Happy Croptober! Wait, what? Yes Croptober! Croptober is what the cannabis world refers to as the outdoor harvesting period. And an important one too. You can do everything right up until you're starting to harvest, but there's still much you're able to screw up. In this blog, we help you on your way.
When to harvest your cannabis plants
Your plants are ready to be harvested when around 70% of the trichomes, the balls or THC, have turned from white to brown. It's rather difficult to see with the naked eye, however, there are cheap, small microscopes you can buy for less than 10 euros / dollars. Note that you should look at the balls, not the hairs.
How to trim your cannabis plant(s)
Trimming can be done with automated machines, but the preferred method (even in huge legal plantations in Canada) is still the 'old school' method by hand and scissors. In your local grow shop, you're bound to find perfect scissors. If there's no growshop nearby, maybe try a tailoring shop for small scissors. It is also a good idea to buy a couple, so your friend can help you trim, or for when your scissors become impossible to use because of all the accumulated resin. Most people prefer to trim 'wet' (or fresh), as opposed to trimming after you have three your plants.
Save the THC rich leafs!
There's a lot you can do with your THC rich leafs. You can turn it into something smokable, eatable or into oils and balms. This way you are able to get more from your harvest . Follow the link if you want help forming an idea what to do with your trim.
Drying your cannabis plant(s)
When you're done trimming, it's time to dry your plants. You can choose to hang them upside down, still attached to their branches, or put the separate buds in a drying rack. Typically, this usually takes just over a week depending on the conditions inside the room. You want because it is dark in the room, as light is very bad for the THC content. And it should be dry. Preferably, you will also want to put a fan in the room (not on the plants) to have some air circulation. You could also use a filter used for indoor growing, to reduce the smell. Especially recommended when your neighbors and the street are close. This is why it could be a good idea to dry your plants in an indoor growing tent.
Drying is done when the branches make a 'snap' sound when you try to break them.
Curing your cannabis plant(s)
The 'oldschool' way is to put your three buds in glass jars. Important then is to at least for the first few weeks, to every day let your buds 'burp' by opening the jar once. Later you can do it once every couple of days.
You're doing this to take control of the humidity inside the jars. To make it easier, companies like Integra and Boveda are now selling humidity packs you can add to your jars. It's a technique also used in the cigar business, as well as in the musical instrument business.
Always store your jars in dark places, as mentioned before, light will decrease THC levels.
Malfunctioning your cannabis
If you've followed the steps above, your cannabis will be in glass jars and they're perfectly fine staying there. Just make sure you continue to leave your jars in a dark place to not let the THC levels be affected by the light.
Cannabis can be stored up to one year, arguably even longer when done properly. However, you will notice it. If you've stored cannabis for over a year, THC will turn into CBN according to research. This could also be just what you want. CBN has its positive properties too. It's being said CBN is very good for sleep for example.
If you've followed these steps, you should have top notch cannabis afterwards. If you're happy with your creation, feel free to email us the results at info@suzyseeds.com
