The harvest date decides what all the work of the previous months is worth. It is also the subject on which the most simple rules circulate, and on which research is the most cautious. This step gives you what is established, what is not, and how to decide anyway.
Trichomes and what they really tell you
Glandular trichomes are the structures that produce and store the compounds you care about. They develop through successive stages, from bulbous forms to capitate-stalked forms, and it is this last category that carries the bulk of production.
Observing them requires magnification. The glands measure between 40 and 110 micrometres in diameter, and their density is counted in dozens per square millimetre: with the naked eye, you see nothing usable. A strong loupe or a pocket microscope is part of the basic equipment, not of the accessories.
