DESPERATE FOR HELP!!! bad tasting weed

NewGrowth said:

Everytime I've used ocean forest it's been so hot I only feed once or not at all. The bud has to be 'ripe' as well, not allowing it to finish will result in harsh bud everytime. Try waiting longer to harvest you will notice a change in smell and color when it's done.


Ps- stuff takes longer to finish in soil, an 8week strain will take at least 10 weeks.

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If what you are saying is true, this may be a big factor. I have always been a little rushed with chopping them, been doing it at 8 weeks every time. I bet the imperfect growing conditions and my screw ups probably slow the maturation process even more. I will be like more patient next time, like a weed growing yoda. I was wondering, are trichomes without heads a sign of imaturity? I ask because my buds look coated in frosting, especially the one blue widow which was just chopped this week. But on close examination, its probably 60 to 70 percent trichomes without heads....like little spikes. Even before I mess with them, so they aren't falling off. They just aren't there....can't seem to find much literature on the subject. Thanks for the help dude.

You are pulling them way too early... like weeks early... so just let them go longer. invest in a magnifier or jewelers loupe, HTG has one for like $12 that has led lights and two lens one like 30x & the other 50X. Use it leading up to harvest to get more accurate looks at your trics. You should notice a big difference if you give them the extra time.

Also on a side note your drying methods could benefit from some adjusments.. Stop hang drying them in the basement... if your hanging them for that long without them drying enough for jarring then the R/H is way too high... Would not be surprised if your getting mold forming on the bud itself... find somewhere that's on the main floor or above Which, I'm assuming, shouldn't be a problem since your growing in the basement. let them sit out hanging about 48 hours or so & jar them. open the lids for 30-60 mins a few times a day for the first 3 - 6 days, then 5 mins a few times a day for the next week. After that only a few minutes once a day for the next week. At this point you can seal the jars & use as needed!

That was a general guide that should serve you well.You should not have to deviate much from what I wrote but certain things may change those numbers like if hummidity is extremely high in the area you live & not just in your basement. then you may need to hang slightly longer or burp jars for longer each day or for a an over all longer period. good rule of thumb with drying is to remember you can allways take a little more moisture out but putting back Just ain't happening!

GL on your next crop & hope the info serves you well. & stick to soil, Hydro just speeds things up but sacrifices taste & quality IMO! Later

Trichomes need heads, and you need around 10% brown 80% cloudy 10% clear heads (more dark/cloudy indicates they are ready). More brown can also be good.. but ive heard you lose a bit of thc for chb with more brown trichomes. seems you are pulling too early, learn to read trichomes to better understand when to pull.

Just thought I would chime in as this sounds like an area I have a lot of experience in.

I agree with the above post, your drying technique is most likely to blame here and from what you describe I would bet mould is taking its hold on your harvest.

Does the taste get progressively worse the older the weed? Does it taste like Old coffee/ chemicals / dirt / bad perfume / old socks / bad fart or anwywhere in between? Then yes it's mould.

From what I have read and experimented notes in the plants make little difference and there isn't any noticible difference if you flush or don't flush. The two most crucial things for the taste is a dry low humidity powdery Mildew free flowering area and a dry area to dry your harvested buds.

I lost my last two harvests to mould and once you start loosing harvests it always come back. You need to read up and be mould vigilant.

"Nutrients in the bud, nutrients in the bud"...some people are like retarded parrots with no real clue.

You need to be sure you flush the plants good before harvest. Water them whit a good amount of clean water, then wait 30-45 mins for the salts to dissolve then water again whit same amount and let it drain. Then let it eat all the nutes left and dry until harvest day. To get good taste and smell you also need to dry and cure it. Just read up my friend. Also give organic nutrients a shot, organically grown cannabis tastes better.

Smoke Friend said:

You need to be sure you flush the plants good before harvest. Water them whit a good amount of clean water, then wait 30-45 mins for the salts to dissolve then water again whit same amount and let it drain. Then let it eat all the nutes left and dry until harvest day. To get good taste and smell you also need to dry and cure it. Just read up my friend. Also give organic nutrients a shot, organically grown cannabis tastes better.

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*Sqwakk! Sqwakk!*

See above.

So what ever became of this ? I have the same problem. They hang in at tent at 68° and 65% humidity for 10 days... go I to jars to be burped until the humidity inside the jars stays at 65% according to the humidity meter if have inside... no smell/hay smell. Bad taste.. chocked you.. help please...

My theory is that most of the time when you end up with hay smelling weed, it was harvested too early. Yes, I understand it smelled 'potent' throughout the budding period, but if you want the good potent taste of quality cannabis, LET THE PLANT FINISH! On your next grow, test with 2 'identical' clones and let one plant grow an extra 2 - 4 weeks and see if you notice a difference.

Could it possibly be the nutes you're using? FF 6part, so Micro, Grow, Bloom and what are the other three?

From being a super noob one thing I realized was, stop looking at the trich's and understand the stages. Buds forms, pistils form, buds swell, pistils retract (not always). Then pull that scope out. Sounds like some early harvesting may be at play as well.

Are you chopping at 8 weeks from the day you flip your lights? (Because that is most likely early.)

Your trich's should have nice round heads. Milky or Amber or mixed. Not clear. (Personal preference I suppose).

The dry cure process is a completely seperate beast to tame .

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it, but it could just be the plant. Are you growing from seed? I grew out TH Seeds Bubblegum years ago, got two females, 1 produced sweet delicious smoke, the other made me want to gag. It was disgusting. If you grow from seed not every plant is going to be a winner in the taste department.

I only mention this because I grow from seed, and I've had plants that tasted good 1 week after drying with no cure at all, they only got better. And I've had plants that have tasted bad after a perfect dry and long cure.

Just a side note and not really related to smell, but you should stop using calmag around week 5 and switch to a mag-sulphur additive like Sweet.

The sulphur will help with bud development and the mag is still needed.