i can take a few pics..took off the S curve light traps on both ends for a single long flat and near box wide duct both are about 2x14x25..sawed out the passive intake hole from a 4 inch round to a 4x8 square.. ran all afternoon at 0 rise over outside temp
All the new kids are happy in the ground..Still shading them during the hottest parts of the day still can't take a whole day in the sun with out wilting come late afternoon..Still have the White Widow in the box along with the plant the cut worm topped from the feb1 bunch..it's just 2 leaves on a stick..and the 1 live stick from the aborted feb12th wholesale killing spree i went on.. don't even ask.. New kids on order..thought i'd fill out the rest of the selection from the supplier here's the list of the new kids on order Blackberry Kush Bubba Kush Chemdawg Girl Scout Cookies Graddaddy Perp Northern Lights Purple Haze Purple Kush Super Silver Haze Tahoe OG Kush
Well that order is on hold for the week.. Bhaaaa..In other news on the road trip i picked up 4 Fire OG clones on monday mar 4th..They look like they came from a flowering plant as they have hairs.. Very leggy for the most part too..Can't whine to much they were cheap enough @ $10 ..Have them under a 26/100 CFL till i get back..Fell over when i tried to water them in the styrofoam cups so they got an instant transplant into some FFOF that i just happened to have with me.. Damm i'm good..You can actually burm a leaf tip with CFL at point blank range..Young leaf=1/2 inch=to close..So all the tops are about 1 inch from the lamp now and seem happy..
it's been 8 days and the 4 Fire OGs look great.. but i found this tiny lil almost invisable thread.......RAID !!!!! i'll have to pick up a can today..just finished SG1s GREAT thread all newbees should read the 1st 50 pages at least..save asking a ton of questions.. http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-m...row-advice-member-cheap-old-basterd-club.html and here are the girls
All newbs should read at LEAST the first 300 pages of SG1's thread .... http://forum.grasscity.com/indoor-marijuana-growing/972868-old-school-grow-advice-member-cheap-old-basterd-club.html +rep to you sir.... good lookin ladies you got started there.....
CURING 101 or how not to ruin all that hard work things you need temp/hygrometer from cigar shop or internet..10 bucks or so. glass mason jars with lids and rings..as many as it looks like you need..supermarkets have them..kerr or ball..wide mouth work best..i found the really big 1/2 gal at ace hardware The magic number is 58% humidity.. Never let your harvest drop below 55% or curing stops..can't recover..trim close remove all fan and most sugar leaves..set buds on screens on sawhorses..leave bud on screens till they feel slightly stiff.. Mine were dry enough in 24 hours to jar..wet again in morning.. dump back on screens for a few hours..back in jars..continue till humidity stabilizes at 58%..store in cool place for about 2 weeks min..open every day just because..sniff n close..it'll smell like hay for a week or 2.. then slowly the good smells you thought were lost will come back..once stable it'll keep in a cool place and just get better with age.. you can find most of this info on some small scale tabacco farmers pages..and other weed pages but it's not real easy to find.. i had to work real fast because of really low humidity that week.. around 20% if i recall..you may need more screen time if it's high humidty..just don't let em get to dry.. not even once.. it's a fine line between fast dry to avoid mold..but staying over the 55% point..see what works best for you
DRYICE HASH panty hose tin can leather gloves sheet of glass or mirror 1 lb dry ice from supermarket WEAR GLOVES..dryice is 109 degs F below zero and freeze burn on contact works with dry or wet trim..3 golfball sized chunks of dryice and 1/3 can of trim place pantyhose over can.. invert can wearing gloves and holding hose in place ..shake over mirror ..you'll get golden dust..when color starts to green up make new pile of green dust..when flakes of plant start to fall your done..can make lower grades of keif from there but not usually worth it thats my own cheap old bastid find from last yr adapted to cost as little as possible.. panty hose instead of high cost micron screens.. i have to be real carefull smoking it as it'll put you on your knees and make you cry uncle net take was 6 thumb sized balls when i razored it off the glass and compressed with roller and wax paper..fold over and over till it'll hold shape..i added a drop of water to help form.. and that was from a single 6 ft blue dream..used about 2 lbs of dryice over 2 days.. You can change grade/screen size by how hard you pull the hose over the can..i left it slack to get the highest grade possible
Curing 102 i could give you the long tech reasons to do it this way as the drying plant converts chlorofil to .......but all you need to know is 55 to 60 % humidity is how tabacco is dried and cured in temp/humidity controlled rooms.. so we don't have that .. but a large jar will get the job done just fine.. I ruined 4 quart jars full of what should have been fine bud..ohh it's still smokable.. good high .. bad taste .. hot and harsh to smoke..cause i had to leave town for 5 days mid harvest..i was afraid to leave the jars sealed cause i didn't want mold .. shoulda risked the mold cause after 5 days open jar it was all just to far gone and way to dry..and it was jared wet but not lidded,, not hanging or boxed or bagged..so thats my personal take on curing..hard won info if you want it..
So the 4 new FireOG girls are bolting like a head of lettuce past harvest time..even under 24/7 point blant 26/100 CFL ..2 inches in the last 4 days..i did check the box the CFL came in .. figures it's a 2700K ..all this lil hardware store had..never tried to change a clones mind from flower back to vegs..i remember SG saying it can be done but not worth it.. flowering clones = not the best stock to start with..heh it's what ya get.. I may just use 2 or all 4 in the box and BOG / V-SCROG them for fun on 12-12 from this point on as they seem hell bent on flowering.. see just what that 70 watt can do up close and in your face.. I need to figure a SIP system and fast .. my BLACK thumb is showing up despite all i've read and SG's teachings..let em get a bit to dry .. then promptly overwatered em .. silly human..wake up!!
Back in the lowlands..put the new Fire girls under the HID for the night and got my 1st SIP started ..forgot to drill the small holes in the support plate so it gets to come apart again..didn't plant it anyhows as i wanted to see how well it wicked 1st.. All the yard girls did fine on my extended away..the 3 from febs 1st planting are jumping..easy a 1/3 bigger in the last 12 days ..
Curing 103 out on the screen till the buds feel stiff..back in the jars for a couple of hours.. back on the screens..over and over till i was happy with the humidity level in the jars..you get a feel for how long each step will need based on how hot and dry your drying area is .. i was using a very hot garage at the end of summer with temps over 90 in the garage..it's better to take a little longer to be sure you don't dry to low.. below 55 % curing stops..and won't restart..so you don't get a 2nd chance at overdrying.. I'll be real honest about this.. i was still not real sure just WTH i was doing yet..and after about 10 days when the smell changed to mowed lawn i was sick to death i'd screwed it all up..but i held on and waited.. and ever so slowly that mowed lawn smell faded and was replaced with the heavenly smell we all know and love so well.. That was back in Oct of last year.. still smoking the same stuff.. it's just as good now as it was after the 1st month..i'm not sure of the guys claim that it gets better with age..it'll be a close race with the new pushed clones early spring crop and my high usage to see if i have enough left for some long term storage/quality testing.. Did any of that make sense ?? i shouldn't be so stoned when i post as i tend to ramble..
Fire girls got transplanted yesterday..3 of the 4 showed very nice white roots circling the 3 inch pots.. in 6s now..made up a single 5 gal bucket SIP too..i'll post pics tonight
Damm..and here i thought i'd figured this out all on my own...once again stoner thinking at it's finest Humidity in Curing Jars does a much better job at the stages then i do..same cure thou i shamelessly copy it here The Cure Oh yes, the cure. Many times has this been judged the most important part of the growing experience, and with good standing reason. This is the point where all our patience and skill will shine through, or take a dive into the miserable oblivian of smoking mere mediocre herb. Botch things here and it will all be for not. Though a perfect cure can help cover up some small discrepancies during your grow, having the best growing conditions on earth will not earn you a free pass through this hallowed gate my friend. So, how's your cure? Perfect? Consistantly perfect? Are you a Cure Master? Hmm.. Prove it. What? Did you know that your cure can be broken down into a mathematical equation? What if I told you that you can attain the perfect cure, the best cure possible, every single harvest? And what if it was as easy as painting by numbers? And what if this could totally affect the way you cure, wether you are a newbie, or an old seasoned head? The following is not something I discovered myself. I was first introduced to it from a guy named Simon. All though he initially taylored it to cannabis he, of course, didn't really discover it either. We most likey owe that to producers of tobacco. Their techniques are somewhat different but since they are curing a plant intended for smoking..... Well, it's just simply a matter of numbers.. I have, in turn, borrowed this concept and brought it here. I have eliminated what I deemed unneccessary and added some of my own insights/experiences. I have also condensed the original information the best I could (as it was quite haphazardly introduced, and many facts/ideas were addressed in later installments) in my own words (which has, in turn, increased greatly in size), but all credit must be afforded Simon for bringing these techniques, in their raw form, to public scrutiny. This, by no means, suggests that the work (either the original, or here) is complete. There are assuredly many more facts, discoveries and techniques left to be uncovered. That said, let's begin.. Cannabis is an annual weed. It's purpose in life is singular and pure: Continued propagation. The female cannabis plant, through it's propagating qualities is naturally the ultimate focuse of this forum, along with many others just like it. In order for the female cannabis plant to fulfill her destiny, and to fill our jars, like all life on earth she needs water. Her flowering buds are full of it. It is the point of drying them to release this water. The cure, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated. In contrast, the cure is an attempt to delay this release of water over time. It is this juggling act that is in dire need of deciphering and it is this thread that will show exactly how it is done. It is said that the bud of a cannabis plant continues to live for a certain amount of time after it is cut from it's stem ( per Ed Rosenthal), in some cases a couple of days. I personally think this is crazy. This is akin to cutting off a chickens head. A lot of good it did the chicken.. Unless your bud has the ability to sprout instant roots and walk itself to an empty pot it is, for all intensive purposes, d, e, a, d, dead. This, by no means, insinuates that there are not living cells and processes to be found, but without the ability to replenish water, the drying has begun. Even though the bud has begun it's dry cycle, there is still plenty of water in it to allow various cells to continue to function. Since the main stem has been cut they have no choice but to pull water and nutrients (in the form of clorophyl and other complex carbohydrates) from stores in the bud and process them into simple carbohydrates (simple sugars) in order to continue to function normally. The more complex carbohydrates that are broken down and the more simple carbohydrates that are used and the more moisture that is lost, the better your buds will be. Within this process is the secret to the perfect cure.. First we will break it down into phases. This seems easiest as you can refer back to any point of the cure by phase. Try to think of it like landing an airplane... Phase one: The dry. This is kind of like preparing to land. The first thing you want to do is come to altitude and lower your landing gear. Basically, once you cut your bud, you need to decide what to do with it. Most of us go ahead and trim it now. Once it is trimmed to our liking, the bud is hung to dry. Phase two: The pre-cure. This is somewhat like landing your airplane. The trick is to set it down on the runway at just the right angle as you begin to reduce your speed. This is where the mathematics come into play. What you are looking for here is the "feel". When your hanging bud begins to "feel" like it is drying out, but the stems are still flexible, it is time to jar. Don't worry, we will revisit this phase in more detail in a bit.. Phase three: The cure. Now your airplane is on the runway. This is where you are focusing on your instruments and applying the brakes. This is the actual part of the cure. It is a benefit to keep your bud in this stage for as long as possible. Actually, this may be a little misleading as some folks may like some cures better than others. In other words, this is the point where smells and flavors can change drastically. Depending on what it is you are after will dictate exactly how long you keep this phase in check. But only you can decide what you like. Phase four: Storage. Well, the flight is over, time to put the airplane away. We have finally reached a point where the curing process has greatly slowed down and it is safe to store your bud. Hygrometer is needed. Phase one. 70% RH: This starts out just like any other time you have done it. Once you have harvested your bud and trimmed it to your liking, hang it in a cool dark place. This is where we will part from tradition. Allow it to hang until the buds begin to feel like they are drying (note the temps and rh as this will rarely be the same during subsequent harvests). They will start to lose their "softness" in favor of a slightly crispy texture. We don't want to allow it to dry until the stems snap. THIS IS WRONG! We want the stems to be flexible. Not totally soft, but not snapping, either. If allowed to dry until the stems snap we risk it drying too much and losing an opportunity to take full advantage of the cure window. You see once the bud reaches the 55% RH range, the cure is dead. No amount of moisture added will revive this. If you are a brown bag dryer you can still use this technique, although I no longer do. I feel it is unneccessary at this point in the drying process. Just make sure you do not over dry. Also, this is a perfect time to calibrate your hygrometers with your new calibrating kit. This phase may take anywhere from 2 to 7 days depending on ambient temp, RH and strain, etc. It is important to be right on top of this phase. Sometimes we will notice thinner stemmed buds getting done quicker. It is ok to take these first and put them in the jar. Just screw the cap on very loosely until the bulk of the bud joins it. Phase two. 65%+ to 70%RH: This is where the numbers game begins to kick in. Once you have reached the crispy bud/flexible stem stage, it is time to jar it up. Now there are a few options here.. Really you can jar it up just like always. Only, fill your jar 3/4 to 4/5 full so you have room to use your hygrometer. You can leave it on the stem, stem free, whatever. I personally prefer it in it's finished state, no stems. You can leave just a few stems intact for the sake of testing stem flexibility. Also, with more stems comes more moisture. This may fit well with your style, but it also may play havoc if mold is present. Once your bud is in the jar drop in the hygrometer and cap it. Keep an eye on your meter for the next hour or so. What we are shooting for in this phase is 70% RH maximum. If you hit 71% or greater, you will have to take the bud out to dry more. If this seems a little tricky here, it is. The cure, even though we are still in the dry phase, has been happening to a small degree since the moment the bud was cut. Basically now we are juggling time with mold prevention. We want to avoid any instance of mold, but we want to get every second of cure time in that we can. The goal in this phase is to start at a 70% maximum RH and, in a timely and mold free manner, bring the RH down to about 65%. The reason I say "about" is that if there is an issue with mold (i.e. the crop was exposed to heavy mold before and/or during harvest) we may chose to take the RH even lower, like 62%. This won't leave a huge window for curing, but it will keep the bud safe. Ideally, however, 65% will do. Generally you can tell pretty quickly if the bud is still too wet as the hygrometer % will climb pretty quickly (rate: 1% per hour or faster). You will also notice, at this point, that the bud will feel "wetter". That's ok. The reason for this is that while the exposed part of the bud began to dry quicker than the inside during phase one, the inside of the bud and stems retained a good deal of their moisture. Once in the jars (phase two) that moisture can no longer be efficiently evaperated off and moved to a different area, being replaced by dryer air. Once you have determined the RH, which may take up to 24 hours, you can begin burping the jars. This can be done at a rate of one to two hours once or twice a day, depending on initial RH reading. Your room RH, temp, strain, exposure to mold and hygro readings will dictate this for you and wether to go faster or slower. Slower is always better, but precipitating factors, as stated, may trump this.. Also, at the end of this stage is where most commercial bud will hit the open market, if you are lucky. The bud at this stage should have that super sticky icky velvety feel and the 'bag appeal' will be at it's very highest. Phase three, 60% to 65% RH: Your buds are in the jar and RH is 65% or less. Perfect. The object of the game, as stated before, is to slowly release the moisture from the jar over time. Your buds are now in the cure zone. At this point we are looking for a much slower release than phase two and will shift to a short burp once a week. Your buds will deliver a nice smoke at around 60%, so the speed at which this is done (which translates directly to duration of burpage) is entirely up to you. It is at this stage that small stems should snap in two. It is also in this stage that you will meet true stability, or equalization, in RH. What that means is that the amount of moisture in the stems is no longer disproportionate to the buds, and moisture transfer or persperation (sweat) slows dramatically. This also means it will take much longer to get a true reading from your Hygrometer. A true reading at this point might take up to 36 hours, but that's ok. So, do you know what your idea of a perfect smoking bud is? If you have followed the phases as you have read them, then this is the stage where you can find out. It may be as specific as a stationary RH value, or even a "window" between different values. Everyone one should know there ideal smoking range. I prefer mine on a slightly dryer cure, say between 55 to 57%. Phase four - 55%+ to 60%RH: Even though a true cure is far from over, your buds are truly ready to smoke if you wish. They are also ready to face long term storage. As stated before, the cure dies at -55%. It's ok for the cure to be dead if you have reached your desired cure level as later remoisturing can easily bring that bud back into your prefered smoking range. But, you can also continue the cure for long time periods and the trick to this is to stay above the 55% level. Unfortunately even claimed 'air tight' jars will allow bud to continue losing moisture over time. The trick here is to guarantee air tightness. Simon has suggested that he jars in air tight jars and double vacuum bags it as a way to ensure cure integrity. I am less picky. It is a good idea, though not neccessary, to leave a hygro in the jar and check it from time to time. I would start with once a week for the first month then, if everything is stable, once every month after that should suffice. -end article
Note..i don't even hang it as i don't have time..it drys just to fast here for that..12 hours on the screens and some was crisp enough to jar..i plucked them off and left the larger buds to dry more..and i short cut the early stages down because i was having some mold issues with the slower early stages..but i never dropped below about 60-65% that first week .. then worked it down the 2nd week to that magic 58% mark.