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."
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.