Another week has gone by, and I harvested the top of the front bud (sadly didn't take any pictures). It had about 10% amber, 80% milky, and 10% clear trichomes, making it perfect for a small micro-harvest. The wet weight was 13g, which has now dried down to 4g. Looking back, I kind of regret it, but in the end I didn’t waste anything and learned some things about drying this way, which was actually helpful. With surgery in two weeks, I have to finish harvesting before then, and I wanted to try it out now rather than later, so it’s okay, I guess.
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As for the rest of the plant, it’s still looking good. It's interesting that only the front bud was ready; the rest still need more time. The biggest bud, in particular, is nowhere near ready. I'll be harvesting the rest at the end of next week and will see how it goes. Unfortunately, I can't wait any longer, but I think she'll be ready by then.
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For the drying process, since I'll be away for at least a week, my plan is to cut her off at the stem and hang her upside down in my tent for a slow dry. I might also remove some fan leaves.
I’ll trim her once she's dry.
@allways_beginner, No I didn't flush her. Haven't dived into drying yet. Will definitely do some research there. My initial plan was just to trim the branches and hang them in the tent until they are dry, but it sounds like there might be a better way to go about it.
Thanks for your input!
those amber leave trichomes are mostly possible due to friction with your hands or tools when you check the plants...
wait at least 3 more weeks until she stop producing new flowers (white pistils) then check bud trichomes, not leaves (leaves are most susceptible to friction)
overall is looking fantastic! good job