When to harvest marijuana plants according to trichome ripeness

Dani Alchimia 2023-03-01
Hi Ya boi, First of all, sorry for the late reply. Honestly, I've seen plants maturing faster than others during that last week, regardless of irrigation schedules. Still, you'll find a lot of "pro" growers who'll tell you to stress the plant during the last week (basically, watering much less) to increase resin and cannabinoid production. Haven't found studies about it though. The best you can do: take some clones, put them to bloom and do some testing during the last week with different irrigation schedules for different clones. Hope it helped!

Tim Alchimia 2022-10-17
Hi Chris, thanks for your comment. For maximum cannabinoid content, I would recommend leaving the plants a little longer and waiting for some of the trichomes to change to an amber colour. If you're making salve then the usual rules don't really apply... growers tend to harvest with only a few amber trichomes because they want to avoid the effects being too narcotic and sedative but in the case of topical application that isn't an issue so personally I'd be trying to harvest at the point of maximum maturation. I hope that helps, best wishes and happy harvesting!

Tim Alchimia 2022-09-26
Hi Bryan, thanks for your comment and question. Yes, the cold weather will slow down the growth of the plants, as well as all their metabolic functions. However, this cold weather will also help to trigger the plants to begin senescence, which is the final stage of maturation. If you restrict irrigation during this time (always a good idea not to water too much if it's cold anyway), this will also help the plants to mature faster. Whether or not you'll reach harvest will depend on a few factors though, firstly the genetics of the seeds you're growing. Some varieties of cannabis can cope well with cold and wet weather while others will really struggle to finish outdoors if it gets a bit chilly. Generally, sativa hybrids will deal with wet weather well because their looser bud structure won't hold water, which means mould is less likely, but they'll take longer to mature properly. Also, sativas have evolved in the warmer parts of the world so cold weather can be a bit of a problem for them. Afghan genetics (most of what we refer to as "indica"), on the other hand, will take cold weather in their stride and finish more quickly but their buds are so dense that high humidity and rain can easily cause buds to rot from the inside. Secondly, the weather itself will play a huge part and if there's a heavy frost, the plants might not survive it unless they are covered to protect them from the worst of the cold (horticultural fleece can really help here - it's lightweight, breathable and allows sunlight to pass but it will offer some protection from the cold). Even being planted next to a south-facing brick wall can help to retain heat overnight. I hope that helps, best of luck with the rest of the outdoor season, I hope that you get a great harvest! Happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2022-09-09
Hey Frank, many thanks for your kind words, they mean a lot. I'm really glad that bit of insight was useful to you! Best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2021-12-13
Hi, thanks for your comment. It all depends on how the rest of the plant looks. If the leaves are yellowing and the flowers are looking swollen and ripe, with almost all the pistils starting to die off and turn brown, then yes, it sounds like it could be time to harvest. The colour of the trichomes is just one facet of flower maturity and we should look at the plant as a whole before deciding if it's time to chop or not. I hope that helps. Best wishes and happy harvests!

Tim Alchimia 2021-07-19
Hi, thanks for your comment. You highlight a couple of important points - firstly, that not all plants mature in the same way as each other, and secondly, that we need to take more than one aspect into consideration when finding the ideal point of maturity. Some plants will, for a number of reasons, show brown pistils before the flowers are mature. This can be due to environmental reasons, accidental pollination, or the use of some phytosanitary products. On the other hand, some varieties will keep pushing out fresh white pistils even when the trichomes are amber in colour and the buds look fully swollen, which can be a sign that further ripening is possible. While trichome colour is important to gauge maturity, we'd recommend taking an overall look at the plant - the flower bracts (calyxes) should be fat and swollen, the foliage should be fading from green to yellowish autumnal colours, and the pistils should be brown. I hope that helps, best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2021-07-05
Hi, thanks for your question. You need to be looking at the trichomes on the flowers themselves (the bracts or calyxes) for maturity, rather than on the sugar leaves. For the kind f high you're looking for I'd wait until all the trichomes have turned milky but before they begin to oxidise and turn amber. I hope that helps, best wishes and happy harvests!

Tim Alchimia 2020-12-15
Hi Bruno, thanks for your comment and questions. Are you running the same cut as previous times or do you grow from seeds? It could be due to phenotypic variation if it's from seed, or if it's the same clone then it must be due to some difference in growing conditions, whether it be temperature, nutrients or another factor. As for the trichome colour, when you harvest is largely a matter of personal preference in terms of the desired effect. If you want a heavier, more narcotic, stoned effect then leave them to go 70% amber or more. Harvesting earlier will tend to give a slightly less heavy, more cerebral high. So, to answer your question regarding nutrients, I would definitely not advise you to start feeding the plants again at this stage. They should easily be able to survive another week or so with the reserves, and will most likely benefit from the extended period of water-only diet, rewarding you with a cleaner and tastier smoke! I hope that helps, best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-10-05
Hi, thanks for the question. These things are different for each variety of cannabis and there can be a lot of variation even between plants of the same variety! Growing conditions like humidity and temperature will also affect the conversion from clear to cloudy to amber, so there isn't really an average timescale as such. OIt's not unusual to also find some clear, cloudy and amber trichomes on the same plant! Sorry that I can't be more specific, but that's just nature! All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-10-02
Hi and thanks for your comment. Yes, bright sunlight will definitely give the best visibility for checking the condition of the trichomes. That said, some magnifying lenses are fitted with LED lights to illuminate the subject in all weathers! I hope that helps, all the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-09-25
Hi Rc, thanks for your comment and question. Purple colours in the leaves and also in the trichome stalks are relatively common, especially in outdoor plants towards the end of the season. The colouring is caused by Anthocyanins, which increase in production during cold temperatures. As far as I know, the stalks of the trichomes aren't much of an indicator of maturity, so if your trichome heads are turning from milky to amber then I'd say that it's time to harvest! All the best and happy harvesting!

Tim Alchimia 2020-06-22
Hi and thank you for your kind words and question. I think that, if you prefer a clear, euphoric high, then you'd be best harvesting now because the longer you leave it, the more "stoney" the effect will be. The state of the pistils can often be misleading, so if it's the effect that you're concerned about then you should pay attention to the trichomes, and it looks like they're telling you it's the right time! Best wishes and happy harvesting!

Tim Alchimia 2020-04-01
Hi Dafnik, thanks for your kind words, we're very glad you enjoyed the article! As for your question, no, there's no point in feeding the plant once you're in the harvest stage, there'll be enough nutrition in the plant's cells and the soil to allow the lower buds to finish just fine. We're usually talking about a matter of days, or a week at most until the rest of the buds are mature. Either way, reintroducing fertiliser at this stage is not necessary and will effectively undo all the flushing you already did! I hope that clears things up, best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-02-27
Hi Jeff, thanks for your question. It's really quite normal for different genetics to behave in different ways at the end of flowering. Some varieties simply won't fade and go yellow the same way that others will, some plants will turn a lovely purple colour, while others will just stay green. There's a lot of contradictory information around regarding flushing and fading, and plenty of growers with actual botanical qualifications will tell you that no amount of flushing will remove nutrients from your buds. So, with that in mind, I'd harvest at the point when you're happy with the maturity of the trichomes. I hope that helps, all the best and happy harvests!

Tim Alchimia 2019-09-30
Hi Danny, thanks for your question. We've got some information on flushing in our post about Cannabis Roots. The idea is to rinse away any excess nutrients left in the soil at the end of flowering, so your plants finish with yellow leaves, which will lead to a smoother flavour when you smoke the buds. Some people like to flush, others wait for the plant to fade naturally and claim that excess water in the root zone isn't a great idea when the flowers are nearly ready, it can cause them to "sweat" or transpire excessively, which can lead to bud rot if the conditions are right for it. As for when to cut, if you like a euphoric, energetic high, then I'd cut when around 50% of the trichomes are clear, and 50% milky white. If you cut too early, the terpene and cannabinoid profiles won't be fully formed and you won't get the best organoleptic experience, if you leave it too late and start to see amber trichomes, then the effect will generally be heavier and more physical. I hope that's helped, all the best and happy harvests!

Tim Alchimia 2019-09-17
Hi Mark, it really depends on the effect you want, if you want a more heavy, stoned effect then leave it till you can see more amber trichs, cutting it with only a few ambers will generally give a more up, cerebral effect, depending on the variety. Remember though, that cutting too early can leave you short-changed in terms of both the effect and the terpene content, with some plants only developing their full potential in the last day or two before cutting. Also remember that the flowering time provided by the seed bank is a rough guide, and with a hybrid like this we will always find plants that take a little longer to flower, or a little less time. All the best, happy harvesting!

Tim Alchimia 2019-09-02
Hi Robert, thanks for the question, I think it would have to be incredibly hard rain to wash away any trichomes, so I really doubt it's an issue. In the case of making bubble hash, the trichomes only fall off the leaves due to there being made brittle by the extreme cold, so unless you get seriously heavy rain while it's under 4ºC outside I doubt very much whether it could happen at all. What you may end up losing is a certain amount of terpenes, as some terpenes are more water-soluble than others and could theoretically wash away although I doubt that the loss would be noticeable. All that being said, if there's any way to keep the rain off of your plants, then go for it! Rain is no friend to cannabis flowers and too much can easily lead to mould setting in, ruining the harvest completely! Let's hope that doesn't happen, all the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2019-06-25
Hello Christine, thanks for your questions. It sounds to me like you need to add some CBD to your consumption, which balances the knockout effect you've experienced with THC-rich cannabis. We have a wide range of varieties containing CBD in varying amounts, some with almost pure CBD and very low THC levels, others with a balanced 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC and others with just small amounts of CBD. For a good daytime smoke, allowing you to focus and get things done while still dealing with anxiety and pain I'd recommend trying a 1:1 variety, like many of those produced by CBD Crew, for example, although there are many others. If you find a 1:1 ratio is still too strong, the next move would be to look at high CBD varieties with barely any THC, such as Dinamed CBD Plus from Dinafem or Solodiol Clasica from Elite Seeds. As for harvesting (normal non-CBD) plants earlier for a less potent high, I wouldn't recommend doing this too early as while it may lessen the heavy physical effects of the buds, it also means that often the effect will be much nervier, edgier and can provoke anxiety. For the best medicinal effect, the ideal thing to find a variety that suits you when it's grown to maturity with a fully developed terpene and cannabinoid profile. A great cannabis cultivation book that covers everything from beginners mistakes to expert techniques is "Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible" by Jorge Cervantes. Here at the shop we only have copies in Spanish, but it's widely available worldwide in the original English language version. I hope that's helped you out, feel free to ask any further questions. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2019-05-27
Hi and thanks for your question. The colour and condition of your plants at the end of the flowering period are determined by the nutrition they've received up to this point, by the sounds of it you should have withdrawn Nitrogen feeding somewhat earlier in the flowering cycle to avoid the plants being so green now. This time, however, you'll just have to wait a little longer to harvest if you don't want a harsh tasting smoke. Just keep flushing the roots with water (without drowning the roots), and you could also try a product designed to help plants use up excess nutrients, like Canna Flush or Final Flush which may speed up the process. Most of all, don't be disheartened, this is your first grow and these things are bound to happen as you gain experience. Following the nutrient schedules laid out by the manufacturers is a good start, but with time you'll learn that not all plants behave equally and depending on the genetics, some plants will need vastly different doses of fertiliser throughout theirs lives compared to others. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2019-01-30
Hi Ozz, thanks for your comment. I understand your confusion You're right, we recommend freezing the material for making hash to keep it in optimum condition before being processed and to keep it cold to help the trichomes snap off (it doesn't need to be frozen for this, temperatures can be up to 4ºC). The material can be dry of fresh-frozen and can go into a ziplock bag for storage, it doesn't matter if it gets based around a bit in the freezer and if a few trichomes fall to the bottom of the bag, we can empty them out when we process the material. On the other hand if you're freezing buds to store them for future smoking, they need to be treated with a little more respect! Firstly they should be properly dried and cured. Secondly I'd recommend using vacuum pots rather than just bags, which will offer better protection to the buds and stop them getting damaged in the freezer. I'd also advise careful defrosting of any buds before opening the vacuum pack or handling them. Allow the flowers to return to room temperature before opening them to avoid any excess humidity. I hope that's some help. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2019-01-07
Hi Robert, thanks for your praise!

Tim Alchimia 2018-07-16
Hi Gary, thanks for your question. The best time to harvest is in the morning, as early as possible to get the maximum terpene content and resulting flavour. Hope that helps, happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-05-28
Hi Lil Those are varieties that'll be ready to harvest after 8 or 9 weeks of flowering, although if you really want a couch-lock effect then you can let them go a week longer, so that the trichomes are nice and amber for the strongest, most narcotic effect. Most flower boosters are used in the last 4-6 weeks of flowering, but I wouldn't apply anything apart from water and maybe an enzyme product, or a specific flush product like Final Flush during the flush period, which should be at least a week before harvest, preferably two weeks (or more) for a really clean, pure flavour. Hope that helps, all the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-02-23
Hi Jamie, Thanks for your question, the temperature in the grow room should not go over 31°C (maximum temperature) and should be above 17ºC (minimum temperature), although the ideal temperature is between 20 and 28ºC. As a general rule you'll want things a few degrees cooler in flower than in veg. Here are a few of our articles to help get your environment on point! Vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in cannabis cultivation Basic tips for growing cannabis indoors Growing marijuana in grow tents Hope that helps, happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-01-02
Hi Tommy, thanks for your comment! I haven't seen California Lights products but I think programmable LEDs with adjustable spectrum are a great innovation for indoor growers wishing to recreate the natural light spectrum of the sun. And yes, the cannabis plant is by nature an annual plant that we've been able to "trick" into growing as a perennial by manipulating the photoperiod to delay flowering until we choose. All the best and happy growing!

Dani Alchimia 2017-10-17
Hi R, It is always a pleasure to read comments like yours!! Thanks a lot for sharing your experience, I subscribe every single statement you've made here, especially with regard to sun and organic nutrients. What you said about not trimming entirely the plant is something I've seen in many experienced outdoor growers, they leave almost all leaves during the drying process and remove them as they smoke it. I'm an indoor grower, some of my plants are in coco coir, others in soil. I can tell you, my best indoor buds were grown with soil and solid organic nutes, I only used water and bacteria for watering them. Amazing quality!! I also agree about harvest windows in outdoor crops, I've grown the same cuts outdoors for years and I've never harvested them on the same dates, every year is a whole new story. I really hope to read your comments soon mate, keep up the good work!! ;) Best!

Tim Alchimia 2017-10-11
Hi Jimmy, thanks for your comments, it's great to hear from you! Really though, there's no need to damage the plant or remove any limbs or branches to check the ripeness of the trichomes, just have a really close look using a jewellers loop or a digital camera with zoom. Of course, you can remove a small bud to speed-dry and test smoke it for potency, for sure! Just make sure you use clean scissors to cut it and that way you'll minimise any damage to the plant. Yes, you're right, trichomes can certainly have the appearance of mushrooms, with a slender stalk and a bulbous head, you'll find it's the same for buds grown indoors or outdoors. Different varieties will ripen at different rates, so unfortunately there are no set rules as to the time pattern between clear, milky and amber trichomes. Growing conditions like temperature, humidity, altitude and latitude are all variable factors that can affect the rate of maturity in resin heads. I hope that helps you out, all the best and happy harvesting!

Tim Alchimia 2017-09-27
Hi Rami, thanks a lot for your question. You're so right, high grade cannabis is more than just growing. The post-harvest treatment that flowers get is easily as much a factor in high quality cannabis as the cultivation itself! It sounds like your friend indeed harvests his plants a bit early (although it's possible that this is exactly how he likes his flowers, there's no accounting for taste!). Me, I like to harvest with mostly milky trichomes and just a few amber, but never with clear resin heads, my personal opinion is that amber heads are over-ripe while clear heads are unripe, and while it's a challenge to harvest a plant with all the trichomes at the perfect point of ripeness, it's what I'm aiming for. I'd also say that 2 weeks of curing is not enough by far, and that, along with the unripe flowers, would explain the poor flavour of your friends crop. While flowers can be smoked after a basic drying process if we're really desperate, for the best flavour it's crucial to properly cure our buds. It's worth pointing out that not all strains need the same amount of curing: I like to leave at least 6 weeks for curing after drying, however I've found that as a general rule Sativa varieties will need longer, indeed some pure landrace sativas I've grown have only reached optimal flavour after 6 months in glass jars, while six months cure on a pure Indica left it a little flavourless, in my opinion. The drying and curing process you've described sounds very comprehensive, you've definitely done your homework! It all seems like a very good method to me, and I'm sure that by following those instructions and with careful observation of the material as it dries and cures, you'll get a great end result. I've also kept cannabis in the freezer for long term storage and I've found it to work really well, although be sure that when you freeze the dried weed, don't put it all loose in one big container or bag: separate it into small baggies holding enough to last you for a week or a few days. This way, every time we want to grab a few buds to defrost we don't have to open a large container and expose all our buds to the moisture that is inevitably in the air and will lead to degradation. In fact, for even better preservation I'd recommend vacuum-packing small amounts separately before freezing. I hope I've been of some help, and I hope your harvest is a success!

Tim Alchimia 2017-09-27
Hi jimijames, Thanks for your comment and question, we're happy you're enjoying all the content! As for ripeness, personally i look at the trichomes on the buds themselves to guide me. The smaller leaves are of secondary importance since it's the flower I'll be smoking, so I let that dictate when to chop. That said, it's not unusual to see the odd amber trichome on unripe buds, this can be due to oxidisation caused by damage of some kind or simply by harsh weather. Also remember that the plant will not ripen all over at the same time, with the upper flowers getting more light exposure and maturing first. I often harvest the ripe tops and leave the lower branches on the plant so that the smaller buds can fatten a bit more for a later harvest. I hope that's cleared things up for you, happy harvesting!

Dani Alchimia 2017-08-16
Hi MS T, I'm happy to help!! Once your herb is dried, you'll put it in glass jars. Usually, the buds get a bit wet after putting them in jars, so you'll have to open them and lay out for a couple of hours every day during the first 3-4 days (do not lay out the buds with high RH, you want them to be exposed to air with low RH). After these 3-4 days you'll probably notice that they don't get wet anymore. You can now open the jars for just 5-10 minutes everyday and onwards. Whenever you expose buds to air always try to avoid light, which will degrade your cannabinoids and terpenes. Sometimes the herb gets too dry. A nice trick is to put it in jars with a couple of fresh leaves (we normally use cannabis leaves, although I've done this with lettuce) so the buds absorb the moisture from the fresh leaves. You can do the opposite if the buds are too wet, putting dried leaves which will hydrate with excess moisture from the buds (some people simply put a couple of small silica gel bags inside the jars to absorb excess moisture). WIth this method it is easy to get the perfect texture in a few days, even hours. Hope it helped, talk soon! ;) p.s. Yes, it is smokeable after 3 and a half weeks, although it depends on strains. Most varieties are perfect after 2-3 months of curing.

Dani Alchimia 2017-08-10
Hi Ms T, I've never heard of a method to accelerate drying/curing which works as well as "traditional" methods. I'd never put fresh buds in a plastic bag, they'll probably develop moulds. I'd simply remove all fan leaves, trim the buds (the less leaves the buds/plants have, the faster the drying process will be) and hang them in a dark, cool place until you go on holiday. Right before leaving, the buds will be ready to be put in Cvault containers or similar. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2017-08-10
Hi Ms T, You must count the 63 days from the day you switched the photoperiod to 12/12. If you're in week 7, you should now start flushing the plants with water until harvest. Hope it helped! ;)

Tim 2017-07-28
Hi Scott, THCA is simply the as-yet unactivated form of THC that is synthesised by the plants and remains in its non-psychoactive acid form until it is heated. This excerpt is taken from our post Cannabinoids and their medicinal properties: "All cannabinoids present in the plant are in their acid (2-COOH) form, such as THCA and CBDA (acid form B also exists, but in much smaller quantities than A). This acid form has a much lower psychoactive potential. These cannabinoids undergo decarboxylation during consumption (combustion, vaporization, cooking ?), which transforming it into its active form (THC, CBD ?) with the action of heat." So if smoking, vaporising or cooking will decarboxylate cannabis and convert the THCA to THC, the best option for THCA intake is probably to ingest it either orally or sublingually, for example using a tincture made from fresh, uncured material or from a fresh-frozen type extraction for the highest levels of THCA.

Dani Alchimia 2017-06-30
Hi T Christie, Trichomes will ripen during the flushing period, there's no problem at all about the lack of nutrients at this stage, trichomes will go from clear to milky and finally amber anyway. Hope it helped! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2017-05-08
Hi flow, We're glad, thanks!! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2017-04-11
Hi Kush men, I've been growing the GG#4 for some months now and 9 weeks is just perfect. Probably the best resin yielder I've ever seen, prepare yourself for tons of trichomes! If you make resin extractions you'll be a happy man!! ;) Best!

Dani Alchimia 2017-04-10
Hi Josie, Some plants continue developing white hairs even when they're ripe, that's why normally harvest time is determined by the colours of the trichomes. You should flush the plants before harvesting with water, although there is no problem on letting them dry before chopping. You should have very nice yields with your 400W HPS and your 300W LED system. Do you have them in the same grow tent/room? Best!

Dani Alchimia 2017-01-13
Hi Eric B, Latest research is showing that amber colour is more related to cannabinoid degradation rather than ripeness. The ideal would be start flushing when you see almost all trichomes milky and some clear. In this way you'll harvest your plants with a majority of milky trichomes, which are supposed to be at their peak of cannabinoid content. SInce you're using a hydroponic system, flushing your plants will be much easier, in few days they'll probably start showing nutrient deficiencies, which means you're flushing properly. I'd flush for no less than 10 days. Hope it helped, we're glad she looks great! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-21
Hi Simon King, First of all, take into account that plants do not ripe at the same time, I mean, normally buds with direct sunlight mature faster than shaded buds. From what you say, I think you should wait and continue checking the trichomes. You'll soon see that all clear trichs will become milky in a few days; when you see almost all milky trichomes, even some amber one, it is the perfect time to harvest. Sure you can upload pics here!! All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-19
Hi Confused grower, A very interesting question. From what I've read, CBD can be found at very early stages of the plant, well before flowering. We also know that amber trichs mean that THC is already degrading into CBN, but CBD levels seem to remain stable (at least, much more stable than THC). An interesting point is the interaction between CBD and CBN. It seems like high CBN content improves the anti-inflammatory effect of CBD, so perhaps harvesting with amber trichomes (THC is degrading into CBN) would yield a very similar CBD content than harvesting with milky trichs but you'd get a more suitable cannabinoid profile to combat pain. I'll continue researching on this subject, will post any useful info I find! Best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-17
Hi Colin, Low temps are supposed to accelerate the maturation of buds (and trichomes), although they can also lead to low yields if too low. Using greenhouses and heaters for greenhouses greatly helps to prevent this problem. All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-17
Hi Mountain Grower, Very nice appreciation, thanks for your comment! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-14
Hi kreso, That's perfect, mate. Using a pocket microscope is ideal to determine the best moment for harvesting. Best! ;)