Each strain of cannabis has a unique flowering period and thus requires a different amount of days to mature. Some strains only flower for 7 to 8 weeks before they are ripe, while other strains need to flower for an entire 11 to 12 weeks. Knowing the length of your flowering cycle before you grow allows you to know when to expect your plants to mature before they show signs of maturity.

In order to find out your strain’s flowering cycle length, you can simply do a Google search or even better: you can look this information up on your seed bank’s website (seed bank = seed store). Your seed bank has the most accurate information since they are already growing the strains they sell.

The next way to tell whether your cannabis plants are ready to harvest is by looking at the color of your pistils, which are those thin hairs that stick out from your buds. When 90% to 95% of your pistils are brown it means it’s probably time to harvest, but not before you check cue #3. 

The most accurate way to tell when it is time to harvest is by checking the color of the trichome heads on your flowers with a jeweler's loupe or a microscope like the one in this picture (30x to 60x magnification). They are super cheap and easily found for purchase online.

If the trichomes are transparent this means they are still full of CBG, which is the cannabinoid that becomes THC or CBD. Ideally, you should have no more than 10-15% of transparent trichomes before harvest.

If the trichomes are milky white this means that your CBG has already turned into THC or CBD. Ideally, you want to look for 80% to 90% of your trichomes with a milky color before harvest.

If the trichomes are turning amber yellow this means they are already going past the point of ideal ripeness, and the THC is now oxidizing into CBN, which is the cannabinoid responsible for the couch-lock. 5% to 10% amber trichomes means it’s time to harvest (unless you are purposely growing for getting couch-locked).

The advantage of cutting your plant whole is that the moisture from the main stem ensures a slower drying process since it holds onto humidity. This allows your buds to dry more slowly than they generally would if they were chopped branch-by-branch. The only downside to harvesting your plants whole is that you need more space to hang them, and you also need to live somewhere where the humidity is lower than 55% or you risk getting white mold on your buds. 

In order to cut your plant whole, use gardening shears or a serrated knife and cut it at the main stem, closest to the first node. Snip, and you are done. 

Whether you choose to harvest your plant whole or branch-by-branch, it is time to dry it. At the end of the drying process your plant will lose 75% to 80% of its total weight to water, and will leave you with dried, crystally buds that are ready for dry-trimming. The drying process starts the minute you cut your plant down, so it is important to follow the next few steps right after harvesting.

In order to dry your plant whole, simply hang it by the main stem with a garden wire tied to the base of the main stem, or simply hang it by the fork on the branches. Make sure the plants you are drying aren’t touching anything, and that there is airflow around the plant, whether from a fan or just the ambient.

After your plants are hanging, leave them untouched for at least 5 days, at which point you can start testing your stems to see if they are ready for dry-trimming. To test them, pick a thin branch and try to snap it in half. If it makes a crackle sound, this means your plant is ready for dry-trimming and curing. If they only bend without snapping, this means your plant can still use some more drying.

When you hear a "crack" sound, it’s time to dry-trim and cure. After your stems are "cracking" to the bend, this means your plant is dry enough to be dry-trimmed and cured, which are the topics of our The BudTrainer Method’s last lesson, Lesson #7: How to Trim & Cure Cannabis.

Now that you dried your plant, whether branch-by-branch or whole, all it needs is to be trimmed and cured in order to bring back the moisture from the inside to the outside, getting ready for consumption. While tedious, trimming is where you get to decide the final look of your buds, and curing is where their true quality comes through.