Harvesting + Curing/Drying Question

Well I have finally made it to my first harvest...almost!
Can someone confirm my process:

-Chop the girl
-Chop stems into parts
-Hang upside-down in a cardboad box with the top closed
--> in that box poke holes at the sides
Is that it for drying?
When do I manicure - after they are dry?
And the fan leaves I can remove in the beginning right?..before hanging them for drying?
And if I was to take some bud right now ... about 0.5grams -and use a "quick dry" method would I be able to try it? (I know it's not going to be as good as when it's cured for 2-3weeks) but is it okay to use a quick dry method with a bud that's been taken right off the girl?

I will not tell you what to do, but rather tell you my process for harvest.

I wait until they are ready(obviously) and then put them in complete darkness for 48-72 hours. This SHOULD increase THC content. I water them 1 day before lights out and then let them dry out some. I chop branches off 1 by 1 and pull all water leaves off before using my clippers to trim the sugar-leaves. (Keep your trim!) They I hang them in a dark closet or lay them in a cardboard box with a few holes for vent. Then, when the stem snaps instead of bending, trim your buds off and cure, burping once a day for at least 1 month. Enjoy.

Thanks mate!
Seems pretty spot on :)
Another thing... what am I trimming?:wtf::wtf::wtf::wtf:
...Just the leaves right? I mean what about those huge pistils that are sticking out.. trim those off too? or NO?

I use the bud itself as my guide. I use a curved pair of scissors and trim as many sugar-leaves as I can, ignoring the pistils. Pistils are a sex organ of cannabis and do have trichs, but the majority of trichs aren't on the pistils. I still save what I can, but I don't worry when some come off.

Btw, you want the 48-72 hrs dark because that's when the plant produces it's UV defense, THC.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by budlover13

Btw, you want the 48-72 hrs dark because that's when the plant produces it's UV defense, THC.

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:wtf:
This idea of putting your plant(s) into darkness for 48-72 hrs is nonscence and a myth.

Your reasoning is also wrong, the plant does NOT produce THC during the dark only durring the photoperiod!

There is a membrane located at the top of the capitate stalk and between the trichome globe. It is a round globe so that it can catch light (UVb and some blue) from all directions and focus it on that membrane, that is where THC is made.

Please supply me and the rest of the class with a reference to a book, scientific white paper or documented experiment; showing either THC is made in the dark or putting a plant in darkness increases THC.

If you can't, then stop spreading shitty information.
If you can I'll apologize for being wrong.

OM

Quote:

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Originally Posted by oldmac

:wtf:
This idea of putting your plant(s) into darkness for 48-72 hrs is nonscence and a myth.

Your reasoning is also wrong, the plant does NOT produce THC during the dark only durring the photoperiod!

There is a membrane located at the top of the capitate stalk and the trichome globe. It is a round globe so that it can catch light (UVb and some blue) from all directions and focus it on that membrane, that is where THC is made.

Please supply me and the rest of the class with a reference to a book, scientific white paper or documented experiment; showing either THC is made in the dark or putting a plant in darkness increases THC.

If you can't, then stop spreading shitty information.
If you can I'll apologize for being wrong.

OM

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Sorry OM. I have read it too many times and should have prefaced the comment with "It is my understanding...". You are far superior than me in your cannabis knowledge and I urge poker2 to listen to your advice. What would YOU suggest as a "chop routine"? Again, mea culpa.

Hey budlover13,

Thankyou for the apology and I accept it.:thumbsup: I realized that you are not the soucre of this, but it has recently become a pet peeve of mine. Many myths get passed around that have no foundation in real facts and it is troublesome.

When talking about anything that deals with growing of mmj there are two variables that always need to be remembered; 1) the strain that is being grown and 2) the method used to grow. What might be good for one person's grow might not be ideal for another.

With that said, the most important part of harvest/dry/cure starts a week or so before harvest. The need to flush out the nutrients in the grow media and the nutrients stored in the plant, especially nitrogen. A serious flush with proper PHed water with a little cal/mag OR moleasses (mole-asses contain calcium and magnesium). Then a day or two before harvest let the grow media dry out, forcing the plant to use up any stored water/nutrient that may remain.

Harvest day chop them down. I have found it easier to do a quick trim of all large leaves and some of the bud leaves while the plant is fresh. Hang to dry, we all usually hang them upside down, it's the easiest. Drying them bud up is actually better but I haven't figured out how to do that (actually I have but it's an un-needed extra step). When dry enough for branches to almost snap start your final trim, cut off buds and place in a glass jar. Open the jars at least once a day (burp them) untill they reach correct dryness, then seal and store. The time it takes to do all this is very dependent on the relative humidity of your drying area. Very humid areas may need heat or ac to keep humidity down and not prolong the drying process too much.

That's it in general terms, but even that varies a bit for some grow methods, such as media-less growers.

OM :jointsmile:

Thanks for the advice OM! And happy harvest poker2!

OM, Great, I am sick of the old wives tales too, like hanging the buds upside down. That is a convenience thing. You are on a roll today!

Usually I harvest and trim all the buds off, I might take the top main cola and dry it...hanging upside down because that is the easiest way to support it without damaging any trichomes. So I use wire baskets and put the buds in a single layer. In my humidity it takes a week to turn color, another week to get dry, another week in a jar to cure, maybe 2.

Thanks everyone for the help!

Hey WW, some days I'm just more lucid, and those days seem to be fewer and farther between.

The best method for top side up drying is to get a slab of floralfoam. This is the light weight rigid foam florist's use for flower arrangements. Cut a bud and stick it in the foam. Even tho I used the method for awhile it requires shelf space of some sorts. I went back to just makeing string "clothes lines" and hanging upside down.

Yo poker2, good luck on your harvest, it's one of the fun jobs to do.:thumbsup:

OM