A Week In The Dark?

[Camnibus]

Hi All,

I've tried a few days and haven't seen much difference. Now I read a whole week or even 2? And drowning them on top of it?

 

 

I'd rather not mess this run up, it's all I can do not to chop it now!

[pergamum362]

Great lookin nug..i wouldnt bother with the darkness and drowning etc etc...just make sure youve been flushing that thing..if its not ready now it should be soon..

[cristinew]

yes it also needs light to produce resin, a plant need both light and dark to do its job

[Shredder]

A week of dark will greatly increase your chances of getting molds......shredder

[Timmahh]

ive gone 3 days flooded in full dark. not sure it made much differance, but it seemed to dry faster, have a better end flavor than the one i didnt do anything too.

 

airflow is key if your flooding and using a long dark time. just keep air moving and mold should not be a worry.

 

im still new and trying different things.

 

but if your about ready to cut it down, flush it well for a week prior. then 3 days before you chop, just cover it up, or put it in a place that wont get any light in it. 3 days later chop chop.

[The Digital Nomad]

Happy plants make the best medicines. I have tried the 36 hour darkness prior to harvest and just harvesting before the lights come on. The idea behind the 36 hours of darkness is this, during the dark phase all the plant activity is root related. While the plant does not have light for plant energy to grow bigger,to grow foliage, etc it is chemically maturing in the trichromes.

You want to cut the plant down before the lights come on, because when the lights come on - the plant is going to start taking water and nutrients from the soil/root up into the buds and leaves.

 

Now, I just harvest before the lights come on. Since I run a perpetual grow, I cannot shut the room down for 36 hours, nor will I move a mature flowered plant 6' tall in a 10 gallon pot! both have same result. so save yourself 36 hours.

 

Besides flushing for about 7 days (remember the amount of flush will depend on the amount of nutes you might use, I do a Feed,water,water routine so 7 days seems perfect for flush) the last few days, you should let the pot dry out. Less water in the soil, roots, means less water that will have to be released by drying the plant. You still have to be sure not to over water, I believe that if you suffocate the roots, plant activity stops, this also means maturation of your 'chemistry'. usually at this point of plant stage, before harvest - it should almost be root bound in the pot, so the extra watering will be accepted by the plant. you don't have to worry much about root rot from being too wet now, as you will be harvesting the plant in just a few days...

 

I recommend leaving buds on 12" sections of stem, water is still travelling in the drying plant - as the outside of the bud is drying first, the inner part of the plant still pushes moisture to the outside areas. Controlling this process is how you prevent it from drying too fast and tasting minty or grass-like. After about 5 days, you can see the small stems have dried and changed color from the main stem, you can now cut the buds off the 12" stems and place in a box or back on the rack.

 

Drying too fast is almost the next common problems I see, besides 'wet' marijuana. You can tell by looking at the pistils sometimes - they will still be white or grey - they dried before they could change color.

 

DN

Edited November 8, 2011 by The Digital Nomad