Staggered Harvest?

[Smoke_A_Lot]

Does anyone do a staggered harvest? Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

"Staggered harvest is a technique that has become increasingly popular among cannabis growers in recent years. This method involves harvesting different parts of a cannabis plant at different times, resulting in higher yields and better quality buds."

Staggered Harvest Tutorial - Dagga Seeds

Learn the benefits and techniques of staggered harvest for cannabis growers. Achieve higher yields and quality buds with our actionable tips.

daggaseeds.com

 

[Psychobilly]

Does anyone do a staggered harvest? Any tips or advice would be appreciated.

"Staggered harvest is a technique that has become increasingly popular among cannabis growers in recent years. This method involves harvesting different parts of a cannabis plant at different times, resulting in higher yields and better quality buds."

Staggered Harvest Tutorial - Dagga Seeds

Learn the benefits and techniques of staggered harvest for cannabis growers. Achieve higher yields and quality buds with our actionable tips.

daggaseeds.com

Yeah, I do this. When I know a plant is getting close, I check each branch, as they seem to mature at different levels, and so, I generally try and make a game plan for which branches I'll take first (Tops and colas are generally ready before the little pop corn factories are ready) and then, when I see those ready to go, I cut those first, and leave the rest until it's finished. This has multiple benefits for me, as I don't have an entire plant to try and deal with all at once, and also, I can get more than one "type" of pull; I may take tops when it's all cloudy milky colored, and then, go back for the "CBN" pull. As the amber color gets more and more "there" I know those pulls are going to be the ones for relax time.

Also, the Wife sometimes gets anxiety from Weed that has a more Sativa side to it, but she LOVES the fruity sweet strains, and, well, those are the ones that seem to bug her the most. I learned that, if I allow those strains to go longer, and get more amber color to them, the anxiety doesn't seem to be an issue.

I use metal coat hanger looking things (The ones that have 10 clips on them each, which allows for 10 branches to be placed on each one) and I start out by using a paper to mark the strain, and sometimes which pull it is (THC pull VS CBN pull for example) and then hang them up.

I've noticed basically every time, that once the first pull happens, the rest of the branches bulk up, and the buds get bigger (likely from increased light access, and of course, more nutrients for what is left on there) and it's pretty noticeable too; I've seen buds on side branches that weren't very big when I started pulling the tops, but after about two weeks, those side buds were the size of my fist after. So you do get more harvest on that end.

Having a Jeweler's Eye helps see the resin color and shape (you want the mushrooms, not the "poles" basically) and you can also get a scope to hook up to a phone, if you don't have a super expensive phone that can do this already (I don't have an expensive phone...) but whatever you can do to see that resin, do it. Once you've grown a strain a few times, you can experiment with what stage you like that one pulled at, and get the very best from what you grow.

I know myself, that Chem D, I can pull at any time. If it's mostly cloudy or Milky, I know it's ready, but I do like having some that's got that amber in it too. I'm an insomniac, and I need some for night time.

Cheese I can also pick and choose, but, I also know there's a few that may need extra time so the Wife doesn't have anxiety from the potency, so, I'll do two pulls on those ones, making sure I've got a good amount of Amber.

Normally, if I'm not sure, I aim for about 30% amber coloration, and THEN start pulling, as the second pull from that plant should have a decent amount on it, and be great night time weed.

 

[belleswell]

I will try clipping a branch or two for a taste test and a good squeezing. Very uplifting high picked a little earlier. The longer it goes,
the more the effect that I enjoy ensues.


Mostly cloudy with a good chance of amber showers.

 

[RookieBuds]

As long as you have a dedicated drying space, staggering harvests isn't so bad. My best advice; have enough drying space to accomodate EACH flowering plant if possible, the more plants you can accomodate the more plants you can stagger at a time, so to speak.

I stagger harvests all the time but not on purpose. I've even had phenotypes out of the same seed pack differ in harvests by up to 2 weeks

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

As long as you have a dedicated drying space, staggering harvests isn't so bad. My best advice; have enough drying space to accomodate EACH flowering plant if possible, the more plants you can accomodate the more plants you can stagger at a time, so to speak.

I stagger harvests all the time but not on purpose. I've even had phenotypes out of the same seed pack differ in harvests by up to 2 weeks

The drying space part I didn't even take into account, but I can use the "test tent" I have for drying. Cut individual branches and put them on metal coat hangers to make most of the small space. Only thing is it's gonna delay my next grow by a few weeks. I'm trying to weigh my options. I just know my plants are so big/bushy not all branches are receiving equal light - and I hate trimming that lower larf garbage.

 

[Psychobilly]

The drying space part I didn't even take into account, but I can use the "test tent" I have for drying. Cut individual branches and put them on metal coat hangers to make most of the small space. Only thing is it's gonna delay my next grow by a few weeks. I'm trying to weigh my options. I just know my plants are so big/bushy not all branches are receiving equal light - and I hate trimming that lower larf garbage.

I normally cut the popcorn factories right off. I don't like trimming at all, and those aren't usually worth a hand cramp LOL. Only smaller buds I keep are from plants that stand out in some way. I can tell you though, if you don't feel like trimming smaller stuff, just get the shade leaf and sugar leaf stuff "shorter" and concentrate on a good cure. It won't look pretty, but it'll still be good

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

I cut off of a few branches

 

[Rozgreenburn]

I only do a staggered harvest on plants that have majorly weak lowers, but usually I just chop it all and anything smaller than an acorn goes into the edible bin with all the sugar leaves. It's not like I'm gonna run out!

 

[belleswell]

I did an early harvest yesterday, very early. 3 weeks.
Because....





I also performed a nannerectomy and am forcing her to do what they promised.
I have no one to blame but myself as the dark time in the tent, temps were dropping
to as low as 62F. I removed a third of the lower branches and saved some of the main
plant by removing male parts.

She's in a separate tent and is on 24 hour watch. Future nanners will be removed.
I always grow longer than what every seed breeder tells me is harvest time,
and I'm not hopeful I'll get this one to 10 weeks or more but
would settle for 8 to 9 weeks to have a better taste of this variety.

On the plus side, she came from a 4x4 which now has the amount I normally put there. 6
Packing 7 into the tent was done because of some very slow beans that did not want to crack.
When I tried a couple more for the water soak/germ. All of sudden the ones I'd been
trying to crack for 10 days popped. It gave me an extra in the tent.

Platinum Dosi Day 21

 

[Psychobilly]

Man I've literally never seen that before! I have to say, I know it sucks to find them, but DAMN that looks interesting.

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

what I'm gonna do is strip all the larger fan leaves off so what ever lower branches get more light for the last week or so, plus it gives me less of a headache @ trim time.

I don't plan on watering again either, this way the buds will dry faster.

 

[belleswell]

Man I've literally never seen that before! I have to say, I know it sucks to find them, but DAMN that looks interesting.

I'm saving a bowl full of nanners to try. I checked the other 6 in my 4x4 for any of the same because they all stressed from the same temps that were too cold. Nothing
on the others, thankfully. Makes me wonder if the batch of 10 Platinum Dosi, *now 9, have more surprises for me. I'll try a summer run with one more to eliminate the cold
as the reason it turned to the dark side. If the next one I grow also herms, then I may have to fire off some emails expressing my disappointment. The 6 others now have a little more room to spread out. They are Jelly Breath from the same breeder, Fat Bastard, Permanent Marker, Godfather OG, Lemon Dosidope from Amos, and Gush Mints.

Lemon Dosidope is leading by a hair on trics at this point. Day 23
Funny Pun because there is a hair in there.

 

[belleswell]

what I'm gonna do is strip all the larger fan leaves off so what ever lower branches get more light for the last week or so, plus it gives me less of a headache @ trim time.

I don't plan on watering again either, this way the buds will dry faster.

I just let them keep growing until most of the leaves fall off or are close to falling off. Less to trim once I cut her down. Not all the time or every strain, but
enough of them to where scissor time is kept to a tolerable level.

 

[Psychobilly]

I'm saving a bowl full of nanners to try. I checked the other 6 in my 4x4 for any of the same because they all stressed from the same temps that were too cold. Nothing
on the others, thankfully. Makes me wonder if the batch of 10 Platinum Dosi, *now 9, have more surprises for me. I'll try a summer run with one more to eliminate the cold
as the reason it turned to the dark side. If the next one I grow also herms, then I may have to fire off some emails expressing my disappointment. The 6 others now have a little more room to spread out. They are Jelly Breath from the same breeder, Fat Bastard, Permanent Marker, Godfather OG, Lemon Dosidope from Amos, and Gush Mints.

Lemon Dosidope is leading by a hair on trics at this point. Day 23
Funny Pun because there is a hair in there.
View attachment 196170

That's a beauty

What temp was too cold for the others ? My journal is basically all outdoor, and you know how we get around these parts in late October.

 

[belleswell]

That's a beauty

What temp was too cold for the others ? My journal is basically all outdoor, and you know how we get around these parts in late October.

High 60s would be better than 62 F. It's a fruit cellar, with no heat. I ran some more duct work and put the input filter outside of the fruit
cellar room so that warmer air would be sucked into the tent. That raised the temps to 66 F which is a lot better than 62.
Of course, my 10 gallon fabric bags are sitting on risers in the saucers which keeps them off the concrete floor.

Still some strains are fussy when it comes to low temps, or defoliation, or nutes, etc. Some strains are bulletproof and others
require some tlc to get them to do their best.

I was just saying the recent herm in my 4x4 MAY have been caused by the low temps, but it may not have been the temps at all, but the genetics in that bean.
None of the others have hermed from the low temps. Only the Platinum Dosi. That's why I was saying that if I grow under more ideal conditions with temperatures
not reaching those same lows, and it still herms with the next one I try from the same bag of seeds, then I know it may be time for a tactfully worded email.

I was just looking at a Fat Bastard pic from the same grow and she too is starting to sparkle. I love sprinkles.

Fat Bastard Day 24

 

[Psychobilly]

I was just saying the recent herm in my 4x4 MAY have been caused by the low temps, but it may not have been the temps at all, but the genetics in that bean.
None of the others have hermed from the low temps. Only the Platinum Dosi. That's why I was saying that if I grow under more ideal conditions with temperatures
not reaching those same lows, and it still herms with the next one I try from the same bag of seeds, then I know it may be time for a tactfully worded email.

I was just looking at a Fat Bastard pic from the same grow and she too is starting to sparkle. I love sprinkles.

Fat Bastard Day 24

View attachment 196230

Gotcha

Man that's one pretty bastard! You got that thing looking like a tween vampire series haha

 

[belleswell]

I just thought of the other reason for a staggered harvest, not necessarily off one plant, but the whole plant. As I grow 6 at a time in my 4x4, they are all different strains and mature differently. Some of the early ones may get picked at 7 weeks and others, could be 15 weeks.

By staggering the harvest one plant at a time, I can keep the scissor cramps to a minimum but more importantly, process the yield. Michigan has a 12 oz of product per household, and one can easily grow 1 1/2 to 2 lbs per grow. To harvest them all at once would be work trimming but more importantly would put me over the limit.

By staggering the harvest one plant at a time, I can then "shrink" them down by using a Dulytek heat press or bubble hash to lessen the overall weight of what is on hand.
This 6 plant yield can still be kept to the maximum weight allowed by heat press and bubble hash ala Frenchy style. That is probably my number one reason for staggering the
harvest one plant at a time. When I had two tents going, it was way too much weed, extract and hash for just the 2 of us. Now I just use one tent and it's more than enough.

I know the OP premise was staggering the harvest off individual plants, but I thought I'd throw in the reason I do one plant at a time. To keep it legal.

 

[Psychobilly]

I just thought of the other reason for a staggered harvest, not necessarily off one plant, but the whole plant. As I grow 6 at a time in my 4x4, they are all different strains and mature differently. Some of the early ones may get picked at 7 weeks and others, could be 15 weeks.

By staggering the harvest one plant at a time, I can keep the scissor cramps to a minimum but more importantly, process the yield. Michigan has a 12 oz of product per household, and one can easily grow 1 1/2 to 2 lbs per grow. To harvest them all at once would be work trimming but more importantly would put me over the limit.

By staggering the harvest one plant at a time, I can then "shrink" them down by using a Dulytek heat press or bubble hash to lessen the overall weight of what is on hand.
This 6 plant yield can still be kept to the maximum weight allowed by heat press and bubble hash ala Frenchy style. That is probably my number one reason for staggering the
harvest one plant at a time. When I had two tents going, it was way too much weed, extract and hash for just the 2 of us. Now I just use one tent and it's more than enough.

I know the OP premise was staggering the harvest off individual plants, but I thought I'd throw in the reason I do one plant at a time. To keep it legal.

From what I've read, and from what our local news station said, as long as it's behind a locked door there really isn't an amount limit. I think they only want you to have a few ounces actually out of a locked area at a time, but I couldn't find anything about how much you can have on hand. Which is good, since my closet currently has about 14 pounds in it.