I am no expert on PM but does look suspicious.
Desperate Need Of Some Help
- Thread starter steveinspain
- Start date
SeniorMoments
Well-Known Member
Luckily I have no experience w/ PM but there are all kinds of info here on how to treat it.
GL. Don’t procrastinate.
GL. Don’t procrastinate.
- Thread starter
- #83
steveinspain
Well-Known Member
Hi and good morning (early) over there. Here's a question for you or anyone else who'd like to chime in. Last year I was looking at the color of the trichomes very carefully as the harvest date was getting closer. At mostly milky and a bit amber I chopped it down. What's your advice on when to stop feeding it and just water? Also, I used a product to flush it but can't remember when that was done. I've read varying opinions and was wondering what you do. Lastly, I have a magnifier that goes up to 90X and the trichomes looked perfect and intact. After harvest and drying I noticed that they seems to have been obliterated. Some were still intact but the majority of them either flattened or just dissapeared. The dope was still potent but I'm wondering if this is normal or did I somehow handle the buds too much when trimming, I would appreciate your comments. Thanks
- Thread starter
- #84
steveinspain
Well-Known Member
That happened to me a few years back and it was quite depressing. I found this video on YouTube and it helped but did not get rid of all of the PM. The smoke was a bit harsh and I've read that there are risks to 'older' lungs by puffing this mold. My lungs are pretty old and it did not have any adverse effect on me.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Why does it makes sense to people that to get the best and most potent buds, you must stop feeding at some point?? This is illogical and defies common sense as well as the examples given every day by mother nature in the wild. Starving your plants at the end has to be counterproductive... why is this so hard for the growing public to understand? Organically grown or naturally grown plants are not "flushed" at the end... and they are known to be the best, tastiest and most powerful plants that we grow, simply because they are fed everything they need, right up to the end.
There are lots of "gurus" out there who insist that you must flush out your plants by starving them at the end or your smoke will be terrible. This is BS. Do not believe most of what you read online these days and very little of what you see on Youtube... there are lots of people spouting BS out here just to make themselves sound important and knowledgeable. If you are believing that you must flush your plants at the end, you have fallen victim to the hype, and I implore you to read further.
There are lots of "gurus" out there who insist that you must flush out your plants by starving them at the end or your smoke will be terrible. This is BS. Do not believe most of what you read online these days and very little of what you see on Youtube... there are lots of people spouting BS out here just to make themselves sound important and knowledgeable. If you are believing that you must flush your plants at the end, you have fallen victim to the hype, and I implore you to read further.
- Thread starter
- #86
steveinspain
Well-Known Member
Thanks Emilya, I'll try that and feed right up to the end. Your advice has been excellent so far and much appreciated. Any thoughts on last year's trichomes disappearing?
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
no, but it has to be something in your drying and curing process. Were they in the dark during this whole time? Did you slow dry down to the curing range (59-65%RH) and keep them there for at least a couple of weeks? Did you do any sort of bud washing or did you freeze them? I am at a loss to explain this without knowing where in the process it might have occurred.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
And, let me clarify about flushing... a good 3x the container size flush of plain water on a water only day, about 2 weeks from the end, does wonders to clear the soil of salts and debris and clear the roots for full uptake during that last two weeks. Flush them that one time, and then feed/water/feed/water right to the end, and those buds will go nuts in that last two weeks. I mention this only to clarify that the word "flush" actually does have a valid meaning and the technique, when applied correctly and with the right timing, is a very valuable tool in the indoor container grow gardener's toolkit. I am merely trying to stress that the meaning never did (until the internet perverted it) have anything to do with holding back on nutrients at the end.
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- #89
steveinspain
Well-Known Member
Yes they were in the dark but they were dry in about a week. I piece of twig snapped and I understood that to be the indicator that they were dry to start the cure.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
That's a pretty rough indicator... very subjective and more than likely you were not in the proper range ... and most likely you got them too dry in a week so the cure didn't even happen and those trichomes dried right up. I would invest in a jar sized hygrometer... I like the Caliber III units. In the drying room, bend the branches and they should snap, but not break... and most of the time this happens in about 3 days. Put them in a jar at this point, and see what RH they settle in at, probably too wet. If so, put them in a paper grocery sack, folded over twice, for another 12 hours. Put them in a jar and check again. Repeat this process until you get them stabilized at 65%RH in the jar. This is when curing will start. Burp them daily... keep that RH between 65 and 59 for as long as you are able.
- Thread starter
- #91
steveinspain
Well-Known Member
Thanks, I think the RH here is pretty low, it's a dry area of Spain. I'll look in to this. Thanks again
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
We hear it all the time... The Rain in Spain is Mainly On the Plain... sounds like the rest is pretty dry. 
- Thread starter
- #93
steveinspain
Well-Known Member
I must have had my head up my ass all these years! When you mean 'jar size' I suppose you mean a hygrometer small enough to fit in a jar, no?We hear it all the time... The Rain in Spain is Mainly On the Plain... sounds like the rest is pretty dry.
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- #94
steveinspain
Well-Known Member
Now the trick is to find paper bags! I think the states is the only place in the world that still has paper grocery bags!
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
yes, small enough to fit in a jar... some are even a replacement for the jar lid. I have used fast food paper sacks before... see if your local McDonalds has a large sized one. Surely someone has a paper bag. Maybe a cardboard box would work, but not too big.
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
also, instead of jars, consider heavy plastic baking bags (turkey bags over here) to cure your pot in. They can hold a lot more than a jar and you can fit many of the larger hygrometers in there rather neatly.
LeeOswald1963
420 Member
I've always flushed because I was told the bud would taste like shit if you don't flush all the nutrients and fertilizer. You're saying thats all BS?
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
I am clearly, emphatically, publicly and with no reservations, saying that is all BS. All those tastes are removed with a proper cure. Those tastes by the way, have nothing to do with nutrients... they are the normal plant resins and sugars, because nutrients don't directly make it into the buds.
LeeOswald1963
420 Member
Didn't know that. I guess you learn something new everyday
SeniorMoments
Well-Known Member
Water AND feed right up to harvest.
The last 2 weeks are building bud density and trichs.
Do not stop the feed !
Flushing at the end is pretty much a waste of time.
Running water thru the soil is not changing anything in the plant.
There are a bunch of opinions but the research and science prove
flushing is broscience.
I have also noticed some damage to trichomes with harvesting thru curing.
Every time we handle the buds I believe we do some damage.
So....at all times ....handle with care.
I did leave some buds attached to a small piece of stem , in 2 bottles.
Those buds appeared to be less damaged AND more potent . IDK !!!!
But , when I harvest the outside girl , I will leave some stems attached
I like to see some amber on the flowers ( the leafs will pop w/ amber first ) , but not a lot.
I harvest in stages. From top first , but wait a few days on lower stuff.
Harvest early morning. Try to be gentle.
I wash my buds using 4 ea , 5 gal buckets.
As I cut a stem from plant , I trim off big leafs and wash and hang !!
Handling by cut end of stem without ever setting the bud group down.
Minimizing damage .
First bucket Full of water and half a cup of hydrogen peroxide .
2cd bucket Full of water w/ 1/2 cup of baking powder & lemon juice.
3rd bucket hot tap water.
4th bucket / PH adjusted well water.
I cut each stem about 8” long , w/ buds attached , but big leafs trimmed off .
I dip 30 times without touching sides or bottoms of bucket and immediately hang to dry
w/ fan blowing directly on them for about 4 hours.
Paper bag and into frig for about a week to 10 days ( Low Slow Dry Meathod )
Be careful , I almost dried one bag to long. Check RH daily.
Once buds are about 68% , I put into open glass jars In the fridge.
This slows down dry but worth the control.
Around 65% I move jars to dark closet w/ 62% Bovida packs and tight lid .
Initially burping twice a day and then once a day.
Once stabilized at 62% of curing in closet , I have placed loose buds into baking / turkey bags and into a 5 gal bucket w/ air tight top . I am keeping some in glass jars in closet. Checking RH and burping occasionally. Also checking turkey bag RH .
Sorry for this long winded answer . Just sharing my take on info picked up here and put