OK, I've got my RadioShack 100x-60x Microscope and a plant in her early part of her 8th week. I'm trying to look at the trichomes on the buds ON the plant and OMFG! Just when I'm right the spot it moves. Some buds look more done then others when you just look at the buds, others not so much. So I guess you cut them off to look at them? Do you just get a small one that looks as ripe as most and cut and view it? Or just lay off the coffee to check trichomes on the plant?
Yes, it's better to take a small part of a bud from the plant (that is, if you can't move the plant ie. hydro). If you examine the trichomes on the plant, the lamp that you are using for flowering can alter the proper colour of the trichomes.
I like to take a small clipping from a bud leaf and place it on a black background to view it with the RS Mini Scope.......you'll get a crazy view of the trichs.
I bought the exact same scope last week and went through the same thing....I then decided on the following which works great.... 1). With scissors clip a tiny leaf from a nice bud, clip a white and red hair if you can 2). I place the clippings on my glass top desk and then place the scope directly over the clippings 3). I always keep mine on 100x....focus on the trics and you will go...ohh..ahh...cool 4). Now take a piece of white paper, business card, etc and slide it under the trics under the glass and the amber trics light up. It's very cool because you are looking at one thing and when you slide the white background under the glass the amber trics that you did not see show up.... The white also acts as a refelctor and makes the trics shine better....but being able to move the white paper back and forth is beneficial as things appear that are not normally there.....dude... If you do not have a glass table top then use a black background and then a white background to bring all colors out....
2 things I've found Backround color can give you a false reading, heed the advice above KEEP IT ON THE TABLE. One finger on it so nothing moves and THEN look. I wonder how many people have paid the $12, walked up to the plant with the scope, tried to look and got too dizzy and gave up? Too many I'm sure.
i do it differently than most I suppose.... first, I use a CMH, which has a far superior color rendering index (CRI), so the colors are not distorted and tinted amber as if I used a hps. anyhow, what I find works well with the radio shack scope is to adjust the zoom and focus away from the plant. Like, look at your fingertip, with the finger about a half inch from the scope...no contact. Once this is focuses on the desired zoom, go look at your plant. You need to reach the same 0.5" distance, but this way you can examine any and every bit of your plant without clipping it...or even touching the scope to it (i say this because if youre not careful, youll de-capitate the trichomes )
I'm going to give that a try Amoril, thanks. I bet it would take a little practice but one thing I've found as a first time grower is that there is no shortage of time,lol
Thanks guys! I did both on and off the plant, looks like a little longer. I've had a lower branch wilt on me yesterday. Theirs some decent bud on it, so after no change over night I snipped it. The rest look just fine. I did just adjust the Ph, it's the only plant I have in soil and hadn't been checking the Ph much ( it was a bit low).
I just smoked that bud,nice buzz, no flavor. I'm sure that will come with some proper dry and cure! By the looks of the trics I think I'll be cutting her by this weekend!