I've always been checking trichomes color on leaves (by snipping a bit off and sticking under a microscope), and I was wondering if that's a good way to check for "ripeness", or do you have to check the trichomes on the buds themselves? The reason I ask is because I recently checked the trichomes on the leaves of my Satori, and they appear to be 90% milky white, with a few amber. However, it's only day 54 of flowering, and Satori is supposed to take 65-70 days to finish. Also, the hairs on the plant are mostly white still, with just a few starting to turn a bit brown, so I'm pretty sure it's not ready yet. This makes me think that perhaps checking the trichomes on the leaves isn't accurate. Unfortunately, I don't have a good way of checking the ones on the buds, as I can't hold the microscope steady enough over the bud, and I don't want to snip off a bud to test it.
I have always pulled off a bud leaf and looked at that - much easier - I have compared bud leaf and actual bud trichomes and they always look to be at the same stage.
dont use a microscope, use a jewelers loop, and you should check the buds because thats what your gonna smoke, for some strains the tricomes on the buds and leaves are at the same stage, but not all strains have this convenice
DO use a microscope, DON´T use a jewellers loupe (sp.) you will see the trichomes MUCH better. I do have a watchmakers eyeglass ( X9) which I use to sex the preflowers, but use my microscope for the trichomes.
I'm in the "fuck it, use both" camp as well... it's all personal preference. I mean, they both do the same thing. For me, loupes are much easier to use without disturbing the plants. Use whatever works best for you. I recommend checking the trichomes on the buds.. like unseensecret said, you want to check what you'll be smoking, and the leaves and buds are not always at the same stage of ripeness. In my experience, or maybe just with my strains, the leaves tend to go amber much faster than buds, and are a poor indication of when the plant is ready. When my buds are 50% amber (which is when I like to harvest), the trim leaves are sometimes at 90% or so.
I know this thread is old but I feel I need to put my input here just in case other people ask about Trichome development, especially on leaves. Now I'm no expert at growing and it is my first grow. Ok, I'm growing Cheese at the moment and I'm 3 weeks away from harvest. I checked on the trichome development this morning using a 100x pocket microscope and the trichomes on the leaves on some of my babies are amber, some are black but on my buds the trichomes are pure clear some turning milky. So i find it pays to check your buds trichomes and not to fret too much about trichomes on your leaves.
you can 100% do either. If you have a magnifying glass, and you can hold the buds very still, go ahead and use magnifying glass on the buds.. If you have a microscope, or some sort of viewing device that works better if you put the material between 2 flat peices of glass, you can use a leaf, or even flatten a calyx that is pulled off of a nug. in short, either works fine.
you check what your going to smoke if you are going to smoke leafs then check them if you are going to smoke buds then check them