Bud washing

Lucky Luke

Well-Known Member
i've seen people use baking soda and lemon juice but that's not for mould thats just every crop. my understand is it reduces flavor and smell considerably, so wouldn't that mean it's wrecking terpenes?
I don't know, ive heard of it but ive never used it.
 

too larry

Well-Known Member
As for the ratio, when I am mixing up H2O2 and H2O for my spray bottle I add 1 Tbs per quart. Never measured for the wash, but I guess the ratio would be close to the same. I just swish the buds around for a few seconds, then do the same in two rinse waters. Picked up a tip on here for getting the water out of the clipped buds that are hard to hang. Spin them in a salad spinner. I had been tying them up in a bug head net and swinging it in circles. That works too, and counts as cardio. {no electricity for fans where I dry}
 
Never had mould? Sounds like your an indoor guy and you have stumbled into the wrong forum or you live an a close to perfect environment. Extremely hard to sterilize a gorilla plot id imagine or hook up a HEPA filter..Ive even had spiders..big fkrs making homes in buds., bird shit, wasps, ants, caterpillars, you get the picture.
I'm my experience ( and I have some in H2O2 washes..) there is no noticeable downside and the peace of mind of no viable mold spores when going into the drying stage is well worth the extra time.
Hey Lucky Luke, Grow Biz guys are telling me mold is inside the plant, not just on it, 'in the genetics'. Opinion? I noticed when mold first came, it was crappy Banana Split strain that allowed it get a good grip. J1's mixed in were 100% immune to mold. Everything else i've tried is not 100% resistant. I've noticed what Jesus says is true about "As it is below, so it is above". Over watering i think allows mold to take hold. Some % of roots are ill and so it manifests in the leaves. Until 3 or 4 weeks from harvest, fresh tap water showering the plants even with buds has worked to totally stop mold, but i keep seeing slight traces on new plants. (Careful heavy branches could break) After showering, the plants IMMEDIATELY pep up and every leaf stands at full attention. The plants LOVE showers. Try it and be amazed. Strong drying fan may burn the pistils, but that is NOT a problem.

Somehow after showering and lengthening watering interval, the plants got stronger resisting mold with every 3 day Vs every 2 day watering. Ventilation is as good as i can make it. I finally got Head Band strain and am sad to see it is another prone to mold. Soap Spray is all that i have been advised, to change the PH of the leaf surfaces. Have not wiped all the walls yet, but is on my list. If i find J1 again, it will be my main strain, but everyone needs a little variety. So far Gorilla Glue has had the most favorable attributes being easiest to trim by just pulling off leaves, mold resistant, huge yield, and oh so nuggy. I did not fully appreciate it until i ran out. Then i got the stress again ;-)

So now a mother Chem 4 OG that is almost ready has a dusting of mold on some leaves and too far along to shower it, so the 0.5% H2O2 dip and rinse dip will ensure it dries while killing the spores that are such a threat. There is nothing safer for Humans than H2O2 i think. It breaks down as it dries.
 

Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
Not enough of a nightmare doing I don't know what you call it gradual Harvest maybe? ..taking the top buds then the next layer a few days or a week later

I'm doing that for the first time which I got to say I'm always going to keep doing that, I'm harvesting them right at ripeness I want them!


.. anyway, I'm digressing, I was up all night washing my buds for the first time ever what a pain in the ass and then I stuck them up right on some crates with a 9 inch high velocity floor fan on low about 5 feet away blowing on them for two hours

then a small clip fan for about 4 or 5 more hours, until there was no perceivable water on them at all

Well they're hanging like normal and in 4-5 days when they're dry enough to smoke I'll grind up and see if I notice a difference, and sure hope I do or its the last time I'll do that because it was a big pain in the ass

No p.m., & haven't had septoria in over a year so don't need to wash but wanted to give it a try, I'll post if I notice any difference
-thanks
 

too larry

Well-Known Member
Not enough of a nightmare doing I don't know what you call it gradual Harvest maybe? ..taking the top buds then the next layer a few days or a week later

I'm doing that for the first time which I got to say I'm always going to keep doing that, I'm harvesting them right at ripeness I want them!


.. anyway, I'm digressing, I was up all night washing my buds for the first time ever what a pain in the ass and then I stuck them up right on some crates with a 9 inch high velocity floor fan on low about 5 feet away blowing on them for two hours

then a small clip fan for about 4 or 5 more hours, until there was no perceivable water on them at all

Well they're hanging like normal and in 4-5 days when they're dry enough to smoke I'll grind up and see if I notice a difference, and sure hope I do or its the last time I'll do that because it was a big pain in the ass

No p.m., & haven't had septoria in over a year so don't need to wash but wanted to give it a try, I'll post if I notice any difference
-thanks
I almost always harvest in three stages. I take the top 1/3 of the buds on each limb, then a week later half of what's left. Then a week after that, the rest of it. There is a good bit of swelling going on as new buds become the high man on the totem pole. Definitely worth the time if it's feasible.

Be careful not to leave the fans on too long. It can effect taste. Last year I had lots of rot, so all my stuff had to be washed. Snipping buds above and below any rot I spotted meant smaller buds, and not as easy to hang. I have used a bug net tied up and slung around on a string, since I have no electricity where I dry. But an insightful member on here mentioned a salad spinner for smaller buds. Now I have one at each of my drying locations. Gets most of the water out in just a few minutes, so no risk of too much fan time.
 

Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
Big fan of the multiple harvest now! .. if I took the whole plant when the top kolas were ripe all this and much more would have been really under-done, it took 7 days more to finish and I have a third Havest coming soon, 100% this technique stays:hump:

This is my first time growing bigger plants because I got backed up in veg if it was three or four Zips not such a big deal but there was two thirds of the plant left after I took the main colas and I am harvesting this entire plant dead ripe: exactly where I want it and I've never had that kind of control before I love it..!

Bud washing? Eh.. still don't know, I'm open to it. A lot of work & a lot of risk with the mold but I use big fans and dried it back to where it was normally. Instead of hanging it right away I stuck it upright which kept the leaves from sticking and trapping water, in my mind at least.

If you can eliminate the chance of mold I don't see where it's going to hurt anything, Still Remains to be seen if it gives me noticeable smoking it, will post back if it does
 

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Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
I get that im indoor now with climate control so I don't deal with molds and fungus but some say it's a better taste and smoke, and it's definitely cleaner so hoping I'd notice it, in few days will give it a try

A little more work but probably a process I'll keep doing, I like the idea of it plus it's not that hard to make sure they're dry so you don't risk mold from doing it, if you dry them well before regular hanging in my opinion, we'll probably wash all buds I pick from now on
 

too larry

Well-Known Member
I get that im indoor now with climate control so I don't deal with molds and fungus but some say it's a better taste and smoke, and it's definitely cleaner so hoping I'd notice it, in few days will give it a try

A little more work but probably a process I'll keep doing, I like the idea of it plus it's not that hard to make sure they're dry so you don't risk mold from doing it, if you dry them well before regular hanging in my opinion, we'll probably wash all buds I pick from now on
I'm not up to 100% yet, but I do wash most of my buds now.
 

Dr.J20

Well-Known Member
So does anyone see a problem with just trimming the fan leaves before washing, then trimming the sugar leaves after they've dried from washing?

My plan is to: Trim fan leaves >> wash buds >> hang to dry with oscillating fan etc. >> trim sugar leaves >> freezer cure for 21 days >> dark jars for storage.

Sound good to the bud washers around here?
 

legalcanada

Well-Known Member
So does anyone see a problem with just trimming the fan leaves before washing, then trimming the sugar leaves after they've dried from washing?

My plan is to: Trim fan leaves >> wash buds >> hang to dry with oscillating fan etc. >> trim sugar leaves >> freezer cure for 21 days >> dark jars for storage.

Sound good to the bud washers around here?
that wouldn't be a problem at all. lots of people do a wet trim of everything before they wash. i prefer a dry trim but i dry my plants whole. its a preference thing, it shouldn't affect washing them though.
 

Dr.J20

Well-Known Member
that wouldn't be a problem at all. lots of people do a wet trim of everything before they wash. i prefer a dry trim but i dry my plants whole. its a preference thing, it shouldn't affect washing them though.
right on thanks for the feedback on a slow thread! :peace: :leaf: :peace:

be easy,

Dr.J
 

ANC

Well-Known Member
Cutting in stages is sensible at times, I know many of my lower flowers never even started until about week 2 and 3, whereas the main colas, flipped virtually instantly after 12/12
 

Oblazer

Well-Known Member
whats up everybody , I stumbled across this looking for answers . I live in the desert southwest and we just got blasted with 2 weeks of dust storms . I'm a few weeks away from chopping and I think I want to get that dust of the tops of all my flowers. Gonna give it a try
 

Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
I almost always harvest in three stages. I take the top 1/3 of the buds on each limb, then a week later half of what's left. Then a week after that, the rest of it. There is a good bit of swelling going on as new buds become the high man on the totem pole. Definitely worth the time if it's feasible.

Be careful not to leave the fans on too long. It can effect taste. Last year I had lots of rot, so all my stuff had to be washed. Snipping buds above and below any rot I spotted meant smaller buds, and not as easy to hang. I have used a bug net tied up and slung around on a string, since I have no electricity where I dry. But an insightful member on here mentioned a salad spinner for smaller buds. Now I have one at each of my drying locations. Gets most of the water out in just a few minutes, so no risk of too much fan time.
I noticed that about the fan leaves too, I'm not a big fan of cutting leaves but once I take the top buds I start cutting heavy, every bud gets exposed, and when I take the second layer I do the same thing.. not random cutting but I try to do it in a certain pattern, I leave leaves that are not blocking anything

I like to harvest this way now, lot of work but it's really worth it and like you say they swell up! I got 3/4 gal. freezer bag full of good nugs off a white rhino × Mazar recently that would have been just popcorn bud if harvested all at once

And everything I harvest this way is dead ripe too!
 
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razzreggy

Member
UPDATE - Effective mold spore killing of trimmed plants requires 0.5%, or 3.65 TBS 35% H2O2 per gallon of water, says grow biz.

Also learned Actinovate is banned in CA.
How did you arrive at this concentration of 0.5%. Here is a product that dilution is recommended 0.5% to 1%. Read somone using 1.5% and it hurt their plant so that's definetly too high.

For spray and bud wash is the same concentration recommended?
 
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