First Timer - Amnesia Haze Auto

Thank you to all that have helped me along this journey. All of the answers, tips, comments, likes, and other diaries have been so very motivating to me. I originally started this diary only for my own reference but I'm so pleased to have learned that others have found it helpful or interesting, for whatever reason. If you're curious about equipment see the germination page and if you have questions feel free to drop me a line. So, without further ado: Jan 19 Day 105 Harvest day! 🎉🎉 Not really knowing how to tackle the situation, I started by cutting all of the fan leaves I was able to reach. Then, I cut each branch working from the perimeter inward - which due to the way she grew, was essentially the same as working from the bottom branches of the meristem to the top. Each branch was cut, cleaned, and handled individually before moving on to the next. Decided to wet-trim most of the branches, leaving 4 fairly untouched (only fan leaves were removed). Will be interested to see the differences, if any. They're all drying/hanging near the grow tent ~45%RH, 72F (22C). It isn't completely dark though, as some light is escaping the tent into the closet where they are hanging. I'm hoping this isn't terrible but I'll be keeping my eye on them. The process took the better part of an evening but I was cautiously learning, taking breaks, and generally being fairly slow. I'm sure I'll be faster and more confident next time. Jan 27 Day 113 Drying is complete, I think. Branches were hung and dried for 8 days in a consistent 68F (20C) 40% RH. They were determined to be dried after hearing a snap when bending (not breaking) large stems and buds felt dry to touch. Sugar leaves bordering on crispy while buds still had some give / fluffiness. The flowers from previously manicured branches were relatively easily plucked. However, the dry trimming process for the unmanicured branches proved to be a bit of a pain. They have been placed in a pyrex container to cure. I'm hoping flavors and aromas that are currently lacking will develop in time. 🤞 --- Stats --- Veg time: ~45 days. Flowering time: ~60 days. Height ~18in., ~46cm. Main Bud Length: ~9in., 23cm. Harvested 16 Hangable branches and a few extra medium/small buds. Bud Wet Weight, with stems: 242g, ~8.5oz. Larf/Popcorn Sugar-leaf Wet Weight (not counted above): 18g, ~0.6oz. Leaf/Waste Wet Weight: 38g, ~1.3oz. Drying time: 8 days. Dried Weight with Stems: 70g, ~2oz. Trimmed and Dried Total Bud Weight: 50g, ~1.75oz. --- Thoughts in hindsight --- Firstly, I can't believe I haven't tried growing sooner. So rewarding in so many ways! My initial hope was to harvest an oz., so I am obviously quite happy we could surpass that mark by a good margin. This is a testament to the plant more than me of course, as I was completely inexperienced and was purposefully as hands-off as I could be comfortable with throughout her growth. I can only imagine things will improve with time. Paper-towel germination seems to be prone to more stress for myself and arguably the seedling as well. Floating in 1% H2O2 solution seems to be ideal for me. I made bad soil choices. This mixture seemed to be too dense, leading to some watering/strangulation issues mid-growth. My 2nd grow consisting of mostly coco coir seems healthier and seems easier to maintain proper hydration. Coco might also be reusable while this soil definitely seems spent now. I didn't respect pH at first and initial testing was eye-opening. That said, after simply testing water and fertilizer readings a few times, I gradually felt more comfortable with guestimating during most feedings, only testing sporadically later in her life cycle. This seemed to be fine and was a bit of a relief after early testing proved tedious every feed. I've been happy with Better-Gro orchid fertilizer. This is of course contrary to most advice, which I admit is probably for good reason. That said though, I didn't notice any major toxicities or deficiencies during her grow. So, these products seem to have worked for me and are so much more affordable than cannabis-specific fertilizers. I was quite weary about not having cal-mag, but this never seemed to be an issue in this particular case. However, I'll be keeping a similar eye on my 2nd grow in coco, which I understand may need it. Training and pruning is important. This plant was quite bushy and wild likely resulting in quite a bit of unnecessary larf/popcorn. Not to mention the additional time needed to trim when harvesting. Also regarding training, pipe cleaners can leave noticeable cuts in the stem they hold. Thickly coated flexible garden wire would likely be ideal. I need to get a loupe or magnifying attachment for the phone. Digital zoom with shaky hands is not great for checking trichomes and my 3x magnifying glass just doesn't cut it. I cannot speak toward potency or yield without more experience, but simply for the sake of a greener hue, I think I could've harvested her a week earlier. Because I left a few branches untended during dry, I was able to experience both the wet and dry trimming processes. Unless keeping leaves for extra humidity during drying, I seem to prefer wet trimming as the still supple leaves were easier to remove with less bud handling. I'll add more thoughts if/when they come. Thank you again for stopping by! 👋