Hi, I'm not sure what's gone wrong with this grow (only my second!) but these plants are at week 10 today (from seed, grown directly in medium) but there are no trichomes forming at all and there is no smell from the plants at all (unless I give them a rub, then it's not too bad). Any ideas what has gone wrong here? I would expect trichomes by this stage and the lack of scent is destroying me! Having done some research, I think there's an excess of nitrogen but I could be wrong? I have stopped nutes and am flushing with pure filtered water to see if this helps. The heat in the grow room did get out of control with the recent heatwave but much cooler now, so this is possibly heat stress? Not sure if the HPS light is right for auto-flowers even though it is a dual spectrum, might order a UV-B terrarium light to add some blue light as I read that this is what creates resins? Are these plants salvageable or a lost cause? They seem to have flowered but they are small and not very fat Any advice warmly received...I'm pulling out what little hair I have left! FULL DISCLOSURE: I have edited the images to adjust HPS colour caste (having trouble uploading images through UK420, will try and add soon) Background Strain: Fat Banana Autoflower Age of plants: 10 weeks grown directly in media, so no transplanting Media: British Organic Bio Mix (85%), Canna Coco (10%) plus perlite Nutes: Dutch Pro for Autoflower/Hardwater/Soil. I'm taking it very easy on the nutes as the plants are autoflower, tried hard not to overfeed Light: HPS Dual Spectrum about 18-20 inches from plants. Currently set to 240w as heat stress may be a factor here Air: 2 fans for circulation but not pointed directly at plants Extraction: Rhino. Was using in anticipation of strong scent but currently switched off

Hi All About Cannabis Trichomes, the Incredible Chemical Factories of Marijuana When you think about it, the cannabis plant is a pretty amazing specimen. Not only do these green leafy plants have the potential to boost creativity and productivity in an individual, but they also have some amazing medical uses for conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s Disease to eating disorders. Whether you’re more interested in the recreational uses of marijuana or you’re looking for relief from pain, anxiety, or another common medical condition, the marvels of marijuana all come down to one thing: trichomes. Trichomes are the tiny hairs that line the outer surface of plants, and they are often referred to as the “chemical factories” of cannabis. In this guide to trichomes, learn all about this tiny yet powerful part of the cannabis plant and why it plays such a vital role in both recreational and medical marijuana use. What Are Trichomes? The official definition states that trichomes “from the Greek τρίχωμα (trichōma) meaning ‘hair’, are fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists. They are of diverse structure and function.” These small (virtually microscopic) hairlike structures resemble tiny crystals at first glance, but when examined more closely, it’s obvious that they have a mushroom-like shape. They cover the surface of a cannabis plant’s leaves and buds and tend to be shiny and sticky. What Is the Importance of Trichomes? Trichomes are nothing short of beautiful, giving a plant a crystal-like appearance that glitters and gleams under the light. But their function is so much more than aesthetic. Aside from creating sparkle and shininess that resembles a blanket of frost, trichomes serve many different purposes. Defense Mechanism First and foremost, trichome production in plants is done as a defense mechanism against harmful things in the surrounding environment, like insects, animals, and UV rays. Trichomes taste extremely bitter and tend to give off a skunky smell, so animals are quickly turned off and leave the plant untouched. By covering the surface of the more vulnerable parts of the plant, trichomes also protect against environmental harms like too much sunlight, extreme heat, strong winds, and even some forms of fungal pathogens. Water Absorption Another important function of trichomes is the absorption of water and minerals that are required by a plant to survive. Of course, the root system is more vital for water and nutrient absorption, but trichomes help to keep water in to keep the plant hydrated. Cannabinoid & Terpene Production This last function is arguably the most important function of trichomes, at least to humans. In order to perform their other functions and stay protected, trichomes produce a wide range of chemicals. As weed plants move into their flowering phases and start blooming, trichomes start making something called cannabinoids. The most famous cannabinoid is THC, which is the chemical compound responsible for the “high” effect cannabis is known for, but there are over 100 different cannabinoids produced by these tiny hairs. Trichomes are also responsible for producing terpenes, which are the aromatic compounds found in many plants. Terpenes are responsible for those pungent smells that cannabis is known for, and without trichomes, we wouldn’t have those terpenes and unique smell/flavor profiles for different strains. 3 Types of Trichomes in Marijuana In cannabis plants, there are 3 main types of trichomes that help to fulfill the functions listed above. Here’s what they are: 1. Bulbous Trichomes 2. Capitate Sessile Trichomes 3. Capitate Stalked Trichomes Bulbous These are the smallest trichomes out of the 3 categories, and they can be as tiny as 10 micrometers. You’ll notice small and pointed bulbous trichomes lining the entire surface of the plant, not just the leaves and buds. Capitate Sessile This type of trichome is slightly larger and contains a head and a stalk. Capitate sessile hairs start forming before the plant even enters the flowering phase, containing many of the lesser-known cannabinoids. Capitate Stalked Capitate stalked trichomes are the largest in size and they can measure as much as 100 micrometers. Although it’s easier and more effective to use a magnifying glass or microscope, these trichomes can be seen with the naked eye. This type of trichome only starts forming once the plants have begun flowering. They’re very important in the production of cannabinoids and terpenes, especially THC. Keep in mind, you will need a digital microscope to examine these different types of trichomes more closely. You can use this guide to digital microscopes to choose a device that will magnify a plant’s trichomes up to 1000x. Why Is It So Important to Monitor Trichome Lifecycle? It can be very difficult for a grower to know exactly when it’s time to harvest a crop; this is where trichomes really come into play. Paying close attention to the trichome lifecycle by examining color changes can help a grower to determine exactly when it’s time to harvest. Because trichomes play a major role in cannabinoid and terpene production, harvesting at the proper time when trichomes are at their peak can take the potency, aromas, and flavors of the bud to the next level. Harvesting too early or too late could result in weaker cannabinoids and terpenes, which basically means weak bud. When Is the Ideal Time to Harvest? The ideal time to harvest is different for everyone depending on overall preferences and strain types. It really comes down if you’re looking for an energetic high or a more relaxing couch-lock effect. The general guideline is to harvest when the majority of the trichomes (90% or more) turn from a milky white to an amber hue if you want a more relaxing effect. If you prefer the highest level of THC and just want to get high, you’ll want to harvest earlier when only about 70% of the trichomes have darkened to amber and the rest are still milky white. How to Choose a Magnifying Tool for Your Trichomes The very last trichome topic we’ll cover is how to choose the right magnifying tool. Never rely solely on the human eye to examine trichomes and determine when it’s time to harvest – this more often than not results in poor judgment. A quality magnifying glass is usually enough for a beginner grower, but more advanced growers with high numbers of plants and commercial operations generally opt for a digital microscope instead. https://spacecoastdaily.com/2020/11/all-about-cannabis-trichomes-the-incredible-chemical-factories-of-marijuana/ Bongme

Coming up to four weeks into flower, another four or five to go, a white widow photoperiod. My first grow. Is this a waste of energy for my plant? Should I be trimming more of these fan leafs? or will it stunt the growth and flower of the plant?

Hey Guys and Gals , First time grower and afternoon a bit of advice. Growing SensiSeed White Label, White Diesel Haze, I’m getting close(ish) to harvest and I’ve read trichomes is the best way to time your harvest for max strength and yield. Now I get the thinking behind it, just wanted to know what stage you wait for before you start flushing. Im growing in coco, so I’m thinking a 10 day flush, a lot can change in 10 days. So I’m wondering at what stage trichomes colours do you begin the flush to time it right, not too many ambers, nice and milky. here’s a few pics of my trichomes , these pics are from the actual bud , not the sugar leaves as I’ve heard the leaf trichomes mature earlier than the bud. Just want you opinions and thoughts on timing the flush

Hi all, I'm looking to pull my grow asap as it's in poly outside and light is sparse and doesn't look like it's improving anytime soon. Temps are also dipping. Here are some of the latest pics, 1-22. I will take more tomorrow if I haven't pulled the already. Thanks for any help, it's greatly appreciated

I'm a new grower and I'm currently looking at my first ever live, growing buds. I've spent the past week squinting through a 30x loupe trying to figure out how to actually see what's going on with my trichomes. I know people on this forum must be fed up to the back teeth of having to say " get a loupe, clear, milky, amber etc" so I struggled on and tried to sort it out myself. My eyes are not that great but I'm far from blind. I wear varifocals for astigmatisms and long-sightedness. I really didn't know where I should be looking on the plant, so I started off looking at the smaller sugar leaves and then seeing under magnification that I could see the surface of buds, pistils and all sorts of crevasses and niches and everything was covered in trichomes and other small, hair-like structures. I read that many of these structures are not trichomes and do not get swollen heads. On looking with the LEDs dimmed down low and my head in the grow room I really couldn't tell if the trichomes were clear or milky and strangely enough I was sure there were amber trichomes too... lots of them! I realised that I was actually trying to look while using far too much light. Redness from brown pistils and leaf edges in the background of my view through the loupe was illuminating the trichomes and making them look amber. Now this is where I had to get my head down and do some long observations in different situations to try and make the job easier. I've found that having the plant with good daylight behind it - (I had my plant up near the net curtains with slightly overcast weather outside) was just the right light. I then made sure that I was looking at the trichomes on the buds side-on with the diffused daylight behind them. I then found that trichomes that I could have sworn were milky, were in fact still clear. Looking all over my plant I soon found the same result on all the buds but my plant is trained as a table-top and nearly all the buds are at the same height. I should mention that I still could see nothing without my glasses. When I wore them I had the lowest part of the varifocals (for close up) looking through the loupe. It still takes some practice to get the trichomes into sharp focus but if you keep at it you will definately get there in the end. This is not an easy skill to just pick up (my eyes feel strained from learning) but when I started I thought it was impossible and now I feel far happier - so don't give up. In retrospect I should have started looking far earlier so that I could see the stages of trichome growth. Perhaps my 30x loupe is not the perfect tool for this, there are small microscopes and higher magnification loupes available but a 30x does seem to suffice. I hope this is some help to other struggling newbies out there as I was beginning to get worried that I was unable to see properly and that my plant had gone over. Now that I have figured it out the last part of my first grow is going far less stressfully.

Amber Trichomes! This Amber Trichs malarkey, its an Urban Myth IMHO. Fact is, some strains never go milky let alone amber. And in other strains, amber only happens when the plant is almost dead and well past its sell by date. So how can one tell when a plant is "ready"? Let's talk about "Ripeness" instead. When is a plant "Ripe"? 56 days? 63? 77? When the pack says? When your mate down the pub who has been growing for a hundred years says it is? Nope, none of the above! Its ripe, when it meets the demands of the end user. What I like in my smoke, may not be what you like. The point being, you should "take" your plant down when she is ready to give you what you want. Maybe you like an "Up" High? take early. Maybe you prefer couch~lock? take late. When I'm growing a strain or a donated cut for the first time, this is how I determine the harvest time: I take a branch off at day 56 and dry it as usual. Then another is taken on day 63, and another on day 70, and then (if I thinks its needed) day 77, and so on. Slow dry and cure as usual, making sure that each sample is carefully labelled. Smoke testing soon discovers which Branch I like best. Once I have isolated which branch is best for me, then I have my harvest time for future crops. And I haven't examined a single trich! Not done so for ten years or more now. Unless I do it just to see what's going on, or to decide if the plant is a decent hash source (not all plants are). The thing is, we grow for personal consumption. So the one and only person who can tell you when your weed is ripe, is .... You! Forget the packet, forget your mates (down the pub or grow shop or wherever), and forget that book you read about growing cannabis last year. Read the plant, and read yourself. These two alone are your authoritative guides! Everyone else can go and do their own thing. You aren't growing for them, you are growing for yourself!