# Key points on harvest and Myths



## DrFever (Jan 26, 2013)

Key points on harvest time ?? and allot of myths,
Myth number 1 start flushing 2 weeks prior to chop day??? is this really needed ?? 
Flushing gets rid of the nutrients in the buds ???
Does this really make sense Really we veg and flower giving lots of food for like 90 days and last 2 weeks of flushing is going rid buds of its nutrients ???? hahaha i don;t think so 
all your doing is starving the plant at its most crucial time where its needed the most to pack on the weight Flushing is only used as a last resort from a over abundance of nutrients, in the medium flushing causes stress .
Myth number 2 when i smoke my weed it snap crackles and pops that must be from not flushing your medium right ???? Wrong its from not drying and curing your weed properly 

Myth number 3 when i chop i hang my plant upside down so that all the fluids go down to my buds could this be why ???
Again once you chop any plant from the moment you chopped the plant is dead and drying process starts. So anyone thinking fluids will move down into the bud for that extra weight or what ever , Sorry not going to happen,
All your doing is creating a mess of a trim while all leafs curl into the bud your just making more work for your self in the end 

Myth - adding molasses, honey or sugar will make buds taste better 
Again plants make there own sugars and starches all your doing by adding these is helping plant for any deficiencies throughout its life cycle that might occur 
molasses is used for feeding micro organisms but again 99 percent of organic mediums have enough micro organisms to do a 365+ day grow growers tend to think it will help there colonies for there 90 day grow owe well to each there own right can't hurt i guess

Here for those that want the proper way to harvest there plants


----------



## DrFever (Jan 26, 2013)

Drying Marijuana After Harvest

You probably don't want to smoke marijuana that is harsh and bad tasting. If you do not take time to dry the bud, you will not get the best possible smell and taste your crop is capable of producing.

Proper drying and curing will also ensure maximum potency of the marijuana you have grown. Marijuana is not potent just after harvest. Some of the THC is in a non-psychoactive acidic form. Drying marijuana the right way will convert the non-psychoactive acidic compounds into psychoactive THC.

The area where the drying is done should be dark. Light and high temperatures (higher than about 80 degrees) will cause THC to break down into less desirable chemicals, this will lower the potency of the finished product.

There's a few ways to dry the crop either by using screens or hang the buds upside-down by the stem, from some string or wire. The drying marijuana must have some circulation blowing over it at all times. A gentle breeze that circulates air over all the plants is necessary. *Note by hanging stems on string buds need to be manicured 

A fan or two will circulate air within the drying room. Fans will aid in drying the plants evenly, and reducing the chances of mold. If mold starts and is allowed to grow, it might ruin all of your crop. Mold looks like white fuzz and has an odor that is unpleasant.

You will have to keep the temperature and humidity within a certain range for optimal results. Conditions should remain constantly somewhere within the following ranges, temperature should be between 65-75 degrees F, relative humidity should be between 45%-55%.

At temperatures lower than 65 degrees, drying time will be lengthened. At temperatures higher than 75 degrees, the heat will cause the outer portion of the bud to dry quicker than the inner part, and the taste will suffer.

At humidity levels lower than 45%, the marijuana will dry too fast and the taste will suffer. At humidity levels higher than 55%, the marijuana will take a long time to dry, and it will be prone to mold.

Keep a hygrometer and a thermometer in the drying area, close to the plants. A hygrometer will allow you to keep an eye on the relative humidity level in the room and a thermometer will display the temperature. Some hygrometers have built in thermometers so you can measure the temperature and humidity together.

Depending on the time of year and your location, a heater or an air conditioner may be necessary to adjust the temperature. To control humidity, a dehumidifier can lower humidity and a humidifier can be used to raise humidity. There are warm mist humidifiers and cool mist humidifiers.

A warm mist humidifier will raise the temperature while a cool mist humidifier will not affect the temperature. There are also humidifiers that allow you to switch between warm or cool mist. If you are going to purchase a humidifier for this purpose, take your climate into consideration and buy an appropriate humidifier.

Warm mist models will actually heat the water and release warm humidity. Cool mist water isn't cooled, it just means that water is not heated. In most cases a cool mist will work best. To be safe you can get a humidifier that lets you switch between warm and cool mist.


Curing Marijuana

It will take at least a week or two to dry the crop with temperatures between 65-75 degrees F and relative humidity between 45%-55%.

You will know when the marijuana is dry if the stems snap or break (rather than fold) when they are bent. Try smoking a small bud (1/2 gram or less) in a joint to be sure it is dry enough.

At this time, small buds will be dry enough to smoke. But larger buds should be cured (slow dried) to ensure that the marijuana is as potent and tasty as possible. If necessary, you can set aside buds that are less than 1/2 gram for smoking, while larger buds cure.

The cure lasts a week or two. The aim of what you are doing is evenly finishing the slow dry process, so that mold will not grow when the buds are stored long term. Also, by the end of the cure, any remaining inactive THC will be converted to active THC (that increases potency).

To cure the crop, you will need one or more containers made out of glass or plastic. Some people say the plastic containers the have can impart a taste to the marijuana. Personally, plastic containers that some types of roll your own tobacco are sold in, have no negative effect on the taste.

Prior to putting your crop into any containers, you should wash them and after drying, smell them and make sure there is no chance of odors being absorbed by the drying marijuana and ruining the taste.

If you notice any smell you can put baking soda (2 ounces or more by weight) into the container and put the top on for a few months. Change the baking soda every 1-2 months until the smell is absorbed.

Containers that have a rubber seal work best, but any type of container with a tight fitting lid will do. One quart canning jars do a very good job if you are curing a few ounces. They have a rubber seal and hold somewhere near 1-2 ounces of marijuana per one quart jar.

When curing quantities in excess of a few ounces, larger plastic storage boxes work well. They are not air tight, but will do the job when smaller air tight containers are not practical.

When the storage container is ready, gently place your marijuana in the containers (cut buds to size if the are too big to fit in the container) and put the top on. Store the containers in a dark area where the temperature is between 50-65 degrees and the humidity is between 40%-60%.

You will have to open the containers for a few minutes to allow moisture to escape by fanning with your hand. If any moisture builds up on the inside of the cap on your container, wipe it off. Do this preferably 2-6 times daily, at regular 4-12 hour intervals.

You should also re-arrange the buds by giving them a quarter-turn once a day. This will ensure that different parts of the buds are exposed to the air in the container. Keep up this routine for 7-10 days. When properly dried, marijuana will burn evenly when smoked in a joint (if stems are removed).

The taste will be as good as it can be, and the THC will have reached a point where it is ready to be ingested or stored. You can keep any marijuana that will be consumed within a few months (1 year maximum) in the same containers used for curing, without having to keep opening them to release moisture.

If the marijuana is to be stored for more than a few months, you can use a vacuum sealer (designed for storing food) to seal the marijuana in an airtight environment. If stored in a dark area that is between 40-55 degrees F, the marijuana in vacuum sealed plastic will remain potent for up to 5 years.

Dry marijuana can be stored in a frost-free freezer, but some of the THC on the outer part of the buds may be damaged when frozen. A refrigerator is in the right temperature range but they tend to be humid (unless you can control the humidity).

If stored in an area of high humidity for months or years, even vacuum sealed marijuana can eventually become as humid as the surrounding air. This will necessitate drying it again before smoking. But, unless mold develops, humidity itself will not degrade the THC or make the marijuana any less potent.

Light will degrade some of the THC, so dark containers can be used for storage. If you place the marijuana in a see through container, it will have to be located in a dark area that is not exposed to light or high temperatures.

Always make sure to properly dry your marijuana prior to storage, if you grow your own or if the stuff you have is very moist. And remember that to preserve marijuana potency at a maximum level, keep any exposure to air, heat, and light at a minimum.


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 26, 2013)

Good read DF  I disagree with you on one thing though. I personally don't think it is good to use a fan to blow any air in the same space as the drying bud. I think it overdries the buds on the outside and traps moisture within the bud. I prefer to have a fan that continually(or on a timed on/off cycle) pull the moisture laden air out of the drying chamber while pulling fresh drier air into it. I have a cabinet that I built to put upwards of a pound(dry wright) inside, on screen shelves. I have a small fan mounted over a hole at the top which is covered by a charcoal filter, and there are air hoiles at the bottom to allow cool, fresh air in as the fan pulls the old air out. I get nice even drying of my buds by moving the air across the buds but not "blowing" on the buds. However, this is my own personal prefference. Everyone has their own way of doing things


----------



## BackWoodsDrifter (Jan 26, 2013)

Hushpuppy said:
			
		

> Good read DF  I disagree with you on one thing though. I personally don't think it is good to use a fan to blow any air in the same space as the drying bud. I think it overdries the buds on the outside and traps moisture within the bud. I prefer to have a fan that continually(or on a timed on/off cycle) pull the moisture laden air out of the drying chamber while pulling fresh drier air into it. I have a cabinet that I built to put upwards of a pound(dry wright) inside, on screen shelves. I have a small fan mounted over a hole at the top which is covered by a charcoal filter, and there are air hoiles at the bottom to allow cool, fresh air in as the fan pulls the old air out. I get nice even drying of my buds by moving the air across the buds but not "blowing" on the buds. However, this is my own personal prefference. Everyone has their own way of doing things


 
And to yur way yual do well dont ya?  We all do things to our own likin and that be the way to do it cause ifin it aint broke and it work fur ya why fix it? I respect this pilgrem as his long winded style be might interestin read time gain but I have learned the long wind have much open fur personal interpretaion is all I be sayin. Some good advice and info and some not so good advise and info. he be pilgrem aimin to help folk his way but his way may not be for everyone, just as our own personal ways be met dayly  Just take lesson in journy as yual see them to benifit, leave rest stuff behind.

BWD


----------



## Mainebud (Jan 27, 2013)

Hushpuppy said:
			
		

> Good read DF  I disagree with you on one thing though. I personally don't think it is good to use a fan to blow any air in the same space as the drying bud. I think it overdries the buds on the outside and traps moisture within the bud. I prefer to have a fan that continually(or on a timed on/off cycle) pull the moisture laden air out of the drying chamber while pulling fresh drier air into it. I have a cabinet that I built to put upwards of a pound(dry wright) inside, on screen shelves. I have a small fan mounted over a hole at the top which is covered by a charcoal filter, and there are air hoiles at the bottom to allow cool, fresh air in as the fan pulls the old air out. I get nice even drying of my buds by moving the air across the buds but not "blowing" on the buds. However, this is my own personal prefference. Everyone has their own way of doing things




Do you really see a big difference between a fan blowing on them like a oscillating fan vs air being pulled through that chamber? I know nothing about drying and curing so this is a question not rebuttal. Thanks


----------



## DrFever (Jan 27, 2013)

Hushpuppy said:
			
		

> Good read DF  I disagree with you on one thing though. I personally don't think it is good to use a fan to blow any air in the same space as the drying bud. I think it overdries the buds on the outside and traps moisture within the bud. I prefer to have a fan that continually(or on a timed on/off cycle) pull the moisture laden air out of the drying chamber while pulling fresh drier air into it. I have a cabinet that I built to put upwards of a pound(dry wright) inside, on screen shelves. I have a small fan mounted over a hole at the top which is covered by a charcoal filter, and there are air hoiles at the bottom to allow cool, fresh air in as the fan pulls the old air out. I get nice even drying of my buds by moving the air across the buds but not "blowing" on the buds. However, this is my own personal prefference. Everyone has their own way of doing things



Thanks you Hp  growing MJ is pretty easy when you think about it  
then we get into the trimming , cutting and drying process  which is by far  a whole new world of knowledge. And the most important part 
 Now many growers grow a certain amount then others that grow large amounts  this can become a problem  space being one of them , odor another. i found over the years  wet cutting /trimming to be the best  no matter what it still takes 5 - 7 days to dry  i cut /trim buds place on screen.  keep temps in the low 60's and in a dark place with out  de humidifier  i dont want to  force humidity out of room ,and especially force them out of the buds. 
 So with fans blowing on them   usually 4 days   the top of buds appear dry but inside is still wet.
So i  place all buds into a  garbage bag  press out all the air  and make them sweat out  for like 6 - 8 hrs  then re place back on screens  for 24-30 hrs    after that there done   bag them  and daily open bags  for like 10 mins 
 i can promise you  there nice and dry   smell is top notch and looks is unbelievable  
dam even my bro's  pay me before hand , or when they pick any up  they don;t bother even looking at it cause they know  its top notch  weight in , dried  and beautiful looking


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 27, 2013)

I see where you are coming from DF. It may be that for bigger hauls you have to put a fan on them to get the moisture away. I have found for my drying that the breeze blowing on the buds gives an unballanced drying to them which makes them have to be redried. For me, having the air moving at a slow rate so that it doesn't "blow on them" but moves enough to recycle the air, gives me good even drying in about 7-10 days depending on humidity and temps of outside air, and the amount of bud that I have in my drying cab.

But like BWD said, for anyone reading this and wondering how best to dry yours, you have to look at everything said and then modify it to fit your situation to get the best outcome


----------



## NorCalHal (Jan 28, 2013)

So many folks do so many different things when it comes to dryin' and curin'.

While I agree with most of the post, there are a couple of things that I do different in my process.
Flushing at the End of the cycle. For me, this is a must, and I have seen the difference many times. I do agree that Flushing at the end is not neccesary if you are running true organics or do periodic flushes when running Chem nuits.
For me, I run Chem nuits. I also run HIGH PPM throughout the grow, from Veg thru Flower. For the most part, I do not flush during the grow, unless the plants dictate it, which is rare.
What I have found is that by flushing the last couple of weeks of flower will cause the caylx to swell alot more then if you were to run nuits thru the end.
The plant really responds more to clean water then a nuit mix diuring final phase. 
I know it works better for me in my system, as I stated before, I have a high concentration of nuits built up in my medium and it is plenty of nuits for the plant as it ripens. It also helps my overhead from not having to use nuits the last couple of weeks.
To each thier own tho.

I too Dr. Fever, have tried many ways to harvest the crop. For me, I will cut the plant and take off all the fan leaves and "J-Hook" the plant into smaller branches and hang those in a dark controlled room. I do not take off the smaller tighter leaves, as I have noticed a better look to the herb when I do this. Handleing each bud and tight trimming it while wet, to me, destroys to many thc "glands" and I just don't like it. Letting the herb just hang and letting the leaves envelop the dryin bud tends to protect the bud better imo.

When the herb is getting close to dry, I will take all the bud "off the stick" and continues the dryin' process on a screen.
I will then have my trim crew come in and trim up the final product. The trim crew dosen't get to it until it is ready to go pretty much. I will still "cure" it afterwards for 7-10 days after the trimmers are done. This helps me with paying out the trimmers, as I pay by weight trimmed, not hourly. Paying hourly creates lazy trimmers. Paying by weight keeps em rockin'.


----------



## WeedHopper (Jan 28, 2013)

> The plant really responds more to clean water then a nuit mix diuring final phase



Norcal. Can you explain. Im just curious as to why the plant will uptake plain water and cause the buds to swell, but not so much swell if its plain water mixed with nutes?


----------



## Hushpuppy (Jan 28, 2013)

Also NCH, You say "flush", do you mean that you empty your rez and just run straight water? or do you just add straight water and not add anymore nutes the last couple weeks?  The reason I ask is that I do a clensing flush in my 3rd week of flower where I change out my rez with straight water and run constantly for 48hrs, dump and refill with straight bloom nutes and run bloom nutes until the last couple weeks. I then stop adding any nutes when I reach the last week to 10 days from harvest and just top up with straight water.


----------



## ston-loc (Jan 28, 2013)

I think the word "flush" can get used multiple ways. Good question Hushpuppy. Hal you are in soil last I read your grow threads. By flush are you simply meaning stopping nutrients and only giving water for those last weeks? Or are you flushing three times the amount of soil with water in each plant at once to "flush" it out? The way I read your post is the first.


----------



## trillions of atoms (Jan 28, 2013)

NorCalHal said:
			
		

> So many folks do so many different things when it comes to dryin' and curin'.
> 
> While I agree with most of the post, there are a couple of things that I do different in my process.
> Flushing at the End of the cycle. For me, this is a must, and I have seen the difference many times. I do agree that Flushing at the end is not neccesary if you are running true organics or do periodic flushes when running Chem nuits.
> ...





x2


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 29, 2013)

I guess that everyone has to find their own "best" way.  I personally have tried changing out my res to straight water for the last 14-10 days and never ever saw greater swelling caylx or greater bud growth.  In fact, I saw the opposite--plants on plain water did not fill out as well as those that I continued nutes through to the end.  

Not to be contrary, but I trim all my plants as close as I can while wet.  I have found that finish trimming when the plant is mostly dry to be a big PITA and I feel that I damage way more glands doing it that way.


----------



## DrFever (Jan 30, 2013)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> I guess that everyone has to find their own "best" way.  I personally have tried changing out my res to straight water for the last 14-10 days and never ever saw greater swelling caylx or greater bud growth.  In fact, I saw the opposite--plants on plain water did not fill out as well as those that I continued nutes through to the end.
> 
> Not to be contrary, but I trim all my plants as close as I can while wet.  I have found that finish trimming when the plant is mostly dry to be a big PITA and I feel that I damage way more glands doing it that way.


 I Grow in soil  and in last  week or so i may lower my ppm but  i  Do not starve plant, that is just crazy i think.
If i was to grow in hydro i would also lower my ppm  in last 2 weeks 

I would like to mention another myth  i forgot to mention   and that is 
 Yellowing off  you here   growers mention    yea the yellowing is  normal   cause the plant  has done its job and now its to die , 
Again Mj is a Annual plant meaning  from spring to fall it grows  more or less one year life cycle.
 yet its known  that they can grow for longer but  1 year  is normal , how many of you pull in late fall  to clean up garden a nice annual plant  that is still green and blooming  ???? is it yellow ????
 more and more of mj growers are coming to terms that  keeping it green till harvest  = better yields 
  Yellowing off means  plant is using its stored  food source , over watering or  nutrient lock out ( to much of one or other type of micro / or macro )  bottom line more dialing is needed  to combat  those issues


----------



## Mainebud (Jan 30, 2013)

Great info thanks!


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Jan 30, 2013)

What I generally do is just top up with pH'd water the last 10 days or so.  So essentially, I do taper off on the nutes also.  But we are asking them to put on a lot of weight the last couple of weeks.  I think starving them is crazy too...kind of like fasting before a marathon so you would weigh less.


----------



## Locked (Jan 30, 2013)

I sometimes feed up to the chop, sometimes let them cruise on just water the last week. I really have not noticed a difference. I tend to feed real heavy and keep my plants dark green so maybe that's why I don't see a difference.


----------



## NorCalHal (Jan 31, 2013)

WeedHopper said:
			
		

> Norcal. Can you explain. Im just curious as to why the plant will uptake plain water and cause the buds to swell, but not so much swell if its plain water mixed with nutes?


 

For me, I run high ppm's from day 1 of veg. I usually do not flush what so ever during the run, but rather run plain water the last couple of weels. I have also ran str8 nuits to the end of harvest. When I run water, the nugs will swell harder then if I ran nuits. imo, this triggers the plant into realizing that the end of the cycle is coming and it really uptakes alot more then if I was running nuits, therefore getting the nugs to swell harder then if i was to run nuits.
 All this nonsense about "starving" your plants if you flush is wrong. there is MORE then enough nuit content in the medium to allow the plant to eat for far more then 2 weeks.


----------



## DrFever (Jan 31, 2013)

With most mediums like pro mix or other brands there is no  nutes added  so when a person flushes what are  they exactly doing ??? but  removing salt build up's and nutrients from there mediums,in late stages of flowering  causing stress  and other symptoms  flushing not only chokes out the root system  but stops it from breathing   and we all know   the importance of gas exchange  and aeration in soils.
 osmosis  literally stops  for a short time as well as  plant.  think of a level, if you put to much on one side   the other side suffers 
just get a wet  towel and wrap it  around your nose and mouth   you will find  it harder to breath  then a dry towel wrapped, And we all know  Mj likes dryer  soil conditions rather then to wet .
 I never herd of adding water at the end triggering plant into realizing the end of the cycle is near ??? is there any scientific data  stating this ???
I have used  cold method techniques ( fall conditions )   dropping  temps  10 -15 degrees  lights on and off in my grow room with proven results , no different then our out door harvests we  chop  Second frost


----------



## WeedHopper (Jan 31, 2013)

Pulling up a chair to watch the Info on this subject. Me ,,I dont know cause I have never stopped feeding to find out. Takes me to long to grow my girls to take the chance in them not liking me cutten them off thier nutes.  But Im all ears.


----------



## NorCalHal (Feb 1, 2013)

You got me lost on that one Fever. Believe me when I say the plants are not stressed when running water at the end of the cycle...at all.
I guess I can say that I am not so much "flushing" as I am more just feeding water at the end. 
I think you are misunderstanding my friend. I don't keep the medium soaking wet the whole time the last couple of weeks, I simply feed water when they need it.
Scientific Data for MJ is pretty much non exsistent. I roll by experience, and I see first hand the difference in caylx swell from pushing nuits to the end and from watering at the end.
It's not so much the water triggering the end of the cycle, as the plant knows itself that it is at the end of the cycle.
Again, I personally run high ppm's thrughout the cycle, and for me, feeding plain water at the end works great.
If you think that you can run Chem nuits at high ppm's the whole cycle and your herb not taste different then if you didn't flush feed water, you are mistaken. If you just push high ppm's to the end, your herb comes out like "beasters" comercial  swag.
Curing is only one part of great tasting herb.


----------



## The Hemp Goddess (Feb 1, 2013)

I don't know if it that I run hydro, but I have had instances over the years where I had to take plants a little early or I had a pheno that ripened a little faster than I had anticipated.  I run my ppms as high as I can.  And I can tell you that after a good cure, I cannot tell the difference between plants where I tapered off on the nutes, the ones that I actually flushed, and the ones that were harvested when on high ppms.  It has never come out tasting like "beasters commercial schwag".


----------



## WeedHopper (Feb 2, 2013)

Yeah,,none of my Smoke that I grew ever tasted like Schawg, thank goodness,cause I would be pissed. Ill just keep feeding as normal. As I said I grow only small personal grows and I know Im not as good as THG, Norcal or Drfever, but Im happy with my grows. Although I keep getting better because of the things I have learned here from PPL like THG,Norcal,Drfever, and many others. Havent been able to grow in awhile cause I was taking care of my Grandaughter. I do have a good Cali Connect that takes care of me untill I can grow again.I just got some Purple Kryptonite that was awsome. This has been a good thread.


----------



## Mainebud (Feb 2, 2013)

Agreed! This has been a great thread! Where else can you get three top notch growers to weigh in on a subject? Thanks to all four of you!


----------



## NorCalHal (Feb 2, 2013)

For me, I get alot of feedback from alot of folks who frequent the Dispensaries I vend too, and that has been the feedback I was given by quite a few clubs. They specifically ask that Herb be "flushed" before harvest if usuing Chem nuits. From what I have been told, and the test results that go with it, the "CBD, CBN" percentages are a little higher when I flush.
As far as weight, I firmly believe that running nuits till the end will make no difference, as long as the plant doesn't show signs of runnin' out of food.


----------



## Kupunakane (Feb 5, 2013)

_*Yo Ho Ho N,

    Hello my friends. I thought that I might chime in here.
  I have been privileged to have met some of the best growers in the world, and you can bet that I have carefully posed many of these thoughts to both friends as well as lecturers in the world of growing.

   I have enjoyed the fact that there is such diversity in the answers, and that is because we are all indeed different, though we do often share the same desires as it were.

  I prefer to flush on occasion during both the veg and the flowering cycles. This is something that does help to remove the excess salts, and toxins that will do more harm than good. Most folks worry about nitrogen burn when they do this, and that is cause they are over nuted as it were. 
    It's as if you have used a great abundance of MG pellets that do a slow release for you, but try to flush, and you will likely scorch the hell out of your ladies particularly during flowering. ( the white family, ie. White Widow, White Rhino etc. etc. are particularly sensitive to over nuting during flowering ).

 I don't try to yellow off, but I do recognize the fact that since we are dealing with annuals, it is in their nature to absorb themselves in an attempt to complete the seed development. Since we don't opt for seeds too often,  we prefer the pods to just fill with goodness versus a bean...LOL

 Drying and Curing will always be a matter of conjecture, but the reality here is that we all want the same thing in the end. Some bad boy smoke.

 I myself prefer to dry by hanging my buds in the now dark growbox, though I do leave the filters running, I do turn down the fans for a more gentle air movement.

  I allow the buds to dry until the outside feels right, but I know darn well the inside is still moist. I then move them into cure. This takes a lot of care starting the cure when a lot of inner moisture still is in the buds cause one little foul up and mold can take it all fast.

  I do prefer glass mason jars, and I often cure up to three months or better, ( I do love burping the jars ).

 The reason for the extended cure is that it helps break down the cellulous, and allows for a softer, gentler, and tastier smoke. 

Remember once the buds are dry, the curing is over. I do know folks that try to cure for a real long time, but then I think that is sorta pushing it.

  I work real hard to keep my ladies green up until the very end, but the real trick to doing your buds justice is to not touch them at all if you can help it. That means NO stupid handling the buds at all steps. Every time you touch them, you impart your own scents with your own body oils, as well as smear off the trichs that you were so enamored with when you were ready to cut. Granted you have to touch them to assess the moisture content, but after that NO TOUCHY. 

 Well that's kinda my $0.02 cents worth

smoke in peace
KingKahuuna:cool2:

*_


----------



## WeedHopper (Feb 6, 2013)

I agree with ya 100%,,,but do you stop feeding right before Harvest or just flush periodicly to remove excess salts?


----------



## Hushpuppy (Feb 7, 2013)

I think that really depends more on the strain of the plant, and the type and amount of nutes that you grow with. If you grow one strain many times over, you learn what that plant really likes and dislikes. I personally have found by experience that my plants need to be flushed about halfway through or they will start showing nutrient toxicity. So I flush them around the 2nd to 3rd week of flower, and they finish green as the day they went in.

The jury is still out for me on the "final flush". I have been trying different ways to see if I can determine the best way for my girls


----------



## DrFever (Feb 8, 2013)

There are so many other routes to go   rather then flushing  and understanding what really is going on in  root systems. you know  we all hammer  our  plants with  plant food  and plant will only uptake so much  the burning of  plants are not from  nutrient uptake but rather  root systems  getting damaged  
Bottom line were here to  get maximum yields  , and quality period  i  chuckle  when quality is mentioned  as it is all strain dependent,   you think that you get  some  strain that says   18 percent  THC   i can guarantee you   most growers  would never  ever even come close  to actual  full potential  as these  were grown under laboratory conditions 
 So back to flushing  to rid salts etc or to rid nutrients   that have been broken down lol  for plant uptake
 here are some good alternatives    grozomes , enzymes  that actually  clean your medium 
 reinforces a plant&#8217;s defense systems while treating and cleansing grow media. ZenZyme sparks chemical reactions that accelerate the breakdown and mineralization of nutrients increasing their uptake and assimilation. look at this route rather then flushing 
   Transplanting  prior to  flowering period  is a better way as  root system will have fresh soils to work in   yup   and plus   going larger container    will result in better  yields


----------



## NorCalHal (Feb 11, 2013)

Personally, when I water at the end of cycle, I use ph'ed water with hygrozyme. If you have ever used CO2, then you know it is quite easy to cause a nuit def. quickly, and this effects the growth, not the root mass. Be it, if not corrected fast enough, it will damage the root system, but not instantly.
Haha, strain is very important when realizing quality if your herb is tested. Not all strains are made equal, thats for sure.
Lab conditions? Do you really think that the breeders are growing in "Lab" conditions?? I think not.
What is considered "Lab Conditions" anyways? Sealed rooms? If so, there are quite a few folks running those conditions sir.


----------

