final run before harvest

first timer here. Had two plants, and i harvested one early at about 6.5 weeks, mainly out of impatience combined with not having any weed. It has a nice high to it, but it definitely wasn't fully ready as I hope the second plant will be. The second plant is looking good, and just over seven weeks into flower. The flower period for the strain is 8 weeks...

I have been reading some stuff, and hearing about leaving the plant in complete darkness for days or even a week or two before harvest. Something about stressing into resin production for the final week. Is this a good thing to do? Since my plant is over seven weeks in and the flower period is 8 weeks, is this something I should consider doing soon? or do I wait until the plant looks ready, and then leave it in the dark for days after it looks ready? I have already been flushing with straight water and a little molasses for the last two waterings... no more nutes...Just basically looking for help/info on what to do leading up to ripe time for harvest.

side note....i have even seen a video on youtube, I cant remember the link, where a guy would actually stick a steak knife straight through the base of the main stalk at the end of the cycle and just leave it there. The expressed theory behind this was that it would stress the plant to thinking it was under attack, which would boost the energy to resin production to protect the seeds. what do you think about that?

i have noticed have noticed that if the seed bank tells you its a 8 week strain let it go 9, easiest way is buy a pocket microscope I wait till trichs go 6o percent amber and harvest. then I will leave the plants 3 days in the dark and put Ice bags on the soli 3 times a day. I read somewhere that the plant will produce more resin with cold temps at end of harvest and I think the resin glands are fotosensitive?

While Tribal is right about getting a pocket microscope do not wait until the triches are 60% amber. Read up on what amber trichomes mean.

• The third state is amber. Amber trichomes contain degraded THC --> CBN. CBN represents a loss of 90% potency (from THC).
  CBN is not desirable in any harvest, since it not only represents a huge loss of potency but research into the substance has also shown that CBN does not produce a high like THC does, CBN produces a more sickly feeling not a true high.​
  
  
  
  

I'd wait until you have 5-10% amber, but your main goal should be getting as many cloudy trichomes as possibles.

The control experiments I've read say there wasn't any noticeable difference after leaving a plant in darkness. Gotta remember the mind is a powerful thing. A perceived difference may not be an actual difference. I have read that chlorophyll is produced during the light hours so it may be best to harvest right before the lights come on that day.

There was also a thread open here for a few months about doing the steak knife through the plant thing. Long story short, don't.

When wondering about what you should do to get your plants to produce more think about what real gardeners do with other plants besides cannabis. You ever hear of sticking a hatchet in an orange tree to get larger/sweet oranges? Or putting strawberries in the dark for a week? Light, nutrients, water is all you need.

Personally I would of used nutrients until the final week when you're sure how close the plant is to being finished. You're plant could have 3 weeks left and all you've done is starve it.

Best way to know when your plants are ready is to look at the hairs(that they're mostly receded) and the trichomes.