1st Medical Grow, 3 Strains in 2x4 Hydrohut

[Macgyverup]

If anyone can share some details on curing and drying I would really appreciate it..not posted links but what actually works for you.... I have an arrangement to provide some of my nugs to a local dispensary, but I want them to be as quality as possible...

So far what I have found is this...

1. cut buds and main fans and either hang dry or rack dry with 40-60% RH until the stems snap with bending...(1-3 weeks)

2. Trim off all sugar leafs and manicure for curing...

3. place loosely into brown paper bags for 3-4 days until buds are almost completely dry

4. after bag dried, and no signs of wetness or mold, place buds into canning jars with RH digital meter... keep RH between 50 to 60% and burp the jars when humidity starts climbing out of that range...

5. Keep in jars and keep burping till buds are completely dry... (1-4 weeks or more)

Does this sound about right to everyone???

So the total drying curing process for Medical top shelf quality nugs is at least 1 month??? how long does it usually take...

I am in southern california, RH usually around 40% and temps inside usually between 70-85 degrees..

On my 1st test dry, it took at least 1 week for the bud to be just half dry...I am guessing about 2 weeks for the bigger cola's and up... curing for 1 week started to bring the good smell out and bad greeny smell away, but bud was still moist and not at top potential, what is average time for jar curing...

Also, do you get a better product rack drying or hang drying...I was thinking about gutting an old filing cabinet, taking the bottoms out of the drawers and replacing them with screen, installing a top extraction fan, and having some vent holes on the bottom...for a mild air circulation with no direct wind.... would I benifit or would it just be as good to hang with a circualtion fan?

Wow Ice all looks great! Congrats to you bro!!! I can just smell those beauties from here.

Check out my first jrnl (link below) I built a cabinet just as you describe which works great. It has detailed pics on how I built it. In the end I had to do it another way because I had way to much to fit. But what I did use it for worked. Just keep an eye on the rh and you'll be fine. Also get some small hygrometers. They make a huge difference. Takes the guess work out.

 

[Icemud]

July 10th, Day 47 of flowering... Went out to the hydro store and picked up an additional air stone, pump and bucket for running 2 separate nutrient mixes. One for my Blue dragon's which are within a week or 2 of harvest, and the other for the University Hill's OG and Chemband (which still have another month or so)

On July 8th I mixed up my 1st nutrient batch for the chemband and UVH OG which consisted of 4 gallons of distilled water, mixed to 3 gallon amounts. (Earthjuice, Grow 90ml, bloom 45ml, micro 30ml, catalyst 30ml, metak 22ml) with 40ml humic acid, 5tbsp of molassus, 6ml of Liquid carboload, 10ml botanicare cal/mag, 5ml snowstorm, 2ml of gravity) and 30ml of my naked bluemachine fruit smoothy. This mix has been bubbling for 2 days, probably will feed tomorrow depending on how moist the soil is.

Today in the second bucket, I mixed up my lighter feeding for the nearing completion blue dragons. Since they are less than a few weeks till harvest, I did not want to add any guano's or other nutrients because I want the plant to use up what is already in the soil. I only mixed up distilled water with soil amendments that will aid in existing nutrient uptake, not adding more. I mixed up 2 1/2 gallons of distilled water with 20ml of EJ catalyst, 30ml of humic acid, 6tbsp of molassus, 4ml of liquid carbo load, and added around 20ml of naked blue machine fruit smoothy. This also will be bubbled for at least 24 hours if not 48 hours.

The blue dragons are really starting to puff up, I believe there called false seed pods, looks like popcorning effect on the buds....Wow these babies are crystally and really thick now. I checked today with my 30x lupe to see how the trichomes are comming along and there still is only about 5 to 10% amber right now, so I know time is falling short, but still a week or 2 away from harvest. My chembands and university hill's ogs are now really thickening up as well as well as developing very heavy buds. Trichomes are everywhere on all 3 of the plants, I am sooo impressed!!!

I also switched back to the 400w MH with the 600w HPS for finishing. Since these last 2 weeks on the blue dragons are when the oils and resins are max produced, I wanted as many trichomes to form as possible, which the UV-b light from the MH will induce...

I am very happy with how everything is going...planning to build my drying box this week, thanks MacG for the ideas!!!

 

[Icemud]

Here are the photo's for July 10th, Day 47 of flowering.

Full Tent view

Blue Dragon Cola

Supercropped Chemband bud

Supercropped University Hill's OG

Blue Dragon Cola's Everywhere!!!

Blue Dragon comparison shot

Another Full Tent View

NugPORN of Blue Dragon!!

University Hill's OG nugporn

Sorry about the blur....Chemband Nug shot!

 

[Crower619]

Looking great ice straight mouth watering bro...Glad to see that blue dragon kicking ass an taking names lol...Good work nice fat dense girls

 

[DeerHunter33]

nice ice. fuking great

 

[Macgyverup]

Here are the photo's for July 10th, Day 47 of flowering.

..Nice bro! Things are looking great and soon you'll be from ear to ear, knowing that you did it!!!!

 

[DeerHunter33]

fukn nice!

 

[Icemud]

Today is Day 50 of flowering, July 13th,...

The ladies are looking really good but still not ready yet.... The blue dragons are beginning to "foxtail" but the trichomes are still mostly clear so I still have another week or so before harvest. NWGreen suggested harvesting in segments as buds develop, takeing them off and letting the lower bud sites mature, which sounds like a great idea, so most likely I will be doing this method with my blue dragons.

The blue dragon cola that I pulled 5 days ago is drying nicely, but still has quite a bit of moisture to release before jarring...see pics... I also pulled a small UVH og bud and a chemband bud to dry out and see how there tasting...and for more drying and curing practice. I tried a little of the blue dragon which still is too moist to burn, however, the flavor was excellent and did give me a fairly decent high for not being fully dry.. I think this will be a very impressive harvest!!

After my last feeding, with the addition of purple maxx to my blue dragons, I already am seeing the leaves begin to lose there green and the purple color starting to show thur on the blue dragons. I did not give this to the chemband or the UVH og because as far as I know, there is no natural purple color to these strains to bring out, so its pointless.

Other than the buds getting fatter, developing more trichomes and smelling stronger by the day, not much else to report today....enjoy the photos!!

 

[Icemud]

These are the photo's for day 50, july 13th... some I snuck in and shot before the lights came on this morning, so you are able to see the true color's better.


Chemband on middle and right, blue dragon on left

University Hill's OG's

Full tent view

Chembands, right and blue dragon's left

Blue Dragon's right, Chemband's left

Blue dragon cola

Some more blue dragon nug porn

Another shot of the blue dragon, notice the foxtails forming!!

Another full tent view

Blue dragon nug drying, 5 days so far, still lightly moist, stem not snapping yet

Another close up of drying blue dragon bud

Chemband bud I chopped off today for drying

University hill's og nug I chopped of this morning for drying

Full tent view with lights

University Hill's OG's left, Blue dragon's right

Blue dragon cola close up

Side view of tent

Chemband tops

University Hill's OG tops

 

[420GodsTrichome]

Dude, I can't even think of a compliment worthy!! YUUUMMMMMMMMMMM

 

[Macgyverup]

They're really starting to fatten up for you Ice! Frosty and getting denser every day. Must make you one happy Daddy!!!

 

[MrPink]

Good stuff. Thanks

 

[DeerHunter33]

HOLY SHIT // NICE BUDS!!!!!!

 

[Icemud]

Hey Everyone!! Thanks for all the kind comments and support! I can't believe I'm in the final stretch for the ladies... I tried the blue dragon that I had been drying for the past week and OMG, the taste is very sweet blueberryish and for being pulled very early, a heavy head high. I am really impressed so far at the samples of all 3 plant's that I have dried out and tasted. All have a very strong strong taste, more so than most clinic bought buds I have had recently (and these were not even cured yet!!!!)

Today, July 16th, Day 53 of flowering. The ladies are looking ever so fat and continue to get more smelly every day!!! Many of the blue dragon cola's have become so heavy that they are kind of supported by each other and I knew that I needed to add some additional support from above. The chembands and university hill's og's also were really becomming top heavy and so I tied up more of my "bud Puppets" lol in the show!!! I am a little concerned with my front right Chemband plant, many of the fan leaves have rapidly stared to lose there green and are becomming yellow, much faster than any of the other plants....I still am giving my regular feedings and nothing else is different with this plant, vs the others but it is really showing a lot of yellowing.

I inspected the leaves for any signs of pests, none. I did spot a fungus gnat or 2 in the lower canopy, which were instantly killed upon site. After watering today, the soil runoff was the same as all of the other plants...right around 6.5 which made me really happy, so I am hoping that it is just the nitrogen being used up, and nothing serious....but I am going to keep a close eye, and few gallons of distilled water ready in case she needs a flush...

I fed all the ladies today, and they seem otherwise to be doing very well. My blue dragons now are starting to lose the green in the leaves and turn purple, I am thinking this is because of the purple max I added last feeding. I still am not seeing very many amber trichomes, almost all are crystal clear. The blue dragons really have started to fox tail as well....which from what I read is a real good sign...I am thinking another week or 2 still...

The chemband's and UVH OG's are still going strong, but have quite a while longer to go, I still see many white hairs on both of the plants, and not many are ambering yet, and the buds are still not to that "swelling" phase yet, so I am guessing these still will have another month or so....but they smell so strong already, and got me extrememly medicated for a premature quick dry test...

Still haven't got around to making the drying cabinet yet, I am trying to figure out where in my place that it would fit, so I can custom build it to size...Hopefully this week I will start building...

 

[Icemud]

Here is the ladies peep show for today!!! July 16th, Day 53 of flowering...

Full Tent View...

University Hill's Og's

Chemband's

Blue Dragon

Close up of Blue Dragon

Side View of Blue Dragon's

Full Tent side view

University Hill's Og close up....

Chemband bud close up

Blue Dragon close up

Blue Dragon close up comparison

Look at this beautiful girl!!! blue dragon showing early foxtails

Another Chemband nug close up

Blue Dragon bud close up

University Hills OG's, Puppet style!!!

Chemband's...notice my front right one, the leaves look quite yellow!?

Full Tent view, blue dragon's middle.

 

[Xlr8]

Icemud - great looking plants - nice scrog! Love those Blue Dragons.

Sorry so late - can't believe I was missing this. Sweeeet nugs, brother.

 

[Crower619]

Almost there buddy patience grasshoppa, Your going to be very busy trimming just like me it took me almost a week to chop all the lemons an hang them lol still got the last plant I'm working on as we speak hahaha Congrats bro Much rep

 

[DutchDude]

Whenever I see your scrog it just reminds me of how inadequate mine is. . . I really wish that I would have had the time to organize mine better like yours.

It is looking really great Icemud! I can't wait to see the final results. Any plans for drying and curing?

 

[DeerHunter33]

thanks , dont ever give up!!!!!

 

[Macgyverup]

Wow, that's awesome. Can't wait to see you bring 'em on home.