Harvesting and drying whole, intact plant with the leaves on?

Discussion in 'Harvesting and Processing Marijuana' started by Ignatz451, Aug 7, 2012.

  1. Hi all.

    I'm getting ready to harvest in 2-ish weeks, and I'm at 7 weeks flowering tonight, Aug 6th, 2012.

    Unknown, Indica-dominant bagseed

    Flowering under 431 watts 2700k CFL's in a 52-gallon rubbermaid growbox.

    Temps 72-84, RH 45%

    FFOF soil, FF nutes/solubles

    (for those who are interested).
    ***************************************

    Anyway, I'm planning to harvest in a week or two, but 'something came up' and I'm leaving town next week for 17 days, right during harvest time.

    My Sister has agreed to come over and harvest for me, but she absolutely does not have a green thumb, so I'm trying to make it easy on her.

    Since I don't quite trust her judgement/fine motor skills to trim the plants properly without over-handling and destroying the buds, I've asked her to simply chop the plant in its entirety, and hang the whole plant, leaves and all, in my dry space. I'm hoping that the plant will dry more slowly with everything intact, ensuring that it will not be over-dry when I return home.

    I've always trimmed before drying in the past, as well as separated the larger branches and such, but I've read conflicting reports about leaving the plant whole and waiting till the plant is mostly dry BEFORE trimming.

    Depending on when she harvests them, would the plants (there are three of them) be all right hanging in my closet for up to two weeks BEFORE being trimmed?

    Any thoughts?
     
  2. Quite a few people harvest this way. Leaving the leaves intact during drying does slow down the process which many believe helps increase the flavor of the buds. However, prolonging the drying process can increase the chance your bud gets moldy.

    If you left the whole plant hanging for the two weeks your gone it will most likely be over dry when you get back. I doubt you'll get mold though.
     

  3. Thanks Niss!

    That's what I thought. I guess I was looking for some reassurance. Turning over harvesting responsibilities to someone who doesn't know what she's doing makes me a little nervous.

    I don't think they'll be ready to chop until a week or so into my absence, so that would make more like 10 days hanging-up.
     
  4. [quote name='"Ignatz451"']Hi all.

    I'm getting ready to harvest in 2-ish weeks, and I'm at 7 weeks flowering tonight, Aug 6th, 2012.

    Unknown, Indica-dominant bagseed

    Flowering under 431 watts 2700k CFL's in a 52-gallon rubbermaid growbox.

    Temps 72-84, RH 45%

    FFOF soil, FF nutes/solubles

    (for those who are interested).
    ***************************************

    Anyway, I'm planning to harvest in a week or two, but 'something came up' and I'm leaving town next week for 17 days, right during harvest time.

    My Sister has agreed to come over and harvest for me, but she absolutely does not have a green thumb, so I'm trying to make it easy on her.

    Since I don't quite trust her judgement/fine motor skills to trim the plants properly without over-handling and destroying the buds, I've asked her to simply chop the plant in its entirety, and hang the whole plant, leaves and all, in my dry space. I'm hoping that the plant will dry more slowly with everything intact, ensuring that it will not be over-dry when I return home.

    I've always trimmed before drying in the past, as well as separated the larger branches and such, but I've read conflicting reports about leaving the plant whole and waiting till the plant is mostly dry BEFORE trimming.

    Depending on when she harvests them, would the plants (there are three of them) be all right hanging in my closet for up to two weeks BEFORE being trimmed?

    Any thoughts?[/quote]

    If your really worried about them drying out, get her to water them an hour before she chops so there extra wet
     

  5. Thanks!

    Yup, that's the plan, I'm not sure what else I can do!
     
  6. let them go 10 days, get her to chop and u have a week to get back right on time to trim and cure
     

  7. Thanks!

    So far that's the plan. Since I can't be around to check trichs, she's gonna send me pics of the plant, but 8 days after I leave or so is my anticipated harvest date.

    I might have her harvest 2 of the plants a week apart, and save the 3rd for when I get home if I can push it back that far.
     
  8. You can bring the plants to my flowering room il watch em for ya :smoke: lmao :p
     

  9. Funnily enough, I'd rather do that instead of letting my sister do it, quite frankly. The plants will be starting final flush, or maybe a few days into final flush by the time I leave, so at least I won't have to have her mixing nutes and such.

    However, since I won't be around to check trichs, I'm gonna have to look at them long and hard the night before I go, and give her my best estimate as to the chop date. She offered to send me pics of the plant every couple of days, so I might be choosing my harvest date the old-school way.

    My one consolation lies in knowing that on past grows, I have harvested early, and I have harvested late, and every time I wound up with weed that I was perfectly happy with. You will almost never read about someone harvesting their weed after making an honest, patient assessment of the plant and saying: "It was garbage".


    Thanks for the reassurance, and the link!
     

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