The key to knowing when to harvest your plant is to study the trichomes. You'll want some type of magnification. A jeweler's loope or digital microscope are best but you can get by with a magnifying glass. Check your buds in multiple areas and look at the color of your trichomes- clear=under ripe, cloudy=fully ripe, amber=little past ripe, grey=severely over ripened. It will look like a mix of 2 or 3 of these, it's up to you to decide what the majority is and chop based off the effect you want.