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It’s finally time to harvest your cannabis plants! But when is the best time to do so? Check out this blog post to find out!
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Introduction
Cannabis plants have a life cycle that can be divided into four stages: germination, vegetative, flowering, and harvest. Depending on the strain and growing conditions, the time it takes to go from seed to harvest can vary from six to twenty weeks. In this article, we’ll focus on the flowering stage and when to harvest your plants for the best results.
The flowering stage is when the plant grows its buds, which are the part of the plant that contains the cannabinoids THC and CBD. The length of the flowering stage varies depending on the strain, but it typically lasts six to eight weeks.
Indica strains tend to have a shorter flowering stage than sativa strains. indica strains also tend to be smaller in size, which makes them easier to manage indoors. If you’re growing cannabis for medicinal purposes, you may want to choose an indica strain for its higher CBD content.
Sativa strains tend to have a longer flowering stage and grow taller than indica strains. They are more suited for outdoor growing because of their size. If you’re looking for a strain with high THC content, sativa is probably your best choice.
hybrid strains are a mix of indica and sativa and usually have characteristics of both types. hybrids can be grown indoors or outdoors and usually have a moderate THC level.
The Right Time to Harvest
Timing is everything when it comes to harvesting your cannabis plants. Depending on the type of strain you are growing, as well as your personal preferences, the optimal time to harvest can vary slightly. However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow to ensure that you are harvesting your plants at just the right time.
The first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with the trichomes on your plants. Trichomes are the tiny, crystal-like structures that cover the surface of the plant and give it its frosty appearance. These glands produce and store cannabinoids like THC and CBD, and they will change color as the plant matures. For most strains, you will want to harvest when the majority of trichomes have turned from clear to milky white.
You can also use a magnifying glass or jeweler’s loupe to take a closer look at the trichomes and get a more accurate idea of when they are ready. Once around half of the trichomes have turned brown or amber, it is usually time to harvest. If you wait any longer, the THC levels will start to decline, and the CBD levels will begin to increase. This won’t necessarily make the bud any less potent, but it will change the effect that it has on users.
As a general rule of thumb, indica strains should be harvested sooner than sativa strains. Indica plants tend to have shorter flowering times (around 8-9 weeks), while sativa plants can take anywhere from 10-12 weeks or even longer to fully mature. However, there are always exceptions to this rule, so it is important to do yourresearch beforehand and know exactly when your particular strain is ready to harvest.
Once you have determined that it is time to harvest your plants, there are a few different ways that you can go about doing so. If you are growing just a few plants for personal use, then you can simply cut down the entire plant and hang it upside down in a cool, dark place like a closet or basement for drying purposes. However, if you are growing on a larger scale, then you may wantto consider investing in a commercial cannabis harvester. These machines can quickly trim and dry large quantities of cannabis at once, which can save you a lot of time and effort in the long run
The Right Tools for the Job
In order to harvest your plant properly, you will need the following tools:
-A sharp knife or pair of scissors
-A magnifying glass
-A pen or marker
-A cannabis strain guide book (optional)
The sharp knife or scissors will be used to cut the individual buds off of the plant. The magnifying glass will help you to examine the buds closely to determine when they are ready to be harvested. The pen or marker can be used to label the different strains of cannabis if you are growing more than one type. The cannabis strain guide book can be consulted for more specific information on when to harvest each type of cannabis plant.
The Right Technique
Once you have a sense of when your cannabis plants are ready for harvest, the next step is to actually harvest them. Here are some tips to ensure that you get the most out of your plants:
– Use a sharp knife or pair of scissors to cut the stem about an inch or so below the flowers.
– Make sure to remove all the leaves from the stem, as they will not be usable.
– Hang the flowers upside down in a cool, dry, and dark place for about two weeks. This will allow them to properly cure.
– After two weeks, your cannabis flowers will be ready to enjoy!
Conclusion
To determine when to harvest your cannabis plants, you will need to observe the trichomes, which are the small, clear glands that produce THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. You can do this by using a magnifying glass or microscope to get a close look at the trichomes. When they are clear, it is time to harvest. If they are amber or brown, the plant is overripe.
