Sun drying to continue THC production?

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
If you aren't giving them direct light they can live for a surprisingly long time without being watered. I have a bunch of bonsai plants in 4" rockwool cubes that I decided to get rid of on Tuesday. I moved them to a table that wasn't getting direct light and they're still looking healthy. I noticed one was finally wilting last night.
We’re talking harvested plants man. Cut and flipped upside done with no access to water
 

Agronut

Well-Known Member
You asked a kind of oddball question and 7 or 8 long term growers all piped in and said they didn’t think it was a good idea. No need to be testy or butthurt about the responses. It’s a conversation, it doesn’t t need to be a pissy back and forth debate just because we all grow, harvest, dry, and cure (or don’t cure) differently.
Maybe someone who also sun dries and is pleased with the result will chime in but unlikely.
Maybe if we had a Mexican highland growers forum, sun drying was popular in those regions and some old heads still swear they loved some of that stuff more than anything around today.
yeah, you get it, there are plenty of people in the world who do this and the product is great…I’ve traveled and try to smoke local flavs everywhere I go…and I already knew my question defied what most of us know learn and abide by, exactly why I asked it here. And I was happy for the responses, excluding DudofSuds who obviously just wanted to joust rather than contribute.
 

Agronut

Well-Known Member
We’re talking harvested plants man. Cut and flipped upside done with no access to water
you are correct, obviously, but the intracellular functions are still occurring for 48-36 hours after chop. I mentioned that in my original post. Trichs continue to degrade and amber all the way during a long cure too.
 

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
you are correct, obviously, but the intracellular functions are still occurring for 48-36 hours after chop. I mentioned that in my original post. Trichs continue to degrade and amber all the way during a long cure too.
Trichomes don’t become THC rich after you harvest them. Otherwise we could harvest whenever we wanted to.
Short answer. You cannot dry in the sun. The plant will not continue to grow once it’s chopped. Essp in the sun. The only way it remains alive is with some sort or environmental assistance. This is bad info to spread for novice growers. There is a reason we dry in complete dark and cool surroundings.
 

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
you are correct, obviously, but the intracellular functions are still occurring for 48-36 hours after chop. I mentioned that in my original post. Trichs continue to degrade and amber all the way during a long cure too.
that’s about the only thing they do over time
 

twentyeight.threefive

Well-Known Member
i sort of disagree… and LordH, this isnt specific for you but in general I’ve heard the same for years, but my experience has been 2-3 days in the sun then 7-10 days of normal drying actually IMPROVED the quality….I wanted to hear more from those with experience rather than the usual “its terrible” commentary.
So much for those advanced science degrees...
 

bk78

Well-Known Member
I have a question, but wanted to share first that I have been growing indoor and out for over 35 years in multiple states/environments/strains, and have three advanced science degrees:

if you chop a plant early (for whatever reasons), and the plant cells in the buds all continue to function for 3-4 days after being chopped, why would drying for 2-3 days in the sun be a BAD thing? Yes I understand how UV breaks down THC and yes I know you’d lose terpenes and flavor, but in theory if you hung your cut branches with buds in the sun for at least a couple of days they’d continue maturing just like the would’ve if still attached to the plant, minus water uptake, Turgor pressure and respiration of course. The cells in the buds should continue to respond to the sun by producing more resin to protect the calyx, and the cannabanoids should continue to convert into THC and CBN for at least for a couple of days…correct? I’ve hung plants outside in the sun for a week and it seemed to be more potent than the same plant grown in my growroom….why? I wish some cannabis production company would try more experiments like this, because in many other countries they do sun dry exclusively and the weed is awful looking but of incredible potency.
Anyone experimented with sun drying (or partial) and if so what were your results?
I have multiple degrees as well

here’s one

7AC2C9DB-375E-4A3B-B689-55A9EC63877A.jpeg
 

Lordhooha

Well-Known Member
you are correct, obviously, but the intracellular functions are still occurring for 48-36 hours after chop. I mentioned that in my original post. Trichs continue to degrade and amber all the way during a long cure too.
Where temperature and humidity are both highly influential to cannabis degradation, high exposure to UV light and oxygen can perhaps cause the highest rates of degradation in the shortest time frame. UV rays can break down organic matter at a rapid rate, causing cannabinoid degradation and loss to occur. This process can only be slowed by limiting light exposure to cured flowers. Elevated exposure to oxygen can also cause rapid cannabinoid degradation. THC, when left in highly oxidized environments, will convert more rapidly to CBN, which is why it’s important to control both oxygen levels and RH when curing cannabis buds.
 

Agronut

Well-Known Member
Yeah, ok thanks. Wow this board has become a nice little place to hang out. Take a look at my previous posts, I know how to grow and yes I do have degrees (not that it matters on a msg board). There are a lot of reasons one might want to harvest a plant/crop kind of early, especially outdoor and I happen to grow a LOT outdoor. Some things that come to mind are rainstorms, coming frost, PM issues near harvest, etc, a LOT of reasons to harvest early and again, I only ASKED if anyone had ever tried it, because I had. Never gave advice to noobs, never said it was good or bad, never tried to influence anyone I just ASKED. I already knew when to harvest, I already know it isnt ideal and I understand why you shouldn’t but thought I’d just ask. Thanks
 

Herb & Suds

Well-Known Member
You asked a kind of oddball question and 7 or 8 long term growers all piped in and said they didn’t think it was a good idea. No need to be testy or butthurt about the responses. It’s a conversation, it doesn’t t need to be a pissy back and forth debate just because we all grow, harvest, dry, and cure (or don’t cure) differently.
Maybe someone who also sun dries and is pleased with the result will chime in but unlikely.
Maybe if we had a Mexican highland growers forum, sun drying was popular in those regions and some old heads still swear they loved some of that stuff more than anything around today.
To be fare
Like many regions and grow styles it was often based on what was available
If ya live in a desert climate and the most economical way to dry and cure is chop it and let it sit in the sun , that is what ya do

I personally have dried pounds in the sun under window glass , the results were less than inspiring
I have also dried under tarps
Why… cause that was what was available
I even dried in an old tobacco barn
This is not tobacco
Temps were to high and fluctuating humidity
Ultimately I found building a room and controlling the environment was the best answer
Ultimately we all learned to work with what we had but I never found an increase in anything using a sun dry method
 

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
There are a lot of reasons one might want to harvest a plant/crop kind of early, especially outdoor and I happen to grow a LOT outdoor. Some things that come to mind are rainstorms, coming frost, PM issues near harvest, etc, a LOT of reasons to harvest early and again
Sounds like you practice harvesting early often. You see a storm coming and you harvest before it even hits huh?
 

twentyeight.threefive

Well-Known Member
I only ASKED if anyone had ever tried it, because I had. Never gave advice to noobs, never said it was good or bad, never tried to influence anyone I just ASKED. I already knew when to harvest, I already know it isnt ideal and I understand why you shouldn’t but thought I’d just ask. Thanks
To be fair, you didn't ask if other people did this... You asked why it would be bad. Then followed up with reasons why you think it wouldn't be.

why would drying for 2-3 days in the sun be a BAD thing?
People gave you reasons it's not a good idea and then you got butthurt that the responses didn't align with what you wanted to hear.

But hay, enjoy that early harvested sun dried fire.
 

Agronut

Well-Known Member
To be fair, you didn't ask if other people did this... You asked why it would be bad. Then followed up with reasons why you think it wouldn't be.



People gave you reasons it's not a good idea and then you got butthurt that the responses didn't align with what you wanted to hear.

But hay, enjoy that early harvested sun dried fire.
yeah, i guess that’s sort of what I did. That’s because I know the buds are still technically alive for 2-3 days after chopping and because I’ve tried a lot of shitty looking weed from other countries, especially in the 80s-90s from Mexico that was sun dried and often it kicked my ass. For the record, I don’t dry in the sun, actually in my special little dark room, light breeze, perfect temps and even humidity control, my product turns out great. I’m about to chop the rest of my outdoor in a few days now and won’t be drying it in the sun.
 

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
yeah, i guess that’s sort of what I did. That’s because I know the buds are still technically alive for 2-3 days after chopping and because I’ve tried a lot of shitty looking weed from other countries, especially in the 80s-90s from Mexico that was sun dried and often it kicked my ass. For the record, I don’t dry in the sun, actually in my special little dark room, light breeze, perfect temps and even humidity control, my product turns out great. I’m about to chop the rest of my outdoor in a few days now and won’t be drying it in the sun.
But it’s the most potent way. If your such a firm believer. How come your not doing it? Rather telling other people it’s a good idea?

and you got scientific evidence that’s plant with no water supply or high rh continues to grow for three days? Lmfao. Because iv dried in a shed and had bud ready to smoke in 3 days lol
 

A.k.a

Well-Known Member
I think the easiest way to resolve this is, would you even notice 3 days worth of growth?

Idk for sure but it seems like three days wouldn’t be enough time to make the bud noticeably stronger at any stage. Like if you chop at 56 days or 60 days there’s not gonna be much difference.
 

Agronut

Well-Known Member
But it’s the most potent way. If your such a firm believer. How come your not doing it? Rather telling other people it’s a good idea?

and you got scientific evidence that’s plant with no water supply or high rh continues to grow for three days? Lmfao. Because iv dried in a shed and had bud ready to smoke in 3 days lol
yeah, I took botany, cytology, mycology, microbial and molecular genetics and multiple organic chem, biochemistry and microbiology classes as I obtained multiple advanced college degrees. Also, read these (rather dated) articles:




 
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