No this isn't my first grow but this is my first personal grow. I have a been growing with a big collective for over 2 years now, my buddy that started the collective has a degree in chemistry so I've picked up lots of things from him . This is my first time growing these strains thought. Yea I completely agree with you on the trichomes. I am more of a sativa guy so im prolly do try to chop em lil early either 50/50 or 40/60 or maybe ill let the bottom half go all the way amber so I got both of best worlds.
Our collective crops will be done a in a few weeks also so ill have some sativa to smoke also. We have sour diesel and purple rkle going under 12k hps right now. Got a lil under 8 lbs of 4000k last harvest so were doing mostly SD this run and only 2k erkle. I have also grown green crack, trainwreck and this crossed strain hybrid I forgot the name. The strains in my closet r platinum bubba, san fernando valley og, pre 98 Bubba (origina bubba), blackberry og and the other 2 minis r either madman og or sfv (forgot to label). Everything in the closet is on week 5 also, all the same age except the minis.
The clones I got were from a dispensary but I was lucky enough to get to meet the actual grower and got to see his op in person so I knew the clones were real. He's got moms of the PBK, SFV og and Pre98 so I can get more soon. But yeah its def gotten a lot easier then it has before.
I just a took a rip of the PBK for my first hit of the day and its a very strong indica high already. as for the taste on the blackberry, I honestly didn't taste a difference between any of em. I did quick dry em in the same paper bag tho and not really cured so im sure when dried correctly and cured it will bring it out the flavor.
I also pruned off some more lil guys that I missed yesterday and a couple actual marble sized nugs that just had too thin of stems. Im sure ill be able to get more taste out these because there's a actually some bud on these.