White Widow 2 Weeks Complete Darkness?

[Goshawk]

It seems most of the seedbanks selling White Widow at The Attitude use a standard form that describes turning the lights off completely during the last weeks 8-10 of flowering to bring out all the crystals. Has anyone actually done this? Even if you haven't what are your thoughts on this? It just seems like a long time and a good way to invite problems. Also there is no mention if and how long they should be watered during this time. Thanks,...........

 

[Captain Kronic]

I have read similar things but... nothing conclusive really. I do believe this method was developed for white strains but I really don't know for sure!
I am about to chop and I am (for the first time) going to give them a full day of dark.
Mainly because of my schedule and the fact that terpens are at the highest just before the light, be it sunrise or ballast induced. Also, light degrades THC so it makes sense to me to take them just before light period.

2 weeks just seems way excessive to me is all!

A clip from Ed on the subject:

Should I switch to solid darkness just before harvest?

Q: What do you think about giving plants 24-48 hours of darkness just prior to harvest? People claim this increases THC or makes the plants more "frosty".

A: In the 1970s, Dr Carleton Turner at the University of Mississippi found that there was a variation in the amount of THC in a sample, depending upon the time that the plant was taken. The most potent point was just before dawn after nighttime darkness.

Then, in 2000, Dr Paul Mahlberg of Indiana University showed that THC was produced extracellularly, on the inside of the glandular membrane, which would allow for its daily recycling.

The idea of using a dark period to increase THC before harvest warrants some investigation. An extended dark period right before harvest might very well increase THC content.

 

[Goshawk]

Thank you for your response Captain Kronic......

 

[TorturedSoul]

A: In the 1970s, Dr Carleton Turner at the University of Mississippi found that there was a variation in the amount of THC in a sample, depending upon the time that the plant was taken. The most potent point was just before dawn after nighttime darkness.

Which makes sense because light degrades THC. But that in and of itself isn't a convincing argument. It doesn't mean that more darkness equates to more THC; it just means... that light degrades THC. (It appears that being exposed to light with higher UV(-b?) such as when growing at high altitudes outside can produce a plant with more THC - probably as a defense mechanism.)

If you've got a strain that just won't seem to "finish" (and WW used to have somewhat of a reputation for that if I remember correctly), it might be a valid technique - since, one way or another, they'll definitely be finished after being thrown into a dark dungeon for a couple of weeks, lol.

If you have multiple plants of the same mother - or at least strain - then perhaps you could stick a portion of them into darkness and see which gives you the best results.

Other than that, if you've got two clones that take 84 days to flower and you flower one of them under 12/12 for 84 days and the other under 12/12 for 70 days and then complete darkness for the next 14... I could give you a pretty good guess as to which clone's pile of harvested buds will be heavier. But it's still a guess).

 

[DeerHunter33]

put my w.w in darkness for 48 hours// my buds harden and are huge!!!!!!!

 

[Truth Seeker]

I just harvested my White Widow on the 17th and i did a 72 hour darkness!!! all my nugs got hard and they got a little bigger!!! I also noticed that it made the trics go more towards the amber color, when i looked at it under my magnifier i seen a lot of milky colors and very few amber then after the darkness and harvest they were more amber against milky ratio... but it smokes so nicely, great stoneyness!!! i would do the 72 hour again, but thats just me, and this was my first grow!!! i think i am going to do this to my outdoors when its time for them to go also!!!

 

[CocoJoe]

I believe Shantibaba recommends dropping the light cycle to 8 hrs on the last two weeks of flowering. He reports the plants may not want to finish otherwise.

to the nonviolent, cocoJoe

 

[SMOKE 1]

lookin good fellow michigander! is the dark stage just for white strains or for all strains?

 

[DeerHunter33]

ive done tests, darkness 48 hours,in pot,they grow LITTLE AND GET ROCK SOLID BUDS//MAKES MINE LIKE A FUKING ROK!!!!!

 

[medme]

wow,,,, i did not know that about white widow,,,, i will have to check this out,,,

 

[Hash Hound]

I don't know about 2 weeks of darkness, but 2 days total darkness and I got bud rot.

Nice thick White Widow buds. But close to the stem, some of the buds seemed soaked. Chopped most of the rot we found and quick dried it. The rest hanging to dry.

 

[Goshawk]

I don't know about 2 weeks of darkness, but 2 days total darkness and I got bud rot.

Nice thick White Widow buds. But close to the stem, some of the buds seemed soaked. Chopped most of the rot we found and quick dried it. The rest hanging to dry.

...just wondering why did you quick dry the rotted bud?
Did you smoke it?......

 

[Hash Hound]

Gos

Quick dried to stop the mold from spreading. Smoked some, but not the bad part. Cut off the mold and dried the rest of the bud it came from.

 

[Hash Hound]

Update on the WW drying

It smells like rotten fruit or something like sour grapes. I might officially give it a name change to "sour grapes" being it is so different from the mother WW we harvested in June.

 

[medme]

Update on the WW drying

It smells like rotten fruit or something like sour grapes. I might officially give it a name change to "sour grapes" being it is so different from the mother WW we harvested in June.

if its a clone off the mother,,, given the same growing method, they should be the same,,, i know mine are,,,,

 

[Hash Hound]

med

exactly the same soil/fert mix, same light. same watering, only maybe a little less of the gianormus and snow storm. and 3 weeks less flower time. picked at 10 wks, mom was picked 13 wks. they were old clones though, started on Mar 1st,,,5 month old plant

was jarring it up today. it's some real dense buds.

 

[medme]

i just got a WW plant from a close friend,,, he's had it for YEARS,, all he told me is "you'll like it".... how long is the flower cycle,, he said about 8 weeks... but he also said i might want to go longer... did you do the 2 days in the dark thing to get the dense buds?

 

[Hash Hound]

did three days in the dark, i think that might have contributed to the bud rot.

 

[medme]

did you have a fan on them for the 3 days?

 

[Hash Hound]

Just the exhaust fan. That was a mistake. Should have had a fan blowing on them, you're right.