Sup N4W! Yeah man you're probably pretty close (now, I've been away for days so...). I like the idea of taking a sample when it gets close. Here's the thing, I haven't even looked a the trichomes on my current grown, and I know they're ready. They just LOOK ready. IDK how to explain it, you just get to know what a plant looks like when its ready, like certain things happen in accordance with being ripe. Like the hairs turn amber and then get pulled back into the bud. And all leaves dead. If you take a small sample around this time and like you what you smoke, harvest that shit!
Also important to note that not all autos will show coloring trichomes when ready.
If you haven't yet check out Muddy's thread:
https://www.autoflower.org/index.php?threads/when-to-harvest-autos-your-leaves-will-tell-you.4889/
Check out this link too.
http://tehbosh.blogspot.com/2010/04/harvest-time-or-is-it.html
