Cannabis: Trichome Colors

When it comes to harvesting cannabis, timing is the most important part of the grow. You need to study your plant every day to see at what state your plant trichomes are at.

First off, some of you are probably wondering, what the hell is a Trichome?

Trichomes grow off the leaf around the flower of the female plant, or a bract. A bract houses the seeds in a fertilized plant, and has the highest percentage of trichomes. Important chemicals like cannabinoids and terpins are produced in these trichomes as well.Usually growers will look at the trichrome located in the flower of the plant, certain colors of the trichome suggest will suggest the type of high you will feel from the plant.[parallax] [/parallax]

The important stuff! THC production peak - What do the colors suggest?

The Trichome (hairs) will turn an orange/red when the bud first starts to mature. If you clip the plant now you will get a product that hasn’t reached its full potency - resulting in a relaxed minor high.When the trichomes turn from a clear to a cloudy or “milky” white this indicates that the plant is at full potency.  This high will be more stimulating effect, less sedative.The trichome will turn a amber color after its milky white stage. I suggest not to wait too much longer after these hairs start to show because you are slowly exiting the stage of maximum potency and smell.  Optimum harvest is when the trichomes are around 70% milky white and 30% amber.Everyone is different. Some people like the sedative indica strains while others like sativa all day. Knowing these colors will help you plan your harvest and high! Enjoy ya'll.