Harvesting Your Cannabis From Seed.
Once your Cannabis plant’s have matured, it’s time for harvesting, learn how to cut, dry and cure your Cannabis.
Your plants have been flowering over the last two months and are reaching maturity, but how can you tell if they are only-just mature, perfectly ripened or have been left flowering for too long? Is there a perfect time to harvest your Cannabis plants, or is it down to a growers personal choice and preference? Following on from our article How To Flower Cannabis Seeds, read and learn when and how to harvest your plants for maximum maturity and ripeness.
If you’re new to growing Cannabis and Marijuana, you may well be asking yourself these questions and hoping for an answer. There are ways to gauge the maturity of your plants and by understanding the flowering and maturing process better, you will be able to ‘time’ your harvests to achieve a better quality result, whether that’s taste and smell, potency or weight!
When To Harvest Your Cannabis Buds.
As a general rule, most trusted and reputable seed producers will tell you how long their seeds will require in flower to achieve maturity. For most Cannabis strains, an average of 8 – 9 weeks is required, with 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night. However, as maturity approaches, there are subtle changes in the look of the buds, and with close inspection, these ‘tell-tale’ signs will help you judge the right time to cut and begin drying your plants and buds.
It’s easy to think there is a specific day that Cannabis buds are ready, simply count the days and hey-presto…buds are ready!! Unfortunately that’s not the case, and bud maturity relies upon the skill and often preferences of the grower. Cannabis that is cut slightly early may lack a little weight, but the ‘high’ will be clean, euphoric and energizing, even Indica dominant strains.
However, buds that are harvested later into their flowering cycle and perhaps just past their ‘peak’ will have a much more ‘stoned’ effect, leaving the user feeling lethargic and often ‘couch-locked’, but the buds are often more swollen and dense, carry a little more weight, and often have a more prominent aroma, so better for the grower, producing more grams in weight per square meter.
Achieving peak ripeness means to produce buds with the perfect blend of ‘high’, taste, aroma and weight, pleasing both the ‘cash-crop’ grower and consumer. Time your plants with a set number of days, but a more accurate measure can be taken by simply looking closely at them, and observing their passage through to ripeness.
Visual Indications Of Maturity.
- The seed bracts have swollen and around 70% of the once white hairs have withered, shriveled and taken on a red/brown color.
- The color of the liquid within the trichomnes has turned from clear to a milky cloudy appearance, from here it will turn amber and slightly past peak ripeness.
These two visual signs of maturity will help you gauge the maturity of your plants and buds. Once the desired ripeness has been achieved, cut the plants, remove the large shade leaves and hang them upside down in a well ventilated room or area. Keep the branches dry and slightly warm with air flow and movement to avoid mold or bud-rot issues.
After 7 – 10 days the buds should be dry and ready to smoke. The small branches should break, not bend and the THC resin glands should be dried, hard and crystallized. Remove the buds from the branches along with any undesired leaves, which may be kept for later, as this ‘trim’ contains plenty of THC and resin, making it perfect for cooking and edibles.
The buds can now be enjoyed, however, the flavor can still be improved with a few days of curing. Place the buds in an air-tight container for a few days, opening the lid and exchanging the air several times a day. The buds will become damp again at first, this is the inner moisture contained within the buds being drawn out. Over a few days this moisture will disperse leaving the buds completely dry, with an improved flavor and ability to burn more evenly.
Learn More About Harvesting Cannabis.
If you’re new to growing Cannabis or Marijuana, download the free, no obligation Marijuana Grow Guide today.
Packed full of up-to-date, relevant information, it quickly explains all aspects of growing your own weed, from germination through to harvesting, drying and curing. Written by Robert Bergman, owner and founder of I Love Growing Marijuana, one of the worlds leading producers and suppliers of high quality Cannabis and Marijuana seeds, this instantly available download is completely free and without obligation.
Learn the secrets of the commercial growers, looking to produce the very best harvests from each seed and discover how you can grow the very best quality buds for a fraction of their costs.Whether you’re new to growing or a seasoned Pro, there is always something to learn when growing Cannabis, or new strains to research and enjoy.
Grow the very best Cannabis possible with the Marijuana Grow Guide to help you every step of the way, get the free and instant download below.
