Bud Washing

[Graytail]

H202 is for mold and fungus - no need otherwise, and it can be a bit harsh, so don't bother.
The lemon juice and soda are cleaning agents, so that's the best for an outdoor crop without mold.

After a wash, plants will usually dry faster - oddly enough. So there isn't any need for increased airflow etc. All you need is fresh air exchange, not even a breeze, no worries. Mild sunlight won't hurt, but not necessary. I hang mine indoors under mild shaded light, and they're dry enough to jar in 4-5 days.

Mix up some buckets, slosh 'em around real good and hang 'em up - easy as pie.

 

[greenjeans]

Any opinions on giving the buds a rinse with the garden hose before and after a dip and swish in the baking soda and lemon bath???? I did it last year and didn't SEE any change in the trichs - I have been plagued by aphids so...

 

[SeniorMoments]

I harvested 6 plants last month over 3 weeks.
I did 4 ea 5 gal buckets.
1 qt of hydrogen peroxide 5 gal water ( I did not have any pests or mildew )
1 cup of lemon juice / baking soda 5 gal water
5 gal hot tap water
5 gal cold well water
I chopped each stem 8” to 10” long and trimmed the big leaves.
I dipped that stem 15 to 20 times in each bucket . 8” pieces can be dipped without touching sides or bottoms of buckets. I also chopped , trimmed , washed and hung each piece separately.
Never laying that piece down , while holding cut end of stem.
This minimizes damage to buds.
I did run a fan directly on the hanging pieces for 4 to 6 hrs.
The RH was pretty high at that time , so I did not dry by the hanging meathod .
I used the “ Low Slow Dry “. Paper bags and into the garage frig.
5 to 7 days and then into open jars in the fridge.
When RH is below 68% and above 65% , I take the jars out of fridge and place
in my cure closet w/ lids tight. Add 62% Bovida packs. Dark room w/ low to mid 70’s and 60% RH
Burp twice a day till 64% . Once a day till 62%. After 3 weeks & consistent 60%/62% , I bag up trimmed buds in a turkey bag and a 5 gal bucket w/ air tight lid.
The buds in the bucket need to be burped every few days and RH checked.
Over a week now and everything is sitting on 62%.
First time with this whole process and I am very pleased with the result.

 

[Graytail]

Any opinions on giving the buds a rinse with the garden hose before and after a dip and swish in the baking soda and lemon bath???? I did it last year and didn't SEE any change in the trichs - I have been plagued by aphids so...

For any bugs that'll make it through the wash, it's not a bad idea at all - rainstorms can be pretty fierce. But I've rinsed early testers under the aerated kitchen faucet and the impact will knock off trichome heads. It should be a personal choice. You'll sacrifice some heads for the bugs. "Rinsing" is fine - beware of "spraying".

 

[CaptWineTeeth]

H202 is for mold and fungus - no need otherwise, and it can be a bit harsh, so don't bother.
The lemon juice and soda are cleaning agents, so that's the best for an outdoor crop without mold.

After a wash, plants will usually dry faster - oddly enough. So there isn't any need for increased airflow etc. All you need is fresh air exchange, not even a breeze, no worries. Mild sunlight won't hurt, but not necessary. I hang mine indoors under mild shaded light, and they're dry enough to jar in 4-5 days.

Mix up some buckets, slosh 'em around real good and hang 'em up - easy as pie.

H2O2 is harsh? I read that the lemon juice is the most "dangerous" part (someone else's words, not mine), should one use too much of it, but isn't peroxide neutral to the trichomes?

 

[bcarpenter24]

I was searching for this thread high and low lastnight, couldnt find it. Glad someone brought it back up today.
I have a plant that ive made great ground on, mildew.
I have been spraying with hydrogen peroxide, mixed with water. 1 to 4 parts.
My original plan was to budwash with it aswell, and then 2 buckets of water. But now im considering this idea:
Using my normal 1part hydrogen peroxide to 4 parts water (maybe stronger if possible) and just soaking the buds using my spray bottle, let it sit for a bit, and then wash with just straight water?

 

[Graytail]

H2O2 is harsh? I read that the lemon juice is the most "dangerous" part (someone else's words, not mine), should one use too much of it, but isn't peroxide neutral to the trichomes?

Lemon juice with baking soda - they neutralize each other. I noticed an effect on terpenes with H2O2. Not a big deal, but enough to skip it unless necessary.

Again, a personal decision. The lemon/soda wash itself is completely proven over time.

 

[greenjeans]

I may have to do a more "scientific " test - last year I gave them a pretty aggressive hosing. I'll see if I can see any difference in the trichs before and after and also skip the blasting and see how they look.

 

[d42zero]

Quick question. I have some outdoor plants that have alot of aphids, dust, and dandelions. I was planning on cutting and washing today. I've never done this before. Should I just use the H2O2 or do I need the lemon juice and baking soda? Also after I dunk and shake off all the water how can I just leave in the sun to dry or should I use a fan directly on them and for how long?
Thanks Cannon

I put a towel on the floor of the drying tent and hang mine to drip dry, then remove the towel either a few hours later or the next morning and leave them in the drying tent til they're ready to cure.

I run a 4" fan with a carbon filter from the drying tent either into my grow tent (if the grow tent exhaust fan is still running) or out the window (if the grow tent isn't running). I do this mainly to scrub the smell, but it keeps air flowing through the drying tent. Min/max figures for humidity in the grow tent increase by about 2% when I do this, so nothing worth worry about.

 

[multiVortex]

I currently use another tent too. I have a length of pvc with a tee fitting. Tee goes into one of the ducts on another tent, other end goes into a duct on the drying tent. Sucks it though well, and is easy to rig up as needed.

 

[HorseBadoritz]

I may have to do a more "scientific " test - last year I gave them a pretty aggressive hosing. I'll see if I can see any difference in the trichs before and after and also skip the blasting and see how they look.

When I did H2O2 washes, I'd use the mist setting on a hose sprayer, and thoroughly rinse everything after the dip.

 

[HaremMasterOG]

I harvested 6 plants last month over 3 weeks.
I did 4 ea 5 gal buckets.
1 qt of hydrogen peroxide 5 gal water ( I did not have any pests or mildew )
1 cup of lemon juice / baking soda 5 gal water
5 gal hot tap water
5 gal cold well water
I chopped each stem 8” to 10” long and trimmed the big leaves.
I dipped that stem 15 to 20 times in each bucket . 8” pieces can be dipped without touching sides or bottoms of buckets. I also chopped , trimmed , washed and hung each piece separately.
Never laying that piece down , while holding cut end of stem.
This minimizes damage to buds.
I did run a fan directly on the hanging pieces for 4 to 6 hrs.
The RH was pretty high at that time , so I did not dry by the hanging meathod .
I used the “ Low Slow Dry “. Paper bags and into the garage frig.
5 to 7 days and then into open jars in the fridge.
When RH is below 68% and above 65% , I take the jars out of fridge and place
in my cure closet w/ lids tight. Add 62% Bovida packs. Dark room w/ low to mid 70’s and 60% RH
Burp twice a day till 64% . Once a day till 62%. After 3 weeks & consistent 60%/62% , I bag up trimmed buds in a turkey bag and a 5 gal bucket w/ air tight lid.
The buds in the bucket need to be burped every few days and RH checked.
Over a week now and everything is sitting on 62%.
First time with this whole process and I am very pleased with the result.

I have a lot to wash, so am wondering how many 8-10" branch pieces, you washed before you had to change the different solutions and rinse water in each bucket? Or, do you change only when the surface becomes full of visible debris, etc., accumulated on the surface?

 

[SeniorMoments]

I have a lot to wash, so am wondering how many 8-10" branch pieces, you washed before you had to change the different solutions and rinse water in each bucket? Or, do you change only when the surface becomes full of visible debris, etc., accumulated on the surface?

I used the buckets for one partial plant each time.
Most of the six were about this size .

 

[HaremMasterOG]

I used the buckets for one partial plant each time.
Most of the six were about this size .

Thanks @SeniorMoments , yah, I was wondering because this is what the surfaces of my 4-stage washing setup looked like after I washed my first plant..
#1 bicarbonate of soda in warm water #2 hydrogen peroxide, colloidal silver, lemon juice, in warm water
#3 warm water
#4 cold water
.. also welcoming further comments on these pics, and wondering how everyone else who contributes to this bud washing thread decides when to change each of the washing and rinsing solutions in their particular setup? .. as I'm finding it quite labor, time, and water-intensive washing a larger outdoor grow.. especially if changing bucket contents after every plant is the generally accepted practice??
p.s. pics are result of washing the plant shown

 

[Graytail]

Lemon juice and baking soda should be in the same bucket.

1st - H2O2
2nd - warm water with lemon and soda
3rd - cool water rinse.
The warmth will help dissolve stuff and the cold will help set colors. If warm water is a hassle, skip it - it's no big deal.

There's no need to change water unless it starts to look funky. You should be able to get through 2-3 complete plants before it needs changing.

 

[HaremMasterOG]

Lemon juice and baking soda should be in the same bucket.

1st - H2O2
2nd - warm water with lemon and soda
3rd - cool water rinse.
The warmth will help dissolve stuff and the cold will help set colors. If warm water is a hassle, skip it - it's no big deal.

There's no need to change water unless it starts to look funky. You should be able to get through 2-3 complete plants before it needs changing.

Thanks for the feedback @Graytail , will change the setup a bit.. re: 'funky'.. that first plant I dunked seemed free of any bugs, floating or otherwise.. and nothing settled at the bottom, either.. However, #1 I'm a little concerned about those fairly numerous pinhead size transluscent 'bloblets' floating on the surface (highest density in the H2O2 bucket) and #2, the mystery ,'slick' accompanying them, once again, mostly in the H2O2 bucket. I'm wondering what substance(s) those two things might be comprised of.. any ideas? There was no visible PM bloom , nor any visible Botrytis on the trimmed branches I dunked so, I'm thinking it could be waxes and oils which I understand may also be present in some small amounts in the freshly harvested cannabis? Another possibility could be some reaction effect, or by-product, of the acid/base reaction between the baking soda only I ran in the 1st bucket, combining with the acidic H2O2+lemon juice I ran in the 2nd bucket? With the wild card, perhaps, being the 50ml of 30ppm colloidal silver I also ran in bucket 2?? Also wondering if the H2O2, especially at high dilution in water, might 'throw off' that extra oxygen molecule, reverting fairly quickly to water only state??any other insight/knowledge/ideas you, or anyone else might have to share with me and others in this thread, from your research/experience, will be much appreciated. CHEERS!

 

[Graytail]

I haven't found an oily slick in my water, but I've had a gritty ring around the sink I use, and some aroma in the water, but that was mostly when I used hot tap water. There was a lot of discussion early in the thread about possible loss of trichs, and I think we'd have to admit that there will be some loss. But a couple members examined and weighed the stuff left in the buckets, and it vastly outnumbered the trichs. It's miniscule when you compare the results. Washed buds are just better. The only way to retain all the trichs is to accept all the crud with them.

I've always been nervous when I see people use the lemon and soda in different buckets, but the concentrations are so low that it's hard to see how it could cause significant trouble.

Dunno. Once you smoke it, I doubt you'll be very concerned.

 

[Billy Ray Valentine]

For a test I tried this with one little bud.

I used tap water. Boiled it and left to cool down to a warm, not hot state.
I poured lemon juice (from a lemon) and sodium bicarbonate in
warm but not hot water, that's the 1st bucket. Also had 2 other buckets with clean tap
water (2nd one was a bit warm&3rd one was normal tap water). Did not use 5 gallon
buckets since it was just this one bud, I used 1l of water in all three.

I used a laundry clip to grab this little bud by its stem&to swish it around.
After I finished it, I placed it outside on a paper towel sitting on a table,
in the sun so it dries a little, before I hang it inside to dry. After half an hour on a paper towel in the sun,
I placed the bud in a small carboard box with one small fan attached to it and I sealed the box, with just
a couple of holes for air circulation.I did put the box close to the floor, but really
on a wooden surface 10 cm above ground.

48h later I opened the box to check the bud, noticed black spots on the stem,
I presume mold. Now, in a few weeks my autoflower Amnesia is going to be done for harvest
and I'd really like to wash the flowers, but now I'm scared that I don't fuck something up,
I'm afraid to get mold on the buds.

Temperature&humidity level in my grow room, under 250w HPS light: 60% RH @70 degrees F
(21 degrees Celsius). When the light is out, humidity changes a bit, but not much.
Temperature drops around 5-10 degrees F, not much either.
Humidity in that room is usually around 55%, not ideal for drying, but it should be ok.
Outside weather is typical Autumn and I leave my wooden blinds open just a little
(almost closed) to let some fresh air inside.

So, what are your thoughts on this? How do I prevent mold from happening?
What did I do wrong and what can I do to protect my flowers, especially if I decide to wash them?

 

[multiVortex]

You got mold from your drying, not from washing.

 

[Billy Ray Valentine]

Yeah, I presume so. It's just, theoretically washing buds puts them at a greater risk for mold development.
Maybe I'm better off without washing, I mean, although I can still get mold on a "dry" bud, without putting them in water, maybe I shouldn't do it since 1. I'm inexperienced and 2. conditions I have are far from perfect. What do you people think?