Now it's time to reap the rewards of all your hard work!

Towards the end of your flush you need to start checking the trichromes with a strong magnifying glass or a microscope.

If you have a camera with macro capabilities you can use that to inspect the buds.

You are looking for the trichromes to turn from clear to cloudy. I like my mostly Indicas with a little amber in the trichromes but I like my Sativas so that the trichchromes are just starting to turn cloudy.

If you harvest early in the window the high will be more of a head high. Also the more you smoke the higher you get. This is called the ceiling of the high. Sativas are well known for this type of high.

If you harvest later in the window you will get more of a body high. You know that couch lock feeling you get when you smoke a lot of hash like bud. Indicas and Afghani are the strains I think of for a body stone.

Now you have to factor in the fact that different strains are a mixture of Indica and Sativa. Then take into account that each strain takes a different amount of time to finish and you can have your hands full in no time.

So it's a personal thing, not an exact science. You choose what you like best. There is no exact day you can harvest but the time when you harvest effects the final high of the bud.

For me it works out like this. I like two main types of medicine. The first is better for the day. The second works better for the evening.

My more Sativa strains are harvested at the early side of the window. This gives me that soaring, energetic high that keeps climbing the more you smoke. It's great for work and play.

At around 9 weeks the more Indica strains are very finished. This is late in the window for them. The high is very body like and medicinal. It works great for pain and nausea. Or when you need to get to sleep.

You get the best of both worlds at 9 weeks.

Time to cut.

So now we have watched the trichromes and decided it is time to cut our babies.

Use some gardening shears and just cut them off at the base. Once you cut all the plants turn off the pump and let the roots dry out. That way it is not so messy with wet slimy roots everywhere.

You have two options with the plants.

1) Hang the plants to dry and trim the buds later.

Advantage: Hanging them up allows the maximum drying time. This allows the plants to get rid of any leftover nutrients in the buds so they taste nice and sweet.

Disadvantage: It takes longer to dry this way. It is harder to trim the buds. You have to watch for mold. A longer drying time could allow mold to develop.

2) Trim the buds now and put them on a screen to dry.

Advantage: It is a lot easier to trim the buds when they are fresh. Mold problems disappear. Faster drying time. If you need smoke, trim first.

Disadvantage: Not much if you have flushed properly. The buds could dry too fast. Crispy on the outside and wet on the inside. Putting the buds in a brown paper bag can be used to slow the dry down.

Both trimming methods work well and I really can't tell the difference in taste.

It's a lot easier to pull a plant and trim it right then. That way you are done right away and can move on to maintenance.