Harvest & Curing dark period

[Dopey Jim]

have read in quite a few forums that people recommend leaving finished plants in complete darkness for anything up to 72 hrs before actually cutting and drying.
Why is that?
What, if any, time should you leave them in the dark?

 

[Autobot]

I've heard people do it with white strains to pack on the frost. I'd be really interested to know too

 

[Captain cure]

Gotta expose the bad side. I've done it and it does make the plant produce an extra burst of trichomes. But.... It can also cause your plant to self pollinate causing a hermie. People have started cutting the dark period. It's a little safer to go on a 24 hour blackout then 72. Just my 2 cents

 

[TshirtNinja]

im with joe on this one. a couple of nanners for that short a time isn't going to matter honestly. i've heard it works for white strains as well but honestly i've never been in the position to try it out. let us know how it goes if you do that

 

[S_a_H]

Gotta expose the bad side. I've done it and it does make the plant produce an extra burst of trichomes. But.... It can also cause your plant to self pollinate causing a hermie. People have started cutting the dark period. It's a little safer to go on a 24 hour blackout then 72. Just my 2 cents

I have seen people do this and when they open the door 2-3 have coned over with mites..or PM..... but that was an issue before hand. If you do it make sure you have your fans still coming on now and then to keep the air moving and watch your temps.



---------- Post added 11-22-2011 at 11:50 AM ----------

im with joe on this one. a couple of nanners for that short a time isn't going to matter honestly. i've heard it works for white strains as well but honestly i've never been in the position to try it out. let us know how it goes if you do that

Yeah even if male flowers explode in there on the second day no way screws the grow over with seeds they were getting nanners before hand.

S_a_H

 

[Joe Dirt]

I neglected to mention ventilation and watch humidity... thanks SaH. :thumbs:

 

[surffreak23]

Man how cool would that be for those of us who are breeding if seeds only took 3 days to ripen from pollination?

 

[TshirtNinja]

Man how cool would that be for those of us who are breeding if seeds only took 3 days to ripen from pollination?

when you figure that out let me know....... we got some money to make son!!!!

 

[Dopey Jim]

Thanks for that guys, good advice about ventilation etc, 'cause I was just going to put them in a box and mould would def' of been an issue as my shed is now RH 80+%!

 

[RollerofDoobs]

I have been wondering if the dark period is really beneficial, and if so, why? I am having trouble finding a definite answer. This is what an "Ask Ed" article for cannabis culture magazine had to say about the science behind the dark period hypothesis.

In the 1970s, Dr Carleton Turner at the University of Mississippi found that there was a variation in the amount of THC in a sample, depending upon the time that the plant was taken. The most potent point was just before dawn after nighttime darkness.

Then, in 2000, Dr Paul Mahlberg of Indiana University showed that THC was produced extracellularly, on the inside of the glandular membrane, which would allow for its daily recycling.

The idea of using a dark period to increase THC before harvest warrants some investigation. An extended dark period right before harvest might very well increase THC content.

Wouldn't this occur while your buds are drying in a dark place anyway? Just because you chop the stem doesn't mean the chemical reactions come to an immediate stop. I am probably going to give the 24 hr dark period a go anyway. Just hard to believe that this many people have heard of it, but info on how it actually increases THC is so scarce lol.