Are you a cannabis enthusiast planning to grow cannabis plants by yourself? We salute this fire of entrepreneurship raging inside you.

But to start a profitable venture, you need to know how to harvest cannabis plants for the best yield.

Welcome my friend to the amazing world of commercial cannabis production.

Entrepreneurial sprit blends with smart knowledge support from Homegrown Cannabis Co.

I know that growing cannabis is all fun and enjoyment, but do you really want to risk putting all your hard work at the last moment? Well, this can happen if you don’t harvest your cannabis plants properly. No worries! I will be your friend and mentor for the day to guide you on how to harvest cannabis plants in the best way with a step-by-step approach.

Wait! Before we jump in, I need you to check if you’ve started to grow cannabis with high-quality seeds from top suppliers like Homegrown Cannabis Co. or not. Your beginning step is as crucial as the last step; similarly, your seed selection is crucial, like harvesting.

So, let’s dive in.

Equipment Needed To Harvest Cannabis Plants

First things first, I want you to be prepared and ready before you start harvesting your cannabis plants. Imagine you forget to bring the hangers. Boom! The hour of panic starts, and until you realize one thing or the other goes wrong.

So, make a list of all the equipment you need to harvest cannabis plants. They are:

• Isopropyl alcohol
• Gloves, which can be optional
• Shears
• Plastic tray
• Hangers or a drying rack

So, if you’re all set with your necessary items, you can start with the harvesting process.

Step-By-Step Guide To Harvest Cannabis Plants

Getting the right harvest can be challenging as a grower, especially if you don’t have a guide. I remember when I first started growing, there wasn’t much insight available on the Internet. But look now! Who could’ve thought that growing and harvesting cannabis would become so easier!

So, let me share my collective yet summarized experience over the years to guide you in a step-by-step way to harvest cannabis plants.

Step 1: Wipe And Clean All Your Harvesting Tools

Now, do as I say till the end if you wish to get the best harvesting results. First, wipe every tool with isopropyl alcohol to ensure the optimal cleanliness of your tools. The isopropyl alcohol acts as a sanitizing agent for your tools that helps to reduce the spread of diseases during harvest.  

Step 2: Start By Cutting All The Branches

In this step, I recommend you to go gentle! So, start cutting all the branches on your cannabis plants with the help of shears and keep them in a clean plastic tray. This way, you enhance the branches’ airflow and make it easier for the plants to hang when drying.

Step 3: Cut And Throw Away The Big Fan Leaves

Do you want to waste your resource, time, and energy on something that is of no value? Well, if not, then it’s time to get rid of your plant’s big fab leaves as they contain no medicinal value or property. However, if you want to use them for juicing, you can always choose to save them.

The big fan cannabis leaves are enriched with antioxidants but lack the real deal – yes! I am talking about THC and CBD! Seriously, the bare minimum concentration of these two properties can make them feel like trash.

Another trick only for you! Simply pull the big fan leaves backward and down to make them come straight off to you. No shears, no tools, just hands!

Step 4: Choose Between The Trimming Options

Now comes the trimming stage of your cannabis plants. This integral step of harvesting cannabis plants has two options – a wet trim or a dry trim.

You will have to proceed with the drying procedure first and later trim the plants in a dry trim. In a wet trim, you will have to proceed with the trimming process right after you cut off the branches and later dry the plants efficiently.

In my personal opinion, there is no right or wrong way to execute one of these trimming options as both measures can be achieved successfully in the end.

However, you must trim the leaves prior to the drying process if you live in a humid environment. In such an environment, taking caution during harvest becomes more than crucial as your buds can grow molds due to humidity in the air. This is why I will discuss wet trim today, as dry trim is comparatively much easier with less hassle.

Step 5: Trim Your Cannabis Plants

You can cut the leaves immediately after harvesting much easily and efficiently. This is because the leaves are wet and soft, and the chances to make a rookie mistake like removing the trichomes will no longer be there.

Now, keep in mind that your scissor blades should always be clean with a few drops of isopropyl alcohol if necessary! Use an outward motion to cut off the leaves at a certain angle.

Step 6: Trim The Smaller Leaves

You will always find smaller buds closer to the end of your cannabis branch, which I call the popcorn buds or the vernacular larf. Those can move into the sweet leaf when cut off. The sweet leaves or sugar leaves around the buds consists of crystals and terpene in them.

I used to do something productive out of them, and so should you! Save them for later to use for making oil or concentrates or as an ingredient for cooking edibles.

Step 7: Trim Away The Sugar Leaves From The Buds

I strongly recommend you save the dense, thick buds for drying to use them later to either vape or smoke with after.

You’re simply giving a haircut to the buds by cutting all the sweet leaves or sugar leaves. Here, you have to actually get rid of all the leaves except for leaving the nice buds and the calyx behind. Now, your bud becomes all set to enter the drying process.

One bonus thing I wanted to let you know is that, on average, you can expect to spend 30-45 minutes trim your cannabis plants and maybe longer if you’re hanging the harvests.

Step 8: Dry And Cure Your Cannabis Plants

I have individually discussed how to dry and cure your cannabis, as these are the two most final steps for your overall cannabis harvest. So, check them below.

How To Harvest Cannabis Plants: The Drying Process

I always recommend my grower friends hang the freshly trimmed buds for 3-6 days in a room persisting humidity level of around 50%-60% and a temperature range between 15-20°C. If the stems snap rather than bending, you can bet on having dry buds.

If you use drying equipment like a Grobo, you will enjoy the built-in drying mode! After harvesting, just apply the ‘drying mode’ option to start drying. Moreover, you need to keep the pH probe wet during the procedure.

If the plants dry out within a few days, keep them in glass containers to ensure that the leftover moisture comes out from the stem. It boosts the humidity in the Mason jar and helps to start curing the buds efficiently.

How To Harvest Cannabis Plants: The Curing Process 

You will need airtight glass mason jars for the curing process and keep them in a place with low humidity and room temperature. You must cover the jars to protect them from light’s sneak in as light degrades the terpenes in buds. The curing process takes about 2-4 weeks in containers. However, the time for curing depends on the grower and the type of strain.

You must ‘burp’ your cannabis buds at the first week of the curing procedure without worrying about the humidity level. Burping is nothing but opening the mason jars once or twice a day to replenish oxygen and enable moisture to escape from the jars. You can deduce down to burping the buds once every few days after the first week.

Final Thoughts

I hope this article has given all the valuable insight you need to harvest your cannabis plants. Practice makes you perfect! I believe in you! Just follow my advice and tips and enjoy the beautiful journey of growing cannabis till the end. Go harvest! Go Green!