Leaving your plant in dark

[Ghostwriter31]

Hello fellow growers, I have a question and hopefully someone has answers. Has anyone any experience or have a link to this process. Leaving your plants in the dark for 7 days sitting in the pot as is. No water for past 3 days and you shut lights off . Walk away and after 7 days not 3 days but long enough for plant to die then chop and I assume they hang to dry. I want to wash them then put into fridge but that’s not what I want to learn more about. It’s the 7 day thing. I believe Jungles Boys did this but I can’t find the video . Thanks in advance
I apologize if this is a redundant question or if someone has created a sticky, I’d love to know more

 

[Emilya Green]

Hello fellow growers, I have a question and hopefully someone has answers. Has anyone any experience or have a link to this process. Leaving your plants in the dark for 7 days sitting in the pot as is. No water for past 3 days and you shut lights off . Walk away and after 7 days not 3 days but long enough for plant to die then chop and I assume they hang to dry. I want to wash them then put into fridge but that’s not what I want to learn more about. It’s the 7 day thing. I believe Jungles Boys did this but I can’t find the video . Thanks in advance
I apologize if this is a redundant question or if someone has created a sticky, I’d love to know more

sounds intriguing, but I have never gone longer than 5 days and the plants had not died yet. I don't think they did anything significant after about 3 days in the dark and we could not notice a difference between a 36 hour darkness and a 72 hour darkness... maybe I should have gone longer. Hmmm.

 

[Ghostwriter31]

sounds intriguing, but I have never gone longer than 5 days and the plants had not died yet. I don't think they did anything significant after about 3 days in the dark and we could not notice a difference between a 36 hour darkness and a 72 hour darkness... maybe I should have gone longer. Hmmm.

I’m trying to get a little more information, jungle boys apparently did this as well as others . According to them and ones who have tried this, the plant was very loud . I’m almost tempted to do all five plants this way . I have 2 months to make my mind up and learn more

 

[Redcup]

Cannabis will continue to metabolize precursors into thc and other cannabinoids for while as long as they are present along with the plant enzymes, whether the plant is in the dark or even chopped. I dont know how long that will continue past a few days. In the dark there is very little transpiration (low vpd) so that metabolic chain will stop somewhere. Keep an eye out for mold risk.

Please post back your results, i am curious too. I havent seen the Jungle Boys advice on this, they use some controversial methods. I have not observed any difference in quality with a dark rest period But that doesnt mean it cant happen. I usually dim the lights 20% or so in the last weeks to get ripening without overripening or burning off the volitile compounds.

 

[Ghostwriter31]

Cannabis will continue to metabolize precursors into thc and other cannabinoids for while as long as they are present along with the plant enzymes, whether the plant is in the dark or even chopped. I dont know how long that will continue past a few days. In the dark there is very little transpiration (low vpd) so that metabolic chain will stop somewhere. Keep an eye out for mold risk.

Please post back your results, i am curious too. I havent seen the Jungle Boys advice on this, they use some controversial methods. I have not observed any difference in quality with a dark rest period But that doesnt mean it cant happen. I usually dim the lights 20% or so in the last weeks to get ripening without overripening or burning off the volitile compounds.

I am going to do a few things towards the end ,2 weeks before run a 11/13, 1 week out run 10/14 light schedule. Also lowering temps at night by 10 degrees. I also have a UVB that I will run the last 2 weeks for a few hours a day . This will be the last two weeks in March if they keep up with schedule . I’ll let ya know what I decide to do .

Ivan says this in episode 5 , whatever that means I’m not sure for I’ve only found references here and on internet with key word searches

 

[Emilya Green]

I think I am finding the same results of sitting in the dark, by just placing the plants in a corner away from the direct light, but still in the large bloom room, getting now a very small percentage of the light they were previously enjoying. I will let you know what I find, but I just sat one plant that is ready for harvest in that corner and let the other one stay under the light. The last time I tried this in a dark room, there were more "ripened" trichomes in the lit plant at the time of chop, but the trichomes in the darkened plant seemed to both mature a bit more (get more amber) and they got noticeably thicker and longer. The same thing seems to be happening to the plant sitting in the same room, so not having to adjust its day/night period, but also not getting the stress of being under the direct light that seems to degrade the trichomes a bit at the end. It is an interesting experiment, and I am going to repeat it 3 more times as I finish out this bloom with various strains.

 

[bobrown14]

Why waste the space? Chop and move VEG plants into flower you'll be 7 days ahead to your next harvest.

Doubt there's any science to doing this sort of thing or it would have become standard practice.

Again 7 days wasted use of a flower room is what it is.

Over a year time thats 7 days x 6 rounds - 42 days. Almost a whole round. In my world that's a lot of wasted time.

Not being a negative nancy here but I'll be all over it when I see some data and science??

 

[Emilya Green]

Not being a negative nancy here but I'll be all over it when I see some data and science??

negative Nancy (plural negative Nancies) (derogatory, informal) A person who is considered excessively and disagreeably pessimistic. No, that isn't you... you are neither excessive nor disagreeable.

But, you do know that I have documented my results of putting plants in the dark in at least 4 grow journals and am getting ready to do it again with 4 different varieties. Since I am looking at the definitions of things, I want to point out that I use strong scientific method in my work, providing side by side tests to prove a given hypothesis, I keep good notes and then analyze the results, so official or not, this IS investigative science, by definition.

I don't have a lab, so I can't do everything. I can't measure the trichomes or analyze the THC content. I have however provided data since I can and have posted microscope pictures showing comparisons, I I have tried to give an unbiased and fair analysis of the results, but since I don't wear a white lab coat or have a degree in that field, and since I have never written and published a thesis on the subject, all of my work, and my results, apparently do not count.

Even so, I will continue on and in the next several weeks. I will again provide the results of my detailed experiment for those who care, and those who wish to look at my data without pessimism might learn something. I hope so anyway, or I am just wasting my time and yours by posting any words on anything that I or anyone else might think we have learned on any subject... not being official researchers and all.

it would have become standard practice.

It has become standard practice in my gardens and I am sure that many more are doing the same. I am doing it right now, as a matter of fact, as I type these words. Does this prove that it is verified science then if so many people are wasting their time doing it?

 

[bobrown14]

You know me and science.

I'm not banging on your technique I have no mustard in this jar.



I cant let my flower room go 7 days without work. When the lights go out they sleep and when the lights come on they work. No work no pay. Chop chop.

I'm very pessimistic, when it comes to anecdotal data.

I'm glad its working for you. And also glad you're sharing with others your experience.

I do it like this :

I actually give my plants a bath then hang in lights out for 5 days upside down while the flower room is growing more flowers. There's a lot of folks that do that just like me.

What does that mean?

Is it the best way?
Is it the right way?
Is it even scientific?

There are a lot of horticultural practices that work. We dont need to look to cannabis growers to learn them. What do say farmers that grow lavender do?? They wanna preserve and collect flowers with the most terpines and oils right?

How do they do it?

Maybe all of this really doesn't matter and the outcome will be the same regardless.

Who knows?

I do know that plants in the dark after a few days use up all the chlorophyll and yellow or turn white and die....s l o w l y. I'm just not sure if there's an advantage to leaving them in my flower room with lights out.

Sorta the opposite of chop and drop. But the chlorophyll is also lost during the drying phase. Plants dont die when they are chopped or cloning wouldn't be a thing.

I'm sorry i haven't been following your journals. I'm busy being retired. lol True story.

I'm sure they are very informative.

 

[bluter]

Hello fellow growers, I have a question and hopefully someone has answers. Has anyone any experience or have a link to this process. Leaving your plants in the dark for 7 days sitting in the pot as is. No water for past 3 days and you shut lights off . Walk away and after 7 days not 3 days but long enough for plant to die then chop and I assume they hang to dry. I want to wash them then put into fridge but that’s not what I want to learn more about. It’s the 7 day thing. I believe Jungles Boys did this but I can’t find the video . Thanks in advance
I apologize if this is a redundant question or if someone has created a sticky, I’d love to know more

used to do something very similar. harvesting standing dried plants is an old old way of doing things. primarily used in large pre-legal commercial grows. they were generally trimmed down and left standing. then came straight off the branches and into vacuum packed bags or bailed for sale and transport.

 

[snicrep]

You know me and science.

I'm not banging on your technique I have no mustard in this jar.



I cant let my flower room go 7 days without work. When the lights go out they sleep and when the lights come on they work. No work no pay. Chop chop.

I'm very pessimistic, when it comes to anecdotal data.

I'm glad its working for you. And also glad you're sharing with others your experience.

I do it like this :

I actually give my plants a bath then hang in lights out for 5 days upside down while the flower room is growing more flowers. There's a lot of folks that do that just like me.

What does that mean?

Is it the best way?
Is it the right way?
Is it even scientific?

There are a lot of horticultural practices that work. We dont need to look to cannabis growers to learn them. What do say farmers that grow lavender do?? They wanna preserve and collect flowers with the most terpines and oils right?

How do they do it?

Maybe all of this really doesn't matter and the outcome will be the same regardless.

Who knows?

I do know that plants in the dark after a few days use up all the chlorophyll and yellow or turn white and die....s l o w l y. I'm just not sure if there's an advantage to leaving them in my flower room with lights out.

Sorta the opposite of chop and drop. But the chlorophyll is also lost during the drying phase. Plants dont die when they are chopped or cloning wouldn't be a thing.

I'm sorry i haven't been following your journals. I'm busy being retired. lol True story.

I'm sure they are very informative.

I agree on seeing proof. But cant they be moved to a different dark space? Not using the flower room? Personally, im small scale and only on my 4 or 5th grow. Had fair to excellent results using only cheaper leds (blurples) plastic pots with fox farm ocean. And only occasional 1-3-2 in the flowering stage. I think this business is over thought sometimes, but its a hobby.

 

[Ghostwriter31]

You know me and science.

I'm not banging on your technique I have no mustard in this jar.



I cant let my flower room go 7 days without work. When the lights go out they sleep and when the lights come on they work. No work no pay. Chop chop.

I'm very pessimistic, when it comes to anecdotal data.

I'm glad its working for you. And also glad you're sharing with others your experience.

I do it like this :

I actually give my plants a bath then hang in lights out for 5 days upside down while the flower room is growing more flowers. There's a lot of folks that do that just like me.

What does that mean?

Is it the best way?
Is it the right way?
Is it even scientific?

There are a lot of horticultural practices that work. We dont need to look to cannabis growers to learn them. What do say farmers that grow lavender do?? They wanna preserve and collect flowers with the most terpines and oils right?

How do they do it?

Maybe all of this really doesn't matter and the outcome will be the same regardless.

Who knows?

I do know that plants in the dark after a few days use up all the chlorophyll and yellow or turn white and die....s l o w l y. I'm just not sure if there's an advantage to leaving them in my flower room with lights out.

Sorta the opposite of chop and drop. But the chlorophyll is also lost during the drying phase. Plants dont die when they are chopped or cloning wouldn't be a thing.

I'm sorry i haven't been following your journals. I'm busy being retired. lol True story.

I'm sure they are very informative.

Bob , here’s the deal. I’m not after quantity, I’m after the absolute best I can grow. My daddy grew tomatoes all his life. Grew some of the finest tomatoes in the south . He would put 50 lbs in boxes and send via greyhound bus to my sister two states away every June. The neighbors , family , old school faculty where he was principal. they all loved his tomatoes. I will grow some of the finest pot in the south under LEDs , anyone has ever seen . It’s gonna take me some years but I just got started . Of course I’m eager to start the next run but I got to get through this one before I think about putting seeds in dirt again

 

[bluter]

just learn to grow it as a proper plant. all the twists, tricks, gimmicks, and old wives tales are exactly that.
just get your basics down and you'll be on your way.

 

[Odjob]

There's a point where stoner science gives way to crop steering.

 

[Ghostwriter31]

This was his last crop, he passed away 6 months later . These Nanna / plantain trees flowed us on two house moves . Old as 1980 ish . He had 6 blueberry bushes on opposite side of the house
My father’s problem with this garden was the water table from the lake . Anytime we had a real rainy season the tomatoes would die or be sub par. Mild to moderate we had excellent results. I’m certain my father figured this out but was never discussed

 

[copperrein]

I have only grown outdoors (up until my current tent grow), and as a result can only really get about 12 hours of darkness before I chop. I know this allows the sugars to settle back down into the roots for a smoother smoke. Would love to learn more.

 

[UrbanGardner]

The bottom line in this exercise is he found that 48hrs is the sweet spot for THCa. However there is a big fluctuation in terpenes gains and losses. It seems if you split the difference between 24 and 48hrs. 36hrs may be the perfect duration to balance potency and terpene levels. Between 24 and 48 hrs is where I see the largest loss/gains of specific terpenes without an overall loss. I guess this is where you control a terpene profile. I wish someone would do the same experiment with multiple strains and phenos.

I did a 36hrs of darkness on my last harvest (Strawberry OG). At chop time there was hardly any smell. It wasn't until after a day or 2 in cure that the smell became incredible. Opening a single jar will fill the room with dank fresh strawberries. I personally have never seen anything like this before. I can't say it was because of the darkness at harvest or genetics. I have another 2 plants growing now. I will experiment a little.

 

[Emilya Green]

The bottom line in this exercise is he found that 48hrs is the sweet spot for THCa. However there is a big fluctuation in terpenes gains and losses. It seems if you split the difference between 24 and 48hrs. 36hrs may be the perfect duration to balance potency and terpene levels. Between 24 and 48 hrs is where I see the largest loss/gains of specific terpenes without an overall loss. I guess this is where you control a terpene profile. I wish someone would do the same experiment with multiple strains and phenos.

I did a 36hrs of darkness on my last harvest (Strawberry OG). At chop time there was hardly any smell. It wasn't until after a day or 2 in cure that the smell became incredible. Opening a single jar will fill the room with dank fresh strawberries. I personally have never seen anything like this before. I can't say it was because of the darkness at harvest or genetics. I have another 2 plants growing now. I will experiment a little.

Thank you. I am of course a very visual person, and I also had the advantage that 36 hours was one of my experiment's test points. I clearly have seen that 24 hours is not enough to cause much change that I can see with my microscope, but 12 hours later, consistently, I have seen a dramatic change in the size of the trichomes. Going another 12 hours to 48 a few times now, has not produced much visual change in the width or length of the trichomes, and going a full extra day after that to 72 hours seemed to only dry the plant out and get it closer to death, with no visual significant change in the trichomes, and then I had a plant that wanted to dry too quickly.

Maybe there is a better point, maybe at 42 hours that needs to be looked at, but 36 hours seems to work well for me. Visualize how it works... You have a bloom room that is just ending its night period, and this conversion time is usually set at a convenient time in your household, for me it is 7am. If I pull the plant out at this moment and put it in a dark room until that same time the next morning, it has been 36 hours. I can chop then and get to work with my morning coffee, or I can wait till 1pm for 42 hours or 7pm for 48 hours of darkness. The timing works well at my house and the benefits of taking this extra step has been obvious, as far as I can see.

 

[Redcup]

Hanging the whole plant to dry or semi dry before trim is a common sop commercially. its fundamentally the same as letting the plant sit in the container in the dark. Theres no transpiration in the cold dark so really nothing moves from the roots to the buds.
Heres one of my favorite articles by an interesting horticulturalist explaining some of the biological processes after chop... Dr. Robb Blog #5: Drying and Curing Cannabis | Dark Heart Nursery

 

[Bill284]

Hanging the whole plant to dry or semi dry before trim is a common sop commercially. its fundamentally the same as letting the plant sit in the container in the dark. Theres no transpiration in the cold dark so really nothing moves from the roots to the buds.
Heres one of my favorite articles by an interesting horticulturalist explaining some of the biological processes after chop... Dr. Robb Blog #5: Drying and Curing Cannabis | Dark Heart Nursery

Interesting article my friend.