by Nebula Haze
Outdoor cannabis harvest season is here! But when should you harvest your gorgeous outdoor marijuana buds?
When to harvest outdoor cannabis plants? Find out in today’s outdoor harvest tutorial.
When it comes to growing weed outdoors, figuring out the perfect time to harvest is both an art and a science. However, getting the harvest timing just right rewards you with maximum yields of the best quality buds. Today’s tutorial on when to harvest outdoor marijuana plants first tells you what to look for when it comes to bud maturity, so you harvest buds when they have max THC, CBD, and terpenes (smells). After that, I’ll show you a ton of pictures so you don’t have to do any guesswork, even if your buds don’t look like most other strains.
What to pay attention to when harvesting outdoor cannabis plants:
- Appearance of buds – Hairs should have all darkened and curled in. This is the best way to know when to harvest your buds. Learn what your strain looks like when outdoor buds are fully mature, and pick that moment. Today’s article will focus on how to choose when to harvest buds based on how they look.
- Trichome color – The tiny mushroom-shaped trichomes (“glitter” on the buds) typically look white or gold (“amber”) when the buds are ready to harvest. You need a magnifier to see the trichomes clearly, and trichome color is not as consistent an indicator on outdoor plants compared to indoor buds. Therefore, checking the trichomes is not a bad idea, but also not as important as the other factors on this list. Learn how to look at trichomes with a magnifier.
- Watch out for round leaves – Pay attention to the leaves touching your buds for signs of re-vegging (re-vegging causes round leaves), which causes your cannabis buds to stop developing.
- Strain-specific harvest time – Different strains take more or less time before buds are ready to harvest. Typically when you buy a strain, the breeder gives an estimate as to how long the buds will take before they’re ready. When in doubt, it can’t hurt to contact the breeder directly and ask if they have any info about when to harvest this particular strain outdoors. I’m often surprised at how helpful breeders are if you ask about their strains.
- Weather conditions – Keep a close eye on weather forecasts because you don’t want to let some bad weather ruin your whole crop. If you see predictions for heavy rain, frost, or freezing temperatures right as buds are looking mature, it might be best to harvest early to avoid bud rot or other damage.
- Bud density and size – Big fat buds are more susceptible to mold and pests. If you have very big buds on your plant, consider harvesting those ones early just in case.
- Mold and pests – Inspect your plants regularly for signs of bugs, webbing, mold, or spots of major discoloration. It’s always better to harvest a little early than harvest buds covered in bugs.
Over time, cannabis growers gain experience and a sense of intuition about the best time to harvest their outdoor marijuana plants. I recommend writing down any observations for next year, pay attention to the plants, and trust your gut. Don’t hold it against yourself if you make a mistake. Gardening (and life) is a learning process.
Until you gain that cannabis grower’s intuition, here’s a bunch of pictures to help.
Pictures of When to Harvest Outdoor Cannabis Plants
First, let’s look at outdoor cannabis buds that are NOT ready yet. You can tell because the hairs on the buds have not fully darkened and curled in.
Outdoors Cannabis Buds – Not Ready Yet
You can tell that these outdoor cannabis buds are still not ready to harvest because they still have lots of white hair sticking straight out.
Still a lot of white hairs. Getting close but still a few weeks until harvest.
Outdoors Cannabis Buds – Ready to Harvest
These outdoor cannabis buds are ready to harvest. Sometimes outdoor buds look a little different than indoor buds from the same strain. For instance, outdoor buds are often leafier (though not always).
Beginning of outdoor cannabis harvest window – buds are mostly solid and most hairs have curled in.
This outdoor cannabis bud is also at the beginning of the harvest window. It’s normal for outdoor buds to be a bit more leafy than the same strain grown indoors.
The hairs on these cannabis buds have all curled in and turned purple. Ready to harvest.
There’s still a few white hairs left on this next bud, but they’re a very small percentage of the total number of hairs. This purple bud is in the harvest window and can be harvested now if necessary.
3 Signs It May Be Time to Harvest Immediately
Sometimes it’s better to harvest cannabis buds a little early to prevent other kinds of damage to them. Here are the 3 most common reasons to harvest buds earlier than you normally would.
Bad Weather is Coming
These cannabis plants are getting close to the optimal harvest time, but still have a lot of white hairs left. However, a huge rainstorm is predicted in a few days, and then it’s going to be cold. Best to harvest now, because you don’t want to lose your harvest to bud rot!
What’s the matter with a little bad weather? The biggest issue is wet and cold weather can trigger bud rot, which can decimate an entire outdoor harvest almost overnight. What do outdoor cannabis growers need to know about bud rot?
Bud Rot
If you see bud rot, harvest now! This problem is caused by a fungus and spreads quickly, especially outdoors.
The first sign of bud rot is usually the leaves around the buds get discolored.
If you look at the base of the discolored leaves, you’ll see the cannabis bud is rotting at that point. It may appear moldy, brown, gray, or otherwise have dead patches.
Bud rot is most common after wet weather (or a lot of dew in the mornings) as it’s caused by a fungus.
A cannabis bud with bud rot will often “open up” or split open where it’s rotting.
Learn more about cannabis bud rot.
Pest Infestation
If your buds are already close, and you’ve got bugs, it’s best to harvest now before they reduce your bud quality further.
Harvest now if your cannabis plants are overrun with bugs.
Learn about “bud washing” to help clean buds that were infested by bugs.
Conclusion – Pick the Perfect Time to Harvest Outdoors
With outdoor growing, the visual appearance of the buds is often the best method to know when to harvest. The most important things to keep in mind…
- Watch the Hairs – Wait until the white hairs have all darkened and curled in. This is the most consistent indicator of cannabis bud maturity for most strains.
- Watch the Weather – Watch the weather forecast and harvest before days of heavy rain or freezing temperatures
- Watch the Plants – Check your plants and buds closely to immediately identify any issues that mean you should harvest early.
You’re now armed with the information to harvest your outdoor cannabis buds at the perfect moment.
Learn how to dry and cure your buds after harvest.
About the Author: Nebula Haze
Nebula Haze is a cannabis enthusiast and co-creator of GrowWeedEasy.com, your ultimate resource for cannabis cultivation. Nebula has over a decade of hands-on experience growing cannabis at home, and uses her knowledge to create simple, easy-to-follow tutorials that make learning to grow weed easy and fun. Her tutorials and online classes have helped countless growers use simple methods to achieve outstanding yields and professional bud quality.
In this article, Nebula demystifies the art and science of harvesting outdoor cannabis, providing insights into the visual cues and environmental factors that ensure perfect timing for maximum yield and quality. By focusing on bud appearance, strain-specific harvest times, and weather conditions, she guides growers to make informed decisions that lead to successful harvests.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your results, Nebula’s expertise and enthusiasm are here at GrowWeedEasy.com to guide you every step of the way.
Nebula Haze wishing you abundant harvests!
Don’t miss out on the latest tips, tricks, and expert advice from Nebula Haze! Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get the best cannabis cultivation tactics delivered straight to you every Sunday morning at 4:20 am.
