Top Tips for Harvesting and Storing Homegrown Cannabis
It is that time of your cannabis-growing journey when you are thinking about cannabis harvest and storing them for future use. You have grown your weed plants from seeds, and you have taken care of their water supply needs, lighting, and nutrients. You have optimized your production by creating the best environment for your crop and giving them the best care. Your tender plant with a few leaves has now grown and matured into a full-blown crop with heavy buds. It has been quite a journey. Congratulations, you are about to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Now, the moment you have been waiting for is here! It is a time to get your yield. Well, it is not yet over until you have your crop stored well. You will need to pay as much attention to your harvesting approach as you have been paying attention to your plants’ growth. Pay attention to your harvesting strategy because it can affect your yield dramatically. Additionally, how you store your yield is important because it affects the quality of your products. So, how to harvest cannabis? What are the most important storage tips? In this article, we will tell you about some of the harvesting and cannabis storage tips to help get the best out of your hard work.
When to Harvest Cannabis?
Given the varying cannabis strains, their development from seedling to maturity differs greatly. Apart from the strain of the weed, other factors such as the growing medium and the desired yield affect the period of their growth cycle significantly. For most cannabis strains, this period is approximately between 6 and 16 weeks. Given that the period varies greatly, you may need to dedicate your time observing your plants for signs to show that they are ready for harvesting. Following are some of the ways you can use to establish if buds from your homegrown cannabis are ready for harvesting:
1. Consider the Color of Your Trichomes
The color of your trichomes can tell if your crop is ready to be harvested. Is this your first time hearing about trichomes and wondering what they are? If you look at your weed plants, you will see some tiny crystals covering the leaves and buds of the plants. In essence, they are little resin glands found on your cannabis flowers or buds. Trichomes are shiny and sticky, and become aromatic as harvesting time approaches. Therefore, apart from changing color as they become ready for harvest, they also develop a scent because they have developed their terpene and cannabinoid content, such as THC and CBD. The trichomes are part of the plant’s defense system.
As we said, observing the color of the trichomes is one of the best ways to establish if your plants are ready for harvesting. When it is time to harvest, almost half of the trichomes should be amber in color, while the remaining half should be milky white. Trichomes from mature plants should also appear like blankets of frost, while the ones that are yet to mature are still clear. However, be informed that you may not be able to see the color of trichomes clearly with your naked eye. As such, you may need some magnifying tools to be able to see the color changes.
2. Look at Changes in Your Plants’ Leaves
As your plants mature, the leaves will change. One of the changes that will occur is the color. The plants’ fan leaves change color from green to yellow as they become ready for harvesting. During the flowering phase, your plants’ leaves have a green color. The green color is due to nitrogen content, given that plants in the early growing period need nitrogen. As the plants become ready for harvest, the nitrogen level reduces. Consequently, the leaves turn yellow.
An additional charge that you should observe as your plant matures is the curling tendency of the big leaves. As they become yellow, they also tend to curl because they lack moisture. As the harvesting time draws near, cannabis plants naturally absorb less water.
3. Look at the Changes to the Pistils
Pistils are part of the sex organs of the female weed plants. They appear like tiny hair protruding from the calyx. To establish if your cannabis is mature and ready to be harvested, find out if the pistils are brown. If with the aid of a magnifying apparatus, you establish that about half of the pistils appear brown, then you can harvest your buds.
After harvesting your buds, it is time to dry, cure and store them while ensuring you preserve your weed’s potency and quality.
How Do You Store Your Cannabis Buds?
After harvesting your buds, you must dry and cure them properly to retain the terpenes and cannabinoid content. To effectively eliminate moisture, slow open-air drying is recommended. This process should take between two and seven days.
How do you dry your cut buds? Simply hand the cut buds upside down online or hanger as whole plants or branches to curb flattening. Check to see if your cannabis is dry after two days. If the stems snap after bending them, it means the buds are well dried. Otherwise, leave the buds hanging and keep checking in the following days until the stems snap.
After curing your homegrown, apply the following tips in curing and storing them:
1. Have Your Materials Ready
You want the process to be smooth with minimum interruptions because you have things to do. As such, you need to prepare the things you need. Before you start curing your plants, make sure you have a hygrometer and airtight jars.
4. Place Your Buds in The Airtight Jars
You should always use airtight jars to store your buds because they do not allow any amount of oxygen to enter. Additional oxygen may cause moisture, resulting in the deterioration of your buds. You can use metallic, ceramic, or wooden jars to store your trimmed cannabis buds. Avoid using plastic bags because these allow oxygen to enter. Additionally, plastic bags affect the flavor of your cannabis by making your weed taste like plastic. Be careful to avoid compacting or crushing the buds by packing the buds loosely.
5. Always Make Sure Your Buds Are Optimally Dried
Before you store your packed buds, check to see if you over-dried the buds. Optimally dried buds look softer while over-dried ones lack in this aspect. Thankfully, you can easily rehydrate your buds. You can attain this by putting a humidity pack in your jars. Conversely, if you feel that your buds are too wet, leave them with the lid off for about 12 to 24 hours before sealing them.
Thereafter, store your cannabis containers in a cool, dark, and dry area.
Final thought
As you have realized, cannabis harvest is not the final step. You need to put effort into ensuring the buds are stored well to guarantee a high-quality product. Follow the above tips, and you are good to go.
