The Best Time to Harvest Cannabis

Harvesting weed is a delicate matter. Often times people ask the general question on the internet ‘what is the best time to harvest marijuana.’ This is a very broad question that requires more information to answer. The answer to this question could be ‘on an empty stomach’ or ‘right after your workout’. All kidding aside it is too broad and depends on many things. Are you growing outdoors? Are you growing indoors? Are you referring to the maturity of the bud or just a time of day to harvest?

Growing Weed Outdoors

For outdoor growers there is a harvest season for cannabis. A few strains can be harvested in late August and early September in most regions but most strains will be harvested in late September and into October. As far as the time of day goes some experts suggest that it is best to harvest buds in the morning. If you are concerned about stealth you could attempt to harvest at night time but that brings up all kinds of obvious issues.

Growing Weed Indoors

If you are growing weed indoors than every strain has a different amount of flowering time that is required to fully mature but most will be ready 6-12 weeks after the photoperiod has been changed to 12 hours on 12 hours off. Knowing when the buds are perfectly mature is an art form that takes experience to master. You should use a magnifying glass to make sure trichomes are perfect. Harvesting too soon or too late will lead to less than optimal results.

Harvesting marijuana too soon will result in less THC and you will also have very light fluffy buds as opposed to the full dense nugs that you really want. If you harvest too late it could lead to bud rot when growing outdoors.

When it comes to the perfect harvest it takes time and experience to master. The real key to knowing when to harvest your cannabis is the maturity of the trichomes. Get used to examining them regularly so you can tell when they are mature and when they are past do.