Determine Peak Ripeness/Maturity Methodically

You just spent a minimum of two months, working to produce the most stress free cannabis possible. You're doing this to produce the highest terpene and cannabinoid content you possibly can. You believe it's more than a little bit important to preserve that work, so you're always wanting to harvest at peak ripeness. You want to know what peak ripeness means for cannabis. You want to know the differences between harvesting early and late. You want to know what to look for and you want to know how to accurately figure out the peak ripeness for your specific strain/pheno.

Peak Ripeness

The difference between a tree ripened fruit at the peak of perfection and the not so peak of perfection. This is a distinction we're looking to acquire about the cannabis we're growing. When I talk about the peak of ripeness for cannabis, I'm talking about the point where the maximum complexity and production of terpenes and cannabinoids has been reached. The fruit is the tastiest, juciest and smells the most awesome when it's at the peak of ripeness. When cannabis is at it's peak of ripeness, the main cannabinoids THC and CBD are at their peak.

At this point the terpenes have reached maximum production and complexity. The complexity is responsible for the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) differences between phenotypes and strains with the same THC/CBD content. As the plant matures past peak ripeness, these terpenes stop being produced and begin to break down. We want to preserve these flavors, aromas and effects the terpenes bring to the party, right?

Too Early

When harvested too early, like green fruit, cannabis is much less desireable. Not only are the levels of terpenes and cannabinoids lower, they're not as complex and the effects don't last as long. The medical effectiveness of a strain can be changed, usually not for the better, by harvesting early. The major downsides to harvesting early are lower harvest weight, lower THC/CBD production, shorter effect time and less aroma and flavor. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot!

In prohibition heavy areas, where the proper strains cannot be sourced easily, harvesting early may be someone's only choice. The reduction in terpene production can mean the strain is less debilitating than it would be at peak ripeness. I urge anyone in this situation to work on safely getting seeds/clones for other, more suitable strains, as soon as possible. The right strain of cannabis helps you feel like a million bucks, while you stay completely functional. Definitely something worth a search.

Too Late

When fruit is overripe, the flavor becomes washed out from sweet and, after a while longer, the beginnings of fermentation. With cannabis, the complexity, efficacy and potency begin to degrade, making for sleepier cannabis with lower medicinal and recreational value. Knock you out? Oh yes. As terpene and THC/CBD cannabinoid rich as it can be? Definitely not. The further past ripeness you harvest the less functional the cannabis becomes and the more difficult it becomes to stay awake. The individual cannabinoids begin breaking down into their metabolites, changing the intensity and complexity of their effects.

In heavy prohibition areas, harvesting late can be used to turn almost any strain into a sleeper. Even sativa dominant strains, when harvested super late, will cause the "lights out in 45min" type cannabis. Pain patients, though it tends to severely impact the ability to function, can use overripe cannabis to sleep through their heaviest pain sessions. At least for a few hours at a time. Again, the correct strain will significantly reduce pain while still retaining (and improving) daily functionality. Finding the right strain for you is definitely worth the look.

Just Right

This is where individual preferences come heavily into play. Though there's a harvest window for every strain/phenotype, your exact preferences will vary. The best way to determine your exact preferences? You guessed it, lots of testing. Fortunately, cannabis has a visual indicator of ripeness. We use this indicator to begin harvesting at the beginning of the ripeness window. We also use this visual indicator to make sure harvest is finished before the cannabis becomes overripe. Cutting and labeling branches, at 2-3 different points of ripeness, will allow you to sample the end results and compare the differences. Please keep accurate notes and labeling of samples, all through dry and cure. ;)

The Visual Indicator

When the primary cannabinoids begin breaking down, the oils within trichomes become an amber color. Isn't that a handy indicator? All we need to be aware of is the approximate amounts of amber trichomes to look for. We know that amber trichomes will appear well before the cannabis is ripe. We also know there are a significant number of amber trichomes when the cannabis is overripe. We find the "harvest window" somewhere between these extremes.

The Harvest Window

With few exceptions, the harvest window for most humans is going to be somewhere between 5% and 15% amber trichomes. Harvesting samples at 5%, 10% and 15% amber is recommended for accurate testing. Finishing your harvest by 15% amber ensures a high quality product, regardless of individual preferences. Properly drying and sampling the different amber percentages will identify your personal preferences. When the percentage is known, feeding can be tailored more accurately with harvesting. Feeding accurately helps increase quality, just that little bit more. ;)

Seeing the Amber Trichomes

You will definitely need a magnifying scope or loupe, preferrably something with a light you can turn on/off. You're going to need at least 30x magnification with variable power helping as well. Radio shack makes a handy scope for under $20, it's variable from 60x-100x and does a decent job.

Once you have the scope you'll need some cannabis flowers. You will check the flowers themselves, not the small frosty leaves poking out, the denser flower structure itself. The trichomes on the smaller frosty leaves (sugar leaves) will turn amber before the flowers themeselves, giving us the wrong information.

Determining the Percentage

Guess what? No heavy math required here. Those of us who are not so math conscious will easily be able to determine the precise amount of amber in our cannabis flowers. Here's what you do. Count the number of amber trichomes in a small spot of 20 trichomes. 1 amber trichome, in twenty (20) is 5% amber trichomes. 2 amber trichomes is 10% and 3 amber trichomes is 15%. Do this for a couple different spots on a few top flowers and compare. See how easy that is? :)

What's Your Amber Preference of Which Strain?

Do you know your favorite strain and amber percentage you prefer? Please feel free to post it below, because others will benefit from your experiences.

Be Awesome!