Good tight budz

[gno1111]

quick question fellow gardners, how do you get tight compact buds. my first and last grows was very fluffy and not a good representaion of the potentcy it was still VERY dank. does the lighting, maturaty,genetics,drying,or curing have anything to do with it.any info will help.


thank you in advance,


Gno

 

[Smokin Moose]

Light is the biggest factor next to strain and growing the plant optimally, in getting rock hard buds. All things being equal, the more intense your light, the larger and denser your flowers will be. Remember that a lot of sativa strains have fluffy buds.

 

[gno1111]

thank you moose, so an outdoor grow will probaly be more compact than an indoor? damn you bag seed! i dont know the genetics

 

[Boss]

I am useing 17 cfls indoor, and we will see how tight the buds are soon.

 

[KUSH302]

No not necessarily,a plant outdoors may only get 6 hour of full sunshine or not enough water/nut or any other factor you are able to control indoors.Most likely your bag seed is a sativa so the bud will be less dense then a indica.

 

[Smokin Moose]

A plant in the sun will always be bigger if grown well. You just cannot beat the light intensity of the sun. Also, sunlight has a proven impact on potency. Read this. An elaboration on the phytochemical process that makes THC

 

[Boss]

Like this?

 

[Smokin Moose]

Yep!

 

[DankBuds]

Ruuuuun......it's alive.

DankBuds

 

[KUSH302]

Yes i know 75% of the time outdoor plants will grow much bigger than a indoor plant. How many of us have 12 foot ceilings?But how often do you have ideal weather conditions?I have grown the same strains indoors and out and the only difference i cant tell is the outdoor plant taste a little better.I may get a little a few more ounces with the outdoor plant because it is a larger plant.

 

[kickstart]

Many people out here grow an outdoor crop every year. ANYONE can grow outdoors since you have Mother Nature doing most of the work. Growing indoors is a bit more complicated, after all, you are now God indoors....

 

[KUSH302]

I think its easier to grow indoors.You can control everything.Outdoors there are a lot more problems.How often to you worry about the weather indoors?How about thiefs?Iv had a patch or two ripped off.How often have you had your bud mold or get seeded indoors?75% of my plants get seeded every year and bud mold is always a problem the last couple of weeks growning outdoors.How safe to you feel going to your patchs?The last thing i want is the land owner,hunters or the law catching me at or leaving a patch.Also you have to worry about animals eating your plants.Just my two cents.

 

[gno1111]

so curing has nothing to do with it?




by the way thanks for all the feedback.

 

[Boss]

I think its easier to grow indoors.You can control everything.Outdoors there are a lot more problems.How often to you worry about the weather indoors?How about thiefs?Iv had a patch or two ripped off.How often have you had your bud mold or get seeded indoors?75% of my plants get seeded every year and bud mold is always a problem the last couple of weeks growning outdoors.How safe to you feel going to your patchs?The last thing i want is the land owner,hunters or the law catching me at or leaving a patch.Also you have to worry about animals eating your plants.Just my two cents.

In the right place, in the right latitude, for example southern California and Mexico, have sun 240 odd days of the year. I grow indoors because of the climate i am in, but I would grow outdoors in a heartbeat. Just like there are corn belts there are cannabis belts.

When grown correctly (with little help from us) they will be larger, more potent and heartier for clones. The seeds will germinate more often, they will sow easier but may grow slower that indoor plants. One of the beauties of outdoor cannabis is it's adaptation to a wide variety of climates.

The problem with growing outdoors in the US is the strain. It is almost impossible to get climate specific seeds from many parts of America, as strains have been transferred and cross-bred so many times. However in other parts of the world, they have succeeded in maintaining very good genetics to thier specific climate range.

In conclusion, nothing beats good ole mother nature.

Peace

 

[Boss]

Curing effects flavor, and potency but I dont think much potency effect..

 

[Smokin Moose]

Re: curing longer, like fine wine?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cannabinoid Conversion

Naturally, as the metabolic processes continue during curing, the conversion of cannabergerol to tetrahydrocannabinol will continue and the potency of the pot will increase. This is because cannabergerol (CBG) is the non-psychoactive precursor for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Of course, the exact change in THC content will necessarily be dependant upon the concentration of CBG in the fresh material at harvest. Of course any remaining precursors necessary to form additional cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids will also be consumed and converted.

Be aware though if curing is excessively prolonged (most connoisseurs would agree after 6 months no more benefit could be had from curing), the conversion of THC to non-psychoactive cannabinol (CBN) will occur. The exact rate of decomposition can vary widely depending on handling and storage conditions, but can be less than 10% to greater than 40% decomposition per year.

Storage tips:

Potency during curing and storage can be maintained by observing some basic precautions:

# The buds need to be kept in the dark, protected from light, which will quickly decompose the THC.

# Moderated temperatures should be observed during curing, 50-75F being ideal.

# Excessively hot temperatures will promote oxidation and the growth of mold and bacteria, and very cold temperatures can prolong curing and drying for up to several months.

During storage, buds should be stored as cold as possible, if temperatures of 0C or less are to be used, make sure the bud is dried to a very low moisture content before storage (to insure that cell walls are not burst by the freezing water).
Also, if prolonged storage is planned evacuating the oxygen and replacing it with carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, nitrous oxide, or any other inert gas will help slow oxidation, as well as the addition of antioxidants such as ascorbic acid packets or vitamin C tablets.

The most stable way to store cannabis is as whole unbroken buds or unpressed trichomes. Excessive rough handling or pressing can easily damage the protective cell walls and plant waxes that help protect cannabinoids from oxidation.

Continued Metabolism

Also as these metabolic process take place, the plant needs energy which leads it to consume the sugars, starches, nitrates, and minerals. Many of these compounds are metabolized and released as water and carbon dioxide, therefore removing what is essentially inert material from the pot increasing the concentration of cannabinoids therefore making it more potent.

Much of these positive metabolic processes can be most effectively begun with thourough flushing and stripping of the plant before harvest. This will help reduce the amount of time necessary for a good cure.

Curing will not only improve potency, but the color and look of most cannabis buds because as the chlorophyll is broken down purple, gold, and white coloration can emerge and the trichomes will appear more pronounced.

Decarboxylation

Some decarboxylization will take place during curing as well. This happens when the carboxyl group (COOH) located at C-2, C-4, or the end of the hydrocarbon chain at C-3 is destroyed leaving a hydrogen attached and liberating CO2.

Decarboxylization is necessary to convert cannabinoids to usable psychoactive forms; the plants (and your body) carboxylize cannabinoids to make them more soluble in water (for metabolic reactions and excretion).

Research indicates that this effect is fairly minimal during the curing process though. Decarboxylization will take place naturally very rapidly at temperatures of over 100C. So smoking and most any cooking will decarboxylize the cannabinoids. As decarboxylization occurs, the loss of CO2 will liberate a small amount of inert material making the pot more potent via concentration of the cannabinoids.

Taste & Odor

Terpenoids are the highly volatile compounds that give marijuana much of its’ characteristic odors, and therefore tastes.

The most current research also suggests terpenoids lend to the high, sometimes very significantly. Cannabinoids are phenolated terepenes so it’s not surprising that many hundreds of different terpenoids are synthesized as well.

As pot ages, some of the terpenoids go through polycyclic aromatization in the process of decomposition. This agglomeration of terpenoids will change the flavor; hence the ability of cured pot to show flavors that didn’t seem present in the original fresh material. Much of the very volatile terpenoids will also evaporate and or decompose, especially with prolonged curing or storage. This action will remove some matter from the pot increasing the cannabinoid concentration and therefore potency.

It must be noted that excessively long curing or storage, higher temperatures, or extremely low moisture content will cause such through evaporation of the terpenoids that the cannabis will generally loose almost all of it’s natural flavors

 

[DoopSther]

Nice post Moose

 

[KUSH302]

In the right place, in the right latitude, for example southern California and Mexico, have sun 240 odd days of the year. I grow indoors because of the climate i am in, but I would grow outdoors in a heartbeat. Just like there are corn belts there are cannabis belts.

When grown correctly (with little help from us) they will be larger, more potent and heartier for clones. The seeds will germinate more often, they will sow easier but may grow slower that indoor plants. One of the beauties of outdoor cannabis is it's adaptation to a wide variety of climates.

The problem with growing outdoors in the US is the strain. It is almost impossible to get climate specific seeds from many parts of America, as strains have been transferred and cross-bred so many times. However in other parts of the world, they have succeeded in maintaining very good genetics to their specific climate range.

In conclusion, nothing beats good ole mother nature.

Peace

Boss i have about 15 years of outdoor experience.How many do you have?Why are you not able to grow outdoors?They grow in Alaska and Canada every year.I have no problem getting good strains.I always get strains that finish in Sept. or early Oct.Most of the genetics i buy are from Canadian seed company's.

 

[Boss]

I live 3 doors down from a cop, and it's winter

 

[KUSH302]

That shouldn't stop you.I never plant outdoors on my property.Find three isolated spots that you will think be good area's to grow.I always plant clones that are one to two feet tall.I try to plant the last two weeks in may.Most plants will top out at 3-6 feet.I would never have a monster plant like that photo in my patch.To easy to see from a helicopter.The first three weeks i water twice and light ferts once the third week.After that i only go to a patch 2-3 times a month to water and fert.I plant in threes to make watering easy.I have 9-12 plants a patch.Five gallons for three plants.Water weighs about 8lbs a gallon so i lug 80 pounds of water each trip to my patch.Sounds like fun.By the end July most growth has stopped and budding will begin.By the middle of sept most plants will be done.Now you have to harvest.I cut my plants so they will fit in the large paper lawn clipping bags.I average 1/4 to 1 lb per plant.Since 75% of my plants are seeded i make bubble hash.The same with a plant with mold.Give it a try,it is a lot easier said then done.