Modest First Time Grower In Charge Of Success

[PeeJay]

Nice little harvest Marion (and Betty.) Hey, did you know that the water from the dehumidifier tray is nice for watering plants? It is basically distilled water with very low PPM and good pH.

 

[erieflwr]

You are a step ahead of me, or should I say I'm one step behind you. Thank you, so much, for saying that out loud. I started wondering about that--why waste perfectly good room temperature water? The PPM going down isn't anything that I was able to sort through myself, so you are genius.

 

[Equanimity]

looking good nice jar of dope

i can only hope I'll get this much from my crop

 

[erieflwr]

looking good nice jar of dope

i can only hope I'll get this much from my crop

Dude, I am not much of a betting gal, especially when it comes to risking real money, but I am making a bet with you that I intend to collect. I've got a shiny dime here--no, make that a whole dollar, that you fill at least three jars. We're talking big money, here!

 

[Equanimity]

think of all the things i could do with £0.59 gbp lol

 

[erieflwr]

OK, I'm having an anxiety attack here. Boo hoo, woe is me, sniff sniff. I must wait a whole month to see how badly I fucked up with my cutest, dearest little Larry. Sniff sniff. <--oh, sorry, I already sniffed. Wait for the rest, though. I'm sure you'll shower me with pink wine and shiny dimes.

You all saw, <sniffle, snort> how tenderly I laid my poorest Larry to rest in the half pint jar. I never laid a finger on her buds, just tested the stems, and was a patient as any modest first time grower ever, ever could be, but now I'm afraid that she's TOO DRY.

Here's the thing, though. I maybe could have dried her out too long. I poked my finger around the jar today after I opened it, and we aren't talking crispy critter, crumbling with every movement, but could I really have waited too long? Shouldn't I have felt SOME moisture?

I saw something called Humidipaks. Looks like they are around a buck a piece. You guys prolly know I'm not one to run out and buy the first flashy thing on the block, but any comments? They "add and remove" humidity to within +/- some number that means close to perfect.

Really want to be done having my anxiety attack and move on to the next thing. The plan for Larry in the jar is to open it once a day, inhale deeply, poke finger, then replace lid. This rigorous exercise will occur WITHOUT FAIL for one week. After that, I will drop down to every Tuesday, Saturday and, well, maybe every Tuesday is all. Too much like calisthenics.

I am all ears for comments. In the meantime, I'm going to try to upload some pics.

Marion

 

[PeeJay]

I have the boveda humidipack 62% in my jars. They work very well. I don't go through much smoke. The buds sit in jars for a long time. I still have smoke I harvested away back in November and December and I'll still have some of it THIS November and December. If you are going to tuck your jars away like a squirrel hiding acorns the humidipacks are great. If all your weed disappears in thick grey clouds of smoke in two shakes of a lambs tail - then there really isn't a point in using them, I reckon.

Yeah those packs keep the jars right at 62% and last a long time when you only open the jars once or twice a week - even here in the land of parched gullets and leathery skin.

What's this flap about your buds being too dry? If you're getting a knot in your intestines over it, just dump them out of the jar for a bit when the humidity in su casa is 75% and they will undry in a jiffy - then go see the doctor about that twisted abdominal blockage.

Here's the ear you lost over at my place. Have a great day!

 

[erieflwr]

i have the boveda humidipack 62% in my jars. They work very well. I don't go through much smoke. The buds sit in jars for a long time. I still have smoke i harvested away back in november and december and i'll still have some of it this november and december. If you are going to tuck your jars away like a squirrel hiding acorns the humidipacks are great. If all your weed disappears in thick grey clouds of smoke in two shakes of a lambs tail - then there really isn't a point in using them, i reckon.

Yeah those packs keep the jars right at 62% and last a long time when you only open the jars once or twice a week - even here in the land of parched gullets and leathery skin.

What's this flap about your buds being too dry? If you're getting a knot in your intestines over it, just dump them out of the jar for a bit when the humidity in su casa is 75% and they will undry in a jiffy - then go see the doctor about that twisted abdominal blockage.

Here's the ear you lost over at my place. Have a great day!

lol! I knew I could count on someone to tell me not to get my bowels in an uproar! And such an obvious answer, oh wise man with good wine. I've got the stuff setting beside me right now. RH is only 59%, but I'm sweating gumballs, so perhaps my perspiration will help raise that particular index.

I do want to say this out loud and there is a question in here, somewhere. It is my impression that oxygen breaks down the potency of weed. Betty is already giving me crap--well, lemme put it this way. She came over with our store bought stuff and made me squeeze the buds. The store bought is really sticky, and Larry, who has only been in the jar for 6 whole days, is very dry comparatively. I thought that time would plump it up naturally. Lemme put it another way--she just now texted me "Are you planning to harvest Pauline any time soon?"

Sorry, I've lost what little coherence I had. I think I am going to look into auto-flowering seeds just to see if I can disolve this partnership with Betty. Her impatience is driving me just a little coo-coo. Going to take a little walk, ignore my phone, smoke a bowl, finish off that wine I stole from you.


Marion

 

[AMGrows]

It's high pressure sodium not halogen bro

 

[PeeJay]

It's high pressure sodium not halogen bro

It's bra not bro, lady.

 

[PeeJay]

Do you ever say, "chill out Betty?" My friend always says that to his spousal equivalent, and her name is Carol. It has a nice punchy cadence when you say it out loud. Of course, Carol never chills out when he says it, and Betty probably wouldn't either. It's nice and punchy when you say it and carries long distances if you shout it.

I know that light degrades THC - not certain about oxygen. Before I got humidipacks I used to use one of those vacuum packer machines to suck all the air out of the weed. You know what I'm talking about, one of those machines that costs $70 and uses expensive bag material so you can save six cents a pound buying cheese in bulk. I haven't noticed a quality difference between vacuum packed weed that has no oxygen in it and weed that is in jars with humidipacks.

 

[erieflwr]

OK, well then. You'll all be glad that I am done with my personal temper tantrum. I realized something REALLY awful. I could be WRONG! I've been so jacked about Betty that I totally lost sight that I, uh, well, could be a little hard headed myself. Whew! Glad I got that off my chest.

We'll just move along now, to the photographs I uploaded on a totally different topic that I am absolutely sure I am not wrong about. Today. Ok, guys and gals, here ya go. Mittens.

You are looking at clones from Larry, my first girl in a huuuuuge 1/2 pint jar. These clones were not taken until Larry had been sexed. Larry was a super stressed hot shot of the cutest little bunch of bag seed--sorry, still a little high. Anyway, these are 2 of the 4 clones that lived. The closest I can gather is just after May 1. Anyone got a Julian Calender? No? What kind of place is this?

Well, ok, so this is June 24, the month directly after May. 31+24=56 day old clones. If you convert that into Dark, Light cycles, subtract the times I fucked up Dark, add the other times Captain Obvious stepped in, then you would come up with, well, nice looking, nearly foot tall clones that wear mittens on their lower leaves.

Although I was physically present when Betty did the clones offa Larry, I have no real recollection of the event. She went into the cab wearing ear buds and I probably cooked something. I am certain there were 4 clones, but there mighta only been three.

Anywho, Betty needed lights big time, but we hadn't quite figured that out yet. 'Member the half inch a day thing? They got their light and WOWZA. See them now? Remember how I used to think a 3" stretch into flowering was super cool?

I propped up Larry B2 with something and measured. My twins have inched to the top of my ruler. LOL! Our goal is 24 inches minus 5 inches for the pot minus an inch or two for the lights on the ceiling.

Refuse to remember what I was just talking about.

So, carrying on. I hope you guys noticed that I marked the fans with arrows. I actually took these particular shots so you would. I'm awfully glad I brought another fan down from the attic, thanks to you, PeeJay. It's a weird thanks, but I started speculating on the extreme conditions you are dealing with and I quietly wondered why in the HECK i was too lazy to walk up two flights of stairs to fix a bittle bit of my controllable problem.

All hail Pauline. Betty is getting ansty, and I finally figured out, so what? Let her get ansty, what the hell. She keeps pumping out something I can turn into a flower, so be it.

Tomorrow I am going to Betty's with Pauline and a new pair of scissors. Betty and I will harvest together, and I am hoping to take some sexy harvest shots. I'm in the process of clipping off Pauline's fan leaves between glasses of wine and bolts of lightening.

 

[erieflwr]

Dam, totally forgot! I came up with a solution for the dried out Larry buds. I stuck the fan leaves from Pauline into the jar with Larry.

Genius, right? No foreign objects, absolutely free, big enough to dig out when they dry out.

 

[erieflwr]

It's bra not bro, lady.

Wait, am I wearing your bra? Sorry, my ear was in my eye hole.

Lemme try something while I'm at it....
CHILL OUT BETTY

 

[erieflwr]

It's high pressure sodium not halogen bro

Really thought it was halogen. Thanks for the real poop scoop!

 

[erieflwr]

So, my morning was spent drinking coffee at Betty's and giving Pauline a hair cut. I wanted to do a tutorial style kind of thing, but realized I'd be the blind leading the blind. I do think I would be wise to look out for some curved scissors. Lemme get some of these pictures out of the way before I ramble on.

We cut off each stem, then trimmed the main stem. Here's the first stem.

You see here where I was cutting the flowers as well as the little leaves. Anyone want to tell me what I'm supposed to be calling those dang leaves? I want to sound like I fit in. I'm so shy.

Pauline's buds are a LOT bigger, thicker, and I dare say, tighter, than Larry's but I'm thinking I've got a long way to go. I've got armchair detective questions for anyone kind enough to answer

This is where I'm thinking the curved sissors would help. The pile of crap you saw earlier came off this one stem. I'd carefully collected all the little hairs from the whole plant in a special box to in order to look up how to make hash easy, but in the excitement of clean up, everything got put in a baggie. Not crying, mind.

FINGER HASH! WhooooooPPPeeee!

Got my cute husby to get this shot of me for me. Sorry I forgot to turn the blasted thing, but I'm done screwing around with pictures for now.

So, armchair detectives, keeping in mind that I am only in charge of the flowering cab, what could I have done (besides lights, they are coming, honestly) could I have done/did without knowing it/need to do in the future to , I dunno, to have less stinking leaves to cut around?

Is there a good QUALITY imaged tutorial on trimming the buds? Am I having a smallish panic attack that I didn't do cut close enough? If any of you out there are left handed, then you will understand this--using sissors isn't really one of my best tricks. I have to hold them upside down. <--none of you can help with this part.

Last of the things I wanted to bring up before I go out and get some wine. I have a three finger baggie full of 'good' discards. You know, those words I don't know. No scale, but let's just say an ounce. What would any of you do with them? Please be a little specific like "A quart of vodka" or "equal part butter". I get ratios a lot faster than numbers, although any of my non-American friends are welcome to tell me grams or liters.

Thank you kindly for all past and future advise, encouragement, and the random bra.


Marion

 

[PeeJay]

Congratulations, Marion. You've had a measure of success with Pauline. Yes I know, measurements can confuse you. You just said that. Here is a tip you might find useful. When measuring success always use the side of the ruler with millimeters, not the side with inches on it. The larger number will swell your smug sense of self-satisfaction.

The lingo dancing around on these forums can be quite confusing; Metal Sodium and High Pressure Halide lamps and what-not. That stuff trimmed off buds is usually, as baffling as it may seem, referred to as "trim." Makes no sense at all! It has a plethora of uses. You can make hash from it, risk life and limb bathing it in pressurized extremely flammable hydrocarbons to make hash oil, and extract the precious THC into butter or other fatty substances for baking or slathering on your tired joints in pain relieving ointment.

Butter is the easiest. There are some fun notions about things to do with butter in this thread here.

The Cannabis Kitchen - Cooking With Cannabis

 

[PeeJay]

I failed to answer some of your questions, Ms. Potato Head. I'll get around to them sooner or later. Forgive me if I chart a languid course doing so. The immediate priority as I see it, (your priorities may differ but I've often been accused of being insensitive to the needs of others,) is to get a signature linked to your entertaining journal at the bottom of your posts.

First thing you need to do is copy the address of your journal from the address bar at the top of the browser.

Next, click on "Forums" at the top LEFT of the page to expand the drop-down menu. Forums is right under the big green

Select "subscribed threads" second from the bottom.

On the left hand side of the new screen there are boxes with headers in green boxes. In the third box down, under "My Settings" you will see, "edit signature." Click on that.

Paste the address for your journal into that box and save it.

Easy money!

 

[PeeJay]

Coffee at my side and a full day ahead of myself, I'll devote a little time to answering some more questions. I'm not aware of any instructive bud trimming tutorials. Like most topics hereabouts, opinions about how close one should trim vary. There are no shortage of boorish pedants around, like myself, who will gladly share their insights and opinions ad nauseam, however.

How close to trim the buds varies from, "just a little trim to neaten things up, Marge. I want to look good at the church potluck tomorrow night, but I wouldn't want anyone to think I got my hair done for the occasion." Or, "shave it to the quick, Frank. I'm always losing my damn comb and I don't want to mess with it anymore."

Doc Bud, rather a guru around these parts, maintains that the sugar leaves have more THC in them than the tightly formed part of the buds. He is a consultant who helps medical patients grow their own medicine and is a credible source of information. Yeah, those little leaves are reffered to as sugar leaves since they look, well, like they've been sprinkled with sugar because they are covered in resin glands (trichomes.)

Myself, I trim pretty close and use the sugar leaves and small popcorn buds to make cannabutter. I favor a slice of whole grain toast smeared with cannabutter and drizzled with some assertive buckwheat honey alongside a nice cup of chamomile tea an hour before bed most nights. Having lots of high quality trim available mitigates the slight discomfort associated with crumbling pretty buds into a vat of roiling fat... The important thing is not to waste that good trim. Others remove only the most untoward looking sugar leaves, much the same way as I tweeze the long thick hairs that seem to sprout out of the mole on my nose almost overnight...

You can examine many pretty buds here in the Nug of the Month contest (NOTM.)

420 Magazine's Nug of the Month: June 2014

Looking at the pictures you will see, for example, that my entry is trimmed much closer than Dyold's. There isn't really a right or wrong. It's a matter of preference, really.

Scissors are not the best tool for the job. You need a pair of spring loaded little pruning snips like the ones in this picture here I found in my journal from a past harvest.

Those are the Hyrdofarm Precision Pruner HGPP400. The Fiskars 9921 Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snips are another excellent choice. The spring makes the work easier and it makes no difference if you are a righty or a lefty. They are also great for general garden trimming. A pair will set you back $10 -$15. Imagine Betty's envy when you unsheathe your ergonomic bud trimmers next time you two sit down to trim some weed. That alone justifies the expense, don't you think?

About the only thing I'm aware of you can do to minimize the amount of trimming is select strains that are easier to trim. When you peruse seed vendor web sites you will often see comments like, "the high calyx to leaf ratio makes manicuring the Potato Bomb a breeze."

 

[erieflwr]

I'm just posting something here really quick to see if my signature worked.