The month of October is a special time in the cannabis community, especially for those living in the Northwest. Not only are the seasons changing and pumpkin spice everything is making its annual comeback again, it's also the time for northern growers to gather their cannabis crops and reap the sticky rewards — in other words, it's Croptober! There's no time more exciting for a grower than when they can pull and trim the weed they've been working so hard to grow. And, to be honest, this is a pretty exciting time for cannabis consumers as well since all of the shelves at dispensaries should be packed full of freshly harvested bud. So, growers and smokers alike can all rejoice now that Croptober is finally here!
You may be wondering what is Croptober exactly, and how did it get its start? Well, Leafbuyer’s here to answer these questions, and more, in this guide for all things Croptober. All you need to do is kick back, relax, and look forward to this year's Croptober and the cannabis crops that are bound to come with it!
The Cannabis Lifecycle
To understand the significance of Croptober, you should first have a basic understanding of the growing lifecycle of cannabis. After all, Croptober is an event centered around the October cannabis harvest, which commonly falls in early autumn for outdoor grow (particularly in the Northwest).
While the length of a growing cycle varies depending on the type of cannabis plant, the average time from seed to harvest is about 8 months. As such, growers who plan to celebrate Croptober begin the process in early spring with either seeds or clones. Seeds are great for experienced growers or ambitious beginners looking to save a little bit of money. Clones, on the other hand, are a bit more convenient since they give you a head start a young, already somewhat grown cannabis plant that needs less care and has a better chance of surviving.
Over the course of several months and with special care and patience, the weed plants reach maturity and begin blossoming with beautiful, resinous flower. Around the time that October rolls around, the harvest is ready. You can double-check your timing by paying close attention to when the trichomes start getting milky and only a few have started turning to amber — and that's when it's time to get out the trimmers and get your bud curing to perfection! For professional growers, this is also the time when they can start looking forward to selling their products to the masses. From seed to sale, the lifecycle of cannabis is exciting — especially the last bit, when you finally get to enjoy the product!
So, What is Croptober?
Croptober began as a social media reaction to October's influx of impressive cannabis harvest photos. The hashtag #Croptober has stuck around since then and even gained a life of its own! Now, Croptober is more than just a hashtag for high-quality pictures of weed online — it's a celebration in its own right. Other well-known and celebrated events throughout the cannabis community, such as 420, also began as little more than a collection of wacky rumors, and now Croptober is getting its chance to gain some traction as well. For now, though, #Croptober is still best for browsing through all the downright amazing posts made by cannabis growers. You'll see stunning images of purple nugs, huge harvests, and maybe even some local deals on this year's harvest near you!
A more negative aspect of Croptober, though, especially since the introduction of recreational cannabis, is crop theft. Since literal sticky-fingered thieves have figured out when the best time to harvest cannabis is, they've taken to stealing hard-won harvest from growers. While this is obviously a quite lucrative move — to do none of the work and reap all of the rewards — it just isn't ethical. Professional cannabis growers, and even anyone with a personal grow, should be on the lookout for crop theives, just in case. After all, it would suck to put months of time, effort, and care into your plants just to have them snatched as Croptober comes around the corner!
Croptober Deals
For the average marijuana user, though, there's a lot to look forward to in the coming month! With Croptober upon us, it's likely you'll see an influx of cannabis deals online and at your local dispensary. 'Tis the season (for weed), after all! And since it's the time of year when the bud jars are packed to the brim and the growers' hands still sticky with weed, it only makes sense to have a good deal or two during this merry season.
So everyone can now look forward to not only a dramatic increase in quantity, but in quality as well! With exciting and fresh new batches of cannabis coming in from professional growers all over the Northwest, you're bound to find something you like, and it should be nice and fresh for you. Whether it be new strains that tickle your fancy or just some sticky, fresh nugs of your favorite classic strain, it's all there.
So, Happy Croptober and a very stoney holiday season to you!
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