{"id":9886,"date":"2023-10-09T12:32:23","date_gmt":"2023-10-09T12:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/?p=5824580"},"modified":"2023-10-09T12:32:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-09T12:32:23","slug":"cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannabis home-growing 101: How to harvest your marijuana plants in Colorado"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"wp_fb_like_button\" style=\"margin:5px 0 5px 5px;float:right;height:100px;\"><script src=\"http:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/all.js#xfbml=1\"><\/script><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado\/\" send=\"true\" layout=\"standard\" width=\"450\" show_faces=\"false\" font=\"arial\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>If you joined us in the spring to learn <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2023\/05\/15\/cannabis-home-growing-101-cultivate-clones-colorado\/\">how to grow your own cannabis at home<\/a>, you know by now that cultivating beautifully buddy plants is only half the experience.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/2022\/10\/17\/croptober-cannabis-harvest-season-is-upon-colorado-outdoor-marijuana-stigma\/\">Fall is known as Croptober<\/a> among commercial outdoor growers because it\u2019s that special time of year when marijuana is ready for harvest. The same goes for homegrown plants.<\/p>\n<p>Boulder resident Sean Roby has been growing cannabis both commercially and at home for the better part of three decades. While the exact time for harvest varies by strain, he said the magic window for most is early- to mid-October. But there are other telltale signs to look for, such as an amber color in the trichomes, which are typically viewable with some sort of magnifying glass.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGenerally, when you look at the flower you\u2019re going to see that the hairs that were all white have now started turning red or orange or amber,\u201d Roby said. \u201cIt\u2019s just really crisp and hard to the touch and pulsing with resin.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Longmont home grower Ben Owens agrees, saying he looks for a color similar to the amber in \u201cJurassic Park.\u201d Another way Owens knows his plants are ready for harvest is that the leaves start turning yellow, which signifies the buds\u2019 growth is depleting nutrients from the plants.<\/p>\n<p>The weather where you live may also play into the timeline for harvest. Owens said to get those crops down before the first freeze or risk damaging the buds.<\/p>\n<p>Owens works as a guide for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.startahobbygrow.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The GrowHort<\/a>, which teaches people the basics of hobby home growing, and as editor-in-chief of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ethosgenetics.com\/resources\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ETHOS Magazine<\/a>. Roby serves as CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.budandbreakfast.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bud &amp; Breakfast<\/a>, a website where tokers can find 420-friendly lodging across the globe, as well as a consultant to mom-and-pop growers.<\/p>\n<p>Both recently spoke with The Denver Post to share Croptober expertise that will help beginners make the most of harvest season.<\/p>\n<h4>What you\u2019ll need<\/h4>\n<p>Be warned: Harvesting cannabis is a sticky job. Therefore, you\u2019ll want dedicated tools, clothing and spaces at your home to complete the task.<\/p>\n<p>Essential equipment includes hangers for drying and one or multiple pairs of scissors. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiskars.com\/en-us\/crafting-and-sewing\/products\/scissors-and-shears\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fiskars scissors<\/a> tend to be a favorite among cannabis enthusiasts, Roby said, while Owens recommends the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.chikamasa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chikamasa<\/a> brand.<\/p>\n<p>Nitrile gloves will help keep your fingers from getting sticky and isopropyl alcohol will be necessary to de-junk the scissors. You may also want to invest in a trimming tray or repurpose a folding table that you can put a tarp under to create your workspace. You\u2019ll also need storage bins or mason jars for the final product.<\/p>\n<p>Owens suggests keeping a hygrometer on hand to track the humidity in your drying area. And for those who have dogs or want to mitigate the weed smell in their homes, a tent with a carbon filter could be beneficial, he said.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, Roby suggests having comfortable seating, good entertainment and trim-specific garments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnything you use is going to be absolutely coated in resin forever,\u201d Roby said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4506979\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado.jpg\" alt=\"James MacWilliams prunes a marijuana ...\" width=\"2000\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"4506979\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Marijuana_Legalization_67107.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Marijuana_Legalization_67107.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Marijuana_Legalization_67107.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Marijuana_Legalization_67107.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">\n<p>Robert F. Bukaty, Associated Press file<\/p>\n<p>In this Dec. 13, 2017, file photo James MacWilliams prunes a marijuana plant that he is growing indoors in Portland, Maine. (Robert F. Bukaty, Associated Press file)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Step 1: Chop down your plants<\/h4>\n<p>Now that you\u2019re prepared, it\u2019s time to cut down your plants. Both Owens and Roby suggested clipping branches individually \u2013 versus cutting down the whole plant at its stalk \u2013 to manage the workload and ensure all the marijuana buds ripen.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can harvest the top two-thirds of the plant and then leave the rest of the plant for another week or so for those bottom buds to get more sun exposure, harden up and come to full ripening,\u201d Roby said.<\/p>\n<p>Roby said to start by snipping branches from the top of each plant below where two stems meet so there\u2019s a \u201cV\u201d that will hang on each side of a hanger. (You can also use hangers with clips to hang individual branches.)<\/p>\n<p>The buds will dry more uniformly if the branches are similar in size, Owens said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3835975\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-1.jpg\" alt=\"DENVER, CO - JANUARY 14: Trimmers work on trimming large stalks of marijuana plants at the Fat Face Farms cultivation facility on January 14, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. Prices recently hit a 3-year high and have rebounded after a significant dip that caused many grows to close. We take a look at wholesale bud prices and what the fluctuations mean for the industry in 2020. Fat Face Farms is a recreational cannabis grow in Denver, Colorado. They have been family owned since 2014. The company has an extensive varieties of strains. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)\" width=\"4176\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-1.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3835975\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-1.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/TDP-L-FAT_FACE_FARMS__HHR1044.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/TDP-L-FAT_FACE_FARMS__HHR1044.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/TDP-L-FAT_FACE_FARMS__HHR1044.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/TDP-L-FAT_FACE_FARMS__HHR1044.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Often commercial growers, like Fat Face Farms (pictured), will chop down the whole plant to dry. For home growers, it might be better to cut and hang dry individual branches. (Photo by Helen H. Richardson\/The Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Step 2: Hang them to dry<\/h4>\n<p>As you put your buddy branches on hangers, remove the fan leaves, meaning the big, five- or seven-finger leaves with long stems. One hack Owens suggested is to flip the branches upside and remove leaves where you can see the petiole (the stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem).<\/p>\n<p>Hang the branches in your designated drying area, which should be a cool and dark space with good ventilation and air circulation. (Consider using fans, Roby said.)<\/p>\n<p>Whether it\u2019s in a guest room or garage, Roby said the optimal drying temperature is 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure the hangers are on a clothesline or rope where they can be spread out. You can also use clothes pins to keep the hangers separated, he added.<\/p>\n<p>Depending on the humidity, Owens and Roby suggested drying the branches between four and 10 days. (If you hang the whole plant the drying process will take longer.) If you can bend the stalk on a hanger and it snaps, that\u2019s your cue it\u2019s dry, they said.<\/p>\n<p>Be careful not to overdry the product, Roby warned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLetting it dry too long before getting it into bins and just crisping it out where it\u2019s brittle and falls apart \u2014 I think in Colorado that\u2019s the No. 1 mistake people make,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3311601\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-2.jpg\" alt=\"Marijuana plant processor Mario Arroyo trims buds off of marijuana plants at MMJ America cannabis growing facility in 2018 in Denver.\" width=\"4176\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-2.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3311601\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-2.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/MMJ-America-growing-operation-at-old-Dardanos-Flowerland-_1HR9699.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/MMJ-America-growing-operation-at-old-Dardanos-Flowerland-_1HR9699.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/MMJ-America-growing-operation-at-old-Dardanos-Flowerland-_1HR9699.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/MMJ-America-growing-operation-at-old-Dardanos-Flowerland-_1HR9699.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Marijuana plant processor Mario Arroyo trims buds off of marijuana plants at MMJ America cannabis growing facility in Denver.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Step 3: Trim, trim, trim<\/h4>\n<p>Once your weed has dried, it\u2019s time to cut the buds off the stalk and start trimming. The goal here is to remove excess leaves or plant matter from the bud, leaving just the smokable flower.<\/p>\n<p>How closely or \u201caggressively\u201d to trim varies between growers. While most marijuana sold in dispensaries has been trimmed to remove all leaves, Roby and Owens said keeping some leaves, known as sugar leaves, helps save time and preserve the terpenes, aroma and flavor long term.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBecause I also make hash I\u2019m diligent about what I remove,\u201d Owens said. \u201cIf you\u2019re not doing that then you can trim as desired.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3404040\" class=\"wp-caption alignright size-article_inline_half\"><img class=\"lazyautosizes lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-3.jpg\" alt=\"Pure Love marijuana, a sativa, Thursday, ...\" width=\"3649\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-3.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"3404040\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/cannabis-home-growing-101-how-to-harvest-your-marijuana-plants-in-colorado-3.jpg 620w,https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.denverpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/mmj-american-dispensary-db-032819-02571.jpg?fit=310%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 310w\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cannabis flower can be stored in mason jars or bins, depending on your personal preference. Just make sure to \u201cburp\u201d the vessel as the buds release moisture. (Daniel Brenner, Special to the Denver Post)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Step 4: Store and burp<\/h4>\n<p>Once the buds have been trimmed, place them in bins or mason jars to begin the curing process. Because the buds will still be releasing moisture, it\u2019s important to \u201cburp\u201d the containers regularly and circulate fresh air in them.<\/p>\n<p>Owens suggests burping a couple times a day for about a week, or until you can no longer smell moisture.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOpen (your vessel) and let it sit there for a few minutes to allow fresh air to come into the jar and moist air to be released,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<h4>Step 5: Cure<\/h4>\n<p>Once the burping period is over, keep your flower in closed containers until you\u2019re ready to smoke it. Both Roby and Ownes suggested having one jar that\u2019s accessible for your near-term consumption needs and letting the other sit for a while in a cool dark place.<\/p>\n<p>How long exactly?<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour cannabis is ready to smoke two weeks after harvest. But for optimal, I would give it three weeks to a month to really get optimal terp taste and flavor and experience whether it be indica, sativa, or hybrid,\u201d Roby said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I can get it to a six- or eight-week cure, those jars are often the smoothest and most enjoyable,\u201d Owens added.<\/p>\n<h4>What to do with the excess trim<\/h4>\n<aside class=\"related right\"> <\/aside>\n<p>Harvesting cannabis, either at home or commercially, creates plenty of excess biomass that can be transformed into other products. That extra trim is great for infusing into butter or oil for use in cooking. Roby has seen chefs infuse it into sauces, too.<\/p>\n<p>Owens, for one, uses his to make bubble hash. If you\u2019re not sure what to do with it, you can freeze it for later use or compost it.<\/p>\n<h4>Other considerations<\/h4>\n<p>Yeast, mold and mildew can infect cannabis plants even in Colorado\u2019s arid climate. <a href=\"https:\/\/medicalalternativesclinics.com\/2022\/06\/the-risks-of-consuming-mold-infested-cannabis\/#:~:text=Moldy%20cannabis%20can%20cause%20a,you%20smoke%20moldy%20weed%20regularly.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ingesting moldly weed can cause health problems<\/a> and is not advised.<\/p>\n<p>However, before you throw out your crop due to an infection, Owens recommends trying to mitigate the problem with spray-on sterilization treatments or by \u201cdunking\u201d plants in a solution to kill whatever has infected them.<\/p>\n<p>These kinds of treatments are controversial in the growing community, but Owens speaks from experience when he says they can save your crop.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t have to take a ton of effort to grow clean, but if you do have a problem there are options. You don\u2019t have to kill your crop, call it a day and go buy weed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.denverpost.com\/newsletter-signup\/in-the-know\">Subscribe to our weekly newsletter, In The Know, to get entertainment news sent straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<p>If you joined us in the spring to learn how to grow your own cannabis at home, you know by now that cultivating leafy green plants is only half the experience. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[52,9598,6811,2435,8441,7938,4995,77,9,5019,7440,1,3,7072,6923,7201,61,1736],"tags":[2632,9603,6816,2436,8444,7939,4996,2655,5022,7442,7073,6924,7203],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9886"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9886"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9886\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9886"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9886"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannitrol.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9886"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}