Help With When To Harvest - Auto-Flower Plant

[fvitterbi]

Need some help here, I've read all the advice:
but still not sure when to harvest...

Please see the plant pictures below. This is an Auto-Flowering Amnesia Haze plant
from a reputable seed bank, growing outdoors in the Carribean.
It is now entering Week 9 and is 22.5" tall.

They say that auto-flower plants generally grow for 1 month and then flower for 2 months.
So this would theoretically give this plant 1 more month to go.

And They say that you should harvest when 90% of the white pistils have changed to orange.
But if you look closely, almost one half of the pistils have changed color. 90% will probably be orange in only 1 week!

However, the buds on this plant are still super small, probably only weighs 10 grams dried if harvested right now, even in 2 weeks i can't imagine we'll be looking at more than 15 grams... And I am reading that most people are harvesting several ounces or more from their auto-flowering plants or at least one ounce.

How much time do you think I have left before I should harvest?

FYI-The plant is very healthy, only had some issues with leaf miners but i took care of those with neem oil pretty quickly... it does rain a lot in the caribbean so the soil is always wet and it's a bit gloomy , this might affect yield a bit.

 

[TheChanger]

Use a jewelry microscopic and look at the trichomes under 40x and check if they are clear or milky white. Also should 50% amber colored trichs

Sent from my SM-J320P using 420

 

[TheChanger]

If milky white then ready. But if not let her rock out, my first guess by looking at her she needs more time. You will know when i also like to do two great things i learned. One starve her of water the last 3 to 4 days and 24 hours of darkness the last night. The reason being no water will make her think she is dying so a layer of resin (thc) will be added for protection. Same goes for the dark period.

Sent from my SM-J320P using 420

 

[AKgramma]

She def has a ways to go. She's not even using up her fan leaves yet. Some autos bolt right to harvest, others take their sweet time.

 

[Brewer]

sorry, seems you knew about the leaf miners.
didn't see any text first time I scrolled through.

 

[fvitterbi]

Hey guys thanks so much , i'll definitely try that, yes i heard flush with water 10 days b/f harvest, then starve of water/nutrients is the best way, ill add that 24 hour dark kick

1) So when you say using up the fan leaves what do you mean exactly? When it's ready to be harvested the fan leaves essentially fall off? or basically get very limp and change from dark green to medium green (the latter is starting to happen)

2) I've heard that the right way to harvest is to harvest the portions that need to be harvested first (mainly the top half of the plant), and then the bottom half later. So this would mean cutting the plant at its stem half way down and then letting the other half go for maybe 2 more weeks more or less....or what is the best way to go about this?

For example, Check out the attached pics, this is the 2nd seed i had planted of the Amnesia Haze, it has somehow matured more quickly in the past week, so again... Amnesia Haze Autoflower from 420 (top 10 seed distributor) 2 feet tall, Sativa Dominant, The main cola is less than 1/4 ounce right now if dried, most of the pistils have now receded into the buds and are orange. But the bottom half of the plant still has 2 or 3 weeks to go.

if I harvest the plant right now i'm probably looking at 1/2 ounce total.. not sure what will happen if I clip it half way, maybe the bottom ones will turn into big colas?...but is this even worth my time? I only have space for 6 plants (and that's the max legal where i'm at ), maybe i should just harvest the whole thing and plant another?
FYI-i took this picture inside with a flash, so it's obviously not that milky white in reality,

3) overall how much longer do you think this plant has from your experience? I have the jewelers microscope, but with outdoor this seems like more of an art than a science

thanks again guys, every reply so far has been great

You will see 3 photos below,
1) top cola
2) bottom of plant
3) full plant