I am colored blind and I have read all this about the pistils and turning color and the trichomes with mushroom heads turning color. I can barely see the trichomes but they still look clear to me the buds ? Im in the 7th week of flower with Northern lights strain, I have some pics and I am seeking input/suggestions from your experiences. I am a 1st time grower. Thank you in advance.
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color blindness is gonna complicate things. what colors if any can u see? the translucency of the trichomes will help, because as they lose translucency that would be when they turn milky or white. i imagine from white and opaque they would actually become darker, or have points of darkness in them as they become amber
keep an eye on the pistils, without color they will be seen shriveling as they dry and turn reddish. so look for the pistils to crinkle, dry, and generally look less vital.
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According to the seed shop the average flowering time for Northern Lights is 60 days. As a last resort you could go by that or I would just ask someone you trust to look at them under a microscope or jewelers loop.
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I see white and cream colored pistils, they are turning inward but some are still standing like they are seeking light source the are white. I see no red, orange or browns in the pistls, this is day 52. Thanks.
Thank you but I trust no one with my grow. I will continue to monitor them and today is day 52, So per your suggestion I will watch closely for the next 8 days. Thank you for the input !
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And it never hurts to go a week longer too. I usually go at least a week longer then their average and have got a better yield.
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do you have a 60x microscope loupe? ull need one to see the trichomes on the calyces
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no I have been using a magnifying glass also tried a rifle scope but focus seems to be the issue. I know right now the trichomes look like sugar crystals and clear.
I may end up doing the whole 9 week cycle but will closely monitor at this stage for any changes in coloring this week. Thanks.
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I had my daughter look at the pistils and she said they were turning orange ?
the trichomes look like cylinders with a bulb at the end… they almost look similar to something fungal or mold-like. anyhoo you need a jewelers loupe or something like that. 60x seems to be the best magnification
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Here’s a pic to illustrate what everyone is talking about.
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There are ways to tell without using color.
So the pistils start out standing up and soft like a flower petal. (In a sense that’s what they are). As they get close to harvest they will curl in and recede into the bud. This is when they are orange but u don’t need the color to see if they have receded.
this is the point when to start checking trichs. U see the chart above and see the shape of the trichomes. The head will go from clear to cloudy. At this point it is ready for harvest and will b more of a daytime med. the trichs only turn one color that u should see. So differentiating their colors shouldn’t come into play.
A clear trich = not ready
A cloudy trich= ready when u r
A colored trich= the more colored ones the more couchlock u will get, the more of a sleepy med u will have.
B careful not to wait for too many trichs to turn color Bc them changing is actually the degredation process and there is a point u have waited too long. But that’s not usually a problem as that takes a long time.
Good luck but I would say from experience that those breeders Times are SUPER flexible. Ive had an 8 week flower go 14. They kinda mean nothing actually and yours appear to still have a few weeks.
Good luck harvest is eminent. Enjoy
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I have a 60x and put it away. You can see a ripe bud a mile away 
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That I would not suggest. That’s a very untrue statement. Well, for most, I’m not gonna say he doesn’t have some magical powers but buds can look massive and luscious and hang onto clear trichs for a while. No matter what the buds look like if the trichs are clear they aren’t done. U would b robbing yourself of the ripening process on a plant u just spent months of time and money growing and end up with a much lower potency than it’s potential.
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