RE: "Ask TheCleanGame" All Cannabis Subjects Welcome!
Hi, Thanks for pursuing cannabis cultivation. :)
Molasses is of great benefit to the mirco-herd in organic soils. This benefit takes time, as the molasses is converted and absorbed by the life in the soil. Molasses really has no place in the root zone near harvest time.
Near harvest is when you want to be using only clean r/o water, to dilute and taper off the strength of your amendments. :)
- Harvest at 5-15% Amber (Use a 30x-60x Scope)
Ripe cannabis has the longest efficacy time. Unless you like 45 minute high/stone/medication, harvest when trichomes are at least 5% amber. Overripe cannabis will make you fall asleep 15 minutes after a few hits. Overripe cannabis has LESS thc than ripe cannabis, because the thc has broken down into CBN. Overripe cannabis is a drag, unless you're trying to escape life. (You can be pain free and awake with the same strain) - Hay/Grassy Smell from Chlorophyll Breaking Down
Most of the advice online and in books was written by cash croppers, not people looking for high quality. In soil you'll want to use plain water the last few weeks before harvest. Plants should not be dark green at harvest time as the chlorophyll content is very high. The grass smell is chlorophyll breaking down and fading for a 2 weeks before harvest will cut down on chlorophyll content.
Keep your drying area around 70F and 55% humidity and slow/complete air movement. This will prevent the cannabis from overheating and causing the hay smell. You're shooting for at least a 7-10 day dry time, hopefully a bit longer if mold is not an issue. The slower you dry, the more terpenes you're going to retain and the tastier the cannabis will be.
Hope that helps. :D
I'm sure it will. Last time my dry room was closer to 40% humidity and it only took 4 or 5 days until I had snapping stems. I am thinking I will try to drying the whole plant before trimming, maybe with the sun leaves intact it will slow down my dry time and allow that chlorophyl to break down properly.
Thanks for the advice!
You're welcome.
I believe a lot of people dry trim, simply because of the longer dry time. The speed of the dry really does make a big difference. When you get a controlled area to dry in, be sure to try wet trimming again, you'll really appreciate keeping those trichomes on the plant. :)