When should I chop

[H.A.F.]

decide if the dark period is bro or real science.

Here's an example - it's is a pretty standard assumption that thin leaf sativa leaners or true sativa like less light in flower, like 10-11 hours instead of 12 - not less intensity. I could be because of the point of origin, but who knows. But if it is widely accepted as fact among trusted growers, the bro-science factor doesn't really matter. You could run a hundred tests before you find the exact thing that it helps and why, or never figure it out - but if it works it works. Science be damned - the fact that we don't understand why doesn't change anything

 

[H.A.F.]

As far as the colors, I think primarily it's your genetics. There are some that will stay green - period.
I think secondarily the fluctuation between day and night temps does more to kick them off than anything. Not necessarily colder overall, but a larger spread between lights on and lights off -which usually happens in winter.
Then there are some that will change color regardless.

 

[619KGB]

Another thing I have been doing is actually reducing water at the end altogether so my flowers aren't super wet going into cure. This reduces mold and PM from being an issue in a less than perfect curing environment.

I grow in soil with the enzymes myco ect and top dress the plant regulates what it can handle and helped with the microbes. I look at it like your body your mouth chops ups the food and saliva is the first part of the break down (initial soil mix) then the stomach does another round of break down with acids ect. The upper/lower gi tract is where the metabolism into the blood stream occurs (myco and enzymes convert to food for the plant). The finer the granularity of the soil mix top dressing the more surface area think coffee grounds for espresso. Then I use tps signal and terps for in my waterings throughout flower easy peasy. Tps 1 actually speeds up flower so I can shave a week or so off.

Every day really counts and once you're into flower your don't get them back. The recommended days is a window the rate of new white hairs swelling stacking bud and cloudy to amber tricomes is a pace the plant gets or sets in its marathon. If you're provide everything without overdoing or stress it make things much more predictable.

 

[H.A.F.]

Another thing I have been doing is actually reducing water at the end altogether so my flowers aren't super wet going into cure. This reduces mold and PM from being an issue in a less than perfect curing environment.

On the flip-side, I have lower rH in general. Mid-summer, stormed like hell last night, and I'm looking at 59% inside right now. I actually water before I chop so that the drying can stretch out a bit.

 

[H.A.F.]

With my rH at 59% and the AC set at 72F, I could leave stuff on the coffee table to cure and it would be fine if it was dark. Once I realized this I got a lot less hurried about getting the stuff into the jars.

 

[wierdly]

As far as the colors, I think primarily it's your genetics. There are some that will stay green - period.
I think secondarily the fluctuation between day and night temps does more to kick them off than anything. Not necessarily colder overall, but a larger spread between lights on and lights off -which usually happens in winter.
Then there are some that will change color regardless.

I have seen this color fade on my wedding cake s1...in winter months she tunrs all purple by the end of the eighth week, my house temp drops in the 60s at night, it heats up to the 70s daytime. the summer stays around 74 at night and hits around 78 in the day ac running ful blast all day. Shes green all the way even if i take her to ten weeks.

 

[VAHomegrown]

I notice a noticeable jump the terp level after 36hrs of darkness. Just make sure you do not water before the darkness. I would never go back to chopping before lights on again.

 

[wierdly]

With my rH at 59% and the AC set at 72F, I could leave stuff on the coffee table to cure and it would be fine if it was dark. Once I realized this I got a lot less hurried about getting the stuff into the jars.

I ve monitored my rh in the winter with no heat/Ac and it can hover right at 62% for days if no rain. That s how I pulled off afew nice"lucky" harvests. One day of rain or a boiling pot of water it can spike in the upper 70s. I tried to turn off ac to get some fall colors on some big single colas of 79 Xmas tree bud I got from Useful. They ended up getting bud rot. I saw the leaves had been sweating over night but didnt catch it until a couple of days later when I posted pics on the other forum. After that I started over drying every thing to make sure I didnt get any mold. Now its the green flavor. The trick is to dry slow enough to eat up the clorophyl with out getting any mold and get them dry enough to go in jars and keep them seled til they cure. I also think over burping can oxidize the weed and it turns brown...had that happen too! one thing is for sure, its hard to get it right, If you found somthing that works cositantly, stick too it!

 

[wierdly]

I notice a noticeable jump the terp level after 36hrs of darkness. Just make sure you do not water before the darkness. I would never go back to chopping before lights on again.

I have seen other comments on this forum , they will be in the dark when they get chopped. It does make me think

 

[H.A.F.]

I also think over burping can oxidize the weed and it turns brown...

I can't fathom this one. Unless burping means you left the clear jar in the light for an extended period - with or without the lid off. Some strains will brown up and some won't but light is the main factor in that. I think that's genetics too. Purple leaves seem to fade to brown quicker than purple buds. Had a diesel that was fluorescent green and orange until I smoked the last bud months later.

 

[619KGB]

On the flip-side, I have lower rH in general. Mid-summer, stormed like hell last night, and I'm looking at 59% inside right now. I actually water before I chop so that the drying can stretch out a bit.

Good point I'm mostly referring to when its recommended to flush until water flows throughout the pot like you have kidney stones. I'm seeing similar levels 85/50 requires a lot of air flow to knock it down and I just make sure the top 1.5 in of soil is moist in the am/pm.

 

[NoWaistedSpace]

I'm of the opinion you will get most colors with flushing. I'm in hydro and can get colors dropping ppm easily. I was in a 7 day power outage and the leaves barely yellowed

Temp "fluctuation" is what brings on the most extreme color changes and terp and other oil production. Ask Mr. Jodrey about the subject.
If your plants roots stay around 50 degrees, it goes pretty much dormant and stops growing. lol
10 to 20 degrees temp swings of the plant material above ground is the best method. But don't take my word for it, I'm just a 40+ years of growing weed newbie. lol
K.I.S.S.
The theory of flushing, you are trying to remove Chlorophyll out of the cells which should just lighten your product. Years ago, you couldn't get a plant to turn colors unless it was built into the genetics.

 

[DET—PDX]

Do you have a link to their study or at least the testing they are doing. I’m all for learning more about this.

I cant give out steadfast’s old records. There is a bunch of youtube Vids with PSI Labs results and maybe a few journals I’ll get back to you.

 

[DET—PDX]

Temp "fluctuation" is what brings on the most extreme color changes and terp and other oil production. Ask Mr. Jodrey about the subject.
If your plants roots stay around 50 degrees, it goes pretty much dormant and stops growing. lol
10 to 20 degrees temp swings of the plant material above ground is the best method. But don't take my word for it, I'm just a 40+ years of growing weed newbie. lol
K.I.S.S.
The theory of flushing, you are trying to remove Chlorophyll out of the cells which should just lighten your product. Years ago, you couldn't get a plant to turn colors unless it was built into the genetics.

Cannabis Flushing Research Study

In our research study, RX Green Technologies evaluated the effects of different flushing times on chemical profile, flavor, and smoke of cannabis flower.

www.rxgreentechnologies.com

The non flushed cannabis exhibits little statistically significant difference in nutrient content of buds/leaves. Iron was significantly higher in flushed cannabis. Iron is involved in chlorophyll breakdown, so what flushing does is deprive your plant of its energy gathering organs: chlorophpasts. This promotes senescence or ‘fall survival strategies’. It will force the plant to finish and fade, Thats my summary. This article suggests why flushing may promote less chlorophyll in finished product.

 

[Zaphod420]

Cannabis Flushing Research Study

In our research study, RX Green Technologies evaluated the effects of different flushing times on chemical profile, flavor, and smoke of cannabis flower.

www.rxgreentechnologies.com

The non flushed cannabis exhibits little statistically significant difference in nutrient content of buds/leaves. Iron was significantly higher in flushed cannabis. Iron is involved in chlorophyll breakdown, so what flushing does is deprive your plant of its energy gathering organs: chlorophpasts. This promotes senescence or ‘fall survival strategies’. It will force the plant to finish and fade, Thats my summary. This article suggests why flushing may promote less chlorophyll in finished product.

Im torn... I like both arguments to flush or don't flush.

 

[DET—PDX]

Im torn... I like both arguments to flush or don't flush.

Do you want more Color Is the question. Yield and potency was the same except 14 day flushed cannabis actually yielded a bit more. Its possible senescence actually drives the plant into even more bud production. Im also a fan of one and only one drought stress In week 8.

 

[Zaphod420]

Do you want more Color Is the question. Yield and potency was the same except 14 day flushed cannabis actually yielded a bit more. Its possible senescence actually drives the plant into even more bud production. Im also a fan of one and only one drought stress In week 8.

Oh right on DET—PDX. Hmmmm, so if I am figuring this right the last 14 days you would save time and $ on not having to mix and use any nutes and just feed your plants water. And it provides a more colorful fade and possibly a quicker dry/cure seeing it also eats a bunch of chlorophyll in the leaves during the flush giving you a bit of a head start going into your dry/cure and yield and potency will still be the same. I think I might have just become PRO FLUSH.

 

[treefarmercharlie]

Oh right on DET—PDX. Hmmmm, so if I am figuring this right the last 14 days you would save time and $ on not having to mix and use any nutes and just feed your plants water. And it provides a more colorful fade and possibly a quicker dry/cure seeing it also eats a bunch of chlorophyll in the leaves during the flush giving you a bit of a head start going into your dry/cure and yield and potency will still be the same. I think I might have just become PRO FLUSH.

Flushing in a hydro grow is very different than flushing a soil grow. Flushing a soil grow is what is total BS. I’m personally not sure about how it works with hydro, because the chemistry and feeding mechanism is so different.

 

[H.A.F.]

and it provides a more colorful fade and possibly a quicker dry/cure seeing it also eats a bunch of chlorophyll in the leaves during the flush giving you a bit of a head start going into your dry/cure

Somewhere they were talking about weed going brown in the jar. Flushing and supposedly making the chlorophyll exit more rapidly than normal could be a pre-cursor to weed not lasting as long in a jar.

 

[DET—PDX]

Flushing in a hydro grow is very different than flushing a soil grow. Flushing a soil grow is what is total BS. I’m personally not sure about how it works with hydro, because the chemistry and feeding mechanism is so different.

Cannabis Flushing Research Study

In our research study, RX Green Technologies evaluated the effects of different flushing times on chemical profile, flavor, and smoke of cannabis flower.

www.rxgreentechnologies.com

This link is a coco flushing journal. If iron uptake was enhanced during soil-less flush, and the other nutrients showed no difference between 0 day and 14 day flushes, its possible that soil abundant in nutrients and microbes may follow a similar pattern as the flushing leaches mobile nutrients like Nitrogen. Or theres enough free nutes/microbe life to keep sustaining the plant. No idea, either way it’s not proven to enhance anything except finishing color, if done improperly it could ruin the buds. Non flushed was actually perceived as better tasting.