# Chop

> Chop is grower slang for harvesting, cutting down plants at the end of flower; "chop day" is harvest day.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/chop.html
- Also written: chop day, chopped, chopping, the chop, harvest day
- Glossary category: Grower slang and culture · Evidence: Myth
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

Chop means harvest: cutting the plant, or its branches, at the end of flowering so drying can begin. "Chop day" is the day it happens.

## In practice

Growers decide when to chop by looking at [trichome heads](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/trichome-heads.md) under a [loupe](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/jewelers-loupe.md). GenetixBay suggests a mix: a few clear, mostly cloudy, some amber; the exact balance is personal preference. Plants are often cut as whole plants or large branches and hung, or broken down for [wet trimming](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/wet-trim.md), depending on whether the grower prefers wet or [dry trim](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dry-trim.md).

Two pre-chop rituals are not recommended here. Pre-harvest [flushing](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/flushing.md) starves the plant during the weeks it is packing on its final weight and resin, and 24-72 hours of darkness before chop has no credible evidence of benefit.

## Myth check

GenetixBay positions: flushing before chop is a *Myth* and actively harmful; [taper nitrogen](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/nitrogen-taper.md) instead and keep feeding the rest. [Darkness before harvest](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/darkness-before-harvest.md) is a *Myth*; the founder has offered a 50-pack of seeds for 20+ years to anyone who finds a sound peer-reviewed study showing a benefit, and nobody has claimed it. See [the flush debate](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/flush-debate.md) and [Mythbusters](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/mythbusters.md).

## Related terms

[Trichome ripeness](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/trichome-ripeness.md), [Wet trim](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/wet-trim.md), [Dry trim](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/dry-trim.md), [Hang dry](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/hang-dry.md), [Flushing](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/flushing.md)

## Read more

- [Trichome ripeness: clear, cloudy, amber, and what the evidence says](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/trichome-ripeness.md)
- [Drying cannabis: the 60/60 method and water activity](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/harvest-cure/drying.md)