Harvest the tops first.

I’m getting close to harvest. 3 or more weeks. Wondering who harvests the whole plant and who harvests the tops first.

I tend to harvest the tops and leave the lower canopy stuff to ripen another week or two. Trying to get better on my defoliation/topping so I don’t have to wait for tiny bottom nugs

It depends on the plant. Or personal preference. Or the level of patience a person has. Sometimes I will do it, sometimes I won't. My reasons vary.
Currently I'm trying to decide. As my girls are almost finished with some stragglers in between the larger more ripened buds.

I suppose in the end my mind gets made up by educated guess. If the vast majority of bud is fully mature, cut the good ones. And look over the rest. If it looks like a lot of smaller stuff that's going to take longer I just wait longer for the whole plant. The tops aren't going to get hurt by waiting a week. And as the smaller buds and lowers come along you could be pleasantly surprised by the tops getting larger too.

On many grows I found the lowest branches to be ready first. FYI, I use a microscope to check trichs

Why leave that lower stuff? Trim it off let the top canopy get nice and fat nugs. Leaving the bottom nodes just takes away from the top, right?

I usually just smoke the tops, any bottom nugs/popcorn done or not goes for bubble hash. It's too much work to just harvest the tops and wait till the popcorn is done, I always have more than enough tops to smoke for myself. Or if you defoliate like the other guys suggested that would work. An extra week or two to fatten up popcorn buds seems like a waste of time.

themda said:

I tend to harvest the tops and leave the lower canopy stuff to ripen another week or two. Trying to get better on my defoliation/topping so I don’t have to wait for tiny bottom nugs

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Same.

Depends on the plant. If it is just a few smaller popcorn nugs down low I usually just snip them off with the leaves. Anything that is just white hairs I'll chop off. You can tell if its going to be worth the effort.

If it's half the plant, then hell yes harvest what is done and let the rest go. I've actually had some damn good smoke come from this. Let the bottom half go about 2 more weeks. The WEED WAS KILLER!!!!