>>KANNA HARVESTING PRACTICES

Kanna Harvesting Practices – Sceletium tortuosum

An educational guide to harvest timing, harvesting methods, and preparation of Kanna.

Introduction

Kanna (Sceletium tortuosum) is a perennial succulent that can be harvested by taking portions of the above-ground growth or by harvesting the entire plant, roots and all. Established plants can be maintained and selectively harvested over multiple growing seasons before ultimately being uprooted and processed as a whole.

After harvesting, the fresh plant material is cleaned, crushed, and allowed time to undergo enzymatic and/or fermentation changes before being dried. The sections below cover harvest timing, harvesting methods, and preparation in greater detail.

When to Harvest Kanna

For judging when to harvest Sceletium tortuosum, the natural seasonal cycle provides the most useful reference. During mild weather, Kanna puts on substantial amounts of rapid growth that creeps along the ground, often increasing the internodal spacing between leaf sets as it gets closer to the flowering and fruiting stage during the hotter months. After Kanna has set fruit in the summer, it goes into a short period of dormancy, then resumes growth once conditions are mild again.

A seasonal study of wild plants followed changes in mesembrine-type alkaloids throughout the year and found that several of the measured alkaloids showed their greatest accumulation during summer. For this reason, late spring through early summer provides a useful general harvest window. 

 It should be noted that even though this timing sinks up with the plants reproductive phase, it is not clear whether the plant's natural growth cycle is responsible for the increase in alkaloid levels or if it is due to the growing conditions that the hotter months bring. It is however a good indicator that its time to harvest. 

How to Harvest Kanna

All parts of Sceletium tortuosum contain mesembrine-type alkaloids, but the relative composition can vary between different parts of the plant. Research has shown that above-ground material generally contains higher amounts of mesembrine, while roots generally contain higher amounts of mesembrenone and Δ7-mesembrenone. These differences are relative and can vary between individual plants and growing conditions.

Harvesting the Above-Ground Growth

Because Sceletium tortuosum is a perennial, a healthy, established plant can be maintained for multiple growing seasons.

Once an established plant is ready to harvest, clean, sharp shears or scissors can be used to remove portions of the upper stems.

Leave a portion of the older basal growth near the crown of the plant intact, preferably with some non-flowering leaves present. This allows the remaining plant to continue producing new growth after the harvest. Please note that taking too much off can stress the plant excessively and kill it. 

Harvesting the Entire Plant

While selective above-ground harvesting, as described above, allows an established plant to continue growing for future harvests, a whole-plant harvest removes it from cultivation. A grower may therefore choose to maintain an established plant and harvest its upper growth over multiple growing seasons before eventually harvesting the entire plant.

To harvest the entire plant, the roots are carefully dug up to collect as much of the root mass as possible. The roots can be processed along with or separately from the upper growth if desired.

Keep Harvesting Tools and Plant Material Clean

Clean, sharp cutting tools are preferable when harvesting. They make clean cuts through the stems and reduce unnecessary crushing or tearing of the remaining plant.

After harvesting, inspect the material and remove soil, dead material, insects, or other visible debris. If necessary, the fresh material can be rinsed and allowed to drain before further processing.

Preparing Fresh Kanna

Once the plant has been harvested and cleaned, the fresh material can be crushed or bruised before drying. Crushing breaks the plant tissue apart and brings cellular contents into contact with one another, allowing chemical and enzymatic changes to occur.

There are two general approaches to preparing the harvested material: the traditional fermentation process and a simpler non-fermented approach in which the material is crushed or bruised and then dried.

Traditional Fermentation

Traditional preparation involves crushing or bruising the fresh plant material and allowing it to undergo a period of fermentation before drying. Historical descriptions of the process involve placing the crushed material in a container or bag, allowing it to remain for several days, periodically mixing the material, and then continuing the process before the material is removed and dried.

The fermentation process is not simply a matter of allowing the plant to sit for a predetermined amount of time. Microbial activity and chemical changes develop during the process. A 2024 study monitoring natural fermentation found that significant changes in the alkaloid profile began after approximately five days and identified changes in the plant's microbial community during the process.

Earlier research also documented changes in alkaloid composition during fermentation. In one controlled study, mesembrine decreased while Δ7-mesembrenone increased during the fermentation period. The study found that the changes developed over several days rather than occurring immediately after the plant was crushed.

For a traditional-style fermentation, the general sequence is therefore:

1. Harvest the desired plant material and remove visible soil and debris.
2. Crush or bruise the fresh material thoroughly to break down the plant tissue.
3. Place the crushed material into a suitable container or bag and allow it to undergo fermentation.
4. Periodically mix or redistribute the material during the fermentation period.
5. After the fermentation period, spread the material out for drying.
6. Allow the material to dry thoroughly before storage.

The literature describes fermentation periods lasting several days, but there is no single universally established fermentation time that produces the same chemical composition in every batch. Differences in plant material, environmental conditions, microbial activity, and processing can affect the result.

Non-Fermented Preparation: Crushing, Processing & Drying

A simpler approach is to crush or bruise the fresh plant material and then dry it without carrying out a prolonged fermentation.

Crushing is important because it disrupts the plant's cellular structure and allows enzymes and other cellular components to interact. Research on Sceletium tortuosum has shown that chemical changes can occur as a result of crushing and bruising, meaning that the changes associated with traditional preparation are not necessarily dependent on prolonged fermentation alone.

There is no scientifically established waiting period for this non-fermented method. Research has demonstrated chemical changes associated with crushing itself, but it does not establish a universal amount of time that the crushed material should be left before drying. For this reason, a specific period such as 24 hours should not be treated as a scientifically established requirement.

For a simple non-fermented preparation, the general sequence is:

1. Harvest the desired plant material and remove visible soil and debris.
2. Rinse the material if necessary and allow excess water to drain away.
3. Crush or bruise the fresh material thoroughly to disrupt the plant tissue.
4. Allow the crushed material to undergo the initial chemical changes associated with tissue disruption.
5. Spread the material out in a thin, even layer so that moisture can escape.
6. Dry the material thoroughly before storage.

The material should be completely dry before being stored. Thorough drying helps prevent retained moisture from causing deterioration during storage.

This non-fermented approach is different from traditional fermentation because it does not intentionally maintain the plant material through a prolonged microbial fermentation period. The resulting chemical profile may therefore differ from traditionally fermented material.

Drying and Storage

Regardless of which preparation method is used, the final step is thorough drying. The processed plant material should be spread out so that air can circulate around it and moisture can escape evenly.

The material should remain in the drying process until it is thoroughly dry rather than simply surface-dry. Once completely dry, it can be placed into a clean, dry container and stored in a cool, dry location protected from excess moisture.

Conclusion

Harvesting Sceletium tortuosum involves several considerations, including the season, the maturity of the plant, which portions are harvested, and how the fresh material is processed afterward.

For outdoor-grown plants, late spring through summer provides a useful general harvest period, with seasonal research showing the greatest accumulation of several measured mesembrine-type alkaloids during summer. This period overlaps with the plant's reproductive cycle, but flowering or fruiting itself has not been established as the cause of increased alkaloid accumulation. For indoor-grown plants, allowing the plant to become mature and well established provides a practical starting point, while flowering can be used as a developmental reference rather than proof of peak alkaloid concentration.

The above-ground growth can be harvested selectively by cutting portions of the upper stems while leaving healthy basal growth intact. This allows an established perennial to remain in cultivation for future harvests. Alternatively, the entire plant can eventually be harvested, including the roots.

The different parts of the plant do not have identical alkaloid profiles. Research indicates that above-ground material generally contains higher amounts of mesembrine, while roots generally contain higher amounts of mesembrenone and Δ7-mesembrenone. These differences are not fixed, however, and individual plants, seasons, growing conditions, and processing can all affect the resulting chemical composition.

After harvesting, the fresh material should be cleaned and then crushed or bruised before drying. Traditional preparation involves a longer fermentation period in which the crushed material undergoes microbial and chemical changes before being dried. A non-fermented approach can instead rely on crushing or bruising the fresh material, allowing the initial tissue-related chemical changes to occur, and then drying it without a prolonged fermentation period.