Home Growers Corner
Time to Harvest
Fall is upon Us— Happy Harvest Season, Folks!
by Gerry Donovan, contributing writer
She’ s Ready to Harvest – Retracted Amber Hairs
October is significant to cannabis growers because it is traditionally when outdoor photoperiod plants are ready to harvest. Although they should be nearing full maturity by now, check the Almanac because you will want to make sure to take them down before the first freeze. Indoors, however, we will harvest the plant when it has fully matured; the time frame for that will be a decision you’ ll need to make.
I want to make one thing clear right off the bat— this will be contrary to internet keyboard warrior“ knowledge.” There is no need for a microscope and no need to count the days. Your plant will let you know when it’ s done with visual indicators, no tools required!
Are your buds mature, ripe, and ready to trim?
There is a window of time— usually a several-day span— when your plants will be ready to harvest; that is, cut the buds off the plant. An early trim will leave you with immature buds that don’ t have fully developed aromas or effects. A bud that is allowed to grow too long will get past the“ prime point,” and some of the cannabinoids and compounds can start to break down.
There are two main methods for determining when your buds are ready to cut: the“ Hair Method” and the widely discussed“ Trichome Method.”
Hair( Stigma) Method
When your plants are flowering, the developing bud sites will display many light-colored( usually white or pale yellow) hairs that are typically straight and outstretched, but some varieties are a bit more“ squiggly.” I like to refer to these as“ Bart Simpson Hairs.” When the hairs start to retract and change color, usually to a shade of rust or amber( sometimes pink or red), it signals that the plant is maturing and ripening. The percentage of hairs that have changed color is the key factor in determining maturity. I like to see at least 90 % plus color change before I trim.
Up-close picture of the trichomes that are nice and mushroom-shaped.
Trichome Method
Another method is to focus solely on examining the trichomes. Because they are so small, a good handheld microscope or high-powered loupe will be necessary. As the buds mature, the trichomes change shape and color. They will transform from pointy and clear-ish to having a mushroom-shaped tip / head and turn cloudy or milky in color.
NOTE: While I find it quite interesting to observe and study the trichomes at various stages, I personally NEVER use the Trichome Method to determine when it is time to harvest. There is nothing wrong with the“ Trichome Method,” but I don’ t feel that I need any extra tools( like a microscope) to tell me when my plants are ready. I let the plants talk to me via their stigma and overall bud development. This has never let me down!
After determining that your plants are ready, it is now time to chop!
Trimming, It’ s only Fun the first Time
( You will see what I mean on your second harvest!)
There isn’ t just one correct way to dry, cut, trim, or cure buds. This is a very personal process that will determine the look, smell, taste, quality, and shelf-life of your buds. Everyone has different ideas about whether it should be a tight or loose trim, how dry the final product should be, or how fresh off the plant it should be. The main goal of this part of the process is simply to remove the buds from the plant and clean up the foliage on them. There are two main camps in the growing community: those who prefer a Wet Trim and those who prefer a Dry Trim.
She’ s ready for the final trim of the leaf tips.
Wet Trim
A wet trim preserves the integrity of the plant. You didn’ t spend all this time and effort into growing a plant just to get lazy and diminish the quality of the final product. When trichomes are dry, they become brittle and are easily knocked off the bud during handling, let alone the treacherous process of knocking off dry leaves and buds.
I will never suggest dry trimming. Dry trimming is very common because it is far less time-consuming, allows you to postpone trimming the buds after cutting, and some people like to look for shortcuts.
Wet Trim – Gerry’ s“ One Branch at a Time” Method
Instead of chopping the plant down at the base, cut off individual branches and work with them one at a time. There are two reasons for this: time and ripening. Sometimes it takes several hours to trim a plant. If you cut the whole plant down at once, you must then trim
22 October 2025