Is there a way to increase potency?

BubblinBuds said:
The first time I read sweetsue’s thread about it, it seemed a little overwhelming and I said fuck it lol... my curiosity peaked again though and upon a second look there’s really not much to it. You just need the supplies(vacuum seal bag, corn cob, crock pot, seedling heat mat, and a cool dark place to store it for a month) it’s actually not that labor intensive at all so I’m planning on giving it a go. Maybe when I do it, I’ll document my first attempt at it in my grow journal.
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That's where I an at! It's like anything else there are steps and equipment and super smart people put out instructions so I am going to start accumulating the equipment and try it on the coming harvest
 
Emilya said:
I tried cobbing a couple of varieties and well into the process learned that its primary intent is so that people can eat the pot. That's right, just eat it. It works, and if that is your cup of tea, then go for it... but it isn't mine. I like smoking my pot. For me there is nothing like well cured pot rolled into an ultra thin paper fattie. That is what floats my boat, and it always has. COBBing is certainly something to try, but it was the last to get smoked up around here and only a few of us enjoy eating it. As far as ease of cure though, bag it, seal it and forget it for a month... couldn't be easier.

Actually, I want to get back to a version of this idea in a back yard buried cure, using the soil bacteria to help effect the cure. This is the secret behind the fabled Panama Red and I think if we look around we could find many other natural methods of curing and drying this pot, putting the process more in contact with the earth and the local surroundings, producing a regional taste. I will have years to experiment in these areas in my now legal grow operation here in Missouri, and I do hope over the years to learn some very interesting new methods of doing these things that we do.
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Ohh wow okay, I’ve read reports about people smoking it. If I’m going to eat my smoke then there are far superior ways of preparing it. Thank you for that information as you just completely turned me off to doing it... buuut I’ll still do it, ya know.. for science. Lol Ya I’ve heard stories from the old growers about burying their stash and then digging it up later on. One guy even incorporated grain liquor into his burial stash. Haha Glad to hear you got your license! Sounds like you have quite the adventure ahead of you, I look forward to hearing/reading your scientific reports! Congratulations :thumb:
 
so many good points in this thread.

i have personally found good light to be probably the single most important factor, followed by overall environment. can't get there without decent genetics, but good light and environment goes a long ways to getting the most out of even mid grade genetics.

a quick note on genetics - there has been a noticeable increase in counterfeit cannabis seed entering the market. a lot of well known breeders have had their packaging ripped off, with inferior seed being substituted. even reputable seedbanks have had issues. russian organized crime seems to be near the center of it.
 
Hrenklin said:
Its a technique where you stab a hole through the main stalk then place a pencil or toothpicks, depending on the stalk size, inside it. This simulates it being underbattack and go into defense mode which triggers a large unflux of tricomes.
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This is true; but you want to do it near the end of Flower. Like 2 weeks before you harvest. It's pretty much the same as Super Cropping in the effect that you'll get. It's High Stress though so you want to wait till the end of flower in case it hermies & starts getting nanners. That way you can harvest before pollen sacks open & not lose your harvest to seeds.
 
bluter said:
i have personally found good light to be probably the single most important factor, followed by overall environment. can't get there without decent genetics, but good light and environment goes a long ways to getting the most out of even mid grade genetics.
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Yes, these are the most important factors in a grow. But once you've obtained this & you want to advance you start doing more things to get bigger yields & stronger weed. I've increased my yields to where I'm happy. Now to get stronger weed ... lol.
 
Buds Buddy said:
Yes, these are the most important factors in a grow. But once you've obtained this & you want to advance you start doing more things to get bigger yields & stronger weed. I've increased my yields to where I'm happy. Now to get stronger weed ... lol.
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do you use vpd charts ?

the reason i ask is there is almost always something that can be improved upon environmentally.

individual strains and plants also have their preferences in environment. some indicas can gain potency with a noticeable drop in soil temp at the end of flower for example. a great deal of sativas would either not benefit from that or outright hate it.
 
Buds Buddy said:
I use a Mic. at Harvest & I wait till 50% Amber or more.
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Buds Buddy said:
Not sure if waiting till 75% Amber would help all that much but I'll probably try it on the 2 DWC plants I'm growing now.
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Buds Buddy said:
I've never harvested before 50% Amber because they say the more Amber, the more couch lock effect.
Maybe I'm chasing the dragon so to speak. I'm looking for that stone I got in the 70's off Acapulco Gold, Red Bud, etc. that 4 people got wasted on 1 joint & you get the munchies so bad you go through a loaf of cinnamon toast or a whole box of cereal & then take a nap. If it does these 2 things to me, I consider it Great Weed. If not, It's just so - so.
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I think bubblin was on the right track, and one area where I think you will find a better balance.

You want a little amber in there, yes. But IMO 50% is way too much. More amber = less THC, More clear = less THC. The peak is in the cloudy stage. The more amber, the more sedative, true, but I believe there is a point where the THC is decreased enough that it brings it out of balance.

First, make positive the genetics are there for that sedative/sleepy buzz.

A search like this is a good start.

Cross reference leafly for strain information, and find reviews.


Then for harvest, maybe look more to 10%-15% amber. This will be the peak of the genetics, and it's characteristics should shine through.



Once you have things headed in the right direction, there are some things you can do for those little increases of a couple % points, but those are really kind of the sprinkles on the icing on the cake. They're definitely not something you want to go doing now, but more for when you have things where you want them and want to go from 10 to 11.
 
BubblinBuds said:
I have a far fetched theory as to why everyone thinks weed was better back then even though it was that brick/shwag. I’m probably 100% wrong about this, but it’s just a stoner theory thought up to give you a laugh... so here it is, all that mexi brick weed that had to be smuggled was obviously grown and treated like shit it’s entire life... evident just by looking at it. But I think back then they may have been fermenting the buds to increase the potency so basically just cobbed weed. I mean when I think about how Pablo was smuggling weed into the states through tires in cars, there’s no way those buds inside those tires did not sweat or go through some kind of fermentation during the transportation into the states. Again those are high thoughts :blunt:haha... I for one do not agree with most people, weed today is far superior to the brick weed I had as a kid, and most of the old heads I know agree that weed is better on all levels today. These are just opinions, and you know what they say about those...
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The only pressed stuff I ever had was the one time I got some Columbian Gold, but the Thai looked just regular dried and Nepalese was right off the living plant in Nepal, they were fantastic. So I feel I am either now, missing out on the best strains or that there is not much difference between the good plants back then and nowadays.
 
I would just like to make a correction to what @BubblinBuds said earlier. As amber increases, CBN is produced not CBD.

I’m with @bluter on this one. Your trichome density is a direct result of the overall health of the plant as it goes through flower. The more dialed in your VPD, and the denser the photons in your lights, the more healthy, robust your plants will be... thus more potent. The stem splitting, temp manipulation, extended dark period, etc... all these techniques are like @multiVortex said, ‘sprinkles on top.’ ...and that’s at best. At worst, they could potentially be a detriment to a plant in a less than idea environment.
 
ChefDGreen said:
I would just like to make a correction to what @BubblinBuds said earlier. As amber increases, CBN is produced not CDB.

I’m with @bluter on this one. Your trichome density is a direct result of the overall health of the plant as it goes through flower. The more dialed in your VPD, and the denser the photons in your lights, the more healthy, robust your plants will be... thus more potent. The stem splitting, temp manipulation, extended dark period, etc... all these techniques are like @multiVortex said, ‘sprinkles on top.’ ...and that’s at best. At worst, they could potentially be a detriment to a plant in a less than idea environment.
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Thank you for Correcting me, nonetheless thc still degrades into CBN which is much less psychoactive which was the point I was trying to get across.
 
ChefDGreen said:
I would just like to make a correction to what @BubblinBuds said earlier. As amber increases, CBN is produced not CBD.

I’m with @bluter on this one. Your trichome density is a direct result of the overall health of the plant as it goes through flower. The more dialed in your VPD, and the denser the photons in your lights, the more healthy, robust your plants will be... thus more potent. The stem splitting, temp manipulation, extended dark period, etc... all these techniques are like @multiVortex said, ‘sprinkles on top.’ ...and that’s at best. At worst, they could potentially be a detriment to a plant in a less than idea environment.
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"Jungle Boy's" use that method of growing (VPD) and swear by it. To even try it one needs an air-tight room son you cant control you enviroment You can get some additives to increase terpene's and essential oils specificly : Terpinator, Purpinator Mammonth P , Soil Balance, and Massive Bloom have use all of these at one time or another and they do work very well There is a strain called "Sweet Melisse" is 46.8% THCA grown bu Artisan Bardens !!!
 
bluter said:
do you use vpd charts ?

the reason i ask is there is almost always something that can be improved upon environmentally.

individual strains and plants also have their preferences in environment. some indicas can gain potency with a noticeable drop in soil temp at the end of flower for example. a great deal of sativas would either not benefit from that or outright hate it.
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Haven't looked at a VPD chart in a while now. I've had pretty much the same Temps & RH for the past 2 years. 72 F lights out & 77 F lights on. Veg RH 65% - 70% Lights out & 50% - 55% lights on.
It did get hot a few times & RH got low when I'd forget to refill the 6 gallon Humidifier. It kind of doubles as a swamp cooler as the pad is 12" x 12" x 4". Lowers my temps about 5 degrees.
 
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