Ahhh, the moment we've all been waiting for. You have proudly, legally grown your own beautiful, sticky-sweet cannabis plant, nurturing it from seed or seedling, and it is finally mature and ready for harvest! Or wait… Is information technology? If you aren't sure, and then this article is for you lot! While the harvest, trimming, and curing practices may vary slightly from grower to grower, there are definitely some tips and best practices we've learned over the years that I want to share with you lot.

Read along to learn how to determine when your cannabis plant is ready for harvest. Then, we'll go over the process for properly drying and curing your finished cannabis – to ensure information technology's at that perfect "simply right" stage: not besides dry, but not so wet that it may mold during storage! I'll besides share tips nigh trimming, talk almost long-term storage, and permit you in on how we use our cannabis. Basically, everything you need to know.


If you lot're new to growing, or simply desire to larn more almost how we abound and tend to our cannabis plants, be sure to cheque out these articles too:

  • How to Grow Cannabis, Organically: Soil, Seeds, Containers & Care
  • How to Feed Cannabis, Organically: Superlative-Dressings, Teas & More
  • Organic Cannabis Pest Control: How to Proceed the Bugs Off Your Nugs
  • Sativa, Indica, & Autoflowers: The Deviation Explained
  • Introductory Words on Cannabis: Legality, Stigma, Uses & Quality Control


Now on with the prove, shall we?

A man looking at the camera who is sitting at a backyard patio table with two large cannabis plants in fabric grow bags towering behind him. There is another cannabis plant in the foreground and also various other potted plants. The man is enjoying a beer while a vaporizer is resting next to the glass of beer.

HARVEST


How to Determine When To Harvest Cannabis Your Plants


Numerous indicators volition signal when your cannabis is nearly set up to harvest. Each plant and strain is unique, and then these signs can vary, simply here are some general things to look for:

  • The leaves will begin to yellow, curl, and some will probably autumn off
  • Buds will be plump and adult, and no longer announced to be growing larger
  • As the buds swell, the branches will get heavy and hang more than
An image taken from the rooftop of a house towards a backyard patio, there is a tall cannabis pant stretching all the way to the center of the image, the plant has yellowing leaves and swollen buds. There are two younger and smaller cannabis plants in the background amongst raised garden beds with various types of kale growing among other plants as well.
The colas on some of our large Maui Wowie daughter, getting close to harvest fourth dimension. You tin run into the branches are starting to sprawl nether their ain weight, and some of the fan leaves are dying. The girls in the distance were started a couple months later, and are just starting to plump upward. Aye, this photograph was taken from the roof!


Fourth dimension is not the best indicator, because this volition vary depending on the strain, your location, growing conditions, and the type of constitute. For example, sativa cannabis plants typically take a longer flowering period and later on cease than indica strains do. We typically abound sativa-dominant plants, starting seed in late April to May and typically harvest the cannabis in October. Autoflowering cannabis plants live and grow in a timing universe of their own… Nosotros'll talk more about them in a moment.


Personally, the nearly reliable indicator that we pay attending to is the cannabis trichomes.


What are Trichomes?

You know all those shiny, viscid, wonderful-smelling crystals you lot tin can find all over your cannabis flowers? Those are trichomes. They play an important role in the plants natural defense mechanisms, and likewise comprise the affair nosotros're all after here – cannabinoids.

The actual definition of trichome is "fine outgrowths or appendages on plants, algae, lichens, and certain protists." Originating from the Greek word "Tríchōma," meaning "growth of pilus," these tiny microscopic mushroom-looking protuberances look like something out of a scientific discipline fiction novel. But they are actually the very factories that produce the hundreds of known cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that make our favorite cannabis strains potent, unique, and effective.

Leafly


Monitoring Your Trichomes to Signal When to Harvest Cannabis

While information technology requires a little closer look, the advent of the trichomes is the all-time way to determine the stage and condition of your cannabis plant. More than specifically, pay attention to trichome color and opacity. Because they're then tiny, you'll want to use a jewelers loupe as a magnifying glass to examine them. Aaron starts keeping an eye on them even before the aforementioned signs brainstorm. Throughout the growing cycle, the trichomes will change from articulate to milky and cloudy, and somewhen to amber.

As a general rule of pollex, when the trichomes are very clear, the cannabis plant is yet immature and the THC is less developed. Harvesting cannabis at this phase may upshot in a more than speedy, racy, less smoothen and comfortable user experience. When the trichomes change from clear to fully cloudy, that is when we similar to harvest cannabis. Or fifty-fifty a tad later, as described in the "when in dubiousness" bit below. This is when the buds are now at a very well-balanced phase of development.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you lot permit the cannabis continue to grow too long and the trichomes turn all the way amber, the result is often a more lethargic, heavy body loftier. I don't know about you lot, just I am not a fan of "couch lock"! Some people adopt a more sedate and sleepy vibe. If that is the case, I advise y'all grow strains that are known for those attributes in the first place, rather than trying to push your cannabis constitute to an overly mature land past prolonging the harvest.

When in doubt, harvest cannabis when the plants trichomes are primarily cloudy and a little amber, rather than a mixture of clear and cloudy. More growers have the regret of harvesting their plants too early as opposed to too late.

A man is looking at a mature auto flowering cannabis plant through a jewelers loupe. The plant has swollen buds and yellowing leaves, some of which are starting to fall off the plant.
Aaron checking the trichomes on i of our autoflower plants.


Determining When to Harvest an Autoflower Cannabis Constitute

Figuring out when an autoflower constitute is ready for harvest is a bit more catchy. They don't e'er lose their leaves. Their trichomes modify from clear to cloudy and amber, but non always as obvious or evenly. All the same some oddball strains never turn amber at all! It isn't as easy to confidently say "Yep, you're set up to go!" as y'all would with a regular plant, and so you lot have to simply do your best to judge.

Autoflower breeders will usually provide a timeframe, such as 12 weeks from seed to harvest. This can aid provide yous a full general idea of when the found will exist ready, but it isn't set in stone. We have found that our autoflower cannabis plants almost ever take a couple weeks longer than predicted. Just if the breeder says "this plant takes 11 weeks", if you lot striking the 14th week, it is likely fourth dimension. Chances are, if the buds are overnice and swollen, and some of the trichomes are looking cloudy for at least a week, you can pull it then.

A hand is holding a freshly harvested auto flowering cannabis plant by its main stalk. The plant is still fairly green with only shades of yellowing on some leaves.
Come across? Unlike the autoflower Aaron was examining in a higher place, this auto institute was turning but slightly yellow (and this photo was taken on a foggy 24-hour interval, increasing that look) but otherwise wasn't losing leaves or turning chocolate-brown – yet it was definitely prepare!


How to Harvest Cannabis

Information technology is best to harvest cannabis plants in the early morn hours or before your lights plow on. When the time is right, many cannabis growers simply chop the entire plant down at once. That is certainly one option, and something nosotros do with autoflower plants for sure! When it comes to our big girls, sometimes we harvest cannabis plants in sections instead. Why? Well, for a couple of reasons…

In our feel, the buds on the upper branches become ripe and fix for harvest faster. Therefore, we may choose to cutting the main stalk about halfway upwardly – in gild to remove the superlative portion of the plant only – or cut off individual upper branches first. This volition provide more time and dominicus to accomplish the lower flowers, and allow them to fatten up for another week or so.

Taking the constitute in sections also spaces out the timing, try, and room required for drying and trimming too. This helps make the next steps a scrap more manageable, especially if we are harvesting several large plants.

When we finally harvest the lower portion, we cut the stalk with a small hand saw down at the soil level or just below. Following a "no till" and recycled organic living soil exercise, we leave the roots in place within the abound bag! The root ball will decompose, feeding the worms and soil over the next several months until the following growing season.

Two mature cannabis plants sit on a concrete patio, the plant in the foreground has had it's top 3/4's of the plant cut off at the main stalk, allowing the lower 1/4 to continue to mature until harvest time. The plant in the back is laden with flowers as its branches are heavy and hanging downwards.
An example of a partially harvested plant. The height portion of this Cookie Wreck was set to become, simply the bottom limbs needed a piddling more time. So nosotros only cutting off the peak portion of the plant to hang dry inside. The lower limbs were cut about a week later, and the stalk/roots left in place in the grow pocketbook.


What About Flushing?

If you read other websites instructions on how to harvest cannabis, you will ofttimes come across a section about flushing the plants prior to harvest. Nosotros don't flush our plants because the mode we organically grow cannabis does not require it. In contrast, flushing living organic soil essentially strips it of the complex ecosystem you worked so hard to build in your soil! It defeats the purpose.

However, many dwelling growers and most commercial growers utilise chemical fertilizers and pesticides that get captivated into into the plants vascular system, and in to the buds. Those plants will require a "flushing" period. This is where the plants root brawl and soil is repeatedly flushed with h2o for about two weeks prior to harvesting, to assistance rid the found of built up chemicals and salts. If not flushed, the bud will burns really harsh and tastes unpleasant.Hmm… I wonder why? If you need instructions on flushing, see this article.

TRIM


When to Trim Cannabis

I could take put this trimming section either here, or after the "How to Dry" department to follow, because you can exercise either! Some ganja farmers insist on trimming their finished plants before they dry out – also called a "wet trim" or 'trimming wet". On the other manus, many cannabis growers adopt to wait until they're dry. Others periodically trim in the middle of the drying process, or practice a lilliputian of both. It really all depends on your schedule and personal preference, which y'all'll develop with time.

Trimming can be really tedious and time-consuming, so we go after it whenever we have a take chances! And by "nosotros"… I mean Aaron. He has more free fourth dimension in the afternoon than I do (which is still limited) and so he'll usually grab a semi-dry hanging branch to work on hither and at that place whenever he can, hoping to go it all taken care of before it is fourth dimension to cure.

A two part image collage, the first image shows a hand holding a large cannabis flower that is hanging to dry. Many fan leaves are hanging over the flower bud. The second image shows a hand holding the removed fan leaves, the large flower is hanging nearby looking great after its quick trim.

We ever remove at least the largest fan leaves while the plant is even so fairly wet and hanging dry. This aids in air flow and drying, and also reduces the amount yous have to trim off after.


How to Trim Cannabis

We observe it easiest to trim off at least some of the larger, prominent fan leaves while they're still fairly wet. Removing bulky leaves helps promote drying. Additionally, as the leaves dry they will roll around themselves and the buds, which makes it more difficult to slip the trimming snips in there. On the other paw, afterwards the cannabis has stale, the leftover leaves can go so brittle and loose that they are like shooting fish in a barrel to motion picture off with the finish of your snips or fifty-fifty a toothpick.

When information technology comes to trimming, perfection is not the goal. Not in our opinion at least! We grow for personal use, family, and friends. Nosotros don't demand perfectly manicured buds, nor practise we have the patience for it. Plus, in that location are trichomes and THC on some of the leaves! Therefore, we inappreciably bother with trying to remove the "sugar leaves" – the smallest ones coming out from the middle of the buds. Withal nosotros do trim away the larger, non-sugary leaves that are attached to the main stem around the buds.


Earlier, during, and subsequently trim. We remove all larger leaves (attached to the chief stem within) but only roughly trim off the smaller leaves that are coming out from the heart of the buds themselves. After trimming upwards a large COLA or branch, Aaron unremarkably breaks them downwards further – off the main stem into individual nugs for curing and storage.


Cannabis Trimming Tools

In regards totools, I highly recommendthese precision trimming snips. They make the job much easier! We have several pairs, and use them extensively both for cannabis and in the garden – similar for thinning seedlings. They even come in a non-stick selection.

I as well suggest investing in a "trim bin" to trim your cannabis over. It is ergonomic, with dips for your arms. The bin has two parts: a screened upper section to catch all the foliage debris that you lot'll likely discard, and a lower compartment that collects trichomes/keef that falls through the screen. Proceed that! Sprinkle it on top of your bowls, or utilize it to infuse homemade canna oil! (Mail coming on that soon)

We compost our excess leaf debris, both in a passive compost pile and in our worm bin. Yep, the worms love it! Smart little buggers.

A two way image collage, the first image is a black plastic bin sitting on a table with a mesh screen built into the middle of the bin. A hand is holding a pair of trimming scissors over the top of the bin. The second image is a black plastic bin that has collected kief/fallen trichomes on the bottom of the container, it looks dusty or like someone spilled spices in the bin.
Our favorite trimming snips, and trim bin. Look at all that keef and crystal that gets collected nether the screen!

Dry


How to Dry Your Cannabis

After they are cut downwards, cannabis plants are traditionally hung upside downwards to dry. Equally the cannabis dries, the THC converts from a non-psychoactive state to ane that is psychoactive. However, you don't want to rush the drying process! THC also slightly degrades with drying, and buds that are dried too quickly will experience a more pregnant decomposition of THC than those that are immune to dry more slowly.

An ideal time to dry cannabis is effectually 5-7 days. However, the fourth dimension information technology takes to reach the ideal dryness (explained below) volition vary depending on your climate and drying location. Also, the status of your found will play a office, such every bit how fat the buds are, how many fan leaves are still attached, and so on.

One found broken down into private branches, hanging to dry from a "clothes line" in our spare room. Note that we proceed the window covered with a nighttime sheet to cake well-nigh of the light. The tiptop image is simply to testify the fix-up. We as well use an herb drying rack to set any loose buds or smaller branches on. Yes, it does smell quite potent in the room! Yet with the door closed and a towel stuffed beneath the door, it prevents the whole house from smelling.


Platonic Cannabis Drying Conditions

It is all-time to dry out cannabis in a temperate, relatively dark location. Light also degrades THC, so keep those drying plants out of direct sunlight! Good air flow is also very important. You'll want to provide a fan to increase air apportionment in the room and create a constant light breeze, just avoid pointing the fan straight at your plants – unless you're in a very hot and humid climate. Even then, go along the breeze on the light side.

The ideal humidity level for drying cannabis is about 45-55%. If your humidity is lower than that, keep the fan extra low or omit it birthday to avoid overdrying your buds. We'll talk more than about how to measure out humidity in but a moment. Serious growers, or those in peculiarly challenging climates, may utilise the assistance of humidifiers, dehumidifiers, heaters, or air conditioners to achieve that sweet spot.

Excessive rut can also dry out cannabis more than rapidly.  If possible, hang your cannabis to dry in a climate-controlled location – not in an outdoor shed, garage, or other spot that is prone to extreme temperature swings. A temperature right around lxx°F is ideal, though anything from 60-eighty°F is acceptable.

Nosotros dry our cannabis in a spare room in our business firm along a dress line, or in the spare shower. It is easiest to pause the establish down into branches and spread them out a fleck, as opposed to hanging the whole damn thing like a dying Christmas tree. We employ this combo thermometer/hygrometer in our drying room to assess the weather condition.


How to Tell When Your Cannabis is Dry out Enough

If you are able to dry your cannabis in an environment with the platonic conditions described higher up, information technology will likely exist done in the suggested time frame of v-7 days. To assess if your cannabis is dry enough to move on to the curing process, test the humidity level of the buds themselves! You'll demand a humidity meter, besides known as a hygrometer, to practise this. The hygrometer volition be used during curing as well. For inside jars, we apply these cigar hygrometers.

The goal is to get the humidity of the flowers down to virtually 60-65% by the time they're ready for long term storage. Therefore, I recommend to start the curing process when your cannabis is in the range of 62-68% humidity. With humidity over seventy%, the chances of mold developing in storage is far greater! Additionally, the buds will only get more dry with fourth dimension.

When you recollect the cannabis is fairly dry, prune off a few sample buds. I propose taking a nug from a couple locations on the constitute to get a nice average. Place the buds within a sealed jar with the hygrometer inside as well. Close up the jar and get a reading. If the humidity shoots to 70% or greater quickly, they're definitely non set to cure! On the other hand, if it is hovering right around the sweet spot, allow them to stay sealed in the jar for 24 hours to get a true reading. If subsequently 24 hours, it is within the target range, continue to curing. If you detect the humidity has creeped upwards, let the plants to proceed to dry out. Check back again in a solar day or two.

A hand is holding a jar of cannabis flowers/buds with a hygrometer inside the sealed jar, showing the temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit and a humidity level of 63%.

If you lot haven't trimmed nonetheless, do so before moving on to curing – keeping in listen that may take a few days as well, and the weed won't just stop drying for you in the meantime. Therefore, I suggest trimming in small batches and adding it to sealed jars equally you go.

CURE


What is Curing Cannabis

Do not overlook the importance of curing! Have you e'er noticed that some cannabis smokes really polish and tastes admittedly astonishing, while others are more harsh and flavorless? Sure, a petty flake of that has to do with the strain or growing weather condition… merely the master gene that makes weed wonderful or woeful is: if it was cured properly! No, the crummier stuff isn't just "onetime". Former weed tin nevertheless taste good and smooth as well! In improver to the terminal flavor and experience, curing too ensures the cannabis will store well long-term and retain quality.

Curing is substantially a continuation of the drying process, merely in a more than tedious, controlled environment – such as in sealed mason jars – and occurs for upward to 2 months. Meaning, once the cannabis is dry, it isn't necessarily set to enjoy at its prime still. Ideally, you should let the cannabis to cure fully before enjoying it. Sure, you tin sample some early here and there of course, but super fresh bud is non going to be the same every bit the stuff that has been allowed to cure.

Proper curing stops the degradation process before volatile compounds like terpenes and cannabinoids evaporate or transform into less favorable compounds. Additionally, cannabinoid synthesis (the process of creating those valuable chemicals) continues to take place even after harvest!

Colorado Pot Guide


I also recently learned that during the curing procedure, leaner works to break downward the chlorophyll in the establish fabric. Chlorophyll is what makes the plants nice and green in color, but likewise contributes to a harsh smoking experience. Therefore, less green finished nugs isn't necessarily a bad thing!


How to Cure Cannabis

Once you are able to obtain a humidity level of well-nigh 62-68%, put the trimmed buds in airtight containers, such every bit in a sealed mason jar. We use these half gallon jars. Store the containers in a dark, temperate place. At present, over the post-obit weeks, periodically burp the jars. By "burping the jars", I don't hateful a quick open-and-close of the chapeau. Leave the lid off for x to 15 minutes, and then re-seal the jar. The purpose is to allow some air exchange – to introduce oxygen and release moisture or other off-gassing substances.

How often should I burp the jars while curing, y'all ask? Some growers burp their jars 1 to two times per day during the commencement calendar week or two. It is peculiarly important to burp frequently if your cannabis is on the college terminate of that humidity range, and leave the lids open fifty-fifty longer – upwards to an 60 minutes. On the other manus, we usually get our nugs downward to around 63%, and so we burp a little less frequently. We aim for once per solar day, but sometimes miss a few days. It isn't the end of the world.

After the first couple of weeks, a burp merely once per calendar week is swell – for the following month. Later on a total half dozen to eight weeks of curing, you can reduce the burping frequency to one time per month. At that time, yous also don't demand to worry as much about the length of time the lids are off. A shorter burp is fine.


There are a few things you'll want to pay attention to during the curing process:

Keep a hygrometer inside at least one of your containers. You can rotate information technology amongst jars if needed, or use a few of them. Try to position it in a style that is visible through the sides of the container. If the humidity inside the jars begins to climb to 70% or over, have the buds back out of the jar for a twenty-four hours or two. Spread them out somewhere with skilful airflow, such as on an herb drying rack, screen, or even on cardboard.

When you open up the jars to burp them, take a sniff! A slight ammonia odour is a sign that the cannabis is too wet and is starting to spoil. A strong ammonia odour or visible mold are indications that the cannabis was much too moisture, and is probably at present ruined. Yet if yous are using a hygrometer, y'all shouldn't run across this consequence.

On the flip side, if your cannabis has become too dry out (less than 60%), you may be able to help it – with the assistance of these Boveda packets! Originally designed for the cigar industry, Boveda packets tin be used tore-introduce wet to overly dry cannabis. You can also keep them with your buds during long-term storage to regulate humidity, which may be peculiarly helpful in hot, barren climates. They come up in various target humidity levels that they assist to attain or maintain, for example a 65% package, 63% packet, and then on.

Store


How to Store Cannabis Long Term

In one case your cannabis has finished curing, yous can shift to long term storage. For us, this looks no different than the curing phase – except that we aren't opening the jars as often. We store our cannabis in the same one-half-gallon jars they were cured in. Cull whatsoever air-tight container, and store it in a temperate, nighttime location. It is recommended to quickly burp the jars about once a month, but we don't stress that role as well much. If you're getting into your stash to use information technology, the jars are being burped plenty then.

You take probably seen that some people practise vacuum/seal and even freeze their weed. We don't observe this necessary, or even preferable, Just how frozen and defrosted nutrient doesn't taste as good as fresh food, we'd rather keep the buds out – more fresh, and easy  to monitor. Nosotros also aren't huge fans of the idea of plastic touching the buds the whole time. On the other manus, if yous are giving weed away, that is a unlike story. We do sometimes use plastic then. Either fashion, I don't suggest fully vacuum sealing. Sucking all the air out of the parcel  totally crushes the buds! If annihilation, use the seal feature only.

A hand holds a half gallon mason jar full of cannabis flowers, there is a hygrometer inside showing a temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit and 65 % humidity.
ten-calendar month old bud, however soft, sticky, and ranking in at 65% humidity.


In summary, when cannabis is properly harvested, stale, cured, and stored, information technology can stay fresh, tasty, and strong for up to a yr – just in time for the next growing flavour! Check out the photo above! That is our cannabis harvest from final fall, and it is all the same measuring 65% humidity. The color and chlorophyll will naturally fade, and THC may degrade slightly, only it still smokes and feels quite wonderful.


Speaking of smoking…


ENJOY


Using Your Homegrown Cannabis Harvest

To clarify, nosotros don't actually "smoke" our cannabis. At least not in the traditional sense. We utilize a loftier-quality vaporizer. It heats and delivers the desired cannabinoids and terpenes without bodily combustion of the bloom. Combustion (burning) the cannabis is more harsh on your pharynx and lungs, and information technology simply doesn't exercise your bud justice. It totally destroys the flavor, and overheats the cannabinoids and terps to a far less efficient and effective temperature. We also make canna oil and capsules, but that is a whole different post for another day!

Hither is an article all most vaporizing, which goes over the science and safety behind vaporizing cannabis. Information technology also explores the differences between smoking and vaping, between using whole flower and concentrates, and how to brand the nigh efficient, effective, safe use of your herb.

In short, the Firefly 2+ vaporizer is pretty much the best affair on the market place. We used the Firefly two for many years, and just upgraded to the 2+ when it came out a couple of months ago. Information technology is the safest for your lungs and body (no heavy metals, like other vapes!), tin be used for flowers or concentrates, and exudes a controlled and wide-range convection heat on every draw – to get the virtually out of our your bud. No other vape uses that technology. It is efficient, effective, sexy, and the flavour is insanely good – because you lot are really tasting your cannabis at its full potential!

How you choose to eat your cannabis harvest is ultimately a personal decision. Our thought is: after all that hard work to abound beautiful organic homegrown cannabis, why turn effectually and burn the hell out of it?


That wraps up our Ultimate Guide on processing your homegrown cannabis .


I promise y'all found this article interesting, informative and useful! If so, delight pass information technology on to your friends – to the left of class. You may too like this article nearly how to activate (decarboxylate) raw cannabis to prepare for to make homemade cannabis-infused oil, edibles, or soothing topical relieve. Experience free to ask questions or leave feedback in the comments!

DeannaCat signature, keep on growing.