Hi,
What a journey! This is my first grow. I am growing autflowers wedding cake, gelato and zkittelz. I feel that I should wait a bit on the wedding cake and the zkittelz but cut the gelato.
Zkittlez:
Thanks for the help! I am so close to the end of this first grow, I am nervous to mess it up 
Congratulations on your 1st grow , I agree a little time would be good. Also post up a picture of the whole plant. 
Good job so far. You still have some time left, weeks possibly, but can’t tell for sure without some pictures of the whole plant and pictures of trichomes.
What I finally got into my thick skull was not to even think about harvest until 95% of the pistils are not white any more but are darker and are shriveling up and retracted.
Good luck. Just gotta be patient. (That’s the kettle calling the pot black) , Ha!!!
Yeah I don’t even break out my microscope until around 95% of the hairs have turned brown and receded back into the calyx’s. Patients is what’s needed it could be the difference between just ok weed and really good weed.
All those are too early to even consider yet. Agree that +90% pistils should be darkened and shriveled.
Great looking beautiful and still young in my eyes
Here are the whole plants. They went through hell and back as I learned about mineral content and light and then my cat pulled the irrigation system while I was out for a few weeks. But they pulled out and seem to be on final phase.
Zkittelz
Yeah , cannabis plants are pretty tough. Plants need a few more weeks to finish up. You will
have a nice harvest. Good luck
Me again the gelato seems to have changed in the last few days. Most of the pistils seems brown to me or maybe I am getting anxious. New pics here:
You’re getting anxious, you want nearly all those pistils to turn brown and recede back into the calyx’s then start checking trichomes for cloudy to amber to get the kind of affect you’re looking for.
Thanks @plumbdand ! This is such a hard part for me to figure out. I have read books and posts, watch videos and I am still struggling understanding exactly what it is supposed to look like. People like you and the community here have been soooo helpful!! Thank you for taking the time to help noobs like me and happy new year!
Just piping in here to say I’m right there with you @Mbenita I too am a noob trying to judge those trichomes. Beautiful plants! 
I believe that based on all the comments and my reading I should continue to hold tight.
I try to let all the pistils darken. As long as there are noticeable new pistils, the bud is getting bigger.
Trichs dictate when to chop though.
Ok. Not sure if this is close or ready: i am starting to see some amber (I think) but I have to look for it.
@HMGRWN or @plumbdand I just heard back from the a pot for pot support team (I will take help from everyone:)) and they say that this one is ready to cut. I would love a second opinion. Thank you!
I would say that you are probably within the “window” for harvest. The high you get will be determined by how long you wait. Cut now for more of a “head high” and wait a week or so for the “body high”. You can also cut some buds now and let some ripen a while longer.
