Harvesting hemp needs a lot of skills and knowledge about it. Even some small mistakes or missing out on some important details can lead to acres of hemp crop becoming useless and waste. It is important that cultivators have knowledge and details of proper cultivation and harvesting. The cultivation of this plant is not a very tough task. you need to have an understanding of the right methods of cultivation and harvesting before growing this crop. Once you know these things about the plant it becomes very easy for you to cultivate a good crop and get amazing yields. Getting all the knowledge about hemp plants includes learning about the quality of the plant and the method of cultivation. It might also happen sometimes that everything you do for cultivation can be proper but if the seeds’ quality is not up to the mark then your efforts would go in vain. Hence when you are going for cultivation, your compliance and safety measures taken for the crop should be good. Here in this article, you will get some basic insights about hemp cultivation which can be a stepping stone in your learning process.
What is the right season for harvesting the crop?
There are different types of crops available, Some can be seasonal and perennial while some are annual. The hemp plant falls in the latter category, the crop can be harvested annually. Many people who still don’t understand how this crop grows then the details are also explained here. An annual crop like hemp plant will grow from a seed to a plant in about three to four months which can range anywhere between 90 to 120 days. It will remain in a vegetative state for some time before dying off; it will bud and Blossom only once. After it is harvested the plant will die and new plants need to be cultivated in the area. The Seasons also affect the growth of plants. So as the season changes the days start to become shorter and nights become longer the trees will show excessive growth. They will start growing taller and blossoming will start. The best season for harvesting the crop is between October to November. October is one of the busiest months for a hemp cultivator as they are busy harvesting the output of the crop they’ve been putting their efforts into. This happens with cultivation on the ground.
The people understood the importance of this plant, so they started cultivating them indoors. If you are also interested in Indoor cultivation you can easily influence the crop’s growth. As a different factor contributing to the growth of a hemp plant Like light, temperature, Moisture, nutrition, etc. since all these factors can be controlled by you. You can affect the growth of plants by controlling all these factors. For example, if you change the light and temperature required by a plant you can actually change the speed of giving output. Sometimes with indoor plantations, you can also get the output twice a year. Even for cultivating and harvesting hemp indoors, you need to have the plant placed in the field for some time. So you can adjust the time of stay in the greenhouse for about 7 to 8 weeks and then you can shift them to the field for about 9 to 10 weeks and then you can receive a full blossom. The important thing that you need to keep in mind with this process is that you have to check for the capability of your plant during this time. you have to adjust the factors such that you create a perfect environment for the plants to deliver. You have to make these changes at the proper time and check the ability of your plant to manage these changes. Once you are sure that the plants have grown and become mature enough, only then can you proceed with harvesting the crop.
How should the flowers that are smokable be harvested from the hemp plant?
Whenever you are looking for smokable flowers to be harvested from the hemp plant you have to understand that you are looking for high CBD levels in them. Also, the terpenes that are present in the flower should also be balanced at the time of harvest so you get the desired flavor and taste. Only when all these things are balanced and properly available in the flower the harvested output will be termed as good quality. Often when the flower blooms, they are tested for the quality of smoke they can generate. It also is quite common that slight environmental changes or improper nutrient availability lead to undesirable flowers. Hence to ensure that the flower that blooms is of very good quality the plant needs to be tested while it is already in its vegetative state. You need to check them for any deficiency or excessive nutrition availability and the effects of any environmental changes on the crop. Once you fix these problems right in the vegetative state you will not find any problems in getting a good quality yield.
Once the vegetative phase is crossed by the plant, you have to look for mature flower heads in abundance to be harvested when the plant is mature enough. You can also use a microscope to look for tiny details of maturity. If you are using this method then you have to look for the trichomes which are the hairs that are present on the plant. you will find that these hair-like structures will grow to become milky white instead of being translucent. The work doesn’t end here. Once you have harvested the flower you have to ensure that the temperature at which you leave the plant is optimum to preserve its genetic identity. This temperature can be anywhere between 50 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Takeaway
Being new to the field of hemp cultivation and harvesting, you have to know how and when to harvest the hemp plant for best results. This article discusses the season in which you can harvest this crop and how it should be harvested if you are looking to smoke the flower. There are many parts of this plant that can be harvested. Here we discuss the basics of when and how. so if you are a beginner and a newbie in this business then these basics will definitely create a base for deeper knowledge.