Weed has a sweet spot. Harvest your plants at their prime, and you’ll be rewarded with buds boasting the best flavours, aromas, and potency. Wait too long, however, and you’ll be left with overripe flowers that can have a more soothing effect, earthier terpenes, or be downright unsmokeable. Learn more about overripe weed below.
Harvest time is arguably the biggest event on a grower’s calendar. Unfortunately, in hope of pushing their plants to produce bigger, heavier, and more potent flowers, it’s not uncommon for some growers to end up harvesting buds riddled with overripe trichomes.
So, how do you know when to harvest your cannabis flowers in order to savour them at their prime? Moreover, how can you identify overripe buds, and what should you do with flower that’s overly mature? Keep reading for an in-depth guide to avoiding an overripe cannabis harvest.
Understanding the cannabis harvest schedule
Cannabis flowers take several weeks to mature. After all, as sinsemilla growers, our goal is to keep our female weed plants unpollinated for extended periods of time, pushing them to develop extra-large buds packed with flavour, aroma, and cannabinoids.
On average, most modern cannabis strains need to flower for 8-10 weeks to reach their optimal maturity indoors, though some sativas can take notably longer (up to 12-14 weeks). Outdoor plants, on the other hand, are typically harvested in September/October in the Northern Hemisphere, and March/April in the Southern Hemisphere.
During the first three weeks of bloom, you’ll see your plants stretch (how much so will depend on their genetics) and develop clear/white pistils at their bud sites. By week four of the flowering phase, most healthy cannabis plants should have stopped stretching and developed larger flowers with white pistils and some resin.
From week five onwards is when you’ll see the most development in your plants’ flowers. By this time, your plants’ buds should be fattening up nicely, developing stacks of pistils and a thick coating of trichomes. Most plants should be nice and fragrant by this stage too.
Keep in mind, however, that the speed at which your plants mature will vary based on the quality of their light source, the conditions in your grow room or climate, and their genetics. Hence, it’s important you avoid simply harvesting your cannabis plants according to the information in their product description. Instead, look at their calyxes, pistils, and trichomes for an accurate measure of their maturity.
What calyxes tell you about the maturity of your cannabis flowers
Calyxes (also known as sepals) are the individual teardrop-shaped structures that you see in cannabis buds. They house the reproductive organs of female cannabis plants and are a key component of the female cannabis flower.
The underlying premise of sinsemilla cannabis cultivation (coined by Rafael Caro Quintero) is keeping female plants unpollinated throughout their flowering cycle. This forces them to develop large flowers boasting dense stacks of calyxes and plenty of resin, rather than seeds that can’t be smoked.
As they mature, cannabis calyxes look swollen and full – a good sign that your plants are approaching their prime harvest time. If, on the other hand, your plants’ calyxes look small and flat, they likely need to mature a little longer. Meanwhile, overripe cannabis calyxes may turn yellow or brown, and their overripe trichomes may have a reddish glow.
Pistils and what they tell us about the ripeness of cannabis buds
Pistils are the long, wispy hairs that protrude out of calyxes and are designed to catch male pollen, forming an integral part of the female cannabis plant’s sexual organs. Like calyxes and trichomes, pistils change appearance over time and can help you understand when your plants are mature.
At first, cannabis pistils are clear. As they mature, however, they turn opaque or off-white, then golden yellow, and finally dark orange/red.
Trichomes – The key to understanding cannabis plant ripeness
Trichomes are resinous glands that grow on the surface of cannabis flowers and the foliage that surrounds them. To the naked eye, cannabis trichomes look like sugar crystals. Under a microscope, however, they can look like small mushrooms or bubbles, and their colours offer the most accurate measure of a plant’s maturity.
At first, cannabis trichomes are clear. As they mature, however, they turn milky and then red/orange. Extremely overripe trichomes eventually also turn black. As your cannabis plants mature, checking on their trichomes regularly can help you pick the perfect harvest time. Use a pocket microscope to regularly examine your plants’ trichomes and identify the perfect time to give them the chop.
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When is the best time to harvest cannabis?
In general, cannabis growers agree that buds reach their peak potency when their trichomes are 70% milky/cloudy, 15% clear, and 15% amber. If you can’t check your plant’s trichomes under a microscope, consider harvesting them when roughly 75% of their pistils are dark and curly. Their calyxes should also look nice and plump.
Note that the ideal time for harvesting weed is debatable and may vary according to your smoking preferences. Some growers, for example, prefer to harvest their plants a little earlier – say before they develop any amber trichomes at all.
These growers often argue that buds harvested before they develop amber trichomes have a more energising, uplifting, and creative effect. If you like smoking cannabis in the morning or during the day, for example, you may want to consider harvesting your buds a littler earlier.
Similarly, some growers like to mature their plants a little longer and allow their buds to develop more amber trichomes. In general, these growers argue that buds with more amber trichomes have a calming, relaxing effect. If you like to smoke in the evenings, for example, consider letting your plants mature a little longer.
Note: Looking at a plant’s trichomes is the best way to examine its maturity. Where possible, avoid harvesting your plants based solely on the colour of their pistils or the look of their calyxes.
How to identify overripe cannabis flowers
So, you now know how cannabis flowers change as they mature as well as how to identify harvest-ready buds. But what about overripe cannabis flowers?
As cannabis flowers becoming overripe, they tend to:
- Lose their vibrant colours and become brown.
- Develop a crumbly and dry texture.
- Lose their pungent aroma and rich flavour.
- Make for a harsh smoke.
- Look small and shrivelled, due to a loss of moisture.
- Develop overripe trichomes that look red or black.
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What causes overripe cannabis buds and trichomes?
Buds usually become overripe when growers wait too long to harvest their plants. In this case, you may see your plants develop overripe trichomes that are completely amber or even black – a signal that the cannabinoids and terpenes they contain are starting to degrade.
Wait even longer, and your once vibrantly coloured cannabis buds will lose their shades of green, pink, or purple, instead turning yellow and brown. Sometimes, female cannabis plants left to flower extremely long may develop pollen-producing stamen in attempt to self-pollinate and create seeds. Should you forget to cut down your cannabis plants altogether, they’ll eventually wither and die.
Cannabis buds can also become overripe after harvest, even if they were originally harvested at the right time. This usually happens when plants are dried at very high temperatures or when cured buds are stored incorrectly or for prolonged periods.
For the best result, cannabis should be stored in sealed glass jars in a cool, dry, and dark place (remember – heat, light, and moisture are dry cannabis’ mortal enemies). Even in optimum conditions, cannabis naturally degrades over time, and is best consumed within 6-12 months from when it was harvested.
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What to do with overripe cannabis buds?
What you do with overripe weed will depend on your preferences and how overripe your buds are.
If you’re about to harvest your plants and they show some minor signs of being overripe (such as a few overripe trichomes), you can simply dry and cure them as normal – they should still taste and smell great, though they may have a more sedative effect. The same goes for flower with mostly amber trichomes.
If, on the other hand, you’ve left your plants to mature much longer and they’ve started to lose their colour and aroma, you may want to consider using them to make dry sift hash or edibles. This also applies to flower that’s been left to cure for extended periods of time (say 6-8 months).
In fact, traditional Moroccan hash is usually made with plants that are harvested very late, as the dryness of the flower lends itself well to dry sieving, with their overripe amber trichomes produce a mellow body buzz.
Finally, flower that looks like its physically degraded should be discarded. Old flowers won’t taste good when smoked and may even house pathogens and bacteria that you definitely won’t want to ingest.
FAQs about overripe cannabis buds
Overripe cannabis buds can be dried and cured the same way as regular cannabis. Check out our article on How to harvest cannabis for a clear rundown of everything you need to know to properly dry and cure cannabis flowers.
Yes, you can smoke overripe cannabis flowers as long as they do not show signs of mould, mildew, or wilting. Note, however, that overripe flower may have a strong, harsh taste.
If you harvest your plants one or two weeks late, you may end up with flower that’s a little more sedating than you’d like. If your plants are left to grow several weeks past their harvest date, however, they will eventually lose potency and flavour before wilting altogether.
Yes, weed degrades with time. While properly drying, curing, and storing cannabis may prolong its shelf-life, its best to consume your weed within 6-12 months of harvesting it.
Overripe buds are a common concern for cannabis growers. But fear not – unless your buds show clear visual or olfactory signs that their rotting, they may still be salvageable, though maybe not in a joint or bowl. Making dry sift hash or edibles, for example, are great ways to salvage overripe buds.
Got more questions about overripe cannabis flowers, or tips on how other growers can ensure a great harvest of perfectly ripe buds? Drop us a line and share your experience in the comments below!
- Disclaimer:Laws and regulations regarding cannabis cultivation differ from country to country. Sensi Seeds therefore strongly advises you to check your local laws and regulations. Do not act in conflict with the law.
