Teddys Cannabis Blog
When to harvest cannabis plants?
The outdoor marijuana season is coming to an end, and many growers are ready to reap the rewards of their months of hard work. They aim to fill their storage with top-quality buds that will keep them company during the long winter days. If you belong to this group of cultivators, it's crucial to pinpoint the ideal time for harvesting because harvesting too early or too late can affect your cannabis's quality.
In addition to proper fertilizer use, suitable lighting, and adequate watering, precise timing is vital for a high-quality cannabis harvest. Cannabis buds have an optimal moment when they reach their maximum potency, and for most cannabis growers, that time is harvest time.
If you want to know exactly when the right time is to harvest your marijuana plants, read on. Below, you'll find key indicators to determine the optimal timing for harvesting your hemp plants.
Have you grown autoflowering or feminized cannabis seeds yourself?
The genetic makeup of your hemp plants plays a critical role in determining the timing of your harvest. Depending on the cannabis seeds you've used, there are various variables to consider:
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Harvesting time for autoflowering seeds is fixed and quite predictable, allowing for adequate planning and preparation.
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In the case of feminized cannabis seeds, the optimal harvest time varies depending on the specific cannabis strain. Some cannabis strains grow rapidly, while others may take more time to enter the flowering phase, which can range from days to weeks. If you've grown feminized cannabis seeds this season, it's advisable to gather information about the best time to harvest from your seed bank. Typically, seed banks have data that can serve as a reference to help you determine the optimal time for harvesting your plants.
When is the best time to harvest cannabis?
To determine the optimal harvest time, it's necessary to closely observe the resin's maturity on the buds. This requires using a magnifying glass to analyze the structure and appearance of the trichomes.
What is a trichome?
Trichomes are tiny glands and the sticky part of your plant, located on the cannabis plant's flowers. They play a significant role in producing compounds such as THCA, CBDA, and other cannabinoids. These small glands go through their own lifecycle, and it's crucial to closely monitor this cycle to precisely determine the maturity of the cannabis plants. Trichomes typically have a width ranging from 10 to 100 nanometers and are responsible for the shiny and frosty appearance of the buds.
At the start of their cycle, trichomes appear as small, round spheres. As the plant grows, more trichomes develop, taking on an elongated shape.
As trichomes mature, their color changes from initially being transparent to a milky white and eventually to amber.
To carefully determine the ideal harvest time for your cannabis plants, you need to consider the following factors:
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Peak resin production: The optimal harvest time occurs when the plant reaches its maximum resin production. This is an indicator of the accumulation of cannabinoids and terpenes in the trichomes.
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End of flowering growth: Another sign of readiness for harvest is the cessation of flowering growth. The buds should have reached their final size with no significant increase.
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Color change in leaves: The plant's secondary leaves start losing their green color, and the main leaves have mostly fallen off. This indicates the natural degradation process that begins before harvest.
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Trichome observation with a hand microscope: When closely inspecting the trichomes using a hand microscope, you should note that most of them have a milky-white color, and some have turned amber. The milky color signifies the peak of cannabinoid production, while amber trichomes indicate advanced maturity.
Taking these aspects into account will help you determine the perfect time to harvest your cannabis plants and ensure optimal quality of the harvested buds.
Determining the harvest time of cannabis based on the pistils (stigmas)
Determining the suitable harvest time for cannabis can also be done using the pistils, even if you don't have a hand microscope. It's possible to tell with the naked eye whether it's time for harvest or not. However, note that this method is significantly less precise than checking the trichomes. Nevertheless, it may be sufficient for those who don't require pinpoint accuracy for the perfect harvest time.
The pistils are the fine hairs that grow on cannabis flowers. They typically start out white and change colors like red, orange, or brown toward the end of their life cycle. Their function is to capture pollen from male plants, allowing the pollination of female flowers.
The following estimates serve as rough guidelines to determine if your plant is ready for harvest:
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If the pistils are 0-50% red or orange, it's too early for harvest.
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When 50-70% of the pistils are red or orange, the timing is good but not optimal.
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If 70-90% of the pistils are in a stage of red and orange, this is the perfect time for harvest.
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If over 90% of the pistils already appear in the red or orange colors, this could indicate THC converting to CBN, suggesting a late harvest time.
Now you have a deeper understanding of when the ideal time is to harvest your cannabis plants. While there are various approaches, acquiring a pocket microscope and subsequently examining the trichomes is undoubtedly the most reliable method. So, if it's within your means, we strongly recommend using this option.
