Cannabis harvest: how to know when it's harvest time?

Cannabis harvest: how to know when it's harvest time?

The flowering phase is seemingly coming to an end and you are looking forward to harvesting your cannabis plants as soon as possible. Harvesting can feel like the end of a stage. Yet there is still a lot of work to be done. Harvesting is one of the most exciting stages of growing cannabis. But it's not as easy as it may seem at first glance. In this article, we'll give you tips on when to harvest, how to know when the time is right and tips and tricks that will come in handy when harvesting.

When to harvest cannabis plants?

Cannabis plants have a very long growing season, from the seedling stage to harvest. Harvesting cannabis is all about timing. In order to have a successful harvest, it is essential to know the exact date when your plants started the flowering phase. This will give you an approximate idea of how long your plants will take to flower and give you an approximate date for the expected harvest.

Each variety usually has a different expected flowering time. Indica varieties mature faster and take 6-8 weeks to flower, whilesativa varieties usually need 8-12 weeks. On average, the time from planting to harvest is nine to twelve weeks, but timing depends on many factors.

If you harvest your cannabis a week earlier or later, it probably won't be the end of the world, but definitely don't make the plants wait any longer. Depending onwhen you start harvesting, anumber of factors can change, from taste to psychoactive effects.

How do you know when cannabis is ready to harvest?

There are several factors that can tell you when harvest is imminent. For growers, a basic knowledge of plant anatomy can help them recognise the changes that indicate harvest time. The factors that indicate harvest time are:

Trichome colouration

Thebest way to determine when to harvest cannabis is to look closely at thetrichomes. Trichomes are tiny glands found on the leaves and flowers of cannabis plants. Ideally ,half of the trichomes should be milky white and the others should be amber. Immature trichomes tend to be transparent, indicating that it is advisable to wait a little longer before harvesting. Remember that the upper stamens ripen earlier than the lower ones because they receive more light.

Leaf colour

Another sure sign that a cannabis plant is ready to harvest isthe colour of the fan-shaped leaves. Yellow leaves usually indicate a lack of nutrients or the presence of apathogen. However, they are perfectly normal at the end of flowering. Once it is time to harvest, the fan leaves turn yellow and start to fall off as nitrogen is lost.

Brown pistils

The pistils are the hair-like filaments that cover the buds. In photoperiodic cannabis species, thepistils turn brown at maturity. You can tell that the plant is ready to harvest by the fact thatat least half of the pistils have turned a darker colour and curled towards the flowers.

How do you know when it's too early to harvest cannabis?

Trichomes indicate when a plant is ready to harvest. Mature trichomes are sticky and milky white, immature trichomes are transparent and overripe trichomes are amber or brown. If most of the trichomes are transparent, the cannabis is not yet ready for harvest. Transparent trichomes indicate thatresin production has not yet reached its peak and THC and CBD have not yet fully developed, so the plant will not provide the full range of effects.

How do you know when it's too late to harvest cannabis?

If you see mostly amber trichomes on the cannabis flowers, it means the flowers are overripe. THC levels will start to break down into CBN. While this isn't ideal for many, some consumers prefer the higher CBN content and sleep-inducing effects of cannabis that has been allowed to overripe.

Outdoor harvesting of cannabis

Cannabis is usually grown outdoors in the spring and harvested in the autumn. In the northern hemisphere, the harvest time is between September and November. Cannabis grown outdoors is usually harvested once a year.

Harvesting hemp indoors

In indoor cultivation, the plants are harvested about 7 to 9 weeks after they have moved into the flowering stage. People growing indoors can expect four to eight or more harvests a year based on how often they plant and what variety they grow.

What do you need to harvest cannabis?

Before harvesting, make sure you have thefollowing equipment :

  • Scissors,
  • loppers for larger branches,
  • rubber or latex gloves,
  • a clothesline and a branch hanger,
  • a container for the clippings,
  • clothes that can get dirty,
  • alcohol.

Tips and tricks for harvesting cannabis

Once you have the right equipment and are sufficiently prepared, it's time to start harvesting. The following tips and tricks can make the process easier:

  • Use a magnifying glassto identify the colour of the trichomes .
  • Do not feed theplant during the last week of flowering .
  • Flush the plants with nutrient-free water about a week before harvest.
  • If you are growing plants outdoors, start harvesting early in the morning before the sun gets too hot.
  • The canes on the bottom of the plant tend to be slightly different in colour. This is because they ripen more slowly than the top canes.
  • If you grow different varieties, some may be ready to harvest earlier than others.
  • Before harvesting, you should decide whether to wet or dry cut and prepare accordingly.

Are you looking forward to the harvest? To enjoy high yields, however, you first need to plant and grow the cannabis plant. Visit our e-shop and buy cannabis seeds with up to 1% THC.

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