It is odd, but for now focus on keeping things straight and finish it up properly.
For your next grow make sure to clean the room VERY well, use new medium and check for light leaks.
The best way I know to check for light leaks is to fire up the 600W, close the closet and shut the lights down in the room its in.
You should see if light escapes. In the same way light will enter.
As for harvesting, I tried on my run to do the job this way:
1. manicure everything.
2. shut the lights off for 2 days.
3. chop down and hang. (I let most dry on the screen itself as I ran a SCROG)
4. Wait a week or so. Let dry with only a small fan running in the room without reaching directly to the buds. When a branch snaps rather than bend it is dry enough to be smoked. It shouldn't snap completely but it should bend.
5. Chop down the big buds first and jar 'em up. You should always fill your jars LOOSLY (never press it down) and leave 20% (minimum) or air in the jar.
6. To chop the smaller buds chop the branch from the start and chop the buds directly to the jar.
7. Burp the jars daily for a week without moving stuff around if you don't have to. Then burp once every 3 days for the next 3 weeks. Then its good for long-term storage if needed.
While handling the crop use powder-less latex gloves and never press stuff down not to breake the trichomes.
The stuff that will stick to your gloves is VERY high quality hash - finger hash. Freeze the gloves for 12 hours or more and it should be peelable easly.
I also save the leaves - until 3-4 weeks before chopping it goes to the MJ compost pile. Then fan leaves are kept in a plastic bag for Butane Hash Oil making and the bud leaves are kept for water hash making.
This time I plan on drying down the leaves after making water hash and use them for BHO as well.
The leaves left after making BHO will join the compost pile.
That way you recycle (which is good for the planet), make some kickass fertilizer (which is good for your pocket and plants) and don't have to throw MJ plant matter to the garbage (at least much much less, which is good for your security). And of course - you make some BHO and hash. (Which is good for your head
)
The only con about it is the use of butane. Its not that cheap. But if you don't want to spend money on butane just use it in a separate batch of water hash making.