FIRST OFF …THANK YOU FOR THE REPLIES AND PICS OF MY FIRST POST ABOUT KNOWING WHEN TO HARVEST…
So my next question is about the initial hanging and drying technique when you first harvest the plants?.?.?.?.?.?
( im going to tell you what I did for my first season and then what info i have gathered ! )
So last year I hung the whole plant including the root ball upside down in my inclosed porch that has a window on each end that also had a fan that pushed air and the other window exhausted the air with a fan…they hung for 2 weeks…at which time I then trim the buds from the plant attempted to cure them ( curing will be my next topic)
The information and opinions of local friends I’ve gathered starts with…
I’ve been told that I should wash or rather dip my plants in a hydrogen peroxide and water solution then straight water To remove as many insects as possible…(this im very sketchy about doing)
Then obviously hang to dry …
As for hanging to dry— im told 2 weeks is to long , also i should section the plant into basically just the branches with the buds and remove all of the fan leaves…( leaving the plant whole including the root ball is going to make it harder to hang dry ??? ))
This last part is what my plan is for this year…so please let me know if I should change something to my process, add something to it , something i should absolutely not do…??? I want to know what the proper way of doing this!!!
So when i decide that im going to harvest with in 5 days i was going to stop watering…i have these stands for hanging clothes that im going to use for hanging my plants which will be sectioned down to just the branches with the buds…im going to keep them in my inclosed porch with the fan circulation…Is there length of time for the initial hang drying i that is to short and or to long …I don’t have any idea how to measure the moisture content …if there is a tool someone can recommend i would buy it if it’s affordable…
( i bought cases of brand new glass canning jars for the curing process but that’s going to be my next topic)
I live in Western New York …which is right next to Lake Erie… in the north east of the United States…
Sorry i get carried away with trying to explain things…
As for an average of the seasonal humidity is hard to get a measurement to plan from…cause like this year it was 90 degrees from June to about the 3rd week of August and the humidity was intense…last year was about 80-90 for July and August but the humidity was drastically lower than this year…now im making this judgment from my what my personal experience has been…it’s not an accurate measurement by no means…which is probably no help at all!!!
I don’t want the room that i hang my plants in to have at the most 60% humidity…
That shouldn’t be a problem at all cause at the earliest would be the end of September and the latest would be the end of October…
Either way im very grateful for your advice and i know the humidity will be well below 60% by the time i harvest…im really having a hard time with knowing how to judge the appropriate amount of open air hang drying and when to start the curing process…
As for curing im unsure of the exact process…ive gathered that the curing process is keeping them in a sealed container and to burp the container every 4-5 days…also glass is the best choice…so i have brand new glass canning jars im going to use…That is the extent of my knowledge of the curing process…
Hi Max. I’m 5 hours south of you in the same state, here’s what I do. You will need a hygrometer for your jar so you can see where you are at humidity wise.
cut the plant (leave the rootball where it is)
Cut off the larger fan leaves and wash. It not only gets the bugs but also the bug shit off your plants. Birdshit too!
Set up a clothesline inside and hang the plants or the parts of plants from the line. 7-10 days is typical here and my dry room is a 2 car garage and basement if I need it.
let them hang until when placed in a jar with the lid closed, they are between 60 to 70%. If they are over 70% when jarred they should have hung longer.
Now that they are under 70% the curing can begin. Burp your jars.
What’s hard for you is determining what state of humidity your plant is at. That comes with experience. Once you figure it out you’ll be able to judge by touch. I would hang for 7 days and if they feel dry enough toss them into the jar with the hygrometer…see where you are and adjust. If too wet, take another one at 10 days and check that for humidity. You will get there and it’ll become easier each grow for you.
Yo thank you for your reply…how you explain that was perfect…the only thing i get mixed answers to is when you first harvest …some people say section the plant down to branches then hang them…others say hang the plant whole with the root ball attached…
Me personally think that when you first hang it that you would want the root ball so that ever thing will be drawn down …i also understand that with the root ball its going have that much more moisture than if it was sectioned…
I plan on not watering the plants the week before i harvest so that should let the plant use up what it has …
What is your method of washing…im told that i should have 3 buckets 2 of them filled with just plan clean water and 1 bucket with a hydrogen peroxide solution…and then the process of dunking the plant in the peroxide bucket 1st and then the 1st clean water bucket and the last dunk in the 2nd clean water bucket…then hang to dry…
Any help would be appreciated
I’ll leave it to you to figure out whether hanging your plant with the rootball has any benefit of if it’s bro science. Six of my pots are 45 gallon, those be some big rootballs
As for cleaning here’s how I do it. Others do it a little different but this works good for me.
I have three 18 gallon Tupperware totes. They hold about 16 gallons of water. I put one quart of hydrogen peroxide in one tote. The other two have clean water. I put the branch (yes I cut them up) in the first tote with the peroxid and push it too the bottom. Then I use these small metal plant stands to weigh them down. I let it sit until I see no more bubbles coming off it. Then gently move it back and forth. Remove and let it drip back into the first tote a second or two and then dunk it in the second tote, move it back and forth without abusing it. Lift, let drip, put in the third tote and do the same thing. Then hang them up to dry. I usually change the water/peroxide out after each plant is done. I don’t use any lemon or baking soda. If the third tote is getting dirty too fast add a fourth. The last one should look pretty clean as you go.
