You've been nurturing your cannabis plants for a while now. Now you're asking yourself: When is the perfect time to harvest anyway? Here are a few simple tips to make sure your plants are harvested when they are at their best.
1. look at the trichomes
The trichomes are those tiny, resinous glands on your flowers and leaves. Checking the color of the trichomes will give you a pretty good idea of how mature your plants are:
- Clearly, the plant is not yet ripe.
- Milky white: The THC concentration is at its highest, this is when the psychoactive effects are at their strongest.
- Amber in color: The THC concentration decreases as it is converted to CBN, which provides a more sedative, relaxing effect.
A high proportion of amber-colored trichomes therefore means that you will harvest a more relaxing product, while milky trichomes provide a strong, psychoactive and rather invigorating experience (González-Salcedo et al., 2021; Trancoso et al., 2022). Many growers prefer a mix of milky and amber trichomes in a 70:30 ratio to achieve the best flavor and effect. It is best to use a magnifying glass or microscope to look closely at the trichomes.
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2. observe the flowers
The flowers also provide information about harvest maturity. Ripe cannabis flowers are thick, full and covered in resin. The leaves around the flowers can wilt slightly and turn yellowish. This shows that the plant has put its energy into flowering and is ready for harvest (Rosenthal & Downs, 2017).
Für optimales Wachstum und maximale Blütenproduktion bieten wir auch hochwertige Dünger an, die speziell auf die Bedürfnisse von Cannabispflanzen abgestimmt sind.
3. how long does the flowering period last?
Each cannabis strain has its own flowering time, which can be quite different. Indica strains usually finish faster than sativa strains. So it's great if you know how long your strain normally flowers. That way you can better plan when you can expect to harvest.
If you are very impatient, you can also directly cannabis cuttings directly from our store, where you will already a small plant and save yourself the germination.
4. stamp as an indicator of maturity
In addition to the flowering time, there is another indication of the maturity of your plant: the pistils. These fine hairs on the flowers (approx. 0.5 to 1 cm long) should change from white to orange or brown. Here too, the 70:30 rule can be applied. If around 70% of the pistils have changed color and retracted, this is a good sign that your plant is ready for harvest.
5. note the growing conditions
The maturity of your plants also depends on the conditions under which they grow. Pay attention to how your plants develop, taking into account the light conditions and nutrient supply. For example, the flowers that receive the most light often mature faster (Hazekamp, 2009).
6. tip for first-time growers
If you are growing or harvesting hemp for the first time, you can also experiment with the harvest time. Harvest some of the flowers a little earlier, when the trichomes are milky, possibly still with a small amount of clear trichomes. Harvest the other part when most of the trichomes are already amber-colored and dry them separately.
Similar to an apple, which some people prefer to pick fresh, crisp and slightly sour from the tree, while others prefer it sweet and slightly floury after a short storage period, you can use this method to find the effect you want.
7. possibly also use technology
Nowadays, there are apps and tools that can help you determine the perfect time to harvest. These technologies analyze images of your plants and give you an accurate assessment (Hazekamp, 2009).
Conclusion
Um festzustellen, ob deine Cannabispflanze erntereif ist, überprüfe also die Farbe der Trichome, den Zustand der Blüten und berücksichtige die Wachstumsbedingungen. Mit diesen einfachen Methoden wirst Du den richtigen Zeitpunkt für die Ernte finden und eine tolle Ernte erzielen.
For the next step - drying your harvest - be sure to check out our blog article "How do I dry my cannabis properly?".
Good luck with your harvest! 🤗
Bibliography
González-Salcedo, L. O., Palomino-Tovar, A., & Martínez-Arias, A. (2021). Future
contribution of artificial vision in methodologies for the development of applications that allow for identifying optimal harvest times of medicinal cannabis inflorescences in Colombia. In EAI/Springer Innovations in Communication and Computing (pp. 193-220). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75945-2_1
Hazekamp, A. (2009). Cannabis review. Department of Plant Metabolomics in
Leiden University. Retrieved August 7, 2024, from https://www.doc-developpement-durable.org/file/Culture/Culture-plantes-a-fibres/chanvre-textile/The%20Botany%20of%20Cannabis%20sativa_CannabisReview.pdf?utm_source=textcortex&utm_medium
Rosenthal, E., & Downs, D. (2017). Marijuana harvest: How to maximize quality
and yield in your cannabis garden. Google Books. https://books.google.de/books?hl=en&id=d7xJDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT7&dq=recognizing https://books.google.de/books?hl=en&id=d7xJDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT7&dq=recognizing+ripeness+in+cannabis+plants&ots=MM0q2gp9oI&sig=vMGBOr8vNhHypreiezjgvxqNbDk&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=recognizing%20ripeness%20in%20cannabis%20plants&f=false
Trancoso, I., De Souza, G. a. R., Santos, P. R. D., Santos, K. D. D., De Miranda,
R. M. D. S. N., Da Silva, A. L. P. M., Santos, D. Z., García-Tejero, I. F., & Campostrini, E. (2022). Cannabis sativa L.: Crop Management and Abiotic Factors That Affect Phytocannabinoid Production. Agronomy, 12(7), 1492. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12071492