Is it time to switch to 12/12?

I sprayed the other two plants with spinosad last night. I still saw mites on the plant i sprayed the previous day, but im leaving it as is, because im hoping the mites just need a bit more time to feast and die.

The drying buds are starting to look good and smell less like hay. But i think some more trimming might be needed before i out them in a jar. Have a look at these:

C0BF9562-F0CC-43DC-875E-C8036F8D2495.jpeg

Once the main branch can snap, i can chop it off so only the bud is left, and put that into a jar, right?
 
I sprayed the other two plants with spinosad last night. I still saw mites on the plant i sprayed the previous day, but im leaving it as is, because im hoping the mites just need a bit more time to feast and die.

The drying buds are starting to look good and smell less like hay. But i think some more trimming might be needed before i out them in a jar. Have a look at these:

C0BF9562-F0CC-43DC-875E-C8036F8D2495.jpeg

Once the main branch can snap, i can chop it off so only the bud is left, and put that into a jar, right?

It’s better to let the plant dry out slowly, I personally don’t even trim until afte the plant has dried as a whole for two weeks in 65% humidity. If you dried it on the stem, and wet trimmed it, I would take them off as soon as the buds start to feel crispier on the outside, and the small buds can snap off easily from the stem. Maybe next time you try drying your plants whole; the extra moisture in the stems, leaves and root base slow down the drying process and allow more clorophyll to evaporate, and buds can retain more moisture for a better cure. Plus, the plant actually dies as it hangs from chop, and produces more THC. It’s also a good idea to let your plants live in darkness for at least 7 days before you chop them, which will also force them to produce more resin and THC.
 
It is extremely humid here. That is why i decided to use a dry rack and chopping them a bit smaller. Its day 7 now and the branches still bend, and dont snap, so i think im on track.

2 weeks drying time is long and i’ll certainly try that with the next batch. This one i want to get curing asap because its my first grow. :)
 
Ive not heard of 7 day darkness before. I’ll maybe give that a bash too.
I've never heard of that either and I spend more time here than I do anywhere else in my life.

The longer you hang-dry the better, but you can only do what you can with the environment you have to work with. Go with the rest of the dry/cure program and your buds will be fine. Whole plant drying will slow down that time though as DET says, so if your RH is really low that's something to consider.

I can't stand dry-trimming though!
 
I've never heard of that either and I spend more time here than I do anywhere else in my life.

The longer you hang-dry the better, but you can only do what you can with the environment you have to work with. Go with the rest of the dry/cure program and your buds will be fine. Whole plant drying will slow down that time though as DET says, so if your RH is really low that's something to consider.

I can't stand dry-trimming though!

Yeah try 7 days of darkness next flower and watch what happens to the resin. At a large grow in Colorado, a grower friend of mine said Plants literally were dripping with resin after two weeks of darkness. Sounds crazy but it works. As for the whole plant dry, I think it’s best to always dry around 60% humidity, both reading and experience. The main factor is then just length of time, and that is determined by how much of the plant is left intact to retain water content. It just simplifies the process to a known ideal, slow drying environment, in which slow has been shown to best preserve terpenes and other plant bio molecules like the almighty THC. Also from what I read, increased and slower drying water content means more chlorophyll can bind and evaporate away with the water as the plant hyper respirates in its dying days hanging.
 
UPDATE:

1. The place im buying the mites from said that 7 days after spinosad is fine. The predators should be able to survive.

2. Looks like spinosad is working after all! I just had to up the dosage and wait longer.

3. I dont know if its the spinosad or a new pest, but it looks like snail slime on the leaves. It really could be the spinosad, an account of me absolutely going to town on the leaves, but not sure.
 
The buds go in jars with hygrometers but no boost packs. You then do the prescribed burping regimen for two weeks until the meters read 62%. Then the packs go in and you seal them for a month. A month later...enjoy!

I was reading that original curing guide you sent me, and it said that Humidity packs are great if the humidity is high where you are. It's pretty high where I am. Do I still ignore the humidity packs?

I also sampled the buds. They are fantastic! If they are going to get better as they cure, I'm in for a treat. They stopped smelling like grass/hay and now, lemon-y smells are coming through! :D
 
If you have high RH the packs will not lower the bud in the jar fast enough to prevent mold. I've got instructions for quickly lowering the RH in the jars in my signature where it says "Rice Balls!"

I checked now and the RH in the jar is about 62. So do I just remove the packs?

These buds dont look like they are going to mold. They are perhaps a bit too dry. Some are a little "brittle". But I always thought having brittle buds is the cream of the crop. Now I read it's actually not ideal. I love it when the bud is almost powdery. Guess it's just me?
 
I thought you said your RH was high. Take out the pack, put in the hygrometer. Leave it in there for 3 hours and see what it says. It's best to find out what the humidity of the buds are before you use anything to maintain it. What's the RH in your house?

The RH in the house was 80 at a point. And I thought that is where it was going to stay. But then at one point it went down to 50. Now it's averaging about 60 - 70. I have no idea why it's up and down like that, but I think it's safe to say I'll have about 65 RH for the next few weeks. I don't really have a hydrometer that fits into the jars. I'll see what I can do!

Here's something that's probably going to sound very weird. This hasn't happened with weed I've smoked in a long time, but it's happening with this weed. If I smoke it, my teeth itch. I'm not saying it's stronger than what I've had before, but I've had stuff before where my teeth itch after smoking. And this stuff I grew is doing the same. Am I losing my mind?
 
Can't speak to the itch but I can tell you that you should get meters to fit in your jars. I have 5. You don't know the humidity of your buds without them. All you can do is hope that packet works fast enough.

Buds are a lot wetter in the inside that the crispy outside you can feel. It's hard for me to offer advice on drying and curing without accurate info.
 
Back
Top Bottom