This is a big topic but here is some advice in brief and we recommend that you look up good articles on this topic for details steps to get the most out of your crop and get the timing right for harvest. The most important  indicator for determining if your plant is ready for harvesting is the size of the buds and the appearance of the trichomes. Trichomes are the resinous glands on cannabis buds that contain the plant’s cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds. Trichomes should look milky white with only a few amber ones. If trichomes are still looking clear in appearance then you are too early. Trichome clarity is a sign of how much resin is stored in the gland and that resin is what you want and if there is maximum resin you will see the milky appearance. Clear trichomes means there hasn’t been enough resin production. If the majority of trichomes appear amber then you have waited too long and the buds have over-ripened, which will affect the potency, so you want that harvest sweet spot. Cutting, drying and trimming usually means hanging the heads for around three to seven days, then you can trim excess leaves and stalks.  Be VERY careful handling the heads when cutting and hanging, and later trimming, otherwise you will loosen trichomes which can detach and fall off with rough handling. The final stage is curing when you need to put your heads into glass jars or bags for around 4 to 8 weeks.  In the first two weeks, open the jars and let some air into the container space every 2 to 3 days. This will help remove moisture and balance the atmosphere inside, especially allowing some fresh oxygen into the container, but remember to keep your relative humidity low in the storage area or you might have a mold problem. This freshening of the contained air inside the containers will assist curing and will preserve fragrance and flavor, but also try to keep the airspace to a minimum in the containers – more bud, less air inside. Once your buds cured and ready, you will want to store them for later use and this means making sure that they are not exposed to extremes of heat and temperature changes, excessive moisture (a balanced and low RH environment) and UV light. These environmental issues, if not controlled, will degrade your buds, and don’t forget: excessive moisture in the containers may lead to mold. Good glass storage jars, that do not allow light into the interior, can be used, but try and limit the airspace that is in the jar.  Keep your buds storage containers in a cool, dry storage area and they should remain in great condition for you to use for a long time. We recommend this article for greater detail on the harvesting process:  weedmaps.com