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Tips for new growers, cutting the curve.

M

Miraculous Meds

Well-known member
TracerChris said:
So now we've talked about getting started, what about harvesting, drying, trimming, and curing. Before anyone busts my balls about reading the forums and research that is out there myself... I have and it seems that a lot of contradictions and myths are evident within a lot of the forums. ^^^ look above for arguments on bleach... So I came here to see if I could get some more feedback on questions I've been wondering myself.

Specific questions to get the ball rolling are;


Does time of day matter for harvesting?

My understanding is that photosynthates/starches are moving between the roots to the leaves during dawn. Then from the leaves back to the roots at dusk.

Does leaving the lights off for 2 days before harvesting make a difference?

Does a dry-trim vs. a wet-trim have a huge impact on the terpene profile and overall taste?

When is a good indicator of when to start the cure?

As with most question I expect a wide variety of responses. I like were this thread is at and want to keep it going. The discussions sparked are interesting and I find I am always learning new things. Thanks
Click to expand...

Its better to harvest before the lights come on for max terpenes. But my guess is its pretty negligible. I don't think u could really tell.

same for the 2 days of darkness. not enough change to matter.

dry trim/wet trim, my short answer is no.

Indicator to start the cure is when the stem snaps when bent instead of folding. perfect time to jar em n check for the next couple days to confirm all the extra moisture is gone before any long term storage.

this is all just from my experiences n my own testing.
 
F

funnymath

Member
TracerChris said:
Does time of day matter for harvesting?

My understanding is that photosynthates/starches are moving between the roots to the leaves during dawn. Then from the leaves back to the roots at dusk.

Does leaving the lights off for 2 days before harvesting make a difference?

Does a dry-trim vs. a wet-trim have a huge impact on the terpene profile and overall taste?

When is a good indicator of when to start the cure?
Click to expand...

I think a lot of this stuff is like cooking, it all depends on your situation and preference.

Time for harvesting I know a lot of people wait until the end of the night cycle, but if it's ready to harvest now and you won't be able to cut it down before the lights kick on then just harvest when the lights are on. So harvesting at lights on some people can tell a difference, but if you can't then no point in waiting 2 days. I think all of those are worth a shot of trying though (assuming you're not running perpetual).

About dry vs wet trim I don't know about terpene profiles, I've never had any of it tested so it's all pretty subjective. But again, just try it for what you like. Maybe one is "better" but if you like the other way better than do that. It's super easy to test too, whichever way you trim, just save a branch and trim the other way. Easy test.
 
Adze

Adze

Member
If you're in a very arid environment leaving fan leaves on slows down the drying process. I lived in a desert in southern California. Dried too fast buds will lose smell/terpenes and you can't get them back, even when the buds are re-moisturized. You need moisture for a good cure.
 
A

algae1011

Lots of good info here. Thanks for taking time to share y'all! Will definitely read again on my journey as a gardener, though Smurfin's right--I/we should be reading more books :dance013::blowbubbles::bandit::groupwave::whee::abduct:

[....I/we don't get to use kewl smilies when I/we read books tho....]
 
TracerChris

TracerChris

Member
Funny Math - I think your analogy to cooking is spot on, I gotta keep that one in mind. Everybody's got different tastes and different environments to work in, guess ones just gotta find out what works best for them in their situation.

Adze - I just moved to a hot/dry/arid region myself so this is probably why I've been told by the locals numerous times that leaving the fan leaves on is a good idea. So again knowing your situation is crucial to knowing whether to leave them or keep them on? Thanks for the information that really helps clear up the confusion for me.
 
Adze

Adze

Member
TC,

I should add, I didn't need any ventilation while drying. I kept everything in an enclosed space to slow down evaporation. First time you let bud dry too quickly you'll learn how disheartening it is to ruin your efforts in a couple days time.
 
M

Miraculous Meds

Well-known member
Adze said:
TC,

I should add, I didn't need any ventilation while drying. I kept everything in an enclosed space to slow down evaporation. First time you let bud dry too quickly you'll learn how disheartening it is to ruin your efforts in a couple days time.
Click to expand...

good thoughts here. u can manipulate the situation to ur liking. if ur in a wet environment, u can buck down to small branches n take all the sunleaves off to reduce the chance of mold.

or like ur stating in a dry situation u can leave most of the leaf n branches attached giving u more moisture n reducing the quick dry.

but the real answer is to environmentally control ur dry. a dehuey or humidifier to keep it nice n even around 60% rh with a light airflow till the stem snaps in roughly 10 days. then play the cure/jar game of getting them equalized with moisture.

I like taking the sun leaf off when I have extra time before I have the next set ready to reload the flower room. if ur veg is ready to go, just hang that stuff n buck later after u have the flower room clean n reloaded. its nice to have options n with controlling ur dry, u can do it anyway u chose.
 
Adze

Adze

Member
How about a dedicated drying room with both automatic air and dehumidification? Of course, that would be nice but if you've only got a couple of small plants.
 
C

container man

Member
thanks so much bro im in ireland having trouble cloning gona try the coco method cheers again u sond cool ur grows are amazing...im using 6x600 w hps in a shipping container ,lets just say its challening love to chat again thanks so much take care bro:)
 
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