Pre-harvest rituals

[camelstraights]

I've heard of turning off the lights for 2 days before you chop, but was thinking about leaving them on for two days straight. Wouldn't the trichomes like the light more than the dark?

Also know not to water for a few days before chopping so the roots get oxygenated.

Was just wondering if anyone has some more tips or things to keep in mind a few days before harvest?

 

[Guest]

I like to water a night before chopping to totally saturate the plant then when you pick it you'll find it takes longer to dry and the slower the better I believe.

 

[Socrates]

Leaving the lights on for two days straight would probably not be that great for the plant; if you're just going to kill it it might not matter so much, but it would certainly stress it and perhaps make it start to try and reveg / herm. Don't see the point.

 

[Mr. Nevermind]

7 days before chop , water the shit out of them. Then they will dry out in 2-4 days . Once soil is dry but them in a dark room for 2-3 days. After that chop them. I have done this for 2 years now. also when flushing , a good way to tell if you flushed well is snip off a leave and taste the water in the stem of leaf. If its still bitter you need to flush more. If it tastes like water you got yourself some clean tasting herb, hope that helps










Nevermind

 

[Suby]

There is no benefit to fucking with the plants life cycle, before harvesting a plant either has trichomes that are developed or not, 48 of light or dark will not change that.

There should be no stress at all, that's what your shooting for, a constant environment right to the very end and forget all the hype and bullshit.

The only thing I support (as mentioned quite intelligently by Skeletor) is that a plant should not be dried out before harvesting, it should be watered 2-3 days before so as to make sure the plant is well watered and turgid with fluids to get a nice slow drying process going which creates a smooth smoke.

Sub's

 

[kushedout]

There is no benefit to fucking with the plants life cycle, before harvesting a plant either has trichomes that are developed or not, 48 of light or dark will not change that.

There should be no stress at all, that's what your shooting for, a constant environment right to the very end and forget all the hype and bullshit.

The only thing I support (as mentioned quite intelligently by Skeletor) is that a plant should not be dried out before harvesting, it should be watered 2-3 days before so as to make sure the plant is well watered and turgid with fluids to get a nice slow drying process going which creates a smooth smoke.

Sub's

Very well put. I'de have to disagree with the watering part though. Watering a good 7 days or more before the chop will get all the water out of the plant, make drying easier, and be less risk for mold. Just my 2 cents

 

[Suby]

See I have the reverse problem in my grow area, RH is like 20% even during my grow which dries my girls out in 2 days which is too fast, I like a 10 day drying periode.

It does bring out a good point, water or not you can leverage your amount of drying days for your given conditions using the last watering as a factor.

Sub's

 

[camelstraights]

So I should leave the lights on for only 12 hours?
It's going to get chopped tomorrow.

 

[Maj.PotHead]

There is no benefit to fucking with the plants life cycle, before harvesting a plant either has trichomes that are developed or not, 48 of light or dark will not change that.


very true but during darkness the plants nutrients stored up in the plant move into the root system, when lights come back on the nutrients move back into the plant as needed. now wouldnt leaving the plant in darkness 48hrs before chop insure all nutrients are in the root's ??

because thats how im doing it lol saturday is day 50 for my crop i'll normal water them and then no more, i'll run the lighting untill monday-tuesday then darkness and chop wensday-thursday .

Mr_Nevermind dig the explaination on a proper flush

 

[camelstraights]

okay. thanks Maj. It looks like you know what you're doing, so I'll take the advice.

 

[Maj.PotHead]

okay. thanks Maj. It looks like you know what you're doing, so I'll take the advice.

thx here to help and learn myself
have you checked the conditation of the trichromes ???



tis the only sure fire way to know when to harvest not by the 60/40%
-70/30% red hair count .

i use this to inspect trics for maturity http://www.radioshack.com/search/in...ated microscope&origkw=illuminated microscope i use the 7.99 unit to inspect a bud for harvest take the very tip of a trichrome covered leaf that protrudes from bud in question. take a snipit from top middel and bottom of bud, place these sampels on a white card or paper for inspection. now a whole new world opens up lol land of the trichromes

 

[Suby]

MPH

Leaving a plant in darkness does not cause nutrients to flow back to the rootzone, plants have nutrient sinks (fan leaves) and elements can move from a sink to a somewhere needed by the plant but that's it, no nutrients can flow back out towards the rootzone.
If you have info otherwise I'd love to read it.

S

 

[camelstraights]

I could have got a 60x for less than $10 and I spent $20 on a 30x loupe?
Damn.

 

[Maj.PotHead]

MPH

Leaving a plant in darkness does not cause nutrients to flow back to the rootzone, plants have nutrient sinks (fan leaves) and elements can move from a sink to a somewhere needed by the plant but that's it, no nutrients can flow back out towards the rootzone.
If you have info otherwise I'd love to read it.

S

Carbohydrates are very important to plant processes. They are the driving energy force of plants. After producing carbohydrates, a plant uses them as energy, stores them, or builds them into complex energy compounds such as oils and proteins. All of these food products are called photosynthates. The plant uses them when light is limited, or transports them to its roots or

developing fruits

taken from http://www.progressivegardens.com/growers_guide/plantnut.html

 

[slyfoxberg]

lol, when i first saw this thread i thought it was about rituals liek the ones that baseball players do, like always eating a certain food before a game/harvest or only harvest on nights with a full moon or always wearing a lucky harvest shirt ro something like that. lots of good ideas and info here.

 

[Suby]

Great link, it has alot of good info.
I very much doubt that leaving a plant in total darkness will draw any stored elements from a sink like the buds and meristem which is what we smoke, it could draw it from a source like the fan leaves.
What will have the most impact on flavor and the development of flavor will be the curing process where chlorophly is broken down and sugars turn to starches.
Removing nutrients from a plant is hard when it comes to immobile elements within the plant tissue, the secret is not to over OR underfeed.

@ SF

There is something to the whole picking at full moon thing, it's weird but it has some good theories behing it, Google Biodynamic Organics.

Peace

 

[Where'sMyBud?]

Hey, isn't THC light degradable? Is that only after the chop though?

I flush my plants for at least 2 weeks, sometimes the last 4 weeks of flower. I use Botanicare's SWEET all the way through the second to last week of lowering though.

I let the soil dry out completely during the last few days to have the plants use up all the remaining nutes both in the soil and in themselves - yields a much better smoke for me, at least.

I would not leave the lights in for 48hrs prior to harvest, you might jsut see a bannana pop up even after the chop! I've had male flowers appear on buds after harvest, not sure why - no light leaks, humidity same as grow room, etc.

 

[camelstraights]

thanx wheresmybud, but I chopped yesterday after 36 hours of no light around 70 degrees F.
Still got some hermie blueberrys though...

 

[the cult]

id be careful cutting down on nutrients too much last weeks of plants life, the extra grow you notice when the plant is completing bloom wont happen unless the plant has a good set of nutrients to absorb, in my experience.
personally ill run PK13/14 and bloom nutrients almost til the very end leaving time only for 1 or 2 flush.
the reason i flush is simply to force the plant to reduce its N intake the last days, which will result in less chlorophyll and a less harsh smoke. this time around im not even gonna cut down on PK13/14, only reducing the bloom nutrients.

 

[LEGI0N]

I cover myslef in 'fresh' goats blood and do a little dance in the light of a full moon... My plants come out nice..