Hello friends,
I try not to create repeat posts since there is a more than sufficiently large database of information on this forum, but I would find it extremely helpful if a few might be willing to comment on my judgement of bud maturity and harvest method, and if what previous posters have written is, in fact, the general consensus.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t help that I somehow mixed up this plant’s nametag, but I’m pretty sure this is a clone of ILGM’s Blue Dream. Note the plant is a small shrub (barely 1 ft) and was grown with a modified mainline method. I’m also pretty sure this plant has been on 12/12 fo8 weeks. I know the flowering time is listed as 9 weeks, so I’m inclined to give it at least another week, but I think trichome color is what’s tripping me up the most.
As you can hopefully see in the first picture below, the buds still have a fair share of white pistils, although others in the forum and other sources I’ve reviewed say that going by the trichomes is the better way to go. Also, this question doesn’t pertain to some buds appearing more mature than others; my lights have 301bs and I defoliate pretty heavily, so penetration is pretty good and buds tend to harvest pretty evenly for the most part (although all pics below are from top colas). But I never seem to have even trichome maturation–not between buds, but within them. Usually I’ll end up seeing a fairly racemic mixture of amber and clear with some milky batches peppered about. This plant is actually a little better than many of my previous ones, but I’m worried that waiting it out until more clear trichs turn milky will end up in an overall greater number of ambers, which is generally not preferred. Another poster had similar pictures and questions, and one responder said to wait AT LEAST another two weeks, which seems like it would be too long in this case. Lastly, I’ll note that I put my plants into a dark closet for 72-96 hours before hanging until 24 hours after stems snap to trim and cure in mason jars for minimum four weeks.
PS: I’ve read that some growers keep their plants in dark for up to a week or more before hanging–I recall one page saying that the author of the post heard that “the buds were fire, but bud density and overall yield decreased.” Anyone have any firsthand experience with trying this out and if this is true?
Thanks all!
if we may please 
? The plant will tell me any and everything i need to know to give my .2 cents . Show me her trichomes are doing great.
? The fact you made effort 
, Always a win in my eyes 
even if its wack !
, I live in the shadows here , you know that Grey Gray area , but I owe no one nothing , Not even the Government right , Praise Him , or Whomever its 2022 right lmao , i be checking in on it and you got the magic going . RASTA FAHRI’ ITS IRIE !