When to Harvest Cannabis?

Knowing when to harvest your buds is a question that every grower faces at some point in their career. Your plants have already developed buds of a good size and you don't want them to lose density, organoleptic properties or, in general, go bad.

Due to the amount of light the upper part of the plants receives, the buds in this area are always more prominent. So, if not all buds mature at the same time, when should you harvest cannabis?

When to harvest cannabis plants?

Many beginner growers make the mistake of thinking that by leaving the buds longer on the plant, the results will be better. But the buds ultimately reflect the entire process the grower has carried out and won't improve noticeably by leaving the plant to mature longer.

We can follow the flowering and growing periods as a reference according to their genetics; normally seed banks provide this information, as the Sweet Seeds seed bank does, for example. Another reference we should also take into account is the density and shape of the bud, which will have different characteristics depending on the varieties.

Additionally, we can use an LED microscope to observe the trichomes up close and know if they're ready to be harvested.

When to harvest buds according to trichomes?

Trichomes or resin glands clearly show us what stage they're at and are one of the factors that can tell us when to harvest cannabis, but it depends on us and what we're looking for in the plant. We can't harvest when all trichomes are transparent, but neither if they've all turned amber, because that would mean they've gone too far. Based on the colour of the trichomes we can conclude:

• Clear trichomes: The plants are not yet ready to harvest; we'll harvest very little and the plants won't have potency.
• Milky trichomes: We could already harvest; the effects would be more psychoactive but milder. They're usually this colour when they're close to being harvestable.
• Amber trichomes: If the bud's trichomes all turn amber it means we've gone too far.
• Mixed trichomes: Ideally, you should harvest when the trichomes are roughly 50% milky and 50% amber. Many even prefer more than 50% to be amber. The effects will be a mix of physical and mental.

When to harvest cannabis according to pistils?

Another factor many growers use to know when to harvest buds is the colour of the pistils, which turn orange as the harvest time approaches, until they eventually turn brown and are completely ready to harvest.

However, using the colour of the pistils to determine harvest time is a mistake. Pistils are the plant's sexual glands and they turn brown when they've been pollinated or when the plant has finished its sexual period. From this point the maturation process usually begins but this doesn't mean the maturation process has finished.

Indica varieties take around 7 weeks to be ready for harvest, while sativas can take more than 12 weeks to flower. Autoflowering varieties usually have a shorter growing period determined by their lack of photoperiod.

When to harvest autoflowers?

Although all these factors should be taken into account, most autoflowers are usually ready to harvest after 75 days from germination.

Apart from the colour of the trichomes and the density and shape of the buds, we should look at the colour the leaves take on. Like what happens with trichomes and pistils, autoflowering plants can turn yellow for different deficiencies, but they also do so when they're approaching harvest time.

One of the most famous seed banks for autoflowering seed varieties, known for its genetics is Fast Buds Seeds.

When to harvest autos outdoors?

To know when to harvest autoflowers outdoors, we must take into account that it could be a slightly longer period, since lighting and general factors can be more irregular than in indoor growing, as can happen with some of the auto seeds offered by the prestigious Barney's Farm seed bank.

When to harvest autos indoors?

Regarding when to harvest autoflowers indoors, if you've followed all the guidelines, it will be easy to know the perfect time for your growing, taking into account all the factors we've been explaining.       

On our website you'll find the best cannabis seed varieties, carefully selected from the most important international and national cannabis seed banks. Many of them have a long history in the cannabis world, like the ones we mentioned in the article. In addition to these, by visiting our website you can buy Medical Seeds seeds, another favourite amongst the national public.