Does it really, REALLY matter?

MrFishy

MrFishy

Well-Known Member
Does harvesting in the morning really, REALLY make a difference?

I'd love to hear others takes on this. With todays' magic strains, I'm not so sure.
All I've noticed is that bud harvested later in the day, or at lights out (indoors) seems to be noticeably stickier when handling than bud dealt with straight from the dark.

Anyone else?
 
muah12

muah12

Well-Known Member
yes the trichromes are there to protect the leaves from to much light so harvesting after a long day in the sun will result in less ripe cells wait with the light off and she will swell them up in anticipation for the light that is comming
 
greensister

greensister

Well-Known Member
From what i understand....
Its the dark photoperiod that makes the flowers grow as they use the energy they collected during the light photoperiod. I believe this is when THC trichomes form. I have also read that light degrades THC. I have also heard reports about keeping plants in 48 hours or more darkness prior to harvesting. I dont have the time, money, equipment, or space to do controlled experiment but based on all the information out there-run thru a good filter of course-it would seem that harvesting at first light will give you the best results.
 
doc111

doc111

Well-Known Member
MrFishy said:
Does harvesting in the morning really, REALLY make a difference?

I'd love to hear others takes on this. With todays' magic strains, I'm not so sure.
All I've noticed is that bud harvested later in the day, or at lights out (indoors) seems to be noticeably stickier when handling than bud dealt with straight from the dark.

Anyone else?
Click to expand...
I personally think that as long as you are using top shelf genetics that it makes little difference when you harvest.
 
MrFishy

MrFishy

Well-Known Member
doc111 said:
I personally think that as long as you are using top shelf genetics that it makes little difference when you harvest.
Click to expand...
I tend to agree . . . I mean, today's bud are sooooo sticky and covered, what more can be gained. I doubt it'd be missed anyway.

I should add that bud harvested from a almost dry planter is even stickier yet . . . so much so that I've taken to watering the night before I plan on harvesting.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
greensister said:
From what i understand....
Its the dark photoperiod that makes the flowers grow as they use the energy they collected during the light photoperiod. I believe this is when THC trichomes form. I have also read that light degrades THC. I have also heard reports about keeping plants in 48 hours or more darkness prior to harvesting. I dont have the time, money, equipment, or space to do controlled experiment but based on all the information out there-run thru a good filter of course-it would seem that harvesting at first light will give you the best results.
Click to expand...

To first answer the thread starter’s question … the answer is yes if you want the highest level of potency possible harvest just before daylight if growing outdoors and if growing indoors if you do not do the 72-hours of darkness thing (explained below) when your lights switch off the night before you harvest unplug the timer(s) so they do not turn on again before you get a chance to harvest or make sure you are up and ready to harvest before the lights would turn on, and of course then also unplug them.
　
　
What you said about night growth is close to being accurate. Plants do grow during hours of light but during hours of light they multitask, they use some energy for one purpose and more for another and another and another and so on and so on and they also store energy for use during the hours of darkness. That means in actual growth not much of the light rays are used for growth during the day.
　
During the period of darkness the plant stops multitasking and the energy is used for growth so for the amount of energy used the plant grows more so it is a more efficient use of its energy.

That is why I never believed in a 24/0 light cycle for vegging. You rob the plants of their most productive periods of growth by depriving them of periods of darkness.
　
When it comes to THC the most simple way to put it is it works like sunscreen and protects the trichome tips and resin heads and in doing so each resin head’s level of THC decreases the longer light shines on it.

During hours of darkness the lost THC is replenished and then some amount of additional THC is produced so you do get a slow gradual increase in THC content but it goes up and down daily depending on how much light strikes each resin head but while it does go up and down it is going up and down in a general up direction.
　
The period of darkness thing before harvest is actually 72-hours of darkness. "The Stichting Institute of Medical marijuana (SIMM), the first company to sell marijuana through the pharmacies of Holland, has been investigating the medical possibilities of cannabis, together with TNO laboratories and the University of Leiden. One of their discoveries has been that to keep the ripe plants in the dark before harvesting could increase their potency.

SIMM’s growers separated a crop of mature plants, harvested half of them and kept the other half in absolute darkness for 72 hours before cutting and drying.

Analysis of the resulting dried buds showed that some varieties had seen an increase of THC of up to 30%, while CBD and CBN remained the same."
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
MrFishy said:
I tend to agree . . . I mean, today's bud are sooooo sticky and covered, what more can be gained. I doubt it'd be missed anyway.
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Sticky and THC content do not go hand in hand. Resin is one thing but there does not have to be any THC in the resin for it to be sticky.
　
Anyone and everyone that knows anything at all about growing marijuana knows that light rays degrade THC. Knowing that the rest is self-explanatory as to why harvesting before daybreak or right at daybreak or before grow lights turn on is totally true and makes complete sense.

Laboratory testing has proven that in some strains a 72-hour period of darkness can increase THC content as much as 30%. But I can see where you would never miss that.

 
Green Cross

Green Cross

Well-Known Member
Brick Top said:
Sticky and THC content do not go hand in hand. Resin is one thing but there does not have to be any THC in the resin for it to be sticky.
　
Anyone and everyone that knows anything at all about growing marijuana knows that light rays degrade THC. Knowing that the rest is self-explanatory as to why harvesting before daybreak or right at daybreak or before grow lights turn on is totally true and makes complete sense.

Laboratory testing has proven that in some strains a 72-hour period of darkness can increase THC content as much as 30%. But I can see where you would never miss that.

Click to expand...
I'm going to have to give this a shot. I know the plant produces trichomes - in part - to protect against UVB - this is why MH grows more potent weed (UVB) - it makes sense the glands would be the most swollen before the lights come on.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
Green Cross said:
I'm going to have to give this a shot. I know the plant produces trichomes - in part - to protect against UVB - this is why MH grows more potent weed (UVB) - it makes sense the glands would be the most swollen before the lights come on.
Click to expand...


Yes various different types of light rays do indeed effect THC production.

That is why landrace equatorial sativa strains not only produce THC but also THCV(Tetrahydrocannabivarin). That is what makes them so intense and so racy and so mind-blowing but it is not found in strains grown in more southerly or northerly areas and it is not found in landrace indica strains.
 
MrFishy

MrFishy

Well-Known Member
Unplugging the timer(s) to ensure a dark harvest would be great, IF you have all your plants at the exact same phase.
That's never been the case here, and I suspect often isn't in multiple plant grows.

I must take exception to the claim that " Anyone and everyone that knows anything at all about growing marijuana . . . " as it implies the OP is some kind of novice, or a moron.
I'm in my 4th decade of this. We taught ourselves w/o any help. I just can't wrap my head around folks eager to harvest before coffee. Thank you for the thorough explanation of the scientific reality of the THC situation.

I meant strains above 20% when I suggest most would not notice the difference.

I had read much of the data BTop noted, but wanted actual harvester experiences in this, as the article(s) use of "in some strains" and "might result/may result" type remarks left me wondering.
 
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