How to Tell When Your Pot Plant Is Done

Pot plants, when grown indoors or outdoors, require a lot of effort and patience. While growing cannabis may seem like a challenge for first-timers, it is an incredibly rewarding experience if done right. However, there's always the question of knowing when your pot plant is done. This article discusses how you can tell if your pot plant is ready for harvest.

Inspect Your Buds

The best way to know if your pot plant is done is by inspecting the buds. The buds are the primary product from cannabis plants and will show you whether the plant is ready to be harvested or not. The buds should be sticky, dense, and firm to the touch. The hairs on the buds, known as trichomes, should be milky white or amber, indicating that they are ripe and ready to be harvested.

Check the Pistils

Pistils are one of the most reliable indicators of a plant's readiness for harvest. They are the small hairs that grow on the buds of the cannabis plant. In the early stages of growth, pistils will be white, but as the plant continues to mature, the pistils will begin to turn amber or brown. When you see that more than 50% of the pistils have changed color, it's time to harvest your pot plant.

Watch for the Leaves to Yellow

Yellowing of the leaves is another sign that your pot plant is ready for harvest. As your plant reaches maturity, the leaves will begin to yellow and eventually fall from the plant. This process is entirely natural, and it's an indicator that the plant has stopped producing chlorophyll. You can begin flushing your plants with plain water when you notice the yellowing of leaves to prepare them for harvest.

Check the Trichome Color

The trichomes on your pot plant are tiny glands that contain the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes. These trichomes are essential because they are responsible for the flavour, aroma, and potency of the buds. You can use a magnifying glass or a microscope to examine the colour of your plant's trichomes. If the trichomes are clear, then the buds are not ready for harvest yet. If the trichomes are milky white, the buds are approaching their peak potency, and if they are amber, it is an indicator that your plant is fully matured.

Monitor the Growth Stages

The growth stages of cannabis plants are crucial in determining when to harvest. Once the plants enter the flowering stage, they will continue to grow and develop for another six to ten weeks. During this phase, it's vital to monitor the plant's growth stages to determine when to harvest. By counting the number of weeks since the plant entered the flowering stage, you can estimate the harvest date. It's always better to harvest a week late than a week early to ensure that the plant is fully matured and has the desired potency and flavour.

Conclusion

Knowing when to harvest your pot plant can be tricky, but it's an essential aspect of growing cannabis. By monitoring the plant's growth stages, inspecting the buds, checking the trichome colour, watching for leaf yellowing, and observing the pistils, you can determine when to harvest your pot plants. Therefore, if you're growing cannabis, it's essential to learn these indicators to ensure that you get the best harvest possible.