The basics of marijuana harvesting
Harvesting marijuana is similar to harvesting grapes. The more you wait, the stronger the produce, and more cannabinoids in marijuana. Post the flowering phase, your plants being to die, and for the same, you will have to look out for the signs like:
- Pistils turning red
- The stems broaden
- Resin on the buds turning brown
- Yellow leaves
If you find any of these signs, the plant is ready to be harvested.
Best Harvest Time
For flowering time:
- Indica: harvest post 8 weeks of flowering
- Autoflower: 10 weeks from seed to bud
- Sativa: harvest post 10 weeks of flowering
Pistils:
When 50 to 70 percent brown: young and light marijuana
When 70 to 90 percent brown: ripe and heavy marijuana
When 90 to 100 percent brown: sharp and heavy marijuana
Trichomes:
If they are clear, then be patient. If they are milky white or amber, then they are ready to be harvested and if they all are amber, then they are overripe.
Harvesting on the basis of flowering time
To know the harvest time, you need to look at the flowers. You can also time it according to its flowering time. There may be some variation on the particular strain. There could also be many factors that affect the growth like specific room conditions, outdoor climate etc.
But, when it comes to harvesting Indica, expect the flowering time to stretch to about eight weeks before the harvest. If grown outdoors, then the best time to harvest it is around the end of September.
When it comes to harvesting the Sativa, then know that they have a longer flowering period and it takes about 12 weeks. Speaking of which, many haze strains will flower rapidly, around 9 to 10 weeks long.
When it comes to harvesting Autoflower, then know that they never depend on the lighting variations, they are simpler to predict on the basis of time. If you cannot see the first seedlings, then wait for the harvest to be ready in around 10 weeks.
You can also observe the pistils to guess the harvest status of the plant. Inspect a bud’s pistil to check the coloring. If it is white, then you need to be patient for a while. If they are brown or red in color, then you have missed the peak time. You need to harvest it right away, before it plummets itself in quality any further.
