When to harvest marijuana plants?

Tim Alchimia 2022-09-16
Hi Dara, thanks for your comment and kind words, we're really happy that the blog is helping you! The amount of bud you add to the coconut will depend on the effect you want to get. I'm used to making infused coconut oil for ingestion, similar to a tincture, but when it comes to creams and balms for external use, I don't have much experience, but a good place for you to start would be our post on making creams and ointments with CBD, which has a recipe that will work fine whether the weed is CBD-rich, 1:1 or high in THC. In answer to your second question, yes, you should decarboxylate the buds in the oven before infusing the oil with them. Follow the instructions in our article about cannabis decarboxylation and you won't go far wrong! I hope that helps. Best wishes and happy infusing!

Tim Alchimia 2022-03-25
Hi, thanks for your comment. If you like, you can send a photo for the attention of Tim to info@alchimiaweb.com and I'd be happy to have a look and see if I can help. Best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2021-08-30
Hi, thanks for your comment and question. You can send photos of anything you're not sure about to info@alchimiaweb.com and one of us will do our best to help you out. If your plants are outdoors in the northern hemisphere, and depending on the genetics you're growing, they are most likely in bloom by now, unless they're strongly sativa-dominant plants. Some Indica varieties will almost be ready for harvest by now too! You'l hopefully be seeing clusters of shite hairs at each node and the tip of each branch. These are the flowers forming. I hope that helps, best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-09-24
Hi Ryan, thanks for your comment. Yes, you can send an email with your photos to info@alchimiaweb.com for the attention of Tim, and I'll try and help you out. Al the best!

Tim Alchimia 2020-09-08
Hi Justyn, thanks for your comment. First, have a look at our other post on the subject: "When to harvest marijuana plants according to trichome ripeness" and if the photos and information don't answer your question then you can send an email to info@alchimiaweb.com and we'll do our best to help. Happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2020-06-15
Hi, sure, no problem at all. You can send us a photo to info@alchimiaweb.com and we'll do our best to help you out. Best wishes and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2018-09-24
Hi Jessica, thanks for your question. The pistils themselves aren't much of an indicator of flower maturity. Sure, a load of fresh white pistils mean that the flowers aren't ready yet, but in general we look at the trichomes (the resin heads) themselves to calculate when to harvest. It depends on personal taste, but I tend to harvest my outdoor plants when I see only a few trichomes turning an amber colour and all the rest are milky, with almost none clear/transparent. I'm sure after eight weeks, if you look closely with a magnifying glass you'll see some amber trichomes. As for the mould, I highly recommend removing and disposing of any parts of the plants that have been affected, otherwise it stands a much greater chance of spreading to the rest of the plant and completely ruining the harvest. Removing dead leaves is always a good idea too, not only to increase air circulation but also because dead plant material will be a perfect breeding ground for fungal spores. All the best with the rest of the season, I hope your plant brings you much happiness!

Tim Alchimia 2018-08-27
Hi Don, yes, you should definitely be seeing trichomes in early flowering, I'd usually expect to see them from very early on. Sometimes they're easier to see on the leaves than the flowers, but it's on the flowers where you'll find the greatest concentration. If it's a real Maui strain, it's a long-flowering plant so it could be that it won't start to develop trichomes till later on, but the case could be that the plant is simply not very resinous. Is this the same plant you've already asked us about in earlier comments? It seems very strange to me that in the fifth week of flower the plant has brown pistils yet hasn't developed trichomes yet. I'm curious, did you source the seeds from a reputable seed bank? Do you know who produced them/did the breeding on them?

Tim Alchimia 2018-08-21
Hi Don, thanks for the question. The pistillate hairs can turn brown for a number of reasons. The most likely reason is that they've been pollinated by some male flower, so have a close check for any signs of intersex/hermaphrodite flower development. Of course, that's not the only possible reason, I've seen pistils turn brown early after foliar spraying Potassium Bicarbonate to help control Powdery Mildew. Other foliar products could have a similar effect too. Have you sprayed anything? It could also be caused by an excess of Potassium in the plant, a fungal problem in the root zone or even an infestation of mites. It's not probable, but you may also find that it's part of the plants' natural flowering cycle, and that they will begin to produce white hairs again, and start a second phase of flowering. I hope that's offered some clues, I'm afraid it's hard to give a proper diagnosis without knowing all the factors involved. All the best and happy growing!

Tim Alchimia 2017-09-12
Hi Beth, thanks for your comment, it's great that you've started your own grow. Outdoors in So Cal, wow, you've got a great climate there! As for your problem plant, well the first thing I'd do is to remove all the dried-up leaves and buds and dispose of them. Without seeing the problem, it's hard to know what the cause might be, it may be some kind of fungus or the effects of an insect parasite or it could be caused by stress due to over or under-watering. If, as you say you're near harvest, probably the best thing to do is keep a close eye on the plant, removing any more dried up leaves as they appear to help to stop the potential spread of the problem. I don't recommend spraying any insecticide or fungicide at this stage in the plants life, so close to harvest, however a irrigating or spraying (or both) with aloe vera juice will help to give a boost to your plants health and may help it fight any infection. At the same time make sure you're not giving too much water, or conversely that the soil hasn't dried out completely. I've found ants nests among the roots to be the cause of more than one sickly plant, so keep an eye out for those little guys too. As for your second question, the plant will most likely die off after harvest! Naturally cannabis pants are annual plants, they are born, grow, flower and die over the course of one year. There are ways to trick the plant into growing again the following year, but it's not going to be easy with an outdoor plant. If plants are in pots, we can do it a lot easier, simply leave a few lower buds and healthy leaves on the plant when you harvest, then take the plant indoors, somewhere sheltered where it won't feel any frosts, and give it a 18/6 light cycle for vegetative growth. This will cause the plant to re-vegetate, slowly changing from the flowering stage back to growing again. The time this takes, and the success of re-vegetating will depend greatly on the genetics you're growing. In my experience, sativa-dominant plants are easier to re-vegetate while indicas can be slower to respond to this change in light period. In any case, I'd recommend starting again next year with new clones or seeds. Re-vegging is a stressful process, not only for the plant, but for the grower too, and the results aren't always ideal so it's only really worthwhile for those very special plants that we absolutely don't want to lose! Happy harvesting!

Dani Alchimia 2017-08-07
Hi N.W., First of all, sorry for the late reply, I've been on holidays for some days. If you top any branch of a cannabis plant it'll develop two stems where it had just one. The more you top the plant, the more branches you'll get. It's one of the many techniques used when growing cannabis, especially when using the SCROG method. These white hairs you see are called pistils and are part of the female flower (they catch the pollen released by the males). As the flowering period advances, you'll see how more and more pistils are produced at the same time that flowers get fatter. Pistils will turn orange/brown as the flowering progresses, which is one of the aspects to take into account to know when to harvest cannabis plants. Hope it helped! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2017-06-23
Hi Tim, As long as your plants are healthy, do not worry about the roots coming out of the rockwool cube and dying. They're just being "naturally trimmed" by the action of light and air. As you say, new roots will keep on growing until they find a nice place to expand. Simply continue watering your plants and transplant them as soon as you can. Best!

Dani Alchimia 2017-06-19
Hi Tim, I should be seeing your plants to judge, but from what you say (3/4 white 1/4 amber) I would harvest now. Keep in mind that you'll always spot some clear trichs here and there, but if the vast majority is white and some of them amber, it is harvest time! And do not worry about the timer. It should have been on for 30 minutes or so for your plants to detect it was day time. Best!

Dani Alchimia 2017-06-14
Hi Tim, I wouldn't raise them, I really don't see the need (especially when you're soon transplanting them). About the two extra hours of darkness, no problem at all mate, go ahead! Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2017-06-13
Hi Tim, Roots coming out of the rockwool cube will probably dry out and die, although it shouldn’t represent a problem. As long as your plants are properly watered, they’ll keep on growing until you can put them into your nft system. If necessary, you can even prune the roots when transplanting. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-06
Hi Tim, I assume the rooted clone with no lower leaves has the apex intact. If that's the case, plant the whole stem and you'll probably see your cutting growing in a few days. About the soil: it all depends whether you're using liquid nutrients or not. If you're not using liquid nutes, add some solid organic nutrients or get a soil rich in nutrients. Once planted, the soil for your clones should be wet but not soaking. Cannabis will die in dry soil, but it doesn't like too much watering. Here you have an article on how to water cannabis plants. All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-05
Hi Tim, I don't like rooting in water, the few times that i've tried I've found more problems than with the normal technique. As soon as the roots are about 1 inch long you should transplant them so they can grow properly. Keep in mind that roots HATE light! If the lower leaves have died, remove them and try to put the whole stem into the soil when you transplant, so only the healthy leaves are visible. In this way, more roots will be created were you had the leaves that died. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-05
Hi Luis, Usually, we harvest when we see around 30% amber trichomes. Still, if you want a more cerebral effect, harvesting with white trichomes is perfect. It all depends on the strain you're growing and the desired effect once dried. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-10-03
Hi Robert, Many farmers use dehumidifiers in their drying room, no problem at all. Just remember a couple of things: most dehumidifiers produce heat, what can be a problem depending on room temperatures. Also, try not to dry your plants too fast; they should be properly dried in about 15 days from harvest, then you can start the curing process. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-09-23
Hi JonDoe, No problem about harvesting the tops and letting the lower parts mature, many growers harvest their outdoor plants like that. All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-09-22
Hi Onceuponatime, Normally, large plants are gradually harvested as buds ripe, no problem about it at all. Just cutt off the ripe tops and leave the remaining branches to mature. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-09-12
Hi windcatcher, While I've smoked delicious seeded buds during the years, normally both potency and taste weakens in seeded plants. Instead of focusing on producing terpenes and cannabinoids, the plant produces seeds. That's why the "sinsemilla technique" was developed, to achieve the best possible quality on all aspects. From what you say you did everything correctly, so I guess these two plants have hermaphrodite traits. The problem here is that these plants may pollinate your whole crop, so removing them would be ideal. If you can't, try to remove the pollen sacks manually. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-09-12
Hi Ian, If a cannabis plant develops both male and female flowers it is called an hermaphrodite. It may happen that a female develops a few bananas, which may be fertile or not. If they're fertile, they'll release pollen and pollinate the female flowers, which will start to develop seed. A few fertile pollen sacks can pollinate a whole plant, that's why people normally remove them. Still, it can be a hard task with poor results, and most times the plants develop lots of seeds. If your plant is already developing seeds it means that it was pollinated a few days/weeks ago, so your buds will have some seeds in them. Seeded buds are smokeable, but less tasty and potent than sinsemilla buds. In the future, always keep an eye on your plants when they start developing buds. If I have to grow just a couple of plants, I'll germinate 4-5 and wait until they start flowering. Pretty soon I'll be able to determine which ones are the best two plants (nice structure, no hermaphrodite traits, etc), which will be kept until harvest. I just get rid of the others or give them to some friend. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-08-01
Hi Tim, You can take a cutting from the main stem by simply cutting the top of the plant. In this way, you'll promote side branching and more clones will be ready in a few days. If you could send a picture of your plants at info@alchimiaweb.com it will be easier to help you! ;) All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-07-20
Hi Tim, A pleasure!!! ;)

Dani Alchimia 2016-07-19
Hi Tim, Yes, it is natural. What you are observing is phenotypic diversity. Not all plants grow the same way even if they come from the same parents, and each of them expresses a certain phenotype, a certain group of traits (growth pattern, bud production, resin production, vegetative vigour, etc.). That is why selections are made, there are always better individuals than others, so people keep the best one as mother plant. The more stabilised the strain, the more common traits you'll observe among your plants. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2016-05-23
Hi Jane, Some strains begin to re-flower at the end of their bloom stage. This can be due to late harvest, although in some cases it is normal. They will produce few more bud (usually foxtails) that will be ready in some days. Nothing to worry about. ;) All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2016-03-22
Hi Brian, Sometimes, seed banks are a bit too optimist with harvesting dates. It could be possible that, while they say 8 weeks, your plants take 9 or 10 weeks to ripe (harvest dates are always approximate). I've never used fluorescents to bloom (always HPS), so I don't know if perhaps they could delay ripening a few days. You can put your plants under a 10-14 photoperiod (10 daily hours of light) for the last 2 weeks to accelerate ripening. Also, try to check the trichomes of different parts of your plants. Normally, and unless they are really small, plants don't ripe their buds at the same time, so perhaps your tops are ripe while the lower buds need some extra days. Hope it helped!

Dani Alchimia 2015-10-22
Hi Danielle, I guess your plant is outside. Some strains are known for constantly developing new hairs and buds (Matanuska Tundra,...), even when the plant trichomes are ripe. If your plant has not suffered any kind of light stress lately, do not trust the hairs and check the trichomes, they will tell you if your buds are really ripe or not. Oftenly, growers harvest their plants when almost all trichomes are turning from milky to amber colour. Also, it is common practice to harvest only the parts of the plant that are ripe, and leave the rest until it is mature enough. Hope it helped, Best vibes!

Dani Alchimia 2015-10-19
Hi Mark, Seeing a picture would definitely help, although it also can be difficult to tell unless you can send us a picture of the trichomes. If you have any kind of magnifier - approximately from 40x - you can actually see the colour of the trichomes. The more amber the colour, the more ripe the gland. Most people harvest their plants when almost all trichomes are turning from milky colour to slightly amber. If you see clear trichomes with your magnifier, or basically only white pistils with the naked eye, then it means your plant needs few days/weeks to finish. All the best! p.s. You can send your picture at fotos@alchimiaweb.com

Dani Alchimia 2015-10-19
Hi Flexy, Fortunately, cannabis is a plant that recovers very fast when properly treated. You can also splint the branch with plastic strips and use some healing agent for plants if necessary. Also, and for he first days, you can spray the top of the branch to hydrate the foliar mass (again, if necessary). Thanks for your comment, Best vibes!

Dani Alchimia 2015-09-21
Hi jake, Yes, it is done in the same exact way. You can use drying racks to save space. Best vibes!

Dani Alchimia 2015-09-17
Hi Al, I absolutely agree with you, harvesting the whole plant at once is the best way to have lots of non-ripe buds, especially when growing outdoors. Thanks for your comment, All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2015-09-16
Hi Deano, You should fix the snapped branch by using some kind of stick attached to it. Also, you can try to use a healing agent for plants. The leaves of the snapped branch will indicate you if it is healing or not: If - after 2-3 days - they seem dead, then the branch is dead, so just cut it and dry it as if it was ripe. All the best!

Dani Alchimia 2015-09-01
Hi ester, What you say is called revevgetation or replanting, and it is something that many growers do when they find a nice female but they have no clones of it. You just let it finish its flowering, cut almost all branches except a couple of small shoots on the lower part of the plant, change the photoperiod to 18/6 and start giving it more Nitrogen. In some days you'll see new leaves growing curved and with strange shape; in 2-3 weeks your plant should start growing normally again. Best vibes!

VapoMan 2014-08-25
Hi Jeffrey! Unfortunately we currently don't deliver to the USA. We are based in Spain, at this time we are unable to deliver because of logistical reasons, but this may change in the future. Thank you for your support and for your words :)