
The ideal harvest time is when the plant gives you the effect you want. If you are a recreational user, then yes maybe the clear to slightly amber may give you the enjoyment you want. On the other hand, if you are a medical user and want relief from pain, particularly nerve pain, you want to let them go until you have at least 10-15 percent amber, many growers let them go way more than that for pain relief. True, amber trichs are the result of breakdown of THC. However, it degrades into other active components, CBD etc., which is what gives you the pain relief you are looking for. Nobody can or should say that another grower has let harvest go too long, because they do not know what effect is desired. The 100 plus days my grow took was very carefully monitored by viewing trichs with a digital microscope, then vaping the sample to see the effect. Some autos never do amber up much at all, but will give you an amber like effect, hence the actual sampling along the way. Recreational users tend to favor the heady sativa type high, while medical users tend to favor the amber indica high. Beings you chose a prodominantly indica strain and stated you wanted meds, I think you are going to be looking at the longer time period. I am no rookie grower by any means, and almost all of my grows go at least 2 weeks and usually 3-4 weeks longer than the breeder claims. Keep in mind the breeders list harvest times based on perfect growing conditions usually with hydroponics. Everybodys grow techniques will give a slightly different result and can dramaticly affect length to harvest. You will dial in your techniques that work best for you in your environment and then you will better know what to expect when comparing breeder times to harvest to what you can actually expect from your grow. You have done a great job so far, don't let someone else tell you when is the best time to harvest. You have to determine that yourself based on the goal of your growing. Sampling along the way is the only way to know if is going to give you what you are looking for. It would be a shame to have gone this far, then end up harvesting on someone elses advise and not getting the meds you are wanting. And yes, you will have to support nearly every stalk. I put a dowl into the pot and use pipe cleaners to support the branches to the dowl. Keep up the great grow, take in and mull around everyones advise, then make your own decisions on how to proceed. Best of luck.