Dark Period before harvest

[xGrimace]

My buds are chopped to shit my fingers are cut up cus I cant see what Im doing.

 

[xGrimace]

No im just kidding, my real question is why do you give a couple days of darkness before harvest if you just going to be trimming in the light?

 

[white.widowww]

its stresses the plant out and makes it think it gana die so it uses all of its power for flowering to try and live. some say it helps develop the tricoms. usually you do it for about 2 days some do longer but 2 days wil be just fine also remember not to inturupt the darkness in the 2 days otherwise u ruined it

 

[bigsteve]

I've never understood the "science" behind the idea that plants should get an extended dark period prior to harvest. It is MUCH easier to harvest and trim a plant that comes straight out of the light. If you leave a plant dark it will wilt and droop and make trimming a whole lot more difficult. BigSteve.

 

[qwizoking]

"the idea being amber/cloudy trichs that have finished producing won't degrade from your grow lights and let the trichs that haven't matured yet to do so... You normally harvest in the morning because its the beginning of the day period before strong sunlight come.., after 12 hr's of dark.... same concept as 2 days or whatever of darkness but not as long.....it does not stress the plant or anything crazy.....simply let's the clear trichs finish and the cloudy trichs to not degrade anymore"

 

[Jbone77]

The way I understood it, their was a study done somewhere and they found one of their white strains increased trich production if left in total darkness, lower temp and lower humidity. It was only one strain that did it and they didnt know why. I cant leave my plants alone for 2 hrs when theyre done let alone 2 days in total darkness without lookin, no way

 

[xGrimace]

I thought it had something to do with sugars or starches or carbs or something building up overnight making for a smoother tastier smoke?

 

[drolove]

nope just stresses the plant and it frosts up a little more. the process can take up to a week and not all strains are capable of doing this. ive done it many times and found it works better on some strains more than others. white widow being the most popular for having this trait.

 

[intenseneal]

I have always done this. 48 hours dark before harvest lets all the trichs finish up and the plant moves all remaining nutes to the roots and sugars to the flowers, it makes for smoother tastier smoke. Yes you trim in the light but not nearly as much as the plants get while flowering plus your plants should be dried by the time you trim. I cut all my plants at the base trim off all the large fan leafs then hang them to dry.

 

[xGrimace]

Yes you trim in the light but not nearly as much as the plants get while flowering plus your plants should be dried by the time you trim. I cut all my plants at the base trim off all the large fan leafs then hang them to dry.

plants should be dry before trimming or trim first then dry?

 

[mikebeezy]

You can trim before or after. I find it easier to trim before drying, as I have done both. The leaves get brittle and make it harder to get clean cuts after it dries but like I said all user preference. Theres a debate as to whether one or the other is better but just try both out and see what works for you.

 

[xGrimace]

So how much light is too much to trim in? Say I use 3 28w cfls to light a room, that ok or is the bud going to degrade right before my eyes?

 

[qwizoking]

In regular old fluorescent lighting you speed decomposition 40%....though that was in solution

 

[Nizza]

i used to do this but instead now i chop the majority of the plants, 2/3 , at whatever day i want like 60-70, then wait about 3-4 weeks, and do a second harvest of all the bottoms. If I want to i leave them in dark for a few days to a weekif i wanna finish them up

 

[ASMALLVOICE]

One thing to remember, even alter the plant has been chopped, the maturation process does not stop for quite a spell, kinda like after we die, our hair and fingernails still go for a bit. So please consider that when you chop, or the couch lock monster will spit on your weed.

Peace and Great Grows

Asmallvoice

 

[intenseneal]

plants should be dry before trimming or trim first then dry?

Buds should be dry before trimming. I never trim all the leaf off then dry my plants, they dry too fast. A slower dry and cure is better and makes for a smoother smoke. But that is just me and how I do things. Nothing good happens fast.

 

[mr2shim]

I've never seen any real information(facts) that it does anything so I don't bother.

 

[qwizoking]

Its a simple fact trichs degrade in light.. trichs also still produce in the dark....trichs stop producing when they turn cloudy....plant in dark allows non cloudy trichs to mature...and cloudy trichs to not turn amber which is horribly degraded.......pretty basic.....
Some plants aren't more prone to this than others, it does not stress them into thinking they are dying or any other stupid ideas......

Does it make a noticeable difference? Not really..unless you really think a trichome can mature in 3 days or whatever

 

[mr2shim]

Buds should be dry before trimming. I never trim all the leaf off then dry my plants, they dry too fast. A slower dry and cure is better and makes for a smoother smoke. But that is just me and how I do things. Nothing good happens fast.

Trimming after they dry is a pain in the ass. I did that 2 grows ago? and wow I regret doing that. They dry properly if you control temperature and humidity.

 

[xGrimace]

I trimmed a plant, took a couple days, by the second day I had enough after the leaves got wilted, very hard to trim then. I also believe you can control how fast or slow you dry with leaves on or not.