What is Cannabis Croptober?

Summer in the U.S. has officially come to an end. As the swim trunks and summer gear gets packed away in the closet for another year, out comes the hoodies, NFL jerseys and stylish boots. As the dog days of summer fade away along with the sweltering heat, it's replaced by a crisp bite in the air and the familiar crunch of fried leaves on the sidewalk when you step outside. Plain and simply put, fall is upon us and that means it's time to highlight another often overlooked cannabis-related seasonal holiday. This time around, it's Croptoberfest!

Thankfully, we here at Where's Weed are here to break down exactly what this holiday is, why it's so important to cultivators, dispensaries and customers alike, and how to properly take advantage as a cannabis consumer during this ever-so-important time of the year. Let's get right into it, shall we? 

What Exactly is Croptoberfest? 

While the name of this holiday could be a bit decisive at first glance, it's actually more descriptive of a time of year rather than a particular date. 

Unlike 4/20 and 7/10, Croptoberfest takes up a much larger portion of the cannabis harvest calendar. For cannabis cultivators that are committed to growing their cannabis with the natural power of the sun instead of synthetic grow lights, this time of year is a simple reminder of when to harvest outdoor marijuana plants. 

Cultivators should think of this time of year like nature's oven timer for their outdoor marijuana harvest. After a summer of baking in the plentiful, warm sun, now it's time to literally reap what you've sown. And with the recent rise in consumer demand for naturally-grown outdoor cannabis or sun-grown cannabis for short, it's more important than ever for cultivators and even home growers to know exactly when is harvest season for their much-loved plants. 

After all, the best time to harvest your cannabis is when it's at its best, right? Just like with other plants, cannabis plants absolutely change in appearance when they're ready to be harvested. That color change and full expression of its most natural and mature state mean better cannabis nationwide and we're everywhere. In short, cannabis that's processed and sold during this period is always what's best for the consumer, the dispensary selling the product, and, of course, the grower selling and crafting the cannabis product itself. Good product means happy consumers. Happy consumers mean more dollars spent on the product, which means happy dispensaries. 

How Does Croptoberfest Benefit the Consumer?

Believe it or not, Croptoberfest is beneficial for nearly every aspect of the supply chain when it comes to cannabis. 

On the consumer side, for example, better quality, sun-grown cannabis is pretty much the best stuff you could get. Especially when compared to cannabis plants that grow under grow lights in non-natural settings, it's clear that the sun-grown stuff stands out. 

They don't make a big announcement out of it, but you'll likely be able to get your hands on some of the best naturally sun-grown cannabis at your local dispensary sometime in late November/early December. Having the chance to buy the best quality weed might not seem like a massive deal, but you'll understand once you see and feel the difference in the cannabis flower itself, that's for sure.  

How to Tell When to Harvest Outdoor Marijuana 

While this might sound like the weirdest thing you'll ever hear you'll never hear, anyone who enjoys plants can tell you that the plant will show and tell you when they need something. When cannabis plants are ready to be harvested, here are the signs to lookout for:

• Trichomes and leaves on the plant itself changing color. 
• The buds on the plant itself will tighten up a bit, ready to be extracted, dried and used. 
• Milky residue produced by the trichomes

It's important to keep in mind that while these are some general things to look out for, it's also reasonable to assume that every single plant you encounter will be different. One plant might let you know what it needs one way, while another might be shy and you'll have to really seek out the signs.

You'll also need to know if your plant is flowering or not. If you're looking for the best possible nugs in a homegrown situation, you need to keep your male plants very, very far away from your female plants. Your unfertilized female plants are going to produce the buds you're looking for as long as you care for them the right way. 

The Risks of an Outdoor Marijuana Harvest

Of course, like most things, there's got to be some downsides to consumers as well when it comes to sun-grown cannabis vs non-sun-grown. For example, sun-grown cannabis is obviously higher quality but will cost the consumer more on the back end. If you're headed to the dispensary to stock up and get ready for fall, you might want to pull out a few extra dollars to be able to go home with it. 

Other factors to consider are the pest control methods of the grower, how well the cultivator waters and irrigates their plants, and how big their yield is. If you're looking for small-batch cannabis strains and products, you'd be smart to stay away from massive grow operations and big cultivators. 

The Bottom Line

At the end of the day, Croptoberfest is a great time for cultivators to get to cash in on their crops, dispensaries get massive shipments of top-notch cannabis products for great prices, and the consumer is looking for deals when it comes to cannabis. 

Whatever you do and however you choose to celebrate Croptober, there are deals to be had for everyone on every part of the legal cannabis supply chain! 

Do you grow your cannabis outdoors and are excited for Croptober? Share with us your experiences in the comments below!