests and protect foliage from diseases.