Hey to all you fellow growers my question is and please not knock me for not having $$$.I can't afford the micro scope or magnifying glass to look at my trichs is there another way to determine if the plant is ready to harvest of course the other things first like flushing and then total darkness for ? amount of hours sorry for being broke but I'm a disable vet with limited resources mostly everything was given to me.I'm growing a mother super rhino in a soil mixture of kellogs potting soil and perlite a 60/40 and some fox farm nutes and am finishing with molasses.The top bud looks cloudy like milky but the sides seem to be clear looking through the reflection of the sun,some red hairs on the buds,but I'm looking for a head high not as much as couch lock and it's been flowering since july 17 just to give you guys an ideal about the time and any info or ideals would be great and thank you for your time.
I would say without seeing anything and coming from an untrained eye... I put mine in flowering on June 20th, one finished and was harvested this last week the other has atleast another week or two to finish. So although I cant see your plant, the days seem short to me. But theres a bunch of things! Are the pistils (hairs) turning brown? About how much % of them are white to brown? Are your larger lower fan leaves turning yellow?
If the hairs/pistils were mostly amber, I would take a small sample and cure it quickly (break it apart and dry it for a couple days or use the water cure method); then give it a go and see how it goes. By your description of some milky, some clear, I would say it has a few more weeks to go.
Looking at the trichs under magnification is the only reliable way to know. Otherwise, no one would say to do it. You can buy a jeweler's loupe off ebay with free shipping for under $2, you can't afford that?
Sadly I have been in your pos. before. And yes there have been times where between tuition and bills 2 bucks seems like a lot. Tosty guy is right the only reliable way is through scoping the trich. but I have during the harder times snipped a piece did a quick dry and tested. Could not really tell you if I harvested it at the right time but it did give me a gage of what I was in for if I harvested now or waited. It is worth a shot if you have no other option.