Question about drying

and yes, i am only moderately confused on your explanation. it is interesting and i have a basic grasp. i really want to gather knowledge for better grows in the future and be able to help others too.

Yeah you still got several white/green or “unripened” hairs I use my pixel 2a or whatever the semi recent one is to take my photos it zooms it fairly well until I can get my loupe for example here’s some recent photos from the 19th.

2 Likes

So you seem to know your shit and then some could you give me a quick rundown of harvesting, drying, curing please guru :relaxed:?

See @William04 second imageshows great trichome production but the calyxs ( brown hairs ) are still producing white ones too that have yet to die and the bracts or pods they come out of have yet to swell completely. Thus, if he were to harvest that now, he would loose yield and some trichome production.

2 Likes

Well we could get into that, but people have different beliefs on how to prepare for harvest. I am not terribly particular or over scientific about it. I dont flush because I am an organic soil grower. I also grow outdoors in a greenhouse, so my plants tend to be big and the weather tends to be the deciding factor on harvest. Because when I can no longer keep the greenhouse warm, I have no choice. They need to come down. I run an oscillating fan once the greenhouse is shut to retain heat. I also run a ceramic heater with a fan through the night.
I harvest in the light, where others believe harvest in the dark produces better terpines. I dry in racks because of space limitations as I cant dry in a freezing shed, others hang because its easier. I aim for 10 days at or around 60 RH with steady airflow at 70 degrees or slightly less. Once my buds have hit the 60 ish percent mark, I know there is still some in the stems. Thats ok, I use large sealable tupperware bins instead of jars because its easier when you have a few pounds or more to burp. So you can see, while I generally do the same thing, I just do it a little differently.

2 Likes

Hey Cannabian! You seem to have a good eye for this! Can you give me your opinion on my plant?! This is my first grow, growing Durban poison 100% Sativa, outside… it’s hard for me to tell if it’s ready… I honestly almost harvested a week ago and am so glad I didn’t… I just don’t want it to pass it’s peak!

3 Likes

Here’s the actual plant as of today…

1 Like

Trichomes, as best as I can tell are lookin cloudy and some clear yet? Hard to say by the images? The calyx’s are all mature and looks like no new ones are forming? Again, hard to say for sure from the images but…
Id say they are close to peak for thc. Durban is a sativa and typically not harvested late season as one would typically do with either afghanica or indica. Not that you shouldnt go for amber but, durban is traditionally a racey pot. I would hold on until all the trichomes are cloudy but not wait for amber for the traditional super strong high.

1 Like

Looking good man I wish I had caught my mites earlier they devastated my crop and overall yield by a lot at least lost 60% of what my yield would have been. From what I’ve gathered waiting for the hairs to turn is a good way to judge also trichomes being all milky means they have potency, but amber tips is the as they described it a narcotic high at that point. Yet as he said sativas I think generally are harvested before they turn amber during the milky point. I’m waiting on mine to amber or until the end of the month since I will be gone during Christmas they need to be done burping and such by then. Just looked at your photos again do you have a camera with a closer zoom or a jeweler’s loupe/magnifying glass? I zoomed in the best I could I saw a lot of clear trichomes still you likely got at least a week before they’ll be milky enough based on my plants time progression.

1 Like

I feel like this may ready. trying to gain some confidence in my instincts.

Without seeing the trichomes its impossible to say, the calyx’s look ripe.

1 Like

i dont have my loupe today but i set up my drying room and took as couple buds off this plant to start the process. i may wait a few more days and harvest. i think that should be good.
drying set up sitting at 55RH and 70-72 F using a fan and humidifier.

3 Likes

hoping for feedback telling me these are finally ready. no closeups but they are starting to get purple finally and quite frosty

1 Like

what is that machine you have?

The hairs look ripe a few clear trichomes mostly milky though it’s harvestable, but you could give them maybe another week checking them daily for amber tips for like 60% of the trichomes if you want the absolute maximum potency.

cool. i wasn’t sure so i chopped, washed and trimmed a few buds for drying today and am letting the others go until saturday. i feel like it will be pretty potent already but not knowing the strain i cant be sure. the way it looks now sees like it will be pretty effective. i am also dialing in my drying so i wanted a few different size buds to test with

Oh thats just the fan controller for my 6 inch exhaust.

How did you wash them and how are you drying them? I’m waiting on my drying rack to show up still they didn’t ship it with the thermometer and loupe. I wasn’t sure if you washed them before drying always or just hung them then cured for a few weeks. I about waiting for a week or two to harvest my first grow ever as well.

i see. nice setup. i am definitely going to have to upgrade my drying system.

1 Like