Harvesting your buds: what time is the right time?

Nothing? Anybody?

Outstanding! PS-your info was exactly what I was looking for, I had most of the information, but I could not find the pictorials to compare my product to.

JJ1234-your info/pics, along with the same from PS, are a primer for the proper method, and your remarks about flushing is spot on. To expound on this, about 2 weeks before you are ready to harvest, pour several gallons of clean, pure water through your growing medium, which will "flush out" any remaining fertilizer salt from the soil. At this point and continuing right throughout the harvest, you should only use clean water whenever watering. I do not know about hydroponics, but I would assume that it is the same as flushing when growing in dirt. I cannot commend you enough!

GhettoChem-that is precisely my problem at the moment-I have a Blueberry and a Double Blueberry and every time I think it is ready, a boatload of new flowers pop out!

Now, for another question-Do you check the colors as mentioned above on the lower buds (which will be darkening first), the upper buds (which are getting all of the attention, at this point), or do you use the middle level buds as an indicator, i.e. when they are right, the lower buds will be a bit over-done while the upper buds will be a bit under-done?

I use the middle buds as an indicator, for the following reason-as mentioned earlier, the growth process actually continues even after the flower has been picked. Obviously, all growth processes will not come to a complete and utter halt the minute the scissors snip through the stem! In fact, the curing process is a actually a continuation, albeit the very end, of the growth process, in which the plant sugars and pigments undergo their final transformations.

With this is mind, I harvest based on the indicator mentioned above, with the knowledge that the top-most, strongest, and biggest buds will "finish off" at the very end of the growth process and the product can then move directly into the curing stage and by at or very near the peak potency when it is ready to dry.

Now, the trick is to judge accurately, because a variation of even 48 hours can negatively affect your desired results, although as mentioned by PurelyScientific, it is better to be a little late than a little early, although much of the negative results that he mentioned can be overcome through a proper understanding and use of the curing system. Most, not all!

This is where the experience factor really comes in to play! Obviously, a commercial grower is forced to use averages, because they cannot examine each individual plant and harvest accordingly. But for us, the "little guys" who are the ones that really advance the art, the ones who just keep 4 to 6 plants and concentrate on quality rather than quantity, we can take the time to do things right and astound our friends and neighbors with our little projects.

I keep 4 plants on a normal basis, starting, growing, and harvesting them indoors under lights at the end of a growing season and then moving them outside after harvest to take advantage of the beginning spring and the next growing season. I will average anywhere from 1 to 1 1/2 pounds from the four plants at each stage-indoor and outside, and at the end of the summer I harvest for the last time and then make the final cut, at which point I will start with four completely new and different strains and do the whole thing over again. This usually results in me having about 2 or 3 times the amount I need/use for the year, so I have what I need and I give the rest away. I have worked through this "cycle" about 4 different times now, for a total of about 14 different strains, and I can verify that what GhettoChem says is entirely correct in that each and every strain is different when it comes time to harvest.

So, at which point on the plant do you check the color of the trichomes?

Sorry! I forgot!

OK, Hang on, because this may just end up being a monster! As I have previously done articles on selecting lighting and good cloning methods, it stands to reason that a good article on the harvesting process would be in order, so here we go.

Harvesting as well as switching from the growing period to the flowering period by changing the lighting cycle to simulate Fall, which then triggers your plants to flower. For the last part of the flowering period the light cycle stays the same-12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness, and we monitor the plants as the flowers ripen and become covered with more sticky resin-containing THC. Harvesting and curing are as important as growing and flowering; your actions (or lack thereof!) during harvest and curing will greatly affect the quality of the final product.

LATE FLOWERING
At this point, your plants should be developing flowers with white hairs, or pistols, that are trying to collect male pollen. If the female plant receives the pollen, she will then put all of her efforts into producing seeds, whereas if she does not receive the male pollen, she will put all of her energy into growing bigger flower buds with more of the sticky resin-containing THC, and those frustrated flowers will begin to swell. THAT is what yo are after; big sticky buds without seeds.

Late in the flowering process, you can trim away some of the big "fan leaves" on the plant that have perhaps naturally turned yellow, as well as any that are blocking the light from reaching the buds, especially those on the interior of the plant. If you are using a screen to create an even top canopy of plants, all of the leaves below the screen can be removed. The plant below the netting or screen can be totally bald, allowing you to fill the canopy with buds. As a rule of thumb, you can cut away up to 1/3 of the leaves, especially those that are yellow, old, or damaged.

About two weeks before harvesting, you will want to stop providing the plants with nutrients and begin flushing the plant with water. More on flushing in a moment, but first you need to know when it is time. In addition, there are a few other things to keep in mind, especially for the novice grower, specifically: 1. smoking "wet" marijuana will do nothing. Do not be tempted to cheat and try a bud before it is ready. 2. Light will degrade the THC. 3. Slow drying improves taste. and 4. Female plants have resin glands called trichomes. the resin glands help trap pollen, make things sticky, and serve as a harvest indicator for experts. We will discuss all of thes, but if you keep them in mind during your harvest, you will be well on your way to producing high-quality, medical-grade cannabis.

FLUSHING
About two weeks before you cut the plant, you will want to give it a very large watering to flush out the various fertilizer salts which may have built up. Of course, this then begs the question, "How do we know when we are two weeks away from harvest?" There are several signs, or harvest indicators, that will help you know when you are approaching the time to flush before harvest.
1. Time-one of the most important indicators is time (obviously). When you get a plant clone from someone else, that person should be able to tell you about how long it should take to flower, because the clone comes from a mother plant and is an exact replica of the mother plant. Thus, if other clones form that plant flowered in, say.....8 weeks, you could reasonably expect your clone to do the same.

Most plants finish flowering between 45 and 70 days, with 60 days seeming to be the most common. When it is two weeks before your "due date", you should start the flush, so if the grower has told you that it will take 60 days to flower, simply note when you turn your lights to 12/12 and mark your calendar about 46 days later, or two weeks before the anticipated harvest date.

2. Hairs-the tiny white hairs, or pistols, on the buds will eventually turn from white to brownish to amber. When between 30 and 50 percent of the hairs have turned brown, it is time to begin the flush-you are about two weeks from harvest.

3. Trichomes-Late in the flowering cycle, the flower buds will start to produce small clear bumps that look like crystals. these tiny bumps are the trichomes, which are rsin glands that the flowers use to produce a sticky resin to catch male pollen floating by in the air. the resin produced by the trichomes contains the most THC of any part of the plant. As the trichomes develop, they will cause the plant to appear as if it has been covered in frost-this is ideal!

The trichomes can serve as an expert harvest indicator, if you learn how to check them. Simply pick a tiny leaf from a bud that looks frosty and magnify it. You can purchase an inexpensive hand -held 60X-100X magnifier with a light from Radio Shack. This will enable you to see the trichomes clearly. First, they will look like a clear tube. Then, they will develop a small round head, like a ball on a post. Finally, they change color, turning from clear to milky white to amber. When you can see that 20 to 30 percent of the trichomes have developed this milky and/or amber color, it is time to begin the flush-you are about two weeks away from harvest.

HOW TO FLUSH
since you have been providing the plants with additional nutrients, you will now want to stop providing those nutrients and use water to flush out those which remain, as well as the salts which have built up during the flowering process. To flush, water the plant with about 3 or 4 times the amount of water it would take to fill up the plants container. Add water to the rim of the container and let it drain, the repeat until the water is gone. So, plants are in 5 gallon buckets? Expect to pour between 15 and 20 gallons through them! It's that easy.

Flushing helps to remove any subtle taste of chemicals and improves the over-all flavor of the product. When you flush with water, you can add a sweetener such as molasses or any product recommended by a quality hydroponics store. Generally, you can use about 10 milliliters of molasses per gallon of water. After flushing, you should give the plants only water for the remaining two weeks of the flushing process.

HARVESTING
OK, we have flowered and we have flushed. We have marked the calendar and it is two weeks after flushing, at or near the anticipated harvest time which was provided by the grower of the mother plant. Now we have mostly brown hairs on our sticky, resin-covered, swollen buds. As noted earlier, if you put a frosty leaf under magnification, the trichomes will finally look like posts with round heads. When some of the trichomes have turned from clear to milky white or amber, it is time to cut them down.

Different parts of the plant will contain more THC than others, and this will help you determine what to save and what to throw away. The roots are worthless, they contain no THC, so they can go. The fan leaves contain a very small amount of THC, but usually not enough to produce an effect when smoked. Smoking fan leaves might make you dizzy, but it is probably oxygen deprivation, rather than THC. After all, a camp fire will get you high if you stick you face in it for long enough. So.....lets not smoke the fan leaves! The sticky, resin-covered flowering buds contain the most THC. The "sweet leaves" or "sugar leaves" on and around the buds also contain a high amount of THC. Some people smoke the sweet leaves, while others trim them away and use them to make cannabutter or hash oil, but this will depend upon your personal preference.

HOW TO HARVEST
-cut off the main branch near the dirt line and set aside the dirt for remixing/use again later.
-cut off the fan leaves and dispose of them responsibly.
-trim the sweet leaves-the smaller leaves that are attached to the buds-and set them aside to be dried and cured. As mentioned, these leaves contain some THC and can be used for rolling joints or making butter or oil.
This will result in stems with buds on the ends that can be hanged and dried in the dark.

The flower buds that you buy from a dispensary are very tightly trimmed and contain very few sweet leaves. Since you are not a commercial grower who is growing a medical-grade product, it is not necessary to trim your buds quite this tightly.

DRYING AND CURING
Now that you have trimmed aay the fan leaves and possibly most of the sweet leaves, we have a bunch of flower buds on bare branches. At this point, you have two steps left before you have a product that will exceed all of your expectations! As I mentioned earlier, smoking wet cannabis will not get you high. As the cannabis dries, it converts the THC into its psychoactive form. Slow and evenly dried cannabis not only improves the flavor and promotes even-burning, but it also converts the THC into a more usable form, while the curing process further improves the taste and effect of the product.

To dry, it is best to hang the plants by a string in a dark room with some air circulation. Most people find that a closet works well, but ideally, the area should have between 45 and 60 percent humidity. If the humidity is too low, the product will dry out too fast and will not have a good flavor. If the humidity is too high, you risk getting mold on the product. This is why it is important to have a small fan to keep the air moving through the closet from a room with good airflow. Drying in the dark helps preserve the THC and curing the dried bud in jars helps the conversion process even more. It should take between 5 and 7 days for the product to dry. You can tell when it is dry when you can snap the stems. At this point, the product is certainly usable, but most people find the flavor is richer if you cure it in a jar.

To cure the product, cut off the stems and place the buds in a glass Mason jar. Burp the jar every day. Make sure the buds are moist, but not wet. If they are wet, they need more air or they will begin to develop mold. The flavor will develop more fully in about two weeks, and your product will stay good in the jar for up to 6 months.

Growing your own bud can be a fun way to enjoy the product, as well as an economical boon. You will find that as you go through the grow cycle a few times, you will develop confidence in the techniques involved, and you will see that it is quite possible to produce a high quality product in the privacy of your own home. In addition, you will be able to try different methods or techniques with the assurance that one mistake will not spell disaster and the end of the crop!

So good luck and keep growing!

When the flowers start to form, I will go through and trim back all of the extremely large fan leaves, as well as any that are yellowing or just look bad. At about the half-way point, I will then go back and cut almost all of the remaining fan leaves. Then, when it is time for harvest, all I have left is sweet leaf and bud, with just a few fan leaves scattered throughout the plant. I will then cut the buds off ( I do NOT cut entire branches!) and leave those fan leaves behind, and then jack the lighting cycle back up to 18/6 to force the plant back into vegetative growth, with the end result being fully mature roots and branches sprouting new growth and buds appearing that much quicker. Plus, this way you do not have to keep replacing plants! You have a few strains that you like and they are continually being placed back into vegetative growth after the harvest has been completed.

I start in 3 gallon buckets and my root ball occupies about 75 percent of that at harvest. I will then move the plants over to 5 gallon buckets for indoors or just pull them out of the 3 gal buckets and stick them in the ground for outside growth. I mix my own soil, with miracle grow potting soil forming the base and then I mix in more organics until I get the consistency I want. For vegetative growth, I use miracle grow at double the listed amount, feed and watered once a week. When I first get into the flowering stage, I switch from that to Superthrive, and keep that until it is time to flush.

While all of this is good, the real key is that I spend time with my plants-usually around 3 or 4 hours a day. I talk to them, arrange their branches, keep them trimmed, and play music for them (usually classical) and, even though it may sound crazy, they respond quite well.

Using the process outlined above, I can grow better cannabis in plain dirt and commercial plant food than anyone can in water!

Yes, it IS crazy, but music and just talking to the plants (I spend quite a bit of time each day "in conversation" with my babies, and they respond very well) makes a noticeable difference. And I guess the moral of the scotts story is.......don't let birds around your plants? Seriously though, this is exactly why we flush-to remove not only the known, but the unknown as well!

toxinreleased added 17 Minutes and 57 Seconds later...

And the results are in! All buds have been picked and trimmed and are now in their respective containers curing. They look pretty good too! I will post some pics if I can find my damn camera sometime soon.

@al-k-mist-you trimmed the roots of the SDG? How? Once roots are exposed to air, they can die very rapidly. If you pulled the plant from the bucket and exposed the roots for any length of time at all, then that is the reason they died. Think of an air bubble in a blood vessel-this is exactly what happens! What you have to do is pull the plant and then quickly place it into a container filled with enough water to keep the root mass covered and then trim the roots. Very similar to pulling lithium strips from batteries under acetone when you manu meth, if that helps with the picture. After you have the rootmass in the shape you want, then you can pull the plant from the water and "re-pot" it.

Another way is to grow in those coconut fiber planters. The root-mass will fill the planter and then the individual roots will start to protrude from the body of the planter itself, allowing then to be trimmed as needed. So you start the plant in the planter and then place the entire planter into your container. When you are ready, pull the planter and trim off the exposed roots, then re-plant in another container! This is also the perfect method for growing bonzai cannabis plants too-pull the planter and trim back the roots to keep the plant miniature.

And what causes those sparkles?

I had always proceeded under the assumption that the flushing was to remove the carriers of the nutrients, rather than excess nutrients themselves, although if you use a chemical fertilizer in excess of the amount specified (come on now, who hasn't had the urge to drop "just a little more, just in case"?), you most certainly will have a build-up in the soil. The plant will only use a certain amount, and anything over that will go......where?

The excess will build up in the soil. At this point, your options are:1. stop using all fertilizer products completely, until the plant has utilized the built-up nutrients. The problem here is that without access to specialized testing equipment, you just don't know what the actual levels are, and judging them by the effects they have on your plants is a risky and dangerous proposition. In addition, with today's modern grow techs, you may not have enough time to do this before harvest.
2. Flush the soil with copious amounts of water to flush any build-up out of the soil and then use only water from there until harvest.
3. Rotate your land every season, just like the food farmers do. Plant crops in the off-season that will enrich the soil naturally.
4. Don't use the damn stuff at all and listen to Al-k-miist when he talks about bio-organics!

Did I miss anything?