Is this a thing?
Should i chop the main cola off early if it is towering high above the rest of the plant?
Also just to mention these autos are tough. My humidity has been through the roof non-stop for weeks now, despite this and all the other beginner errors the plants have to endure they still look fairly healthy with some nice coloration.
I haven't chopped a cola off but I did chop the top half of the whole plant off.
The plant will think it's being eaten or damaged and if there is enough time in you grow left (since it's an auto) it may keep going without missing a beat. Just remember, Auto's genetics are still fairly new and a lot are unstable so my guess is that doing that may cause death or hermes on a lot of the stuff that's out there. I would not make a habit of it unless you are prepared to lose some plants and seeds.
I was sick of buying crap so I too smoked my first buds a day off the plant (just the tiny popcorn stuff). I will tell you this, if you didn't appreciate properly cured weed before, you will in the future. It will tare your throat up and the flavor and buzz won't be as prevalent. I am finding that my buds get better all the time the longer they sit in the jars (they are four months cured now). I would say that you SHOULD smoke some small buds all the way until you get them properly cured. YOU will be able to really know what a good cure is.
I will also add that if you are running out (I think we all suffer from this issue) so fast don't run autos. The yield is so much less than photos. I ran one hemp cultivar and got over 6 oz dry weight first run. Average was 2-3 oz dry cured weight on five plants in a 4x4. All photo, they were a bit tight. I only run two at a time now. Less pest pressure and more light and space means my Pink Cookies will be a large indica.
Hoping for the best.
Good Growing