I have been flushing my first Northern Lights plant for about a week now as it is getting ready to harvest. I spent some time checking out the trichomes this morning and @jonyoudyer says I have about a week left until the trichomes are at their peak and the plant should have its highest levels of THC and other cannabinoids.
The trichomes are almost all milky white, but I want to wait until I have some that are amber colored on the tips as well. When the trichomes transition from the milky white to an amber color, the cannabis has more of a "couch lock" type of feeling and is better for sleep.
Since I use most of my cannabis for sleep and pain management, I think having a nice balance of milky trichomes and amber ones will be the most beneficial for me. It is crazy to think that after all this time, I am almost done with this plant and will be moving on to the next step in the growing process.
It will probably take about 5-7 days for it to dry enough to begin the curing process. Then I plan on curing for at least a month or two. I will probably have a jar that I cure for 3 months too just to see what the difference in strength and taste will be with a longer cure.