One of the most common questions when growing is should i harvest now or wait. When we think of harvest time we should be thinking of a window of time and not a set date. There are a few factors to look at from how many white pistils are left, bud size/are the calyxes swollen and most importantly the color of the trichomes. You should be using a Jewlers loop or a digital usb microscope (cheap on amazon) to be checking the trichomes. Trichomes that are clear haven’t yet reached peak potency. Trichomes reach peak potency when milky and begin to degrade from thc to cbn as they continue to age and turn amber. An acceptable harvest window would be from mostly milky with a small amount of clear/amber, to 50/50 milky to amber. This is where personal preference comes in, more amber and you get a more relaxing high. Its also important to take into account whether you are running an indica or sativa variety. An indica dominant plant can be harvested with mostly milky trichomes and still have a relaxing effect, while it might be better to wait for more amber trichs on a sativa dominant plant which will help to avoid a racy/anxious effect. After chopping the plants its time hang them to dry. 50% humidity at 65f is a good target to shoot for, it can take 7-14 days depending on the size of the plant/branch. Always trim after drying. Do not store buds that are too moist as they will quickly mold. Below are pics of an indica dom variety that is ready for harvest.
Photos courtesy of deezdankk of IG.