24-48 hour darkness before cutting

I have read somewhere about leaving the plants in 24-48 hours darkness before you cut them down. Does anybody know anything about this or what it does to the plants. I have read that it will increase the trichromes I believe. Can someone validate the truth or myth behind this and what really happens?

In nature plants do not get this when left outdoors, so why would doing something like this have a positive effect on MJ? Just curious more than anything.

I too have read plenty about this. Some very reputable sources have stated that 36 hours of darkness is the happy medium, ending that dark period with the harvest. It supposedly sends the plant into final survival mode, hopefully resulting it the plant making one last "push" to find pollen. Of course, the adverse effect may be hermaphroditizing your plant. Instead you could try using Gravity, by Humboldt Nutrients. It, chemically, sends this same signal to the plant. It is comparable to the plant experiencing the first frost outdoors.

It's pretty cold here tonight where I am, would that do the same thing you think? I am not sure that 36 hours of darkness is enough time to produce any seeds of any significance if it were to produce any at all.

Thanks for the explanation though regarding the process of the plant.

No you are right, it won't produce seeds that fast but if the plant takes the signal as a hermaphrodite catalyst, it won't be productive for your potency either, but nothing ventured nothing gained. If possible I would try that, leaving it in the cold for the last night. If it is freezing, the plant will begin the process of dying, but again it cannot hurt you at this point, and you might find it to be much more "frosted" in trichomes afterwards. I had a friend that did this a coule weeks ago actually. It was only in the 40s fahrenheit at the time but he swore the plant pushed out more trichomes. I didn't get to see the before and after results, I just know it didn't ruin his plant.

They will produce more trichs but, not over night. It may take 2 weeks of cold for a reaction. The plant protects it self by kicking out res.

i did it for the first time on some autos and i really didnt see a differance but i did notic the the plant had what look like rain drops of water on some of the leave. but these plant had a shit load of chromie already. so ill probly do it again but i was puzzeled about the water drop lets though.

It should be a mixture of things towards harvest time, start flushing with cold water PH'd high at like 7.5-8.0 2 weeks before harvest. Lower the temps in the grow area if possible then a good 36 hrs of dark or more before chop.

This is how I prefer to do it at least, not only do you get a final surge in resin production but the cold high PH'd water will help keep the plants from taking up any more nutes that are left in the growing medium that flushing does not get rid off. Follow with a proper dry and cure as certain processes are still taking place in the plant long after you chop and you will have some great smoke.

Damn, I never thought of watering with high pH water for flush. Where did you get the idea, that seems really clever.

And I have read to do 72 hours of dark,,,,,,anybody else?

When your right before harvest the length of dark is speculative there no concrete evidence that it really does anything just a "theory". On how this theory is based and how it should work due to biological processes you would want at least 36hrs of dark for it to possibly have any effect. Anything shorter than that will probably not cause any change what so ever. Anything longer than that may work even better who knows. Since this takes place right before you chop though even it is a long dark cycle like 72 hours or even more possibly it should not really have any negative effects on quality or yield etc. as you would normally be chopping the plant and hanging it to dry in the dark anyways.