So 4 days ago I posted my harvest and last night I had to try some out, the smell was not as good as I had hopped and after smoking a bowl nothing happen. No buzz and it was as if I had nothing, I could not fall asleep so after a half hour I grabbed some I had bought and that did the trick. So why did my northern lights not turn out any good, was like smoking a cigarette and no flavor or aroma and after a Google search I read how cureing will bring back the smells and flavor will return. I hope so as I have one more plant that's about to be cut down and three GDP in seedling stage.
Northern lights not as I expected
- Thread starter vondetour
- Start date
hmm, well, potency does matter to the drying and curing process, but it's not everything. Pulling early is usually associated with ineffective bud.
The drying and curing process is an art.
It does look like you have a lot of bud in each jar. I would go closer to half full, or less. I use quart jars and lay them down, ends up being maybe an ounce or two in each. Fresh air at least a couple times a day. I use reusable boveda 62% dry packs. It's more work but the cure is better.
The drying and curing process is an art.
It does look like you have a lot of bud in each jar. I would go closer to half full, or less. I use quart jars and lay them down, ends up being maybe an ounce or two in each. Fresh air at least a couple times a day. I use reusable boveda 62% dry packs. It's more work but the cure is better.
I have been opening the jars 3 times a day for 15 minutes and last night night but as I said I do hope it get's better with age, I gave some a try because reading about the process people said you can smoke it before the cureing is done. Still reading about drying and cureing and I think temps is the issue. I had one plant in the tent and the only place to hang the NL was in the closet at 76 f and 68 RH, right now with the AC going the temp is 77 and 63RH so I need a room where it can stay 60/60 24/7.
For sure on the temps, if you can't cure the temps running a humidifer and occasional fan will help.
Cool cures don't just work better, they help prevent molds.
I am on my 8th/9th grows at the moment after a hiatus for quite a while.
Last time I used a 4x4 tent for drying with fresh air coming in, and an inline fan in a different tent sucked the air out of it, probably 100-200 CFM usually. You don't want to overdry, and even if it just results in quicker drying or less mold risk, I'd argue varying the humidity and fan control is more beneficial than a constant.
Here's a theoretical system.. I'll go for something like this, this time around, again in a tent
58RH 1 hour, oscillating fan runs maybe 10% of time; a few minutes, a few times per low RH hour.
65RH 3 hours, fan runs maybe 15% of time
repeat
The idea with the drying and curing process is to procure the moisture from the stems and leaves; over the process of a few weeks, while leaving some moisture in the bud, and ideally with continuity in the procurement of the plant's stored water. I think plenty of people might argue consistent 60/60 is the way to go but I've dealt with mold as well as the plant matter drying out to quickly. Like curing, I believe the maturation of thc properties to come from a combo of occasional fresh air/fanning combined with a majority of preservational time. Just my take.
Edit: also, I hang my plants with a lot of their leaves connected and usually fan decently aggressively the first day or two before beginning to cut off extra leaves. This gives the plant the chance to pull water from the leaves first without losing as much on the surface/outer parts of the buds.
Cool cures don't just work better, they help prevent molds.
I am on my 8th/9th grows at the moment after a hiatus for quite a while.
Last time I used a 4x4 tent for drying with fresh air coming in, and an inline fan in a different tent sucked the air out of it, probably 100-200 CFM usually. You don't want to overdry, and even if it just results in quicker drying or less mold risk, I'd argue varying the humidity and fan control is more beneficial than a constant.
Here's a theoretical system.. I'll go for something like this, this time around, again in a tent
58RH 1 hour, oscillating fan runs maybe 10% of time; a few minutes, a few times per low RH hour.
65RH 3 hours, fan runs maybe 15% of time
repeat
The idea with the drying and curing process is to procure the moisture from the stems and leaves; over the process of a few weeks, while leaving some moisture in the bud, and ideally with continuity in the procurement of the plant's stored water. I think plenty of people might argue consistent 60/60 is the way to go but I've dealt with mold as well as the plant matter drying out to quickly. Like curing, I believe the maturation of thc properties to come from a combo of occasional fresh air/fanning combined with a majority of preservational time. Just my take.
Edit: also, I hang my plants with a lot of their leaves connected and usually fan decently aggressively the first day or two before beginning to cut off extra leaves. This gives the plant the chance to pull water from the leaves first without losing as much on the surface/outer parts of the buds.
Blue_Focus
Well-Known Member
What did the trichomes look like when you harvested it? We're there still clear?
These are the trichomes on my Wedding Cake Auto. It has a ways to go. You want mostly white trichomes. I'm shooting for all white and some amber ones.
These are the trichomes on my Wedding Cake Auto. It has a ways to go. You want mostly white trichomes. I'm shooting for all white and some amber ones.
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Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
It didn’t look done. Final bulking / swell.
Plus seeing some PK deficiency ( serrated leaf edge ) symptoms.
Plus seeing some PK deficiency ( serrated leaf edge ) symptoms.
Well when I cut the plant I just hung it to dry and had a fan going 24/7 for 5 days then trimmed and put in glass jars, they one worrie was the 76-77 f temps. I got a moisture meter and checked a few buds and it shows 10.2-11. 8 so from the reading it dried to fast. I wish I had not started the three new plants now as summer is going to be very hot and dry.
trichomes were whiteish
That pic was from some time back, I'm thinking week 4-6 about.
Budzbuddha
Well-Known Member
Chlorophyll degrade needs proper drying time - up to 14 days ( as a guide line ). Not 5 days.
Proper dry time produces aroma , taste .
Put some hygrometers in jar to check ambient RH within . That will give you an idea of moisture .
Proper dry time produces aroma , taste .
Put some hygrometers in jar to check ambient RH within . That will give you an idea of moisture .
Blue_Focus
Well-Known Member
I forgot to mention, The leaves will turn white before the calyx will. Was the calyxs trichomes while or milky?
Needs to be looked at with a loupe or microscope to be really sure. You should also have some amber ones.
I do have hygrometers for each jar however i dried the plant 7 days.
Good to know, will check the calyxs on the other plant now.
medidedicated
Well-Known Member
Says NL auto in last post if thats an auto the auto really changes the strain. Exampe, chemdog auto by auto seeds, I should not judge chemdog by that plant.
I have a huge tolerance I only dab now and just always had tolerance even with weed which is why I dab.
Not all plants wow you I had 3 plants just not wow me. I think you said first grow so yea I wouldnt sweat it, lots of wow out there. Selective bean purchases.
The cure wont just make it wow all the sudden. I have a wow strain I mothered because its great but it also cures which is important too.
I just saw a guy win a cannabis up with un cured weed. Yea it makes it smooth smoking but notably my strain will change and double in aroma after cure.
It was super easy, 4-5 different batches most of them I figured out just need to jar later than I thought. Big reason why I mothered it, grew like 8 strains and only this one did it.
Nice thing about cloning and mothering, you can expect that again and again. No surprises. I had a couple autos smoke fine with no cure but they were just wow strains.
I have a huge tolerance I only dab now and just always had tolerance even with weed which is why I dab.
Not all plants wow you I had 3 plants just not wow me. I think you said first grow so yea I wouldnt sweat it, lots of wow out there. Selective bean purchases.
The cure wont just make it wow all the sudden. I have a wow strain I mothered because its great but it also cures which is important too.
I just saw a guy win a cannabis up with un cured weed. Yea it makes it smooth smoking but notably my strain will change and double in aroma after cure.
It was super easy, 4-5 different batches most of them I figured out just need to jar later than I thought. Big reason why I mothered it, grew like 8 strains and only this one did it.
Nice thing about cloning and mothering, you can expect that again and again. No surprises. I had a couple autos smoke fine with no cure but they were just wow strains.
I have so much to learn, my second plant is 3 weeks away from cutting and by stupid accident I started 3 GDP autos just as summer is starting and knowing the electric bill will go up a lot. I had planned on not growing till September when the electric bill is low and cheaper.
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
post some pictures of the plant you THINK is 3 weeks from harvest.
Boatguy
Well-Known Member
Those buds are still growing, new pistils everywhere and probably more coming.
You have much more than 3 weeks to go and it looks hungry.
Thundercat
Well-Known Member
personally I prefer photo plants. Yours looks decent, 4ish weeks will probably put you in the harvest window. The window is much wider than many people think. So don’t rush to chop them, it’s really hard to have plants get overly ripe.
chopping early is a huge reason many people don’t end up getting the flavor and smell they expect. Chopping early doesn’t let the plants build internal density which allows for a nice slow dry.
another overall consideration is phenotypes when growing from seed. Every plant from seed is different. So especially with autos that you can’t clone and keep the genetics, that makes seeds a crap shoot.
It's been in flower for 5 weeks and a little over 3 months since germination, you think more than 3 weeks.