# when to harvest day or night?



## collectselltrade (Feb 13, 2009)

ok so here is one i have not seen a definate answer, best to harvest day or night, my thought i want to chop it when the plant is sending all its energy in to the buds, not the roots , also i had a plant and noticed it was seeding, i cut it down after 6 weeks of flower, should i have left it?


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## ika667 (Feb 13, 2009)

Day or night should not really matter come harvest time!


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## snowmanexpress (Feb 13, 2009)

well i heard "day" is better in outside conditions, simply because you dont want to harvest at night, when its moist, and bring that moisture inside or whatever and let that moisture rot your shit. , I guess you wanna harvest in morning/day when the moisture is gone, if that makes sense, in an outside grow.

Inside quality, someone may have a different opinion. I mean wow, all sorts of wierd stuff to help assure or prevent a great chop. Also, what about that 24hr max DARKNESS period before you chop, I hear about that seems intriguing, Combined with the advice of dont water 3 days before harvest type of thing too, maybe all these factors added in with each other plus a few trick and tips more may qualify a good grow and smoke. 

I wish I knew more too man! SECRETS SECRETS SHHHHH........hahaha j/k.

I wish all you pro's would get together and write a FACT / FICTION tales of the story of "how to Grow" here at RIU. 

What works, what doesnt.......I seen the Mythbusters thread. Had a couple laughs in there. There is simply wayyyyy too much information on the web. Some shit needs to get cut out. I see YouTube is beginning to be infested with just plain garbage.

But then again, Im so broke, I couldnt buy the RIU book at AMAZON. Id have to wait till some kind soul uploaded it somewhere.


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## gangjababy (Feb 13, 2009)

it's all the same, harvest when convenient.


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## collectselltrade (Feb 13, 2009)

gangjababy said:


> it's all the same, harvest when convenient.


 ok because i have heard that at night (no light ) the plant sleeps thus allresins run to root?
just a question!


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## ika667 (Feb 13, 2009)

LOL, resins don't go home to bed for the night! Don't worry about what time of day or night you harvest, just as long as the plants are ready for harvest.


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## Stoney Jake (Feb 14, 2009)

Morning is the best time.
THC is degraded by light as most of us know. The light lowers the potency of the pot, its best to harvest in the morning
Im sure its not that big of a difference but there is one


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

I'll bet any money, you put the best, most knowledgeable ganja people on earth and get them to smoke a j of a plant that got cut in the morning and a plant that got cut in the evening, he or she would not be able to tell the difference, guaranteed. Nobody could tell the difference, so what's the point? Cut them when you want.


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

Good point on cutting at night or at day break; moisture on the buds. I was thinking indoor the whole time, let the sun evaporate some of the moisture if grown outdoors.


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## Stoney Jake (Feb 14, 2009)

ika667 said:


> I'll bet any money, you put the best, most knowledgeable ganja people on earth and get them to smoke a j of a plant that got cut in the morning and a plant that got cut in the evening, he or she would not be able to tell the difference, guaranteed. Nobody could tell the difference, so what's the point? Cut them when you want.


I think you are wrong
I havent found any numbers but it could be a decent increase if you think about it. I just left a plant in 72 hours of darkness based on this theory and there was a increase in the resin


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

Yeah but he's growing outside?


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## lampshade (Feb 14, 2009)

You want to cut in the middle of the night or right before sunrise. At night plants send all there carbs and excess nutes down to the roots. In the morning they move them back to the leaves. If you cut at night, then all of these *contaminants* will be in the roots and not in your smoke.


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

Where did you get that info lampshade?


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## lampshade (Feb 14, 2009)

ika667 said:


> Where did you get that info lampshade?


 From my head, but its true, i swear.


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## lampshade (Feb 14, 2009)

lampshade said:


> From my head, but its true, i swear.


 Oh and prior to that... My schoolbooks. All plants do this at night.


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## kwaka80 (Feb 14, 2009)

yep im sold... lampshade has the difinitive answer... shower us with enlightenment old grasssmoker


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## lampshade (Feb 14, 2009)

Im actually YOUNG grassmoker. Im 21, i come from a farming town, and have always had an affinity with nature. I was an agricultural major in highschool, and am now a turf science major in college. Im just a surfing hippie with a passion for plants.


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## collectselltrade (Feb 14, 2009)

ika667 said:


> Yeah but he's growing outside?


 no inside grow, soil


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## TheLastJuror (Feb 14, 2009)

dude it doesnt really make THAT BIG of a difference...what you can do if you have several plants harvest each one at seperate times...and be your own judge...that way you will have the answer yourself


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

Would the vegetables and fruits have a better taste if they were harvested at night?


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## gangjababy (Feb 14, 2009)

lampshade said:


> You want to cut in the middle of the night or right before sunrise. At night plants send all there carbs and excess nutes down to the roots. In the morning they move them back to the leaves. If you cut at night, then all of these *contaminants* will be in the roots and not in your smoke.


I'm gonna have to call bullshit on this one. You flush your plants a couple weeks before harvest which gets rid of the excess nutes. It doesn't mater when you harvest!


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

Although you flush away most of the fertz in the last few weeks does not mean that the plant stops producing toxins. It's still breaking down sugars and shit, still producing toxins as a by product of being alive.


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## gangjababy (Feb 14, 2009)

What are you guys talking about, are you pulling this info out of your ass?
Lampshade you talk about contaminant what is that supposed to mean?
And IKA667 what toxins are you talking about? The plant lets off water vapor and oxygen as a byproduct of transpiration, I would not call that toxins...


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## gangjababy (Feb 14, 2009)

well ika667 where's your evidence for this claim?


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

OK, first of all, chill out. I was having a conversation with lampshade, if you look at page 2. It's all theory to me because I haven't seen the books, but lampshade has. Anyway, go read page 2 before you start calling people out please.


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## gangjababy (Feb 14, 2009)

I heard from a friend of a friend...
You guys are jst speculating, there is no truth to what you are saying. Herb plants don't produce toxins or "contaminants"...


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

Yes they do, how do you think they fight against certain parasites?


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## gangjababy (Feb 14, 2009)

ika667 said:


> Yes they do, how do you think they fight against certain parasites?


The more you post then worse your arguments are. Plants fend off parasites by having a healthy immune sytem. They also produce terpenes which some say helps fend off mold. Terpenes are far from toxins though.
Herb plants do not produce toxins. 

I'm done, you have no idea what you are talking about. Why don't you read up...


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

I don't know why your so closed minded about it all, what do you have to prove so?


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## gangjababy (Feb 14, 2009)

All I'm saying s your basing your argument on pure speculation, you have no evidence to back up anything you are saying, it is complete bunk.
If the plants produced toxins, how would we be able to smoke it?


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

Rather than just bash people and tell them that they have no clue what they're talking about, try educating them so that they know better. You know it all, prove your stuff by posting links and enlighten us oh great one.


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

I never said that what I'm saying is concrete.


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## lampshade (Feb 14, 2009)

All you guys crack me up. I swear you would think this is a fourum about alcohol. I thought weed chilled you out. Anyways if you will notice guys contaminants was in quotes. Sugars are good for the plant, but pack a bowl of sugar and smoke it, its not sweet, its bitter. Its CARBON & NITROGEN. Nitrogen gives weed that hay smell and taste and also and ammonia taste. (some people like the ammonia=cat piss). Anyways i will find some links i just want to know that noone is bashing anyone. I promise, that plants do transport all of their sugras down to the roots at night. Im talking about beets, corn, grass, trees... It doesnt matter. Slowly as morning approaches they begin to transport them back to there leaves.


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## lampshade (Feb 14, 2009)

At night plants transpire less, so there is less of a pumping mechanism that pulls the sugars up.


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## lampshade (Feb 14, 2009)

http://www.hydroempire.com/store/hydroponic-plant-parts.php

Go down to Oxygen second sentence.
Go down to leaves Second sentence.


"he roots do a great deal of their storage developing at night when the green sections of the plant are not being pressured by the light to produce and distribute the day's excess sugar to the roots. "

"At night, the leaves transfer as much stored energy as possible to the roots. The healthier the leaves and the leaf stems are, the more energy they have to transfer into storage within the plant."


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## ika667 (Feb 14, 2009)

Thanks Lampshade


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## lampshade (Feb 14, 2009)

No prob anytime.


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## silkyride (Feb 14, 2009)

That was one great entertaining string there boys..(maybe girls). I didn't see it as anyone bashing anyone. Everyone had great points and if I were a jury,...every time I read someone's argument, I would side with them. I think the "shade man" got it in the end.


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## usuf (Feb 17, 2009)

Great thread, very entertaining.. cept for the fact that if ppl come on here looking for solid info there is none basically. 

That bit about leaves storing nutes back down to their roots at night... well buds are considered to be the fruit right? and if the leaves are the part of the plants that gather energy for the growth of the buds, I don't see how it makes a difference that the leaves transer shit ??? am I going crazy?


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## Microracer87 (Feb 17, 2009)

I'm at about 90% red hairs and i'd say about 50/50 amber and cloudy. Haven't watered since saturday.. and now goin for 72 hours of darkness then i'm cuttin...old school guyws say this really bring out the trich...


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## lampshade (Feb 17, 2009)

usuf said:


> Great thread, very entertaining.. cept for the fact that if ppl come on here looking for solid info there is none basically.
> 
> That bit about leaves storing nutes back down to their roots at night... well buds are considered to be the fruit right? and if the leaves are the part of the plants that gather energy for the growth of the buds, I don't see how it makes a difference that the leaves transer shit ??? am I going crazy?


Yeah everything is just anecdotal, but i guess the idea is that whats in the main stem will drain into the buds, if its not kept in the roots. And in between floral bracts (calyx) there is alot of tiny sugar leaf, most of it looks like bud. But actually there is alot of leaf in it. So thats another reason. And also if you leave the leaves on while drying, then you REALLY would want to do this, as the plant was think it was dying and seen it sugars to the buds. As those are the plants main concern. To reproduce. Hope this helps. Lamp.


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## collectselltrade (Feb 17, 2009)

lampshade said:


> Yeah everything is just anecdotal, but i guess the idea is that whats in the main stem will drain into the buds, if its not kept in the roots. And in between floral bracts (calyx) there is alot of tiny sugar leaf, most of it looks like bud. But actually there is alot of leaf in it. So thats another reason. And also if you leave the leaves on while drying, then you REALLY would want to do this, as the plant was think it was dying and seen it sugars to the buds. As those are the plants main concern. To reproduce. Hope this helps. Lamp.


 ok so it is during the day when its working and not at nite when it sleeps.
which thats how i thought about it but either way would work! also noticed some of the buds are starting to get some burning , if i ontinue to see this i will yank it. and its on the choc. chunk, and not the bubba og kush!?


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## collectselltrade (Feb 19, 2009)

collectselltrade said:


> ok because i have heard that at night (no light ) the plant sleeps thus allresins run to root?
> just a question!


  here she is one of themand the bubba


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## Stoney Jake (Feb 19, 2009)

Emergency blankets ftw! 
cant beat them for $.99 lol


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## theplantkiller420 (Feb 19, 2009)

i dont remember where i watched it but i did see something that said right befor your lights come on is best because sugars and starches(not nutes) are in higher concentrations during light period or something to that affect.. like someone already said aint no fn way someone could tell the difference so who really cares..but then on the other hand stalk is hallow so something is deff comming and going up and down and im pretty shur its happening at specific times so maybe, who knows?


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## collectselltrade (Feb 19, 2009)

theplantkiller420 said:


> i dont remember where i watched it but i did see something that said right befor your lights come on is best because sugars and starches(not nutes) are in higher concentrations during light period or something to that affect.. like someone already said aint no fn way someone could tell the difference so who really cares..


 I did!


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## collectselltrade (Feb 28, 2009)

how close are we=============


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## peach (Feb 28, 2009)

I just read that start to finish, some of the replies are so funny the way they're worded

Although I don't remember sugars containing nitrogen, they're carbohydrates after all

The most logical reasoning I thought was the one of light breakdown; since that's chemically proven. Although, precisely when the plant makes resin during the day I'm less sure of. If it was making it during the day, it could be higher at night even with the breakdown


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## Brick Top (Feb 28, 2009)

ika667 said:


> Day or night should not really matter come harvest time!


 
Sunlight/grow lights and also heat (if hot enough) breaks down THC. Plants lose THC levels during the day and regain it and then some during the night. It is best to harvest as early in the day as you can if growing outdoors and if growing indoors and you know you will harvest the next day when your lights turn off on the last night unplug them so they do not turn back on again before you can harvest. 

Both of those will assure the maximum levels of THC that you can achieve with your plants and the genetics they have and the care they were given.


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## collectselltrade (Feb 28, 2009)

peach said:


> I just read that start to finish, some of the replies are so funny the way they're worded
> 
> Although I don't remember sugars containing nitrogen, they're carbohydrates after all
> 
> The most logical reasoning I thought was the one of light breakdown; since that's chemically proven. Although, precisely when the plant makes resin during the day I'm less sure of. If it was making it during the day, it could be higher at night even with the breakdown


 well i would say it smells the best after it sleeps at nite!


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## bballin420 (Mar 1, 2009)

collectselltrade said:


> well i would say it smells the best after it sleeps at nite!


I would definitly say that you should harvest around 6 in the morning. this is ussually the rule with all herbs.

good luck


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## collectselltrade (Mar 1, 2009)

bballin420 said:


> I would definitly say that you should harvest around 6 in the morning. this is ussually the rule with all herbs.
> 
> good luck


 as i did===================================thanks all for your help!


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## Brick Top (Mar 1, 2009)

collectselltrade said:


> ok so it is during the day when its working and *not at nite when it sleeps.*
> which thats how i thought about it but either way would work!


 
Plants do not sleep at night and in fact not only grow but grow more efficiently than they do during hours of sunlight/grow lights. During the hours of light a plant multitasks, it performs numerous functions, one of which is storing energy. During hours of darkness a plant runs off its stored energy but it shuts down many of the functions that occur during hours of light and most of its stored energy goes for growth. It also processes sugars gathered in the roots that is then used for that growth. That is why a 24/0 light cycle is not better than an 18/6 light cycle since the most efficient growth a plant performs is during hours of darkness. 

Something else the plant does during hours of darkness is produce THC. Light and heat (high enough heat) breaks down THC so it is at night, when the plant is not sleeping, it regains what THC it lost during the hours of light and also produces more. That is of course why you want to harvest as early in the day as possible or before your lights turn on or if you know you will be harvesting the following day unplug your lights so they do not come on before you have a chance to harvest them.


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## annie f (Aug 24, 2012)

collectselltrade said:


> well i would say it smells the best after it sleeps at nite!


true in my experience too


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## thehole (Aug 24, 2012)

As soon as the lights turn on come harvest day I'm chopping and doing my second trim. About 1-2 days before harvest I cut off all the fans I can right in the flower room, so come chop day all I'm trimming is true leaves from the bud and into the dry room they go. 

Day or night meaningless. 

Seeded female plants are just as potent as sensimilla plants, just a loss of yield and more time consuming picking them out, should have let it go longer.


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## D3monic (Aug 24, 2012)

I dunno... I plan on trying to line my harvests up with the full moon.


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## SetMeFreeAgain (Aug 25, 2012)

Stoney Jake said:


> Morning is the best time.
> THC is degraded by light as most of us know. The light lowers the potency of the pot, its best to harvest in the morning
> Im sure its not that big of a difference but there is one


I want you to just think for a second about what you said. Picture this, I'm growing a whole field of Marijuana outside in the sun. It's harvest day. Suddenly the potency of my Cannabis drops because I didn't harvest in the morning.


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## W Dragon (Aug 25, 2012)

SetMeFreeAgain said:


> I want you to just think for a second about what you said. Picture this, I'm growing a whole field of Marijuana outside in the sun. It's harvest day. Suddenly the potency of my Cannabis drops because I didn't harvest in the morning.


Might want to have a look back and see when the post your quoting was actually posted mate lol


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## boedhaspeaks (Aug 26, 2012)

bballin420 said:


> I would definitly say that you should harvest around 6 in the morning. this is ussually the rule with all herbs.
> 
> good luck


 Only reason that i leave my bed at that time will be a fire or a free bag of money.


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## iNFID3L (Aug 26, 2012)

collectselltrade said:


> ok so here is one i have not seen a definate answer, best to harvest day or night, my thought i want to chop it when the plant is sending all its energy in to the buds, not the roots , also i had a plant and noticed it was seeding, i cut it down after 6 weeks of flower, should i have left it?


pls excuse my utter ignorance, but why not just harvest before the lights come back on ?

we spend months growing and feeding a plant, taking care of it and watching it, making sure we do everything as best we can, only to then stress right at the end, when everything is already done.

i really cant see that it makes a big enough difference, not one that you would ever notice anyway...

say you grew and treated 2 identical plants the exact same way, then chopped one in complete dark.

and the other just after lights off.

can you HONESTLY tell me you would notice a difference ?


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## iNFID3L (Aug 26, 2012)

........................................


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## Ksmooth (Feb 9, 2018)

This is such an old thread, but I urge anyone who is curious to google the Calvin-Benson Cycle of photosynthesis.

can’t post links but there are some great articles out there.

The plant simply does not store “nutrients” in the root system at night it’s kinda funny actually all those reactions happen right there in the leaves. Everything chemically present during the day is still there, but is being used differently. There is zero advantage to harvesting day or night besides possibly environmental conditions or the stabilization of resins, which the plant uses during the day and replenishes at night.. harvesting light or dark will not affect the final outcome noticeably unless maybe your day/night conditions fluctuate to maybe dessert conditions..?

Hope it’s some good learning material if nothing else, for folks looking to get some knowledge based on hard scientific data.


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