Photo: Jay Anarchon
Does It Really Matter?
What's up growers. In this post I will be giving you a brief rundown of the method I use to determine when is the best time to harvest my fresh, frosty cannabis flowers! There are so many ways to propagate cannabis and many growers will swear by their methods. The truth is, it really comes down to preference, especially with something as subjective as when to harvest your plants. Realistically the one thing you'll want to avoid is harvesting too early! If you harvest flowers before they are fully developed the result will be lower yield, less distinct taste profile and less than optimal effects, which could include lower THC & CBD levels, raciness, paranoia and headaches.
So How Do I Know?
Fancy tools aren't always required, people have been growing cannabis for thousands of years without them! I'll quickly run over the main natural indications that your plants are ready to be plucked.
1. She's Less Thirsty
You'll notice that the cannabis plants water/nutrient consumption cycle will be very steady for most of the growth cycle. When the plant starts hitting the mid-flower point you will notice water uptake drastically increasing. I typically use 5-7 gallon cloth pots and I have noticed that a plant requiring water once per week will be sucking it back in 2-3 days when she's really stacking on the pounds. When flowering begins to finish up your water uptake will decrease again to an almost non-existent level. This is a great indication that your plant is finished growing and coming close to the end of its seasonal life span.
2. She's Going Ginger
When the majority of the pistols, or 'hairs', on your flowers have turned from yellow or white to a darker red color I would consider this an indication that your girls are getting close to finishing. I would look for at 75%-100% of the hairs to be matured. This method is nowhere near an exact science and I find it to be the least accurate if used on it's own. This method is meant to be used in conjunction with the method above and below.
Photo: Jay Anarchon
3. She's Changing Color
Pay attention to the genetics you're growing if you have the information available. Strains that are purple or other cool colors often change colors towards the end of the flowering cycle and many strains will look like a tree in fall. This color change can be used as an indication that your plants are finishing up. Again, this method is not law and is best used in conjunction with the methods above. I have noticed, growing in living no-till soil, that plants will have barely any change in leaf color even when ready to harvest.
Photo: Jay Anarchon
So just to cap it off. If using the methods above they are best used together with one another in combination with strain knowledge, intuition, common sense and experience.
How Do I Know For Sure?
Analyzing your trichomes is the only way to determine the development stage of your buds accurately, to your own personal preference, 100% of the time. Let's check out the development process of a trichome.
Identify
Trichomes are the glass or crystally looking resin excretions on your flowers. They have a short 'stem' with a tiny ball on top. You may also see spiky or hairy looking crystal type developments with no ball on top, these are not what we are using to determine when we would like to harvest.
1. Clear
At this stage your cannabis will contain very little THC and CBD and will mostly contain precursor cannabinoids which will have little to no medicinal/psychoactive effects. Harvesting at this point is not recommended.
2. Stripe up the center of the stalk and beginning within the ball
Very low levels of THC are present. Buds in this stage can sometimes be a little 'racy' with short lived effects, if any. Slightly better than before but not yet time to consider harvesting.
3. Milky/cloudy
When substantial percentages of your trichomes have begun to turn totally milky/cloudy you know you are getting close to harvest time. The development of THC is evidenced through the change in appearance of your trichomes. When trichomes are fully 'clouded' this is when THC/CBD is at it's peak.
4. Gold/red/amber
When the trichomes begin to turn golden/amber your THC has begun to degrade into CBN and, some say, CBD. I am not convinced that CBD is included in this catagory as I have had some very high (20% +) CBD low THC strains which were super frosty with cloudy trichomes.
Can you find trichomes in each stage in this pic? I can!
Photo: Jay Anarchon with Digital Microscope
- Cloudy trichomes contain the most THC. The higher the ratio of cloudy trich's the stronger the effects will be.
- Clear trichomes contain less THC and many precursor cannabinoids which are said to contribute to a more energetic, cerebral effect, great for day time etc.
- Golden/amber trich's will contribute to a more 'couch-lock' body type sensation. Great for night time and relaxing. CBN is said to have an almost sedative, calming effect.
- Choose strains that have the traits you are looking for (sativa/indica) and harvest at the correct time for pleasing results.
It is impossible to harvest your cannabis with 100% of trichomes cloudy. Inevitably some new ones will pop out remaining clear while little amber crystals will begin materializing when you least expect them. After you have reached 70% + cloudy trichomes your medicine will be strong and effective. Play around with different ratios and harvest times to get the effects and flavors that you desire from the strains you are working with.
How can I see the trichomes to determine harvest time? They're so tiny!
This Is How!
The best method, and only way to precisely determine the effects of your plants prior to harvest, is to use a microscope to analyze the trichomes for development, clarity and color. I have 2 microscopes that I use for checking my flower development.
The first is a jewelers loupe style. It is highly portable, sufficient for analyzing your trich's and affordable. I paid about $12 CAD for the one I picked up. It magnifies 45X and has a light which really helps when viewing crystally trichomes!
Photo: Jay Anarchon
The second is digital microscope. The cost was about $50 CAD. It does require that you have a computer to use so additional equipment is necessary. The digital microscope has a light as well and allows you to take video, pics and view your trichomes on a large screen, which can be really amazing. The only real drawbacks are the lack of portability and the fact that you need additional equipment. I purchased the digital microscope first and ended up grabbing the loupe style later as it got tough trying to haul a laptop through my flower room to view my buds. The intense lighting can also effect the quality of the digital images and videos. In some cases the poor quality was to the point of effecting my ability to analyze the trichomes. This was only the case in direct light.
Photo: Jay Anarchon
Here is another photo I took with my digital microscope!
Photo: Jay Anarchon
Final Tips
In closing I'll offer some additional tips for inexperienced growers.
- Don't harvest too early. You sacrifice too much in flavor, potency and yeild. If you are flushing, run your flushing stage after you think she's ready. If you are growing organic, give it one to two weeks after you think it's ready. Harvest times noted by seed producers are the shortest time possible under specific conditions. Flower times may vary.
- Try to acquire genetics that produce the desired effects you are looking for, then use these methods to determine your desired harvest point.
- Don't be afraid to experiment for your own desired results! You can see in my photos I chose to harvest the two strains I show photos of with little amber. This is how I prefer to harvest some of my bud, but I will always have late finished cannabis on hand as well. Grow what you like how you like it!
Thanks for reading! Hope you all enjoyed this post and found it informative. If you have any questions feel free to hit me up!
Feel free to check out my other cannabis and freedom related posts on;
Juicing Raw Cannabis
Cloning Cannabis
Anarchy
And
Veganism