# Should I keep the plant in darkness for the last 48 hours before harvest?



## DonJones (Nov 14, 2009)

I'm approaching my first solo harvest and am getting conflicting advise on whether or not to put the plant in darkness for 48 hours before harvest or just harvest them.

Which is the best way to go, and if darkness helps, by how much?

Also, does it matter what time in the light cycle that I harvest?

Thank you and good smoking?


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## cmd420 (Nov 14, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> I'm approaching my first solo harvest and am getting conflicting advise on whether or not to put the plant in darkness for 48 hours before harvest or just harvest them.
> 
> Which is the best way to go, and if darkness helps, by how much?
> 
> ...


 
Whattup DJ?

I just pull my plants off after their 12 hour dark period....then I hang em up in a dark dry enviornment...


they are still alive after they get chopped so be nice to em for a while

excited to see your grow commence..you have put a lot of effort into the preparation and ...never mind, I don't wanna jinx ya...


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## DonJones (Nov 14, 2009)

cmd420,

Thanks for the good words.   I'm really humbled by how much there is to learn, and how many different approaches there are to each step of the way.  Even more humbling and appreciated more than I can say is the willingness of the members to share their knowledge and experience.

I'm waiting on samples of Sure To Grow media to use all the way through the first hydro grow.  The best way I can describe it is Rockwool made from PET1 plastic fibers -- totally inert, PH neutral (does not change the PH of the solution applied to it), instantly wettable and sterile.  No more presoaking, rinsing and PHing and most importantly no more hard prickly fibers that might get into the lungs too before you get it soaked good.

I've got 4 bag weed clones that was supposed to be lowryder,  but they definitely are NOT autos or even quick harvest so I don't know for sure what they are, that we are going to start harvesting tomorrow as they come ripe.  They are hermies, as was mom, and they sure haven't produced any where near as good as the mom did.  They are gone as far as I'm concerned -- no clones from them!  About the only thing that I see good about growing them out is that I learned a whole lot messing with them.  They were basically my first solo grow although my son kind of guided me along until he had to leave the area.  From the looks of them, they will probably go straight into the freezer and eventually into the hash mix, because I don't think we are going to get enough weigh to make it worth manicuring and clipping.  I'll wait until I smoke osme of it to decide.  But I may be surprised because Mom was real good.  That is why I kept them as long as I did, but now I've got several of what was called MTF by the person I got it from -- regardless of whether it is real MTF or something like it as some people swear that MTF never left Alaska and the only crop was destroyed in a DEA raid just after 9-11. The sisters grown from this mother are yielding pretty good and are pretty good smoke, the best I've ever had except for some T stick that I had once and that is not a fair comparison for any weed.  Boy they are shocking me after messing around with those hermies and a couple of Mauis that I vegged and flowered for my son.  So maybe I'll start getting some good yield and quality soon.  Having to send our patients some place else or buy their medicine from someone else is sure getting old.  

I'm still wondering if I should run the first one with a clone or from seed.  Probably the best thing to do would be to run one clone in the WaterFarm and a sister from the same mother in Black Gold simultaneously so that I can watch the difference that hydro makes.

Boy, I sure did wander away from my original question.  I'll shut up and see what other answers I get.

Thanks for every thing and good smoking.

PS:  I should know better than to be on the forum when my youngest son is sticking his bong in my face all the time.  I don't have any idea what kind it is, but  he seems to get pretty good stuff -thankfully because otherwise we would probably loose our patients while I'm getting things dialed in.


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## OGKushman (Nov 14, 2009)

It makes no difference.

Cut them in their harvest window and when you have the time to start trimming.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 16, 2009)

I notice that you have asked several questions about unconventional harvesting methods...

IMO, there is no harvesting method that will increase the THC.  The production of THC happens while your plant is alive and growing.  Anything done immediately before harvest like 48 hours of dark, hanging upside down, or boiling the roots is most likely not going to have any positive effects (it will probably have no negative effects either, however).  Drying and curing correctly will give you the best that you can get from what you have.


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## pcduck (Nov 16, 2009)

:yeahthat::goodposting:


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## cmd420 (Nov 16, 2009)

As usual, THG nails it....

I'm going to look into that medium and watch your grow with it carefully....

Carry on DON!!


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## cadlakmike1 (Nov 16, 2009)

I have seen people on several other forums try to say that 48 hours of darkness will increase resin production as a defense mechanism.  I do not buy into this.  I also do not personally know any experienced growers that use this method.  Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, try some proven methods first. Once you have enough grows under your belt to be able to track some consistencies in your growing techniques and harvests, then feel free to experiment.  Unless you have enough grows to be able to have a constant verifiable result, it will be difficult to experiment and know if any of these obscure methods have any positive results.  JMO.


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## PencilHead (Nov 20, 2009)

cadlakmike1 said:
			
		

> I have seen people on several other forums try to say that 48 hours of darkness will increase resin production as a defense mechanism. I do not buy into this. I also do not personally know any experienced growers that use this method. Rather than trying to reinvent the wheel, try some proven methods first. Once you have enough grows under your belt to be able to track some consistencies in your growing techniques and harvests, then feel free to experiment. Unless you have enough grows to be able to have a constant verifiable result, it will be difficult to experiment and know if any of these obscure methods have any positive results. JMO.


 
Beautiful advice, Mike.  Wish I was smart enough to remember it all the time.


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## ZTEC (Nov 22, 2009)

How about 24 - 48 hours of darkness before placing the plant into flowering?  Does that cause the flowering process to begin quicker?  In my experience it seems to help but haven't done enough of it to make it a fact?  Anyone else do this?


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## cadlakmike1 (Nov 23, 2009)

ZTEC said:
			
		

> How about 24 - 48 hours of darkness before placing the plant into flowering?  Does that cause the flowering process to begin quicker?  In my experience it seems to help but haven't done enough of it to make it a fact?  Anyone else do this?


I've heard of it but I am yet to see anyone with consistent results.  For that matter, I am yet to see anyone prove any definitive positive results with this method.  I don't believe this would help induce flowering any quicker, personally when I switch to 12/12 I just do it.  I don't do it gradually, or any extended periods of darkness.  One day I run 24 hours of light, the next I run 12 hours of light 12 hours of dark.  

The thing about this, or any experiment for that matter, you have to do so many normal grows to be able to have a consistent number.  Then, you have to be able to have a control grow going simultaneously and identical to the grow that you want to experiment with.  If you do not have a control group there is no way to be sure the change came from your new variable, and not something else.  Then, if you believe that you have found a change, it needs to be verifiable over at least several more grows, and other people should be able to duplicate the experiment and get the same results.  

I understand that it would be beneficial to to induce flowering in a shorter period of time, but I would be worried about unnecessary stress to the plant.  When people plunge a plant into darkness for the last two days before harvest, I don't believe it does any good, but I also believe it does very little harm.  IMO, two days in dark are two days that you are robbing a plant of photosynthesis and if anything would have an aversive result.  The difference between doing that at the end of the grow and when you want to switch to 12/12 is that you still have your entire flowering cycle ahead of you and extra stress could have bad results with enough time to show themselves.

I have nothing against experimenting, I believe that is how we get progression.  I do believe though, experimenting should be left to those with ample room that can afford to trash an entire grow if they do something that may cause a hermie.  For people like myself, who have one small grow going at a time, experimenting must be kept very conservative because loosing a couple months worth of plants would be a very hard to swallow setback.  I may experiment with the amount of nutes I use, but I have learned the hard way not to experiment with light cycles.  The light a plant requires to veg or flower has been ingrained into it for many, many generations and is pretty cut and dry and shouldn't really be tampered with.  Most ofd this is just my opinion, and I'm not trying to discourage anyone from maybe discovering something new and exciting, I'm just saying for the small closet grower, be careful.


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## BlueNose (Nov 23, 2009)

cadlakmike, I just have to say that both of your posts in this thread are excellent advice and logical info.


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## cadlakmike1 (Nov 23, 2009)

PencilHead, and Gonna Eat That?  Thank you both for the kind words, glad I could help.  Sometimes when I smoke I can get really longwinded, so it's nice to hear that my posts came across as helpful and not just nonsense rambling!  Although, I'm sure to some it's just another pot head rambling on!!:rofl:


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## docfishwrinkle (Nov 25, 2009)

DJ, off subject but you say this is your 1st grow & turning away patients? why would you put yourself & these patients in this situation? wow! no compassion there bud! sounds like some one trying to make a quick buck.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Nov 25, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> I've got 4 bag weed clones that was supposed to be lowryder,  but they definitely are NOT autos or even quick harvest so I don't know for sure what they are, that we are going to start harvesting tomorrow as they come ripe.  They are hermies, as was mom, and they sure haven't produced any where near as good as the mom did.



You cannot clone autos, so if someone gave you clones, they were definitely not autos.  Hermies is the reason that I do not use bagseed.


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## Locked (Nov 25, 2009)

If they are bag seed and from a hermie mom then you already hve 2 strikes against you...I am all for practicing on bag seed and if you are in a pinch grow it out if you gotta...but as soon as it shows as hermie destroy or segregate it so you do not let these faulty genetics see another grow....less hermies =better world.


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## BBFan (Nov 26, 2009)

cadlakmike1 said:
			
		

> I've heard of it but I am yet to see anyone with consistent results. For that matter, I am yet to see anyone prove any definitive positive results with this method. I don't believe this would help induce flowering any quicker, personally when I switch to 12/12 I just do it. I don't do it gradually, or any extended periods of darkness. One day I run 24 hours of light, the next I run 12 hours of light 12 hours of dark.
> 
> The thing about this, or any experiment for that matter, you have to do so many normal grows to be able to have a consistent number. Then, you have to be able to have a control grow going simultaneously and identical to the grow that you want to experiment with. If you do not have a control group there is no way to be sure the change came from your new variable, and not something else. Then, if you believe that you have found a change, it needs to be verifiable over at least several more grows, and other people should be able to duplicate the experiment and get the same results.
> 
> ...


 
Hey Mr. Pumpkin Carver (I mean CadlakMike1)!

Great post.  The only thing I might add to that is no matter what you do, the plants will not flower until they are sexually mature.

Why people don't wait for the plant to show sex is beyond me.  Maybe it's just been the strains I grow- but they always show preflowers at 6 weeks from seed.

Happy Growing!


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## docfishwrinkle (Nov 26, 2009)

bb you nailed it. not like theyre going to react to a 12/12 schedule until theyre mature anyhow. youre not gaining any time .


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## Locked (Nov 26, 2009)

I hve had the exact opposite experience...my plants get alternating nodes but don't show sex at that point. So I will flip them to 12/12 for a day or two and shazam...they show sex. I wld not waste my time flipping plants that did not hve alternating nodes since they are obviously not sexually mature.


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## Dogtown Toker (Dec 1, 2009)

DonJones said:
			
		

> I'm approaching my first solo harvest and am getting conflicting advise on whether or not to put the plant in darkness for 48 hours before harvest or just harvest them.
> 
> Which is the best way to go, and if darkness helps, by how much?
> 
> ...


 
I am going to put my two cents in here! Darkness is not really what its all about, It is Flush? I am not saying harvist is not an issue, but the last 2 weeks is paramont in watering! Flush, Flush, Flush IMOO! No Nutes, PH 6.8 in soil. I have checked my PH before and after water in soil and it drops after I water! :hubba: 

DDT:hubba:


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## Parcero (Dec 7, 2009)

What if you would keep it 24-48h in light before harvesting?


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## docfishwrinkle (Dec 7, 2009)

shell start to reveg. dont do that until you harvest 70% of your buds


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## BBFan (Dec 7, 2009)

Parcero said:
			
		

> What if you would keep it 24-48h in light before harvesting?


 
Hola Parcero!

I don't think that would help IMHO.  THC is destroyed by light.  The trick is finding that point where THC production exceeds THC destruction! :hubba:


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