When To Harvest Your Cannabis

You just spent 3 or 4 months growing your prized cannabis plants and it's getting about that time for harvest! Exciting! But, if we harvest too early, the THC won’t be fully developed and not at it's peak. Harvest too late, it will begin to degrade into CBN.

Let's state the obvious...

Know the cannabis you are growing. Breeders will give you a window of flowering time specific to the strain you are growing. That will give you a ballpark on when your plants should be ready for harvest.

Some plants take longer while others are quicker. But the flowering time for a given strain is a good guide to help you along the way.

Leaves Turning Yellow

Fan leaves will turn yellow throughout a grow. However, when a plant’s life cycle draws to its natural end, more and more leaves will begin to turn yellow as the plant stops producing chlorophyll and ultimately prepares to die.

Again, this trait will not tell you exactly when to harvest, but rather can be taken as a sign that harvest time is close.

Pistils

The pistils are a more reliable way to tell that your plant is ripe for harvest. These little pollen-catching hairs begin life as white/translucent. As they mature, they turn opaque and take on a dark red-brown color. Generally, once around 90% of pistils have turned this color, the plant is ready for harvest.

Again, this can help you determine whether it's about time to harvest or not but it certainly isn't the best option for harvest rediness. Keep in mind, plants can continue to produce immature pistils, even if the rest of the plant is mature. That can lead to a bit of confusion on whether the plant is ready or not. So, let's talk trichomes.

Trichomes

Peering at the trichomes on your plants is the best way to determine if it's go time for harvest. You will need some sort of magnification to properly check your trichomes out. A jewlers loupe, a pocket microscope, or a macro lens for your phone to get up close and personal with your trichomes.

So what are you looking for?

When you look at the magnified trichomes you're looking specifically at the "bulbs" of the trichome. The ideal ratio for harvesting is:

• 70% cloudy/white

• 15% amber

• 15% clear

Trichomes don't lie. They'll tell you when the plant is ready to get the chop.

Preparing for Cannabis Harvest

A few essential pieces you will want as you get ready to harvest:

• Magnifying lens: A pocket microscope, magnifying glass, or smartphone camera will do the trick. These are used to inspect the trichomes.

• Trimming shears: A sharp and robust pair of shears or scissors is necessary to cut the plant up. Mature plants are tough and woody, so it's best advised not to get after it with a whimpy pair of scissors.

• Gloves: Gardening gloves can help when handling the sticky, trichome-covered branches.

  
  

• Work surface/area: A clear and clean work surface will help you progress through the stages of a harvest.

• Fan: A simple oscillating fan helps to circulate air when drying weed.

• Hangers: These allow you to hang the cannabis branches for proper drying.

  
  

• Containers: You’ll want to use glass, airtight jars, such as Mason jars, or humidity-contolled bags to securely cure your harvest.

How to Harvest Cannabis

Depending on the size and amount of plants you have, harvesting cannabis can be quite an involved process. Prepare to put some time and effort in. It's not called "Trim Jail" for nothing.

1. Cut the Branches

Cut each bud-laden branch off near the nodes (where the branch meets the main stem). Obviously you don't need to cut branches that don't have any buds on them. Once cut, lay branches in a collection tray. Be kind of gentle as you don’t want to damage the flowers.

Another option is to cut the whole plant, trim the fan leaves and leave it hang to dry and then do the final trim before jarring and curing.

2. Trim the Fan Leaves

The fan leaves are the large leaves that grow all over the plant. Cut them off but don't toss them in the compost pile! You can save them along with all the other trim to make tea, tincures, infused oil or cannabutter.

3. Trim Sugar Leaves

Now, before hanging, you need to trim the sugar leaves to reduce the chances of bud rot spoiling your harvest. Sugar leaves got their name from their dense covering of trichomes—so use them for something!

Cut the sugar leaves close to the bud, but be careful not to cut into the bud itself. Trimming is an art, and if you have a big plant or multiple plants, you're gonna get a lot of practice! Trimming correctly affects the way that buds dry and cure, which influences their final quality. A good trim can give buds that premium, top-shelf look. Some growers aren't looking to make Instagram-worthy photoshoots of their buds so it's not super important Some growers are looking to make their buds look extra-sexy and trimming correctly helps achieve that goal.

4. Hang the Branches

Hang the cannabis upside down with sufficient space between each branch. The environment should be at 65-70°F, 50% humidity, and preferably dark, as light can damage THC. Use the oscillating fan to keep airflow going around the room, as this will reduce the chances of bud rot. You don't want to blast them with air flow but you do want to keep the air moving a bit to help in the drying process.

5. Remember to save all that trim stuff

Wherever you’ve laid branches, such as the trays and work surfaces, there will probably be fallen trichomes. Slide all that stuff into your trim bag and turn it all into cannabutter or infused oil or tincure.

Trim It Up

There are two ways to trim your harvest: wet and dry.

Wet trimming is trimming up your flowers immediately after harvest when the moisture content is still high. This method helps the buds to dry a bit quicker and can help prevent mold from taking hold. The wet trim is a very sticky process. Gloves are a must. But you can make scissor hash out of the resin that glues itself to your scissors.

Dry trimming is trimming up your flowers after they’ve been dried. This method is better for when you’re dealing with a low humidity environment and less chance of mold. Dry trimming usually helps the buds to dry tighter and more compact.

Regardless of what method you opt for, the task is still the same. You have the choice of trimming off sugar leaves whilst buds are still attached to branches, or you can remove individual buds and clean them up separately.

Dry Your Buds

Drying cannabis is essential to preserving terpenes, aroma and helps prevent mold formation. Plus, smoking wet weed isn’t pleasant. If you’ve left your flowers on branches, then you’ll need to set up a space to hang them from - a clothes line type of set-up works great. Otherwise, simply place your buds on a drying rack.

For optimal results, cannabis should be dried slowly. It might seem easier to blast your buds in the oven, but this will only reduce the taste. Terpenes, the chemicals that give cannabis its flavor, are volatile and degrade at high temperatures. Dial in your drying space to around 70 degrees and humidity at 40-50%. If your readings are too high, use fans, air conditioning, and a dehumidifier. If they’re too low, install a heater and humidifier.

Drying usually takes between 2–7 days. Monitor your flowers closely each day and touch them to judge moisture levels. Eventually, stems and flowers should snap under force instead of bend. When this occurs, it’s time for the next step.

Cure It To Make It Smooooooth

Have you ever smoked some dank-looking weed only to find it tears your throat apart? That was some uncured or poorly-cured cannabis. Curing adds significant time to the end of the growing process, but it adds so much value to a harvest. It’s a prolonged drying process that removes moisture from the interior of flowers, something that drying alone cannot achieve.

Curing will enhance the flavor of your harvest and gift it with a smooth, pleasant smoke. It does this by breaking down molecules like chlorophyll that irritate the respiratory tract. The process is easy but it takes some patience. All you're gonna need are a few mason jars or humidity controlled bags like Grove Bags.

Load up each jar loosely to around 75% capacity, seal them closed, and store them in a cool, dark place. At first, the remaining moisture will move out from the inside of the buds, making your stash appear rehydrated. By opening the jars for a few minutes several times a day—a process known as burping—you’ll release this moisture and allow for fresh air exchange. Repeat this process during the first week.

During weeks two and three, you’ll only have to open your jars once a day for a few minutes as the moisture content decreases. After three weeks, your flowers will be sufficiently cured and will provide a smooth smoking experience. Some growers with considerable patience opt to increase the curing period for up to eight weeks to maximise flavor and potency. If you’re planning on long-term storage, know that you can cure your cannabis for over six months without harming your stash.