Carestaker's - Hybrid LED / HPS Powered 4x4 - Various Strains

[CareStaker]

I've only had that one full-on hermie experience with my Cotton Candy. I've had a Jamaican and the Panamas that started to spit out some scattered nanners, but the CC just tipped all the way - big fat clusters like yours. They just came too fast to even think of managing.

I think if you get in there and really take a look, you'll find they're everywhere, or will be in a couple days. I pulled mine carefully, chopped it down to branches and submerged them in a sinkfull of water first. Then let 'em dry and trimmed it down from there. The water will ruin the pollen.

It was a small harvest, but the bud was good.

[Edit] I just checked - my CC went hermie at 38 days after the flip. (Also had a loadie moment and referred to the wrong plant - fixed that. )

Thanks for the advice, GT. That sounds like a good plan. Im'a chop that thing in a couple of hours.

 

[TheBoogyman]

Man I hope none of mine hermie, I always stress out a out light leaks.

 

[CareStaker]

Man I hope none of mine hermie, I always stress out a out light leaks.

I hope so too. Just check your timer if your bumping around in it's area. I now check it every time I button down for the night.

 

[Lester Freeman]

Don't forget, humans have transformed a monoecious species into a dioecious species. So sometimes it's hard to suppress millions of years of plant evolution. But we do a pretty damn good job in general...it's really a reminder of just how ancient and beautifully adaptive that the cannabis species is, when I see a full blown flowering female put out strategic pollen sacks like that. It sure is a sight to see, although unwanted for the grower. We can see the results of millions of years of plant evolution trying to perform the most advantageous reproduction method found in nature.

 

[TheBoogyman]

hey care, what's your method for drying and curing. can you take me through your harvest steps? my buds seem to dry pretty quickly but the stems retain more moisture. i think it may be because of cfl lighting and the buds being a little more airy but i'm not sure.

 

[CareStaker]

Don't forget, humans have transformed a monoecious species into a dioecious species. So sometimes it's hard to suppress millions of years of plant evolution. But we do a pretty damn good job in general...it's really a reminder of just how ancient and beautifully adaptive that the cannabis species is, when I see a full blown flowering female put out strategic pollen sacks like that. It sure is a sight to see, although unwanted for the grower. We can see the results of millions of years of plant evolution trying to perform the most advantageous reproduction method found in nature.

I feel better and happier after reading your post. Thank you, for this Lester.

 

[CareStaker]

hey care, what's your method for drying and curing. can you take me through your harvest steps? my buds seem to dry pretty quickly but the stems retain more moisture. i think it may be because of cfl lighting and the buds being a little more airy but i'm not sure.

Hey TBM. I'll try to describe what I do. First, denser mass, will dry slower. Leaving them on the stem, will slow down the drying, so airy buds should certainly be hung to dry on the stem. I can feel and taste the difference, in anything that dries in less than 4-5 days, so I look at the average RH around the time of harvest, and plan accordingly. If it's lower than 40-50%, the bud will likely dry too fast. I can compensate by closing the the lid to my cheapie drying box, to increase the RH inside the area that the buds will drying.

Here's a good rule of thumb. If average RH is 40%, you will need 4 days, plus 1. If average is 60%, you will need 6 days, plus 1. This is just a guide, but it works pretty well. You can add or subtract a day or two, if the bud is above or below average density. When you have a plan, let the plant dry out a bit, and then chop.

I chop, then do a pretty comprehensive trim, and then wash, then hang, then jar. If washing is new to you, there is a good thread for washing, here LINK

A picture of a home made box, with vents, and lid to help increase/decrease RH.

For Curing:
I wait till a medium sized bud, is crispy on the outside and spongy on the inside. I do NOT wait for the stem to snap. I think in my area, that that is just too dry. If some of the small buds start to get too dry, I'll clip just those, from the stem, and leave the larger ones to dry more. Once dry enough for the curing jars, I fill up quart containers, about 1/2 to 3/4 of the way. I leave the lids off for the first day, as I jar pretty early (not a snapping stem). I pick up the jars often, and roll them on the side to rotate and aerate the spaces between the nugs. When they stop sticking to each other, and 'roll'. I start with the lids, and leave them on for a few hours at a time, and then burp them. I keep rolling & burping, till I'm down to 63-65% or so, and then I pop in a Boveda pack, and then just burp whenevs.

I'm sure that there are better ways, but this works for me. When I pull a bud after months of cure, it feels like dry furry velvet on the outside, and spongy on the inside. I hope there's something helpful in this wall-O-text. Peace brother.

 

[TheBoogyman]

sweet, that did help. thanks man. maybe i'll just use an old cardboard grow box as my drying room now. as for washing, do you think it makes a big difference? i could definitely see dust somehow getting into the buds especially in my apartment. maybe i'll try it out.

 

[CCOiler]

CONGRATULATIONS ON "NOTM", subscribe Sir. I will be going back to read your journal and learn all I can from you. See you soon.


"NOTM"

 

[Graytail]

Ditto!

Congratulations for the runaway win in NOTM!

 

[danknessdude]

Amazing journal Staker! I want to smoke what you smoke!

 

[B A R]

CONGRATS CareStaker

 

[CareStaker]

sweet, that did help. thanks man. maybe i'll just use an old cardboard grow box as my drying room now. as for washing, do you think it makes a big difference? i could definitely see dust somehow getting into the buds especially in my apartment. maybe i'll try it out.

Washing, is the healthier, and safer way bro. That thread has tons of info in it. Better taste, cleaner, safer, better cure....stop me when you find one you like Try it, it's great.

CONGRATULATIONS ON "NOTM", subscribe Sir. I will be going back to read your journal and learn all I can from you. See you soon.
"NOTM"

A great big, THANK YOU! And, 60cal great to have you here. I hope to also learn something from you, thanks bro!

Ditto!

Congratulations for the runaway win in NOTM!

Thank YOU GT.
You've been in my corner the whole way, and you've been a great friend to me. I'm so grateful for the community here, that I cannot even express it fully. Thank you for your friendship and support!

Amazing journal Staker! I want to smoke what you smoke!

Thank you for the kind words, and...Dude,
Do you prefer 'Dude' or 'El-duderino'...or 'his-dudeness'....
It's all cool, here sharing is caring. Great to have you here!

 

[CareStaker]

CONGRATS CareStaker

Thanks BAR! My condolences about BARette.
No reflection on you kind sir, but she went...well, you know

 

[TheBoogyman]

which method do you use for washing?

 

[AllSmiles]

Congrats on NOTM!

 

[CareStaker]

which method do you use for washing?

Depends a bit. If I had any mold in the room/house, then I wash at full strength (1/2 cup of each Lemon and Baking, per 5gal). If no fungals anywhere, I eyeball it at half strength.

I run 3 buckets, and go with a hotish-warm (90-100*F) with Lemon/Baking, then COLD (~50*F) and then room temp (~75*F). When at half strength, I've also run just the hot, and cold buckets, and it still came out nice.

Congrats on NOTM!

Thanks my friend! I'm still

 

[TheBoogyman]

sweet, thanks. glad i found out about this washing method, i guess it makes sense though!

 

[CCOiler]

That was a nice read Carestaker, your a very busy man in your garden.

 

[CareStaker]

That was a nice read Carestaker, your a very busy man in your garden.

Thanks for saying so, and for reading your way through - that in itself is a fine complement