How do you know when to harvest cannabis?
Indoor, starting from seeds: 4-8 months in total. This is about two weeks of germination and seedling cultivation, followed by 4-6 weeks of the nutritional period (under light that lasts 18-24 hours a day). The plant is then “flipped” to a 12 / 12 light / dark schedule, which is typical for about 8-10 weeks, depending on the variety.
1 – Trichome color: trichomes are small resin glands on flowers. Their appearance is one of the most reliable methods to judge the harvest time. Ideally, half of the hair should be milky white and the rest should be bright amber. Of all the signs to look for, hair color is the most reliable. This color change may be difficult to see with the naked eye, so be sure to carry a magnifying glass with you.
The hairy body of the cannabis plant Ideally, when the trichomes are milky white and bright amber, it is time to harvest.
2 – leaf color: another reliable indicator of when cannabis plants are ready for harvest is the color change of fan-shaped leaves. During flowering, nitrogen makes the leaves green. At harvest time, the leaves of the fan turn yellow and begin to fall off with the decrease of nitrogen.
3 – withered yellow cannabis plant
As fan-shaped leaves change from green to yellow, they may also curl and dry because cannabis plants absorb less water as harvest approaches.
4- brown pistil: for photoperiodic cannabis plants, the pistil turns brown at maturity. The best time to harvest is when about half of the pistils are brown. Similar to checking hair color, you need to have a magnifying glass ready for this step.
5 – bud shape: although it is not possible to determine when to harvest like hair test, the shape of bud can still provide some hints for plant maturation. Look for strong, tight buds on the hemp plant as a sign that it is ready to harvest.
These visual indicators can be observed by the naked eye and are a clear signal of harvest time. Again, there are other clues to prove, Such as The flowering time recommended by the breeder, Also you must know well of cannabis cultivation growth stages and life cycle time.