How to harvest cannabis, dry and cure outdoor weed

Harvesting autoflower vs photoperiod cannabis plants grown outdoors

In general, autoflowers take around 100 days from seed to harvest outdoors (indoors, with optimised conditions they often take nearer to 75 days). This means that growers in warm climates can get 2 (or even 3) successive outdoor autoflower harvests per year. That’s one of the reasons autoflower seeds have become so popular with outdoor growers.

Outdoor feminised seeds often have a 5-6 month life cycle. That’s longer than the life cycle of an autoflower, but the grower is usually compensated by heavier harvests than those produced from smaller autoflower plants. However, unless you live close to equatorial latitudes, you will only be able to grow one outdoor photoperiod crop per year.

Note that some growers of photoperiod feminised seeds can artificially force extra productivity from their plants if they grow in greenhouses equipped with blackout blinds. This can allow growers to ‘force’ an early bloom and create quicker harvest cycles by creating 12/12 light conditions manually. Some balcony growers also use this technique.

When to harvest outdoor cannabis according to trichome appearance

Many growers will examine the colour of the trichome resin glands and monitor the transition from clear, to cloudy to amber. This technique works well for both autoflower strains and traditional photoperiod outdoor strains.

Many growers buy a small magnifying glass (sometimes known as a jeweller’s loupe) to make accurate close-up judgements on the trichome appearance. You can also buy a sophisticated digital microscope which will also do a great job at showing trichome appearance.

Clear trichomes

Cannabis harvested with clear, colourless trichomes tends to have a lively, uplifting and energetic high. However, THC levels may not have quite peaked and the buds may not have finished growing. Most outdoor growers prefer to wait a little longer as this tends to give heavier harvests and slightly stronger weed.

Cloudy trichomes

Waiting until the clear trichomes are transitioning to cloudy/milky allows your buds to pack on more weight. It also allows THC content and resin coverage to increase, meaning stronger buds. Many growers like to harvest their cannabis when the trichomes are mostly cloudy. You may notice that a few trichomes are starting to show some amber colour at this point.

Amber/red trichomes

Leave your buds another week or two and you will notice more and more of the trichomes have transitioned from cloudy/milky to amber or red. Some growers prefer to harvest at this point, feeling that their cannabis has more of a narcotic, heavy effect. Many consider that a majority of red trichomes represents a somewhat over-ripe crop. But some growers prefer it that way e.g. medical marijuana growers who want a strong body effect with good sleep inducing qualities.

Related:
What are cannabis trichomes and how do they affect your smoke?

When to harvest outdoor cannabis according to pistil (hair) colour

As well as considering the appearance of the trichomes, many cannabis growers also monitor the colour of the pistils. These are the hairs which come out of the buds. Initially the pistils tend to be white. As they start turning increasingly brown it is an indicator that the plant is approaching harvest.

50% brown pistils

Cannabis is approaching harvest, though with many pistils still white in colour growers will often wait a little longer until they harvest.

70% brown pistils

At this point the majority, but not all, pistils are brown. For many growers this represents a good harvest point.

80-90%+ brown pistils

For some growers this would represent a mature cannabis crop with heavier, narcotic effects. Although some growers might consider such buds to be a little over-ripe, there are plenty of growers who consider the extra bloom time well worth the wait. But it’s worth saying that we all have a unique endocannabinoid system that responds differently to cannabis.

One of the great joys of growing your own cannabis seeds is that you (not an unknown grower/dealer) decide precisely when to harvest the cannabis in order to deliver maximum personal satisfaction. Some cannabis users have strong preferences for specific strains which have been grown to a perfect ripeness level for them.

100% brown pistils

Most growers would consider a crop to be over-ripe if all the pistils are brown, but there are a minority of growers who would disagree.

The next time you grow some cannabis seeds, try taking (and drying) buds at different ripeness levels and comparing the high/effects from them. You may be surprised to find you have a clear preference which influences your harvest timings for future cannabis crops.

When to harvest your outdoor crop according to sativa vs indica genetics

If you know the cannabis genetics contained in your strains it will help you estimate the approximate harvest time. Much depends on the latitude that you are growing at as well as the specific climatic conditions experienced during your grow. But in general, indica genetics tend to reach maturity faster than sativa or haze genetics.

In the northern hemisphere, late blooming Haze varieties may not be ready to harvest until late November. For northern European growers that is simply too late for outdoor growing. Knowing which outdoor strains will grow well in your conditions is part of the skill of the experienced outdoor cannabis grower.

Related:
Indica vs sativa cannabis. Origins, uses and effects

Drying cannabis buds grown outdoors

Drying your outdoor grown cannabis plants requires careful planning. If you plan to dry them outdoors you will need a warm and dry climate, though this can be difficult to guarantee around fall/autumn as the weather often turns cooler and wetter. That’s why many outdoor growers invest in some specialist drying equipment at home.

If you are growing cannabis outdoors in the hills and countryside you will probably be used to chopping down the plants and putting the heaviest branches and buds in large sealed bags to transport home. This can be a nervous journey since the freshly harvested weed can have a powerful odour. Stick to the speed limits and don’t attract attention on the drive home!

Once the buds and branches are at home you can begin the process of drying them. Even if you never grow cannabis indoors, many outdoor growers buy a small tent and some drying racks to dry their buds in. Some people hang the larger branches from clothes hangers or a piece of cord suspended across the top of the grow tent. You will need an extraction fan and a carbon filter to eliminate the smell. Drying an outdoor cannabis harvest without odour protection is always tremendously risky when others live nearby.

Often the buds will take around a week to dry. One drying tip is to start at 60% humidity for the first few days, slowly working your way down to 55% again for a few days. After 7-10 (max) days you may wish to set your dehumidifier to 50% to dry the buds a little further.

As soon as the branches start to snap (or almost snap) you can be sure that the buds on those branches are just about ready to be put into your curing jars. Be aware that the larger buds/blooms can take a day or two longer to dry.

Buds that are bright green at harvest often fade to a paler, less vivid appearance after drying. Often, you may notice brown colourations and perhaps even some blue or red hues as drying/curing progresses.

Related:
The best way to dry and cure cannabis

Trimming cannabis buds grown outdoors

Some growers don’t mind waiting until the buds are dry before trimming off the excess leaf material. Usually, after around a week of drying the buds are considered dry enough to think about jarring and curing. This is usually around the time that the branches have dried sufficiently to snap.

The only problem with waiting until the buds are dry is that you may lose some of the trichomes when trimming dry buds. For that reason, many growers prefer to try to trim the buds when freshly picked, or shortly afterwards.

Some rubber gloves help keep your fingers clean, and a good pair of scissors (or trimming scissors) is highly recommended. From time to time, you may need to scrape the scissor hash off the blades to save for a post-harvest celebration smoke/vape. The trimmed leaf material can be frozen and used to make hashish or cannabis concentrates.

Trimming cost/time saving tips

Trimming your outdoor-grown cannabis buds can be one of the more demanding and (for some) one of the less enjoyable jobs, especially if you haul in a mega-harvest. Other than those blessed with a predictably dry/warm outdoor climate, most dry & cure their outdoor crop indoors. This allows the grower the fine-control necessary to deliver premium quality dried and cured buds.

Some outdoor growers do a ‘rough trim’ in situ, outdoors, where they harvest the plant. Branches and blooms are removed, and the main fan leaves stripped off. The blooms are returned to an indoor drying location (usually in sealed bags for odour control) where the final trimming touches can be applied.

Serious growers use purpose designed spring-loaded trimming clippers to make the job easier with less blisters on your fingers compared to ordinary scissors. Others, such as commercial growers, use electrically powered automatic clippers which take the pressure off your fingers and automatically ‘clip’. These require a certain degree of experience to use correctly.

Those with serious amounts of buds to trim can buy automatic trimming machines (also used by indoor commercial cannabis growers) to gently remove protruding leaf material from the buds. Whilst they may not trim quite as neatly as the best hand-manicured buds, they are massive labour savers for mass producers.

The amount of automation/equipment used by a grower depends on the time commitments required by the size of their crop. Some growers enjoy trimming their plants (especially if it’s just 4-5 plants), others can’t stand the monotony of it when larger numbers of plants are involved. Most home growers find that a pair of good quality trimming clippers help make the job of trimming much easier. Investing in a pair is a top tip, and highly recommended if you’re still using kitchen scissors to trim your buds.

Dry vs wet trimming an outdoor cannabis crop

Each outdoor grower has their own circumstances and situation to manage. For those that grow on their own land, or close by, it can be easy and risk-free to chop their plants down, put them in sealed plastic bags (if necessary) and bring them indoors for a trim.

For guerrilla growers that grow some distance from home the risks can be greater. They may prefer to try to complete most of the trimming ‘in the field’ so that they are just bringing back the buds without branches and stems. Once the plants have been taken down you have one of the final decisions of your grow. Do you trim the buds while they are wet? Or do you let them dry first and then trim them?

Each option has its own pros and cons.

Benefits of trimming your cannabis buds while they are still wet

Although they may be sticky and tricky to handle, many prefer to trim the buds while they are still fresh and wet. A pair of purpose-designed trimming clippers is recommended for this. The work may seem painfully slow as you gradually remove the leaves and trim. Occasionally you will need to remove the hash that builds up on the clippers – save that for a celebration joint/vape when the work is done.

One of the main benefits of trimming wet cannabis buds is that you are less likely to dislodge and remove clouds of trichomes. If you have ever trimmed dry buds, you may be familiar with the sense of disappointment as you see trichome dust falling from them during trimming.

Benefits of trimming your cannabis buds when they are dry

The process of handling and trimming dry buds often seems less fiddly and less demanding. This can allow you to trim the unwanted leafy material from your buds a little quicker than you might with stickier, wet fresh buds. Your trimming area, however, will quickly collect a trichome dusting as the dry bud/leaves shake off a few trichomes during the process. This is good quality material for use in extractions and cannabis concentrates and it shouldn’t be thrown away.

But some growers feel that dry trimming does reduce bud potency slightly due to the inevitable loss of trichomes. Although you can produce good quality dried and cured buds from either wet-trimmed or dry-trimmed buds, many seasoned growers prefer wet-trimming by hand.

It may require extra time and lots of rubber gloves. But wet trimming ensures perfectly trimmed buds enter the drying process. This means less manual handling of the buds later on when they’re dry. For connoisseur growers, small touches like this ensure optimised bud quality.

Curing and storing your outdoor cannabis crop

Curing and storing your outdoor grown cannabis buds is exactly the same process as that used for indoor cannabis harvests. If you have dried your cannabis well (without over-drying it and losing your delicious terpenes) you are ready to cure your buds.

Curing is the slow process of slowly removing the last remnants of moisture while allowing the buds to reach a state of preservation where they will last for months, or years. During this process the aroma can intensify to produce quite breathtaking flavours and aromas. A great terpene profile not only makes your buds taste delicious, they may also modulate the type of high you experience.

As the cannabis buds reach the curing stage they have lost most, but not all, of their moisture. The final curing stage is the last, and perhaps the most important part for the connoisseur cannabis lover. Growers often use glass jars. Plastic containers are less desirable since they can be softened or discoloured by the sticky resin. The well trimmed buds are placed in the glass jars leaving a centimetre or two at the top of the jar. The jars are sealed, and left in the dark.

The jars are then unsealed occasionally, once or twice a day, to allow any moisture to be released. Some people call this ‘burping’ the jars. Two or three weeks is considered a minimum cure time. Many connoisseurs prefer to wait longer, feeling that curing is complete after around 1-2 months. The cured buds will vape with a clean flavour, without a ‘chlorophyll’ taste.

Once your buds are fully cured you may prefer to store them in a freezer to fully preserve potency and ensure no degradation. Never store your buds in a high temperature environment (e.g. a hot loft space) if you want the best long term storage.

Related:
Everything you need to know about cannabis terpenes

Fine control of the cannabis curing process with Boveda or Integra humidity sachets

You bought the best cannabis seeds and you grew them to the best of your ability. The last thing you want is to open your jars to find that the buds are mouldy because they were insufficiently dry.

Likewise, you don’t want to open your jar of precious buds and find that they are just too dry and crispy, with poor taste and aroma. This can feel like the buds are low quality and too old with a harsh effect when vaped/smoked.

When you open your jars you want to see and smell premium quality buds, with optimised potency, a well cured aroma and a delicious taste. One way to help achieve this is with humidity control sachets from companies like Boveda or Integra.

These sachets release moisture if your buds are too dry, or they absorb moisture if the buds are damp. You can select different products from these companies. From Boveda we recommend the “58% Humidity” sachets. From Integra we recommend the “55% humidity” packs.