Whether you’re new to growing cannabis or an old pro, your first couple of harvests are an exciting time. The potential of your crop can now be seen in full bloom, no pun intended, and all the time and energy you’ve spent nurturing your plant can now be put to good use.
However, harvesting cannabis can be difficult. While the steps are fairly straightforward, there is a need for close attention during this process to ensure your harvest is successful. If you’ve been struggling with your harvest or just want to check to make sure you’re doing things the right make, check out our cannabis harvesting tips below!
What to Do Just Before Harvesting Cannabis
Before harvesting your cannabis plants, you need to prepare. The first step is deciding how you’re going to trim the bud, as each method has different requirements. You have two options: dry trimming or wet trimming.
Dry trimming is often the best way to trim your plant without losing terpenes (the chemical compounds responsible for the scent of the plant) or dealing with trichomes that may become sticky when wet. It involves hanging the entire plant for several days to allow it to completely dry out. While there are benefits to this method, it also takes more time and space to do successfully.
Wet trimming involves no drying process, so you can trim the plant immediately after harvesting. This means you don’t have to wait any amount of time for the plant to dry, which is often why this method is preferred by those new to cannabis harvesting. However, it can be a work-intensive process, and those who choose to wet trim are often covered in sticky trichomes by the end of the day.
Before harvesting, you should also double-check you have all the tools and equipment you may need:
- A bowl
- A clean table or another surface
- Music or other entertainment
- Non-powdered latex gloves
- Rags
- Rubbing alcohol
- Scissors and pruners
- Work clothes
When to Harvest Your Cannabis
There are a variety of factors to consider when deciding when to harvest your cannabis. Some of these considerations may have nothing to do with the cannabis plant and more to do with external factors like weather or your personal schedule.
While you always want to harvest as close to the peak time as you can, you generally do have some wiggle room. Most cannabis plants are still okay if they are harvested a week too early or too late, but going outside that window may result in a low-quality final product.
Keeping in mind that these are general tips and specific instructions will depend on geography, whether the plant is grown inside or outside, and the strain, here are some common signs that your plant is ready for harvest:
- Outdoor plants have a harvest time between September and November and before the first frost or the beginning of a rainy season.
- Indoor plants should be harvested between seven and nine weeks after flowering.
- The stigmas, which are hair-like strands covering the plant, will begin to curl and turn from a white color to something reddish-orange.
- The trichomes, which is a resin-like fur covering the plant, will turn in color from clear to amber.
How to Manage the Drying and Curing Process
The drying and curing stages are essential for cannabis cultivation and harvesting. Regardless of your preferred method of trimming, the plants will need to be dried at some point. To do so, you’ll need a completely dark room that’s well-ventilated, and that can manage to stay around 50% humidity. The drying process can take several days to a couple of weeks, and you’ll know the cannabis plant is properly dried when the stem is no longer rubbery.
The curing stage begins immediately after the drying process. The cannabis plant should be properly deboned, with the cannabis flowers placed into glass, airtight containers. For the first week, you should burp the container several times per day by removing the lid for a short period before reattaching it. After the first week, you’ll only need to burp the container three to five times throughout the second and, if necessary, third.
Where to Test and Analyze Your Cannabis Harvest
At Nordic Analytical Laboratories, we offer Colorado’s gold standard of cannabis testing. Our facilities are equipped for both medical and recreational cannabis testing, and we have convenient locations in Denver and Pueblo. We’ve partnered with a wide variety of local commercial growers, and the state accredits us to handle any mandatory testing the state of Colorado requires. Reach out to us today to see how we can test your cannabis products.
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