Cooler temperatures and changing leaves. For most, this signals the start of fall. For the cannabis industry this signals the start of something completely different – harvest season, more popularly known as Croptober. The fall harvest is the most exciting (and stressful) time of the year for outdoor cannabis cultivators.
While the stress of Croptober is certainly more manageable with software made specifically for cannabis cultivation, we put together a quick checklist of sorts to help you stay compliant and prioritize your harvest whether you have seed-to-sale software or not.
Ensure your cannabis cultivation is secure
Theft happens, particularly if it is obvious or noticeable that you are growing cannabis. Licensed outdoor cultivators need to place greater emphasis on security for both safety and compliance reasons. Fencing, motion sensor lights, and security cameras are a nice start, but many in the industry have moved to even more aggressive methods such as onsite security teams.
Have weather-related contingency plans
Outdoor cultivations have been major victims of unexpected frosts or severe weather. Having contingency plans for these scenarios is critical. For example, you may want to prepare storm protection measures and/or alternate locations with added protection or heat. Also, it’s important to remember, all location changes must be reported to state track-and-trace systems.
Decide the best time to harvest your cannabis crop
Factors like weather, strain dominance, and sunlight all play a role in the proper time to harvest. For cultivators throughout the United States, this is typically between late September to early November, with October being ideal (hence the nickname “Croptober”). Having predictive analytics within your cannabis seed-to-sale software is ultimately the best tool in determining the optimal time to harvest your crop.
Secure purchase orders well ahead of harvest
Time is of the essence. Ensuring vendor relationships and contracts are set up well ahead of the harvest is a critical step to maximizing revenue. With the market flooded with competitor products, getting good deals for your product late in the season can be nearly impossible.
Prepare and stock all harvesting resources
Running out of crucial materials like trimming shears or storage containers is an avoidable mistake that can be costly given the time crunch during Croptober. Don’t forget about things like labels, ink, and packaging, and ensure you have enough of all your supplies to get you through the end of harvest.
Have a manageable daily harvest plan
With so much to do and so little time during Croptober, being strategic and having a manageable daily plan in advance can help minimize stress while ensuring success. Have a daily schedule of what needs to be done and by whom. Make sure you are conservative with your estimates and give time for unanticipated delays relating to factors like weather, compliance or distribution.
Record all nutrients and pesticides used on your plants
Consumers, and just as importantly, regulatory agencies want to know everything used in association with your cannabis product. In terms of compliance, you must be 100 percent accurate with your recording, or you will be non-compliant and could be cited with a major fine or risk losing your license.
Ensure plants report in appropriate phases/locations
Having accurate inventory counts is another tedious but critical task. Reconciling inventory in specific locations across your operation daily is the best measure to avoid compliance issues related to inaccurate inventory counts. This is another violation many states take seriously.
Flush plants with pure water containing no nutrients
At about five to six weeks into flowering, start flushing the plants with pure water that does not contain nutrients. This will ensure that extra nutrients left in the roots at the time of harvest do not corrupt the natural terpenes and cannabinoids that contribute to smell, taste, and coarseness of draw.
Prune mid-tier fan leaves
Fan leaves towards the middle-upper tier of the plant often block light from reaching calyxes not located in the colas. Pruning these fan leaves will allow light to reach these larf buds, giving them the ability to grow larger.
Check trichomes for burgundy-amber color
Trichomes initially appear white and then slowly start to yellow and darken as the flowering stage progresses. When the trichomes in the colas darken to a burgundy-amber level, it’s usually a good time to harvest the colas and start curing them.
Harvest colas and let larf mature
When harvesting the colas, only harvest the top tier of the plant and allow the larf calyxes to grow for another week or two with better access to sunlight. While this is not necessary for large-scale operations, this can help smaller operations with a higher yield and a less burdensome trimming timeslot.
Prepare your room for proper curing
Measure your space and double-check it is adequate for the number of plants you are harvesting. Sterilize your curing room. Correctly clean and maintain HVAC systems. In addition, maintain humidity around 40 percent and temperature around 65 degrees.
Send samples of your fully cured product to the testing lab
After curing, send samples of your product to a testing lab. Otherwise you risk testing results that are inaccurate for the fully cured product. This can be a compliance violation, as well as a misrepresentation of your product quality.
Decide on trim methods and execute
Given the large quantity of flower, outdoor cultivators can choose to boost their trimming capacity with the addition of an externally hired trim team or machine trimmers. Hand-trimmed products sell for more money but take longer to get to distribution. Weigh which option works best for your operational goals
Ensure product labels are compliant
Appropriately capture testing results on labels with all other necessary labeling requirements for your jurisdiction. Label violations are one of the most common compliance infractions and are completely avoidable.
Package your product and transfer
Basic inventory management practices are adequate to get your products ready. However, double-checking labels and packaging for compliance before the transfer is initiated will save headaches in the long run.
Evaluate the outcome of harvest and note findings
Reviewing flowering times, cost of goods sold, yield, and profits can all be useful starting blocks for evaluating your Croptober. As a result, you will better understand what went right and what your group can improve upon for next fall.
Following this checklist can help you manage the steps you need to take for you to have a successful Croptober this harvest season. Want an easier way to manage your Croptober? Download our Croptober Guide today.
