First Grow: Outdoor Autoflower Blueberry & AK-47 In Pots With Dr. Earth Soil

InTheShed said:
It's Monday back-to-work day. Let me start by talking about Blueberry 1, which is having a hard time drying out. Total weight is at 54 grams which is on 5g less than when I started! I've been keeping the RH gauge in one jar or another and with all the airing and burping, I can't get it below 77% RH. This morning I think I figured out why. The RH in the air is 72%! It would take a long time to get the buds to give up the 5% difference just sitting by out.

20170807_083302.jpg


I put them back in the jars before I left for work, and I'm going to take them out when I get home and leave them for a few hours, but then I'm going to put a Boveda 62% pack in each jar (consolidating to three jars) and see if that will suck out the rest of the moisture and start the curing process.

Any thoughts on that plan?
Click to expand...

Interesting problem with your humidity. Maybe silica gel or other commercial dessicants? I have seen people mention rice. I would think that putting it (the rice) in a 200 degree over for a couple of hours to really get it dried out could help.

I would recommend not jarring until you get that moisture down lest you get mold--or if you are going to jar, only with a good desiccant to absorb the moisture.

On a possible bright side, I have a personal theory that maybe drying out bud a little slower gives it a chance to convert and degrade some of the chlorophyll and other complex molecules that can't happen when you dry it really fast and just stop most of the biological and chemical activity. On my last grow I dried things out really fast with a fan, but then I read about tobacco curing in which they sometimes take it slower to give it more time. I'm the first to admit I know nothing about this, though. I do love my Caliber IV digital humidity sensor!
 
And AK-47 on day 81:

20170807_073439.jpg


Top:
20170807_073504.jpg


Lower bud:
20170807_073518.jpg


Macros:
20170807_075406.jpg


20170807_075413.jpg


20170807_075429.jpg


20170807_075512.jpg


Has anyone heard of "stem splitting" to increase bud size and THC production? I got an email from 420 describing the process, to be done 3 days to a week before harvest. Does it work? I'd try it on this AK-47 if it works, as I can wait 3 days bf taking this down.

How To Grow Huge Marijuana Buds - 7 Tips
 
Scientific said:
Interesting problem with your humidity. Maybe silica gel or other commercial dessicants? I have seen people mention rice. I would think that putting it (the rice) in a 200 degree over for a couple of hours to really get it dried out could help.

I would recommend not jarring until you get that moisture down lest you get mold--or if you are going to jar, only with a good desiccant to absorb the moisture.

On a possible bright side, I have a personal theory that maybe drying out bud a little slower gives it a chance to convert and degrade some of the chlorophyll and other complex molecules that can't happen when you dry it really fast and just stop most of the biological and chemical activity. On my last grow I dried things out really fast with a fan, but then I read about tobacco curing in which they sometimes take it slower to give it more time. I'm the first to admit I know nothing about this, though. I do love my Caliber IV digital humidity sensor!
Click to expand...

I've heard that commercial dessicants can take some of the scent out and maybe absorb some terpenes, not sure about rice tho. I'm ok with leaving them out in the dark for more drying if I'm not going to get mold, but I'm more inclined to go with rice or the Boveda 62s to see if I can get the RH down. It's been a week since the chop so that's kind of a slow-if-imperfect dry.

Have you used the Bovedas?
 
I have never used Bovedas. They sound like a clever product, especially if you have a lot of jars to manage.

I doubt that a desiccant would absorb terpenes, or at least any terpenes that hadn't already broken free from the buds and thus are lost anyway.

I don't understand the connection between darkness and mold?
 
Scientific said:
I have never used Bovedas. They sound like a clever product, especially if you have a lot of jars to manage.
I doubt that a desiccant would absorb terpenes, or at least any terpenes that hadn't already broken free from the buds and thus are lost anyway. I don't understand the connection between darkness and mold?
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Sorry, I didn't mean to associate the two. I meant that I don't have a problem leaving them to air dry in the dark (still) but since they aren't getting much dryer (mold possible) I may want to get them dryer faster.

Rice is what I have on hand and I've now read that Bovedas are better for maintaining or raising RH rather than reducing. So I'll probably give rice a shot overnight and see what it is in the morning, at which point I will post results here! All part of the grand experiment.
 
InTheShed said:
It's Monday back-to-work day. Let me start by talking about Blueberry 1, which is having a hard time drying out. Total weight is at 54 grams which is only 5g less than when I started! I've been keeping the RH gauge in one jar or another and with all the airing and burping, I can't get it below 77% RH. This morning I think I figured out why. The RH in the air is 72%! It would take a long time to get the buds to give up the 5% difference just sitting by out.

20170807_083302.jpg


I put them back in the jars before I left for work, and I'm going to take them out when I get home and leave them for a few hours, but then I'm going to put a Boveda 62% pack in each jar (consolidating to three jars) and see if that will suck out the rest of the moisture and start the curing process.

Any thoughts on that plan?
Click to expand...
U ever look Into the lo & slow drying merging sweet sue has a thread on..thwy seem to be experimenting but it's seems to be working I'm giving it a try wen I chop
 
InTheShed said:
And AK-47 on day 81:

20170807_073439.jpg


Top:
20170807_073504.jpg


Lower bud:
20170807_073518.jpg


Macros:
20170807_075406.jpg


20170807_075413.jpg


20170807_075429.jpg


20170807_075512.jpg


Has anyone heard of "stem splitting" to increase bud size and THC production? I got an email from 420 describing the process, to be done 3 days to a week before harvest. Does it work? I'd try it on this AK-47 if it works, as I can wait 3 days bf taking this down.

How To Grow Huge Marijuana Buds - 7 Tips
Click to expand...
Ooohhh. I read that too, about the stem splitting. I'm dying to know if it works.
 
KnottyDread said:
U ever look Into the lo & slow drying merging sweet sue has a thread on..thwy seem to be experimenting but it's seems to be working I'm giving it a try wen I chop
Click to expand...
[x-posted from KD thread:]

I think that's what KingJoe is doing on his as well, but I don't have any room in the fridge for jars of dope, and I need to keep this out of the hands of my teenagers! I'm going to keep it simple for now but post results as you go!
 
First Grow - Outdoor Autoflower Blueberry & AK-47 In Pots With Dr. Earth Soil

InTheShed said:
If it's bud-rot then that bud is not getting smoked! Into the freezer it's going.

I guess the humidity we've been having lately must have caused it then. It's been pretty muggy here the past week or so (higher than usual for SoCal. I've got the fan directly on it at night and it's obviously out in the sun/breeze all day. I'm hoping that this was the beginning and the end of the brown and I took it all out. I will def keep an eye on it going forward. Not long before chop on this, I'm guessing four days max. Hope it can hold out.

Have you lost the entire plant to mold? Was it just the white cookies? You haven't posted any pics of that in a while.

Hang tight, the rest of what you have growing (including that stinky cheese beyond the fence!) is looking good!
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Ya bud I didn't lose it all.

About 7 -10 buds throughout early miss and white cookies . Removed infected buds . Still should pull hopefully two ounce of fine smoke off early miss . White cookies will be getting the axe next weekend. Just put another auto from
Delicious seeds in coco today either la diva or northern lights blue auto. Long story . I'll get some white cookie pics soon. .
Yes mold goes brown as well.

White cookies for ya
420-magazine-mobile1552394716.jpg

420-magazine-mobile753315528.jpg

420-magazine-mobile1888354082.jpg
 
InTheShed said:
It's Monday back-to-work day. Let me start by talking about Blueberry 1, which is having a hard time drying out. Total weight is at 54 grams which is only 5g less than when I started! I've been keeping the RH gauge in one jar or another and with all the airing and burping, I can't get it below 77% RH. This morning I think I figured out why. The RH in the air is 72%! It would take a long time to get the buds to give up the 5% difference just sitting by out.

20170807_083302.jpg


I put them back in the jars before I left for work, and I'm going to take them out when I get home and leave them for a few hours, but then I'm going to put a Boveda 62% pack in each jar (consolidating to three jars) and see if that will suck out the rest of the moisture and start the curing process.

Any thoughts on that plan?
Click to expand...

If they are the same size as mine boveda packs one pocket is good between 1g-1oz ..
 
Kingjoe83 said:
If they are the same size as mine boveda packs one pocket is good between 1g-1oz ..
Click to expand...

I think those are the ones. But I've read they won't take the RH down 15% like some sort of dehumidifying product will. I've read only 2-3% down. RH up and stability is where they shine. Even their promo video doesn't mention sucking moisture in.

I think I'm going to leave the buds out in the air for about 3 hours tonight and then put some pre-dried rice (per Scientific) in the bottom, then some sort of permeable barrier, then the buds. Let's see what happens over night. News tomorrow!
 
TashaLit said:
Ooohhh. I read that too, about the stem splitting. I'm dying to know if it works.
Click to expand...

Think I'm going to run 2 AK-47s on my next grow, LST both in the same type pot, and split-stem one 7 days before predicted chop. Then I'll loupe them both and see if I can tell a difference.
 
TashaLit said:
So....I gave this a go on a white widow auto. I would say she's probably a week out from harvest.
Yikes! It's nerve racking.. Fingers crossed. Wish me luck..

420-magazine-mobile1182912861.jpg
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Go go go go go!!! :goodjob:

Keep us all posted!
 
InTheShed said:
I think those are the ones. But I've read they won't take the RH down 15% like some sort of dehumidifying product will. I've read only 2-3% down. RH up and stability is where they shine. Even their promo video doesn't mention sucking moisture in.

I think I'm going to leave the buds out in the air for about 3 hours tonight and then put some pre-dried rice (per Scientific) in the bottom, then some sort of permeable barrier, then the buds. Let's see what happens over night. News tomorrow!
Click to expand...

Ya they are more meant for jars and storing really . I mean you could probably put a whole bunch out in a room but they won't last long .
 
Re: First Grow - Outdoor Autoflower Blueberry & AK-47 In Pots With Dr. Earth Soil

Kingjoe83 said:
Ya bud I didn't lose it all.

About 7 -10 buds throughout early miss and white cookies . Removed infected buds . Still should pull hopefully two ounce of fine smoke off early miss . White cookies will be getting the axe next weekend. Just put another auto from
Delicious seeds in coco today either la diva or northern lights blue auto. Long story . I'll get some white cookie pics soon. .
Yes mold goes brown as well.
Click to expand...

So glad to hear you haven't lost it all. Those White Cookies are so frosty and heavy with buds you'll do well!

I'm pretty sure my mold is from the high RH in the air these past weeks. I mean 72%, really? This ain't sposed to be Florida!
 
Notes for today:

First off, my hygrometer reads 4% higher than the actual RH based on the salt slurry test. Therefore, all photos of the meter are off by 4% high (no calibration option). All percentages in the following have been adjusted accordingly.

Let me start by talking about the success of Scientific's oven-dried rice suggestion. :thanks:

HOLY MOLY! Toss out your silicone beads and your store-bought desiccants. If you need fast and extreme dehumidifying, GO WITH RICE!

The basic info is that rice took the RH in the jar from 75% to 50% in about 90 minutes. Yes, 25% moisture reduction in an hour and a half. I had to open the jars to let the buds re-hydrated from the moisture in the air!

Here's what I did:
I poured uncooked (not instant!) white rice in the bottom of a mason jar to fill about 2.25" which was to be divided across three jars of buds. I spread the rice on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 200° for about 45 minutes. When it was done, I needed it to cool down, but if you leave it out to cool down it will absorb the moisture from the air and end up at the ambient RH, offering no desiccating properties. So I put it in a ziplock bag, got the air out, sealed it, and put it in the fridge. This kept the rice dry as it cooled.

From there, it went into panty hose balls and into the bottoms of the jars.
20170807_205127cr.jpg


Within approximately an hour and a half the RH in the jar had dropped to 50% and the buds felt crunchy again (like after they had hung in the box), so I took the rice out and left the lids open for about 20 minutes until the RH had risen to 66%. Then I closed them up and put them back in the dark to sit overnight.

This morning they were still at 66%, so I aired them out for 10 minutes or so and put them away at 68%.

Now I'm in the curing RH range, so I will just be burping three times a day for the next week without letting the RH change too much (I hope). If I can keep it in the high 60s, I'm hoping that will be ok. If it gets too high I may open all the jars and put them in a lidded tub with the rice (reheated to remove the humidity) rather than seal them in the jars individually.
----------------------------------------------

One more thing. I tested the soil left over from Blueberry 1 to see what the pH was. I don't know if this is an accurate way to do it but this is how it was recommended to me here. Also, no idea if it matters that the soil sat drying for a week.

I took a heaping tablespoon of soil/perlite from the pot, put it in 8 oz of distilled water, stirred it, covered it, and left it to sit for 3 hours or so. The meter read 6.8. So (if this works) it means the soil remained close to its stated original 6.5pH even though I was putting 5.9-6.4 pH water through it every time. Do I need to do anything different to the soil next time? Add something to start lower?

Thanks for listening! Nothing new to report on the living plants. More tomorrow...
 
Scientific said:
Very interesting! Thanks for testing and reporting. I need to look into the salt sluffy thing...
Click to expand...

It was really easy. Table salt in a lid or cap (I used the lid from an olive jar). Fill it almost to the top with salt. Add just enough distilled water to make a slurry, with no floating water above the salt. Put the lid and the hygrometer in a zip lock bag, making sure the sensor isn't blocked by the plastic. Seal and wait for the RH to stabilize (mine took about two hours). It should read 75%. Calibrate or make note accordingly.

Done!
 
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