48 - 72 hours of darkness before harvest

[floral]

Sorry should have posted link--been lurking here for ages but only recently started posting and am still getting used to the tools here. Can't edit posts yet. Here is the link to the full article: http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?p=5358121#post5358121 .

 

[supermanlives]

you really think 2 days in the dark is gonna add a significant increase in trichomes. well it dont . sure the plants is still alive and has stored energy and will add some trichomes but not enough to even notice. i only do it to free up space and keep shit moving. there is zero noticable difference from the plant first harvested to the last one in the dark area. absolutely none. zero, nada,nuthin

 

[floral]

I thought the point of the darkness was to deplete starches in the aboveground plant tissues.

 

[12311979]

After reading, it seems everyone who has done a side by side test has decided darkness before harvesting doesn't do a thing.

People who have just always done it, claim they get results...

I've done it too, and there is no difference in trichomes or how the bud tastes or smokes.

 

[12311979]

My plant is covered in trichs and ready to chop today or tomorrow. I doubt putting it in darkness is going to increase resin, those trichomes have been growing a while and changing from clear to cloudy, and some amber. How the hell is darkness going to produce more and change them to cloudy in 1-3 days? It can't, it doesn't do shit.

 

[floral]

There is a thread with scientific data on the matter. Or you could go by gut feelings and unscientific impressions.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

There is a thread with scientific data on the matter. Or you could go by gut feelings and unscientific impressions.

LOL...

Sorry, just had to let that out. There's a ton of speculation on whether or not that information is relevant. There isn't any actual 'scientific data' in that study on cannabis and light deprivation before harvest.

Coming from someone who's ultra sensitive to taste, smell and touch? (I'll go toe to toe with your most 'sensitive' challenger. LOL) There isn't any difference when they're cured. No idea on quick-dried comparisons... who cares, eh?

Stay Safe!

edit: Or you could go with gut feelings and unscientific methods. LOL

 

[frito bandito]

Screw the exteneded dark period stuff - doesn't do anything. I ran that experiement a few years back with 10 clones of White Slut (WWxC99) from a fellow Overgrower.

[...]

Now...

If you wanna do something that really works...try this.

Stop feeding your plants halfway through flower. I use FloraNova series nutes cause they simply kick ass, are one part and balance out my 150ppm tap water's pH real well. I also use SWEET from Botanicare, which dramatically increases yor plants' carbohydrate production. Your plants turn out, well, sweet!

Anyway, at 4 weeks 12/12 for my 8 week strains, I let the soil (Ocean Forest cut with 30% perlite) dry out completely over 4 days or so for 1 gal pots. Then I flush the soil with 2-3gal of tap water. After a few days to dry out again, I begin watering again as normal, minus the nutes - only tap water with Sweet, pH adjusted. Within a week, fan leaves begin to yellow from lack of N in teh soil, but that is good IMO - I get much better tasting buds upon harvest doing this. Plus, I don't need to flush before harvest as no ferts are used after the initial flush at 4 weeks.

LOL

My buds are sticky, stinky and sweet as hell upon smelling them but more importantly upon tasting them!!! They rock in a vaporizer as well as a joint, bubbler or bong. I personally don't like dry pipes but my bud tastes great and isn't rough at al in one...

great!! but....wheres the yield?

You know it's good bud when it all burns to a pure white ash that will fly away in teh air if blown at...not grey or black.

sure...and also, when it doesnt look like a bare twig of a plant that might have yielded an ounce, tops, due to starvation.

ahh, the boastful ignorance of youth...

i'm starting to see how this dude got his nickname...

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[frito bandito]

damn and he hasnt been back since 2011. what in the world will icmag ever do without the wisdom of this prodigy and his "starvation diet" nutrient regimen?

 

[hurdy gurdy man]

So when the flowers are finally done does anyone use this technique that I've heard of.
Apparently it makes the resin sphere's stronger with a better taste or is this just BS...cheers for any input..Stash

Mel Frank, in his "Marijuana Grower's Insider's Guide", discusses some preliminary research at the University of Mississippi (the government pot farm) which suggested a 10% rise in THC levels in buds harvested during their nighttime (page 313).

Frank is doubious of the limited experimental results.

This is most likely were the whole 'darkness period before harvesting thing' came from.



hgm

 

[sweetestsin420]

1

 

[Penguin59]

I agree with what was said above, extra dark hours will do nothing to magically increase trichome levels. Some strains might put out one or two more resin heads with an extended dark period but the difference would be marginal.

The only rule that needs to be followed for harvesting is that growers should harvest during the plant's dark cycle; preferably just before the lights are due to come back on.

 

[sweetestsin420]

1

 

[Adrift]

i usually just harvest after the lights have been out for 12 hours, so right before the lights would normally turn back on, sometimes i let them sit longer in the dark, never more then 24 hours tho usualy

 

[Rotti By Nature]

Great Thread!!!!! Thanks for all the info it really helped me out!!!

 

[Ptone]

Personal first hand experience here. Year or so ago my power get shutoff (moving places) during week 8. Busy and in a hurry moving shit I let the plants sit in the dark for 4-5 days. When I come back those nugs lost all their density because they literally were shocked from there being no light they started to stretch dramatically.

Moral of the story dont let your flowering plants sit in the dark for longer than 12-18 hours. Its not a good idea imo and if anything will affect the density of the bud.

 

[devilgoob]

Ok. I've broken the code. Ya know when lawn grass gets covered? Well, it turns yellow and the chlorophyll is degrading and not being produced.

 

[W89]

a few breeders of white widdow recommend leaving in the dark for the last week to really bring out the resin.

 

[FRIENDinDEED]

Screw the exteneded dark period stuff - doesn't do anything. I ran that experiement a few years back with 10 clones of White Slut (WWxC99) from a fellow Overgrower. I took 5 clones at day 65 12/12 and placed them in a spare grow cab with no light for 48 hours prior to harvest, while the other 5 remained under the lights. Both day and nighttime temps were the same in both cabs, as well as RH. There was absolutely no difference in flavor, potency, color, smell, etc after the chop, a 1 week slow dry and a 3 week cure in glass jars.

Now...

If you wanna do something that really works...try this.

Stop feeding your plants halfway through flower. I use FloraNova series nutes cause they simply kick ass, are one part and balance out my 150ppm tap water's pH real well. I also use SWEET from Botanicare, which dramatically increases yor plants' carbohydrate production. Your plants turn out, well, sweet!

Anyway, at 4 weeks 12/12 for my 8 week strains, I let the soil (Ocean Forest cut with 30% perlite) dry out completely over 4 days or so for 1 gal pots. Then I flush the soil with 2-3gal of tap water. After a few days to dry out again, I begin watering again as normal, minus the nutes - only tap water with Sweet, pH adjusted. Within a week, fan leaves begin to yellow from lack of N in teh soil, but that is good IMO - I get much better tasting buds upon harvest doing this. Plus, I don't need to flush before harvest as no ferts are used after the initial flush at 4 weeks.

My buds are sticky, stinky and sweet as hell upon smelling them but more importantly upon tasting them!!! They rock in a vaporizer as well as a joint, bubbler or bong. I personally don't like dry pipes but my bud tastes great and isn't rough at al in one...

You know it's good bud when it all burns to a pure white ash that will fly away in teh air if blown at...not grey or black.

Here are some buds at 4 weeks 12/12 that I just flushed today and will begin watering with only Sweet after they dry out. Strain is Northern Lights from Female Seeds. Grown in 1gal pots, Ocean Forest Soil with Perlite under a 400W HPS (MH for veg).

[URL=https://www.icmag.com/gallery/data/500/10400DSCN0658-thumb.JPG]View Image[/url]

[URL=https://www.icmag.com/gallery/data/500/10400DSCN0654-thumb.JPG]View Image[/url]

[URL=https://www.icmag.com/gallery/data/500/10400DSCN0653-thumb.JPG]View Image[/url]

im gonna have to try this with my next soil run and see how I can apply it to hydro

 

[BasementGrower]

Personal first hand experience here. Year or so ago my power get shutoff (moving places) during week 8. Busy and in a hurry moving shit I let the plants sit in the dark for 4-5 days. When I come back those nugs lost all their density because they literally were shocked from there being no light they started to stretch dramatically.

Moral of the story dont let your flowering plants sit in the dark for longer than 12-18 hours. Its not a good idea imo and if anything will affect the density of the bud.

lol ur nugs were proly not dense then sorry dude.. but i leave mine for atleast 36 hours.. and.. ive let sit for 4 days.. and noticed no different.. id say 36 to 48 hours is about perfect.. but ive never had a strain get airy.. from the dark time.. !!!