I don't know what a bud is part two....

[OGKushman]

I cut and hang upside down, pull fan leaves by hand with a quick snap, careful to never touch a wet bud, let dry 4 days with a fan on the last 2, always dry trim, jar lid off while trimming, burp 4x a day for 2 days, stems must have a good snap but cannot feel crispy on the outside, lid on jars, store in a wine chiller at 55F & 55%.
I’ve trimmed dried and cured every which way and letting the buds dry before trimming is crucial to keeping all the terpenes in the plant as possible. It’s why they stink so much when you trim. You are releasing the good stuff.

Drying and curing is what makes or breaks it.

Wet buds are VERY fragile.

 

[oldfogey8]

I cut and hang upside down, pull fan leaves by hand with a quick snap, careful to never touch a wet bud, let dry 4 days with a fan on the last 2, always dry trim, jar lid off while trimming, burp 4x a day for 2 days, stems must have a good snap but cannot feel crispy on the outside, lid on jars, store in a wine chiller at 55F & 55%.
I’ve trimmed dried and cured every which way and letting the buds dry before trimming is crucial to keeping all the terpenes in the plant as possible. It’s why they stink so much when you trim. You are releasing the good stuff.

Drying and curing is what makes or breaks it.

Wet buds are VERY fragile.

Good advice. Touching the buds will crush the trichomes. Storing in a cool, dark place is also crucial as you pointed out.

 

[bombtombadll]

That is a very admirable job you did of low stress training. What I would do when they are ready for harvest is I would cut off the individual colas at their base(where they branch off from the main stalk) and give them a wet trim which means trimming off the fan leaves and as many of the sugar leaves as you can. Get as close to the stem as you can without cutting the ‘bract’(the part that looks like what you would buy from a seller-see pic below). It takes practice and you will find that the first time you trim, it is ‘fun’ but becomes a chore(put in some good music-I like to trim listening to Weens 12 Golden Country Greats (http://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDF38BE1830948913)but that is a personal choice). I use Chikamasa scissors but Fishkars make some adequate shears as well. The more sugar leaves you leave, the heavier your yield will be but also your smoke will be harsher. Keep all your trimmings if you are going to make cannabutter(most people just keep the sugar leaves for this but I cook up everything but the stalk and stems). Once you have trimmed, you want to slowly dry the buds. I hang mine from the stems using pipe cleaners in a room I keep at around 50% humidity and 70 deg F with a fan to keep the air moving but not blowing directly on the buds. When the outsides of the buds feel dry, I put them in paper grocery bags to get the drying process more homogeneous(you don’t want the outside bone dry and the inside wet). Depending on the size of your buds, this drying can take from 2 days hanging and a week in the bags to a week hanging and a couple of days in the bag. You will have to get a feel for it. Once the buds feel dry and ‘lighter’ weight-wise, I follow the ‘Perfect Cure Everytime’ method of curing. My buds keep for years. I still have some that smoke nicely from 2015. Boveda packs (I use the ‘62’ s but they make ‘55’ s that I would use in the future. The Boveda packs keep the buds from completely drying out. I also vacuum seal my Mason jars but you need to wait until the buds are cured to vac seal or you will burst the trichomes.View attachment 292219
This picture is from Weedmaps, not mine…
Keep up the good work. I felt I was getting too wordy and lost my train of though so I am sure I left a lot out…

Man ! You made my day, thanks for the kind words. I thought my plants "pattern" worked out pretty good with a little LST and toppings (twice). I think people really need to understand that this grow is a "mini" grow with less than 100 watts of light and 1.5x1.5 feet of space (3 feet height limit as well). I was hoping folks would notice how well the plant trained so that the main tops are equal in height. This allows all of my tops to get 10-12 inches from the light and to take in the light they need. (The light is weak- but perfect for my space)

I think I'm getting the "bud thing" more and more, thank you for the picture. My confusion is mainly based on the big thick group of leaves that form on the bottom of the colas. I'm not sure if flowers hide under those leaves, or if they all get trimmed. I'll be harvesting in a few days and will post pics when I get my scissors out.

My training technique may need work, I let the seedling go to around 5-6 nodes, then I top it. I then bend the main stalk 90 degrees so that it is horizontal. I wind up with a capital T lying flat if that makes sense. I top the T again after a few more weeks.(the right and left branch of the T) When its time to transplant, I put this T shape into a 3-5 gallon cloth pot to the side (I don't plant in the middle) This allows the T to fill the pot perfectly and keeps the plant low. It also keeps the root ball further away from the middle to avoid overwatering when the plant is small. Anyway, that's my trick for now. I'd love to see other people "Patterns" that they use to train.

 

[bombtombadll]

I cut and hang upside down, pull fan leaves by hand with a quick snap, careful to never touch a wet bud, let dry 4 days with a fan on the last 2, always dry trim, jar lid off while trimming, burp 4x a day for 2 days, stems must have a good snap but cannot feel crispy on the outside, lid on jars, store in a wine chiller at 55F & 55%.
I’ve trimmed dried and cured every which way and letting the buds dry before trimming is crucial to keeping all the terpenes in the plant as possible. It’s why they stink so much when you trim. You are releasing the good stuff.

Drying and curing is what makes or breaks it.

Wet buds are VERY fragile.

Thanks again ! I used a paperbag last grow for drying as my winter humidity was 30%. After a few days drying in paperbags, I moved the buds to a gallon glass jar to have a little room for the first two weeks. (daily burping). I also like to keep the cure humidity a little higher than most as I like it to go nice and slow, around 65 for a month or so, slowly dropping to around 60. Let me know if I'm close to what your recommending here. I plan to cure for at least 2 months.

This grow I'm lucky and my humidity is right around 50% (68-70 degrees). I'll be hanging this grow upside down from my trellis net inside my grow cabinet. I turn the carbon filter/fan down to its lowest setting to keep air moving slightly, without over drying. (My oscillating grow fan by the plant will be turned off) I'm thinking the lowest setting on my AC afinity will move just the right amount of air to dry. Anyway, thats the plan...Stan.

I'm not proud and LOVE to have my hands held every step of the way. (I like hugging too) When I have my little trim party I need you guys and will be back to ask a million more questions. Thanks !!! Best forum ever...

 

[oldfogey8]

Man ! You made my day, thanks for the kind words. I thought my plants "pattern" worked out pretty good with a little LST and toppings (twice). I think people really need to understand that this grow is a "mini" grow with less than 100 watts of light and 1.5x1.5 feet of space (3 feet height limit as well). I was hoping folks would notice how well the plant trained so that the main tops are equal in height. This allows all of my tops to get 10-12 inches from the light and to take in the light they need. (The light is weak- but perfect for my space)

I think I'm getting the "bud thing" more and more, thank you for the picture. My confusion is mainly based on the big thick group of leaves that form on the bottom of the colas. I'm not sure if flowers hide under those leaves, or if they all get trimmed. I'll be harvesting in a few days and will post pics when I get my scissors out.

My training technique may need work, I let the seedling go to around 5-6 nodes, then I top it. I then bend the main stalk 90 degrees so that it is horizontal. I wind up with a capital T lying flat if that makes sense. I top the T again after a few more weeks.(the right and left branch of the T) When its time to transplant, I put this T shape into a 3-5 gallon cloth pot to the side (I don't plant in the middle) This allows the T to fill the pot perfectly and keeps the plant low. It also keeps the root ball further away from the middle to avoid overwatering when the plant is small. Anyway, that's my trick for now. I'd love to see other people "Patterns" that they use to train.

The leaves at the bottom of the bud(along with the leaves between the bracts) are sugar leaves. Depending on strain and conditions, those sugar leaves can have a lot of trichomes on them and are ideal for making hash. If you haven’t tried making dry ice hash, do it. Aside from getting dry ice, which can be a pain in the butt, it is quick and no water involved so no drying. Dry ice hash(keif really unless you press it) is pretty intense.

 

[bombtombadll]

The leaves at the bottom of the bud(along with the leaves between the bracts) are sugar leaves. Depending on strain and conditions, those sugar leaves can have a lot of trichomes on them and are ideal for making hash. If you haven’t tried making dry ice hash, do it. Aside from getting dry ice, which can be a pain in the butt, it is quick and no water involved so no drying. Dry ice hash(keif really unless you press it) is pretty intense.

I'm growing low odor strains hidden and there is no way I'll be able to make hash with my family around. I'm lucky to find a way to trim my buds without stinking up the house. I may try to make some edibles out of my trimmings, we'll see, but I've never had good luck with edibles.

While I have you, I see you grew Green Crack a while back. How strong was the odor in flower? The green crack strain is recommended as low odor by some breeders, but I wonder... I'll be on my third grow soon and was thinking of trying a different strain other than Northern Lights. (although I really love this strain) I wouldn't mind a strain without such a high leaf to flower ratio, that's my only complaint.

 

[oldfogey8]

I'm growing low odor strains hidden and there is no way I'll be able to make hash with my family around. I'm lucky to find a way to trim my buds without stinking up the house. I may try to make some edibles out of my trimmings, we'll see, but I've never had good luck with edibles.

While I have you, I see you grew Green Crack a while back. How strong was the odor in flower? The green crack strain is recommended as low odor by some breeders, but I wonder... I'll be on my third grow soon and was thinking of trying a different strain other than Northern Lights. (although I really love this strain) I wouldn't mind a strain without such a high leaf to flower ratio, that's my only complaint.

All my weed smells strong. My kid was driving down my street and knew I was trimming by the smell.

 

[bombtombadll]

All my weed smells strong. My kid was driving down my street and knew I was trimming by the smell.

Dammit I'm so jealous of you guys with the big grow spaces and stinky buds! It looks like I'll be a permanent Northern Lights grower until I can find another low odor strain.

 

[oldfogey8]

Dammit I'm so jealous of you guys with the big grow spaces and stinky buds! It looks like I'll be a permanent Northern Lights grower until I can find another low odor strain.

I don’t have a big grow space. I am not a big grower. Personal use only. I have grown in a 2x4 tent and a 3x3 tent. Stink as OGKushman pointed out is about terpenes. If you aren’t getting stinky bud, your terpene profiles are likely lacking. I smoked some Northern Lights in the Netherlands about 5 years ago. It was pretty stinky. Making dry ice hash is quicker than trimming(less than a half hour to go through my entire grows worth of trim) so if you you have the time to trim, you have the time to make hash.

 

[pute]

Good informative thread. Advise given here was spot on. Glad to see experienced growers chime in. Many times on other forums it is rookies giving other rookies bad advise.

 

[bombtombadll]

I don’t have a big grow space. I am not a big grower. Personal use only. I have grown in a 2x4 tent and a 3x3 tent. Stink as OGKushman pointed out is about terpenes. If you aren’t getting stinky bud, your terpene profiles are likely lacking. I smoked some Northern Lights in the Netherlands about 5 years ago. It was pretty stinky. Making dry ice hash is quicker than trimming(less than a half hour to go through my entire grows worth of trim) so if you you have the time to trim, you have the time to make hash.

Go to google, type "low odor strain". You'll see Northern Lights recommended in just about every list out there. The problem I have is I don't have anything to compare Northern Lights to. I've never grown any other strain.

My Northern Lights stinks. Week 8 and above, the odor is strong, my entire basement smells like "honey and weed" when cabinet doors are opened. I'm only growing one small plant as well, I can only imagine how bad the smell would get with more plants... BUT I would still call NL low odor compared to other strains, the honey smell is sweet and covers up most of the skunk smell.

 

[oldfogey8]

Go to google, type "low odor strain". You'll see Northern Lights recommended in just about every list out there. The problem I have is I don't have anything to compare Northern Lights to. I've never grown any other strain.

My Northern Lights stinks. Week 8 and above, the odor is strong, my entire basement smells like "honey and weed" when cabinet doors are opened. I'm only growing one small plant as well, I can only imagine how bad the smell would get with more plants... BUT I would still call NL low odor compared to other strains, the honey smell is sweet and covers up most of the skunk smell.

I will take your word for it. It is good your plants stink. I think I read that you have an exhaust system. A good charcoal filter will fix the stink(be sure you cats haven’t clawed pinholes in your exhaust hoses like what happened to me-I was sucking unfiltered air out of the tent and it took me a while to figure out why). You could trim sitting in front of your grow space to help minimize some of the stink(or I imagine that would kind of work).

 

[WeedHopper]

Just get a skunk and the neighbors won't know the difference.

 

[oldfogey8]

I have a couple of skunks that visit the yard. Had a bear visit my bird feeders last fall. 8 turkeys yesterday and one Tom I can feed from several feet away. Sorry to hijack. I will clam up now…

 

[bombtombadll]

Just get a skunk and the neighbors won't know the difference.

Nice idea ! I have a pet rabbit that is house trained, another reason my plant is hidden in a safe.

 

[bombtombadll]

I trimmed my smallest branch to practice on, I still have a few sugar leaves to trim, but I'm thinking this might be a bud.

1 branch half done, 20 or so to go, this is hard work! Let me know if I'm getting warm---

 

[bombtombadll]

This one was one of my medium colas and after trimming, it's weighing in at 1.7 oz wet. These things are monsters!

I lost steam around 4:00 am and still have a few to trim and a few to harvest (I left a few in the pot, I need to sleep.) Most are hanging to dry now at around 45% RH.

 

[oldfogey8]

The buds will lose about 75% of their weight when dried. The first branch you trimmed has one nice bud and 5 ‘popcorn’ buds. Many people use the ‘popcorn’ buds for making edibles or hash(because people get all stoked about big buds) but ‘popcorn’ smokes just fine in my opinion. I usually trim off the ‘popcorn’ and put those buds in a paper bag to dry(you need to gently move the ‘popcorn’ buds around occasionally as the buds exposed to air will dry but the ones not exposed will retain their moisture-maybe that is obvious but maybe not). They will dry out a lot more quickly than the big bud(again, obviously I think). If you are drying the buds in your grow area, you want to have the lights off. Light degrades the bud.

 

[WeedHopper]

Yep. Dry in a cool dark place and keep the humidity down.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

The temperature extremes in your attic will likely kill the plants. My attic can be anywhere from -10 F to 140 F depending on the season.

I just need a spot a few weeks this time of year to veg out my girls. I like to time it so that when the tent is available maybe six weeks or so I can take them out of the attic and put some in the tent for flower and the others outside. The veg area in my house is not tented and I can see myself running out of room as this grow I have extra plants because it’s a summertime grow. The temps in the attic now are almost to cool but I think the plants would adapt as we keep our house pretty cool too. The only problem is getting water up and down the ladder. Maybe a gallon or two at a time not the greatest in my knees.