H.A.F. growing stink-flowers in dirt with QB's

Pretty plant I wonder what the thought is on harvesting at lights on? seems odd...

icetech said:

Pretty plant I wonder what the thought is on harvesting at lights on? seems odd...

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Thanks!

Something to do with how the plant acts day vs night. After the dark period it is supposed to be more resinous. After a day in the light photosynthesizing and cycling nutrients, it is supposedly less potent.

Some people even put it in the dark for a few days before harvest. Since I don't have room for that, I figure right before lights on is close as I'll get. It's also best to look at the trichs in regular light instead of the high powered stuff.

icetech said:

Pretty plant I wonder what the thought is on harvesting at lights on? seems odd...

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I did some more looking, and while it seems most of the links are to posts like this and not articles on a weed website, I don't see anything adverse about it, and a few better explanations.

The dark makes it think it is about to die, so it produces whatever extra trich's it can in one last ditch effort to catch pollen - which is their only job.

Also says that it takes 3 days to see the results. Hmmmm

One post said that it also prevents the UVB degradation of the THC already present as it produces more, and makes for a smoother smoke because it clears out some of the chlorophyll.

One said - quite simply - that especially for people that tend to harvest too early, it gives them an extra 3 days of ripening before harvest - whether or not any of the above stuff is scientific or not

After re-reading stuff, and because I am in-between on harvesting, I think it's perfect so thanks for asking! I have my drying closet which is usually too small to stick a whole plant in, but I think these will fit!

Plan ZZ9 Plural Z A - Any time before 7pm I can get a few cups of water ready for each so they don't just spend 3 days dying instead of ripening, but My ventilation is mainly for removing humidity, not a real exhaust, so I don't want to soak it. Need to rig something for them to sit on, and add a fan. They go in the wardrobe, and free up space for the others to get better light and more air. Win Win.

icetech said:

Pretty plant I wonder what the thought is on harvesting at lights on? seems odd...

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See what you did!!! LOL

H.A.F. said:

See what you did!!! LOL
View attachment 4345411

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that's a sweet set up.

Oldschooldude said:

that's a sweet set up.

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Thanks. It's just a small electronics fan under the black dishpan. Like for a computer server or stereo cabinet. Bad angle but the PVC is just a rack with curtain hooks on it.

What this also means is that I have room to dry the plants whole if I want... Hmmmmmm

I've listened to some argue that you get rid of more chlorophyll that way. Thoughts?

Oldschooldude said:

I've listened to some argue that you get rid of more chlorophyll that way. Thoughts?

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I've been reading through the internet (I think I finally found the last of the weed stuff) and that is true---ish. I was searching about drying plants whole and the generals consensus is "some do" LOL no further info. Big fan leaves are bad, cut them away... shit like that. What I did find is that slow drying gives the plant time to naturally evacuate chlorophyll and other junk during the drying process - which is why we don't toss our flowers in a dehydrator So having the plant whole will slow the drying process - which would then get rid of chlorophyll. That said, manicuring a plant whole would be a cast-iron bitch. Better to control the drying environment (65-75F, 45%-55%rH) and the plant will dry at a normal speed based on it's density.

Also from what I've read, both blogs and articles from good sources, is that the darkness period main benefit has nothing to do with it producing more trichomes. Whether it would naturally - or because of the dark - who cares, any new trichomes wouldn't be ripe or have a noticeable THC content anyway. But it is scientific fact that light degrades THC. So any trichomes that RIPEN during those last days - when I have photographic evidence of that ripening - will not be blasted with the best light that my money can buy for 3 days but will ripen in darkness. This part makes a lot of sense,

So here's the new set-up

My proud mother

Because none of her babies dies immediately . I read different things on the monster-clones, and the vaguest info is about pruning the tops and lower flowers. some say remove them, some say remove some but not all, nothing scientific. Last attempt, the sprouts didn't break through the pistils like I had imagined happening so I leaned towards that version, but left 2 tops on.

And I left water in the bottom for the first day just to see if that helps with initial rooting. It's gone now.

Today was a 'burp' day for the monster skunk. It smells beautiful, kind of fruity and cheesy, but that changes with age.
I could not resist pulling some out to play with, and it is goooood smoke. I was doing stuff between bong-hits, and I think there is still a little left in the single bowl I packed . the other thing I did was put about 4g in the Nova to decarb. Supposed to be raining this afternoon so I'll go into jello mode if needed to test it out I'll get some pics when it's done. I figured the cure probably won't have as much to do with de-carbed potency, just different terp profiles - if you would even notice that in baked weed.

I also re-read about my NL plant to find the flower time, and noticed that it is actually a medium level CBD - up to 5%. I also read that as the THC degrades in late flower (ambers) the CBD content rises. So at least one NL clone (if they survive) will be to try that - and I may take some regular clones when it is back in veg - THAT should be interesting. A veg clone from a flower clone from a seed. Might have to get some of that tiresas mist to make some fem seeds

The decarb looks amazing. Lost .5g
Testing the first of a plant is touchy, since the THC content (or apparent content) is unknown. Today I'm just gonna try it and watch Band of Brothers. But tomorrow I'll hold off on the morning smoke and give it a real test. Usually start with .25g

You can actually see that it was beneficial to leave lots of sugar leaf on if it's packed.

36 hours dark, and I see no ill effects other than what was already there. The prettier one is in the back. The pots are still moist, and the white pistils looks to have all tightened up against the buds.

Humidity is too high for drying, (62) but that's because the wet pots are in there. With no lights the temps have been in the 68/69F range. Definitely fall weather (at night)

So, philosophy time for anyone getting started, based on how I did it and what I would do differently. The decarbed weed is making me feel generous LOL

If you don't have extra money for it, your weed will suffer. You need good equipment.
No one has extra money... That said, you can grow weed under CFL's and mom's oscillating fan...

If I could do it again I would get the cheapest all-in-one tent set-up to get started. Everything will pretty much suck, but it will all work as advertised and you can practice while you save money for good replacement equipment.

Decide how you want to grow before you start.

• Lighting (LED, QB, CMH, etc.) and stick with it. Changing is expensive.
• Medium (Soil, coco, DWC, etc.) and stick with it. Changing is expensive - and it blows whatever learning curve you had with the previous medium.
• Nutes - Get a good brand and stick with it. Changing is expensive.

Buy good seeds. Buy fem seeds. These are your future smoke. Don't take a chance on males at first. Later you may want some.

Last, for lights and ventilation, don't gradually upgrade. Save up for what you want, or eat ramen and buy it now. I have a 300w and a 600/1200w blurple that I can pull out in case of emergency... I would only use them until my replacement showed up.

After you get a stash, then spend what you would have spent on weed on upgrades.

The Skycrawler OG won't get much attention here until there are flowers... Here's what I did with the Bruce Banner since I didn't take the time to do the full manifold. I just left all the sprouts I would have pruned - for now.
The problem is that if they don't start stretching they will need thinning out.

That is the dilemma I run into. Remove shading fan leaves (not making any more), remove some sprouts, or just let it go?

Here's the Dyna-gro skunk plant after 2 days dark. So far, so good. Nice colors.

I think that when possible I'll keep doing this. What is surprising me is that the leaves aren't drooping. On the other plant it might just be because they are crispy but not on this one. I may have guessed right on just wetting them beforehand. Harvest was to be tomorrow at 7am-ish, but I may do the GenHydro plant tomorrow and let this one go another day or so.

Harvested the first contest skunk. 245g, 8.75oz wet

Should dry to about 50g, 1.75oz - from a 2 gallon pot. The Dyna-gro plant (tomorrow or next day) looks like it will have a little less weight, but will be the loudest of the bunch unless the 2 fox farms plants brighten up. They should each have more weight than this one though, one by a little, one by a lot.

2 harvests in 2 days. This one was 210g wet.
455g - 1.25lbs. from 2 plants that didn't fatten, and got the crap beat out of them. This one looks(looked) the best leaf-wise of them all, and ended up almost pretty. All the yellow showed up in the last 4 days with no light.

Should be 42g dry, or about 90g between the two. This one is more compact and dense, but had a few smaller tops than the other one.

Well, the last of my ugly contest plants got harvested today.

Much prettier trimmed

89 days total - should be over 7oz dry.
36.4oz wet or 2 1/4 lbs
Could have been a lot better, but it could have been a lot worse. After the last sugar leaves dry I'll get a final weight on the keif, but it's about 7g so far from 3 little plants with no leaves

Here's how I tracked the harvest, each weight is for one limb except the little ones close to the top where I left 2 opposing ones together. The 4 tops will easily end up over an ounce.

nice job.