harvesting cannabis

Harvesting Cannabis Question – When to Harvest your Cannabis Plants?

We have been getting a lot of questions lately about harvesting cannabis. We have decided to come up with this post to answer those questions.

Harvesting time can be the much awaited moment for cannabis growers. This is when they will get the rewards of all the hard work that they have done for taking care of their marijuana plants. However, it is important for them to know the perfect time of harvesting cannabis. You have to be assured that the plants have fully matured if you want them to achieve potency. But how can new growers identify if it is already time for them to harvest the plants?

Why is it important to know when to harvest cannabis plants?

Learning when you should harvest your cannabis can be a crucial part because you can either produce potent marijuana or come up with sleeping medicine. For sure you would never want all your efforts to go to waste so having an idea when you should harvest them is something that you have to give enough attention. Allowing the cannabis to fully mature will make them become potent and can also provide growers with a greater amount of yields.

Signs that your Marijuana Plant is Ready for Harvest

Before you start harvesting your marijuana plants, you have to know the factors that can help you determine if it is already time for you to harvest them.

Remember that once you made the actions, you can no longer repeat the whole process just to correct your mistakes instead you will go back from the very start. The things that you need if you want to know when to harvest your cannabis are the following:

  1. It is important that you acquire sufficient knowledge on when you should harvest your cannabis. You can ask a well-experienced grower or look for information online for you to know what to do.
  2. Observation is required because you have to look at your plants to see if they are already matured. If you see plenty of resins and if you notice that the trichomes turned milky then it is a sign that you can harvest the plants.
  3. Consider using a magnifying tool because can it be very hard for you to look at the resins of the plants and also the trichomes. With this tool, it will be easier for you to decide if your marijuana plants are ready for a harvest.

Here’s what to do so that you can avoid from making any wrong decisions in harvesting your weed.

Grab a Jeweler’s Loupe or Magnifier to look at the trichomes or glitter growing on your buds.

See illustration below for what to look for:

What is the best time to harvest marijuana buds?

It depends on what you want to get from your buds.

See image above.

What is the difference between Early Harvest and Late Harvest?

Harvesting your marijuana plants should not be that early and should not also be late. There are consequences if you harvest them at the wrong time. For an early harvest, the buds of the plants failed to reach their full potential. They will only produce immature trichomes that look clear. They contain lesser THC which means they are not that potent. This is the reason why you have to be patient and wait for the right time even if you are so excited of harvesting them.

Late harvest is not also a good idea because there will be more cannabinoids than THC (except if you are after for high  CBD). If the trichomes turned amber then it only shows that the THC level of the plants deteriorates. As much as possible, never let 75 percent of the trichomes turn amber because this signals that the plants are already losing their potency.

How growers should harvest marijuana the right way?

When harvesting cannabis, you will need to flush the nutrients first using distilled water. This will remove all the chemicals from your marijuana plants.

After that, allow your plants to produce more resins by placing it in an area with no light for 2 days. It is advisable that you harvest your plants in the morning when the THC level is high.

Try to remove the branches, one after the other. Never pull the roots out instead, cut the branches in manageable sizes. Get rid of the fan leaves and then the sugar leaves by using scissors.

Hang the buds for 5 to 7 days until they dry. Avoid drying your weeds quickly if you don’t want their potency to reduce and have a harsh taste.

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