My question might not be able to be answered, since I don't know any of the specifics. But I'll try to tell as much as I can. First off, I have a buddy that grows around 5 or 6 plants. He has been growing now for about 6 years. ( Indoors ) I know that when he first started, he was growing in soil. He was using HPS lights. ( still is I think ) He was using ferts, but I not sure what kind or how much. His buds were pretty spindly. There wasn't much substance to them. They smelled REAL GOOD. Even after they dried. But you couldn't hardly get the stuff to burn. ( Especially in a joint ) The first hit usually tasted pretty good, ( in a pipe ) but after that, the rest of the bowl would taste like ca-ca. Then he changed his grow method to Hydroponics. Now his buds are a lot thicker. They are good and full. They smell as good as usual. But.........THE DAMN THINGS WON"T BURN!!! I do know the seeds came from Amsterdam. ( The Greenhouse & another place that slips my mind at the moment. ) I also know that the Bubble Gum, White Widow, and a Norther Lights crossed with something, were some of the seeds he bought. So I don't think the seeds are a prob. As for curing, he said he tried a variety of ways. He's cut the whole plant and hung it upside down. Then trimmed the buds off a week or two later. Hes tried to put the buds in jars, paper bags, on screens to completley dry. but no matter how dry the stuff is, it still wont smoke. I have a little of it now. I have one bud that stretches from the tip of my finger to the middle of my palm. It is so dry, that if I touch it, it just turns to powder. But still it doesnt burn after that first hit, and it still tastes nasty after that first hit. I actually think he's doing something wrong in the budding cycle, or maybe in the curing. I really have NO IDEA. I would sure appreciate any help I could get. As he is a close friend, and I get my best deals from him.
Sounds like a curing problem to me, trying to dry too fast would explain the crappy taste and crumbling, but that shouldn't affect the ability to burn. The only time it shouldn't burn properly is if the water content is too high, but then it won't crumble.
Thanks for the input BPP! I'll tell him to try to slow down the drying process. The room where he does his curing is like a boiler room. and he keeps it pretty close to his heater. ( It's a old fashioned radiator type heater. I'll tell him to either lower the heat in that room, or change rooms all together. I appreciate the the help, and hope that what you told me will help lead to a solution. Thanks again!
Sounds like he`s not flushing the plants to get rid of the extra chemicals before harvest.I think your smokin some nutrients. Peace
tell him to quit ferting the last couple weeks before harvest so the soil gets cleaned out. and to get them more full or less "spindly" (whatever that means:/) he might want to try starving the plant for the last 3-4 days (or maybe longer i dunno) it will make the lower leaves die but it will put more energy into the buds making them get an extra growth right before harvesting
That's the common misconception about curing, that you have to have heat to cure your weeds. Curing is the process where excess water is removed from the material. Heat is one method that is used because it is fast. When in fact, all you really need is a lower humid environment, the slower the cure, the better the cure.
yeah.. and also.. putting it in the micro or oven will make ur buds lose thc so dont do that.. u willl have a longer wait, but it will be well worth it.
Thanks everyone! I'll make sure to tell him. I think there's another harvest due in about 2 or 3 weeks. I'm sure he'll tell me he knew all of this, but I have a feeling that the quality of the goodies will improve, after I tell him this. Thanks again for the info, you guys are great. This is one awesome place. I wish I could have found it sooner.