Harvest time is still several weeks away, but I was wondering about a ‘bud wash’ as a possible mold preventative. I was considering spraying the newly-harvested plants with dilute hydrogen peroxide solution. Also wondering about the concept of Grove bags, and the chemist in me (chemistry major and hospital lab tech a half-century ago) says that the two are mutually exclusive. On one hand, one is trying to prevent terpene oxidation; on the other, you are introducing an oxygen-rich solution.
A bud wash has little effect on taste/aroma/potency when done correctly. That being said, it’s HIGHLY recommended if growing outdoors. Forget terpenes if you’re smoking bird and bug doodoo. Inside growing, not so much unless you’re spraying a lot for pests or doing foliar feeding.
I would honestly use something like Flower Shower from The Green Gro. It’s what I use to wash mine and noticed a difference between that and using water with peroxide. Came out much cleaner and took off all the animal hair from my pets.
Washing the bud right after harvest is to clean any contaminates like hair, dust, etc off the plant so you don’t smoke it.
The main difference between the science of using peroxide to wash and grove bags to cure is that the oxidization from the peroxide helps to lift and remove particles from the plant before drying and the grove bags then help to protect the Terpenes and such by keeping the correct RH when curing in the bag. They we be used a week or two apart in most cases so would counter effect each other. If that makes sense from a non chemist.
You can get a looksie at my wash buckets after a 4 plant wash.
Here is a cple videos that go into how and why to wash.
@Borderryan22 says it all, terp taste will be overshadowed by the dust, fly wings, bug poo and various mold spores stuck to your buds during grow. Considering that makes any “loss” balance out.
I started doing it on all my inside grows. It’s the way to go. Get a lot of stuff off of them you wouldn’t think. I even found a caterpillar on my last inside plant I harvested. I was shocked. In a sealed tent no less. I have no idea how that happened. First time ever.
Basically some acids and baking powder. No clue what organic enzymes are. If mold is present or of concern I think a little peroxide would be called for as a disinfectant / antiseptic.
I have sprayed my bud with peroxide. They loved it.
I also wash my buds every grow.
I spray brix / nutes on the plants the whole grow. That and the dirt in the room floating around. You ever cleaned a fan? That craps on your buds. The taste and quicker dry/cure after washing speaks for itself. Yes I said quicker dry/cure.
1/4 cup lemon 1/4 cup baking soda in 10gals followed by 3 10 gal rinses buckets. Literally have done this for 25 harvests. Way better bud.
Really, using two Homers is way easier. One with a cup of 3% and water, the other water-only. Immerse for 5 minutes then rinse in the second bucket. Peroxide will oxidize into H2O and 02 with no residue. And a quart bottle is under $1.