How can I find the exact harvest timing for my strain?

[SmokeyMacPot]

You may not be able to tell subtle differences in the high from harvest timing yet. The only way to know the difference is through experience, and that is nearly impossible to get if you are buying the buds.

Nearing harvest is the perfect point to start gaining that knowledge-- harvest in stages and decide which you prefer. The proper way to do it is double-blind:

Harvest a similar amount of bud every 5 or 7 days. Let it dry and cure the same way until they are all similar in feel. This would take two months or more if you do it properly.

Have someone else that doesn't know the significance take the samples and label them (A, B, C, D, E) in random order. Whenever you want to smoke, have THEM give you a sample without telling you which one they gave.

Smoke it, note the effects. You might not notice the difference until after most of the high has passed-- do you feel like you need a nap or do you simply feel fine and sober?

Once you have noted the effects, give your response back to the tester so they can file it under the proper label (A, B, C, etc). You should never know which one you were smoking.

Once the results are in, match up the original harvest dates with the anonymous letters and analyze your test. This also works well for seedling sisters to find the best mother among them.

If you don't have the patience (or tester) to do the proper method, you can still harvest in stages and decide which you prefer.

Author: administrator

 

[SupremeGreen]

Does that mean you have to take off different levels of the tree at differnt times intill its all gone?

 

[OldMedUser]

Does that mean you have to take off different levels of the tree at differnt times intill its all gone?

Pretty much. That would be more like a progressive harvest where you would take the large colas off the tips of the branches then allow the lower, smaller buds more light and another week or so to fatten up then take those and let smaller ones fatten up until the plant is harvested. This can greatly increase your yield.

Smokey is basically saying, (correct me if I'm wrong here Smokey), that you start by harvesting some of the buds when they mostly have clear trichomes then allow some buds to age until the trichs are getting cloudy and take some more then let some ripen until the trichs are mostly amber and take some of those. Each stage will have a slightly different buzz and flavor. From clear head stone with the first ones to a more body high with the older buds. If you grow the same strains all the time after a couple of harvests you'll know when they're ripened just right for the buzz you like best. New strains will will be different but that's the beauty of growing. YOU get to decide when it's the right time to pluck the buds!

A lot depends on the strain. A sativa will mainly have a cerebral head stone that in my case can cause some anxiety/panic along with heart palpitations. Letting it go past the "best before date" before harvesting gives me a more manageable high but still leaves me with a real "up" buzz that is great for daytime use and gives me motivation and a great outlook on my day. An indica, on the other hand may turn into real "couch lock" if allowed to stay on the plant too long. I try to harvest some early but I like to have some that's older for those nights when sleep is elusive. Plus it seems to work better for my arthritis and spasms in my extremities.

Hope that helps.

​

 

[levi rider]

very good comments, thank you very much

 

[jollygreen]

The best way I have found to determine harvest time is to use the cheap ($10) Radio Shack hand held microscope. Look at the trichome development and decide if your strain will best support a "couch-lock" buzz or a "never-ending" buzz. Sativas should be harvested while the majority of the trichs are milky. I have found that this makes a great smoke. Indicas should be harvested when the majority of the trichs have become amber (the next stage after milky). This will promote the couch-lock that is naturally associated with Indicas. The point is to experiment with different strains and trich development and decide what works best for you. But, the microscope will eliminate guessing, making you more efficient. Best wishes.

 

[gstatus806]

what strain do you have
just check where u got them from the info there

 

[Leary]

Pretty much. That would be more like a progressive harvest where you would take the large colas off the tips of the branches then allow the lower, smaller buds more light and another week or so to fatten up then take those and let smaller ones fatten up until the plant is harvested. This can greatly increase your yield.

Smokey is basically saying, (correct me if I'm wrong here Smokey), that you start by harvesting some of the buds when they mostly have clear trichomes then allow some buds to age until the trichs are getting cloudy and take some more then let some ripen until the trichs are mostly amber and take some of those. Each stage will have a slightly different buzz and flavor. From clear head stone with the first ones to a more body high with the older buds. If you grow the same strains all the time after a couple of harvests you'll know when they're ripened just right for the buzz you like best. New strains will will be different but that's the beauty of growing. YOU get to decide when it's the right time to pluck the buds!

A lot depends on the strain. A sativa will mainly have a cerebral head stone that in my case can cause some anxiety/panic along with heart palpitations. Letting it go past the "best before date" before harvesting gives me a more manageable high but still leaves me with a real "up" buzz that is great for daytime use and gives me motivation and a great outlook on my day. An indica, on the other hand may turn into real "couch lock" if allowed to stay on the plant too long. I try to harvest some early but I like to have some that's older for those nights when sleep is elusive. Plus it seems to work better for my arthritis and spasms in my extremities.

Hope that helps.

​

That was extremely helpful to me. Thank you!

 

[ChicagoJoe]

...
Harvest a similar amount of bud every 5 or 7 days. Let it dry and cure the same way until they are all similar in feel. This would take two months or more if you do it properly.

Author: administrator

I know it's an old post, just looking for opinions.

OK, but what about the flush?
If a plant is 6 weeks into 12/12, and you want to use this method for a soil grow:::

start of week 6: no more nutes, only water
start of week 7: harvest some early buds (1 week of flush), continue only water
start of week 8: harvest some more buds (2 weeks of flush), continue only water
start of week 9: harvest rest of plant (3 weeks of flush).

Seems like too long to go without nutes.

 

[OldMedUser]

If I knew my plants were done at the end of the eighth week, and I wanted to flush, I would feed 'till the end of the seventh week then straight water for a week then start harvesting. I don't flush tho. I've tried it and I can't tell much difference and I think my yields would be lots less as it takes me a couple of months to finish! lol

The taste is in the cure IMO. I trim fresh off the plant and slow dry in wax paper lined perforated boxes for a week or more, then put the nugs loosely in jars and burp for a week or so until smokeably dry.

 

[levi rider]

is it possible to make this types of harvesting eith autoflowering strains ? ? ? :icon_roll: because they afraid of stress or it would be good ?

 

[redfox30]

You should invest in a quality magnifying glass and take a close look to see if the trichomes are amber or cloudy. that should also help you determine the right time to harvest based on the strain.

 

[Jasonlee247]

You should invest in a quality magnifying glass and take a close look to see if the trichomes are amber or cloudy. that should also help you determine the right time to harvest based on the strain.

My thoughts exactly

 

[HeadMaster]

mine too

 

[OldMedUser]

is it possible to make this types of harvesting eith autoflowering strains ? ? ? :icon_roll: because they afraid of stress or it would be good ?

I know this is an old post but in case you were wondering still, it should be good for autos too. Who cares about stress. You're killing her anyway!

 

[levi rider]

I know this is an old post but in case you were wondering still, it should be good for autos too. Who cares about stress. You're killing her anyway!

ja man ?

 

[QUEENBUD00]

After a while,you...Accuire the feel,a knowing to when to harvest...It's not an easy way to explain it...we all have a distinctive taste and the high...So...just trim a few buds,sample here and there...each plant has it's own time of harvesting.. just refrain from taking all those buds off one plant....i keep different plants in different bags...slow dry in paper bag...wax paper...over about 2 months...but thats curing...a whole different subject.....

 

[Darkshade1980]

you can usually find out online via-certain sites that tell you what height the strain ends up in VEGG during the Vegg period then take from that the exact time of which to start your 12/12 cycle for flowering... most people utilize a 18/6 or 16/8 Vegg period. either way its fairly good to use an 18/6 for sativas (my personal recommendation) and maybe for strains that have a more broad spectrum of mixtures like 60 percent sativas/ 40 percent indicas use 18/6 then the opposite for strains that are more dominant on the other spectrum of INDICAs...use 16/8 for veg (my own rec as well).

Has anyone ever had any problems/luck with AUTOFLOWERING?...i recently recieved a Freebie seed with my order of Berry Bomb X5 and THC bomb X5 and Plush Berry TGA subcools X10 (Reg) and its called Fruit Auto...by Dina-fem seedbank..i was amazed at how i had been Vegging for 3 weeks and then noticed out of 28 plants that one was flowering already, had little white hairs everywhere and of course that was the Fruit Auto.... fairly amazing ive never had any experience with them or those types of Ruederalis' but it looks maazing its in its 3rd Week of flowering now .... a suggestion... i would suggest for people who are growing anything (feminized or Regular seeds and have trouble waiting for them to produce... to keep you Busy/occupied itd be chill to always have a back up or something fun like an autoflower to bud while your waiting... thats what ive come to think from getting this "freebie" seed from the Att - tude seed bank U.K. .... so its kinda fun to have something already flowering while the rest is going on its regular time cycle.

 

[Darkshade1980]

plus when to harvest usually is best when the Crystals tell you .... the THC glands on the buds when they are clear in the beginning of flowering they arent ready of course... but then halfway through (depending on the strian) they become white and creamy...full of white color. then when they are getting "ripe" they start to turn Amber or amber dark... NIce n old n HEavy how i personally like it. some people harvest when the THC glands/crystals are almost all creamy white for a more uppy-high not so Down and couchlock but that still pertains to the strain... and some people who love a DOWNER type couchlock buzz wait till the Crystals get Amber or Dark amber turning from cramy white to a amber-ish colour. and for the more experienced grower/harvester...some like to let it have only a few Creamy white Crystals remian and like 80 percent amber crystals... for a more mixture like high when smoked.... hope that helps... and yeah ive tried the latter of these recommendations..... always for me harvesting when they were almost all amber or WERE all amber wasthe time for me.

 

[rope]

This really seems to be helpful. But doe's anyone have pictures of what bud to clip and how much. I hope i asked that right.

 

[TorturedSoul]

The 40:60 Rule