3 days in complete darkness for more trichomes

  • Thread starter uberstuber
  • Start date
  • Tagged users None
B

Bonedoc

29
0
Can anyone cite documentation where this has been tested?

If not, I may open up a couple spaces in my plant count to check it out. :)

I have heard it works, and I have even done it once or twice, but I can't say for sure.

I have found that, most of the time, natural conditions are best. So unless I was in Alaska (MTF FTW!), I tend to keep the light schedule similar, even in the last few days. What I have found does cause a nice push of oils is, after the minimum 2 week flush, flush hard with clearex or some other leeching solution. When I do this, I have noticed the plants tend to use everything they have left to try to push new pistils to catch pollen. I have noticed this technique helps reduce any harshness in the smoke later as well.
 
Surfr

Surfr

Just cruisin....
Supporter
1,025
163
BOG swears by this.. I have done a couple experiments.. What I have noticed is, when the lights are on the trich heads are actually degraded a little bit from the intense light. With the lights off your trichs have time to regroup and explode. So Call me crazy, but yes I am a believer in the lights off theory.
 
hempster333

hempster333

18
1
darkness days

what kind of metabolic magic can happen to ANY plant in two days ?:sick0004:
 
L

lil miss lone

281
0
:giggle>>anybody who does this may as well put grape Kool Aide in there reservoirs so it will taste like grape<<

gtd

HAHAHA funny thing is I have gotten In so many of the threads of people who swear by this and always call BS and say hey post up some pics. I have still been waiting for the pics. I mean shit great if it works but it doesnt and no one can seem to capture the tons of extra frost it packs on hehe.

I have done it. Nothing except make the plant harder to trim.

-edit: oops ladies account - cemchris

The other problem I have is UV is supposed to fuel the frost which MH have and HPS dont. I have seen the bud difference between the two. How would no light fuel this....????
 
L

Lost

2,969
38
The thoery is that the plant is damaged at the cellular level and as a response it produces more trics to act as sunscreen.. Hmmmm... Sounds like something someone came up with after smoking a fat bowl..


# days of total darkness might help rid the plant of clorophyll and make the smoke beter, but I dunno about the more trics thing.. lol
 
dextr0

dextr0

1,664
163
Its kind of interesting how some of you see this.....
To my understanding the plant goes into "End of the World" mode. The theory goes that a plants only objective in life would be to reproduce and have more offspring...hence putting on more trics to attract and hold on to any pollen thats around....at least that was my understanding.
 
dextr0

dextr0

1,664
163
I've tried this the last two flowering runs, I don't know if it increased resin significantly, I wasn't honestly looking for that so I couldn't tell.

It did seem, keyword there, to increase trich development. Compared to where the majority of trich's were prior to the 48 hrs, there was a noticeable increase in the levels of cloudy/amber trich heads in only 2 days time.

And that is in contrast to the levels 2 days of 12/12 would've brought out. So the darkness seems to trigger a ripening response. More research is needed.

:D

i do believe ethylene is what is affecting this here. Ill do some more brushing up and get back at you....better yet anyone interested wiki ethylene. Interesting shit.
 
cemchris

cemchris

Supporter
3,346
263
Its kind of interesting how some of you see this.....
To my understanding the plant goes into "End of the World" mode. The theory goes that a plants only objective in life would be to reproduce and have more offspring...hence putting on more trics to attract and hold on to any pollen thats around....at least that was my understanding.

Except in end of the world mode it would hermie and try to preserve itself. Same thing as when in seed making mode. It doesnt concern itself with frost just seeds.
 
dextr0

dextr0

1,664
163
i thought the same thing earlier. But i know for a fact ALOT of growers use this new and old. I believe that may be the reason i see so many seeds in some qps that ive seen from time to time.....

Anyway i dont know if it actually does have anything to do with cannabis but i do find it interesting that stress techniques have been being practiced for awhile now to induce the production of the hormone ethylene....

"History of ethylene in plant biology

Ethylene has been used in practice since the ancient Egyptians, who would gash figs in order to stimulate ripening (wounding stimulates ethylene production by plant tissues). The ancient Chinese would burn incense in closed rooms to enhance the ripening of pears. In 1864, it was discovered that gas leaks from street lights led to stunting of growth, twisting of plants, and abnormal thickening of stems. In 1901, a Russian scientist named Dimitry Neljubow showed that the active component was ethylene. Doubt discovered that ethylene stimulated abscission in 1917. It wasn't until 1934 that Gane reported that plants synthesize ethylene. In 1935, Crocker proposed that ethylene was the plant hormone responsible for fruit ripening as well as senescence of vegetative tissues."
 
B

bobby-o

37
0
theres no real benefit to this. at least not enough to waste your time doing it.

have done it before the one thing that is clearly different is the sample that got 72 hour darkness was deffinately a less green more gold colored buds.

Motherlode is correct with darkness creating more new white hairs, I had bud that were perfectly ripe this past run tinkering with some afgans then due to having to pack up equipment to move, the plants got 2 days darkness then produced a shit ton of new white hairs, it looked like i was pulling the plant 2 weeks early. This is more with indica varieties because I have ran sativas and this did not happen as much.

ALso have tested time of day, harvesting at night or in the morning. The time of day is more for taste and smoothness rather then trich production.

Example sweet corn should be harvested in the morning to retain that sweet flavor.
 
dextr0

dextr0

1,664
163
^good shit...
i also did it and like lost said it seemed to get rid of chlorophyll...more trics idk. More testing...i sure will.
 
M

momstheword

35
0
heard about this a whiles ago,tried it on 2 plants i know very well,it makes no difference whatsoever in my view besides keeping it from being trimmed,dried and cured 3 days earlier than it otherwise would have been....just my twopennorth
 
motherlode

motherlode

@Rolln_J
Supporter
5,524
313
heard about this a whiles ago,tried it on 2 plants i know very well,it makes no difference whatsoever in my view besides keeping it from being trimmed,dried and cured 3 days earlier than it otherwise would have been....just my twopennorth

word - my exact same feelings
 
O

Original Grower

43
8
the med-man is one of canadas elite breeders. read his article in hightimes feb 2010 "canadas super seeds" and the hightimes 2010 strain/breeder guide.

he calls it shock ripening, but takes it a step further and gives them ice water for the dark period. it increasses trichome production, yield and aroma under optimal conditions. i would say a benefit as ive been doing it for 5 years or longer now thanks to his advice.

he says it activates the plants defense mechanisms which is resin and terpene activation. if yer dialed that will be the case. i doubt it will help shitty genes and or grows, peace, og
 
motherlode

motherlode

@Rolln_J
Supporter
5,524
313
the med-man is one of canadas elite breeders. read his article in hightimes feb 2010 "canadas super seeds" and the hightimes 2010 strain/breeder guide.

he calls it shock ripening, but takes it a step further and gives them ice water for the dark period. it increasses trichome production, yield and aroma under optimal conditions. i would say a benefit as ive been doing it for 5 years or longer now thanks to his advice.

he says it activates the plants defense mechanisms which is resin and terpene activation. if yer dialed that will be the case. i doubt it will help shitty genes and or grows, peace, og

lmao - oh so now we have shitty genes and or grows!

keep on believing bro - no science at all to back up these bullshit old hippy wives tales
 
S

Steve Z

Guest
lolol seriously

so this canada breeder knows all the secrets to this beloved herb, and everyone else dont know shit


and ice water - why would you want to shock the roots like that, i dont see ANYTHING positive out of coming out of that.


serious motherlode, old wives tales at its finest

i hear driving a nail through the stalk will make it more potent too LOLOL
 
dextr0

dextr0

1,664
163
lolol seriously

so this canada breeder knows all the secrets to this beloved herb, and everyone else dont know shit


and ice water - why would you want to shock the roots like that, i dont see ANYTHING positive out of coming out of that.


serious motherlode, old wives tales at its finest

i hear driving a nail through the stalk will make it more potent too LOLOL

Ethylene as a plant hormone

Ethylene serves as a hormone in plants. It acts at trace levels throughout the life of the plant by stimulating or regulating the ripening of fruit, the opening of flowers, and the abscission (or shedding) of leaves. Commercial ripening rooms use "catalytic generators", to make ethylene gas, from a liquid supply of ethanol. Typically, a gassing level of 500 ppm to 2,000 ppm is used, for 24 to 48 hours. Care must be taken to control carbon dioxide levels in ripening rooms when gassing, as high temperature ripening (68F) has been seen to produce CO2 levels of 10% in 24 hours.

Ethylene biosynthesis in plants
Plant biosynthesis of ethylene

Ethylene is produced from essentially all parts of higher plants, including leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits, tubers, and seedlings.

"Ethylene production is regulated by a variety of developmental and environmental factors. During the life of the plant, ethylene production is induced during certain stages of growth such as germination, ripening of fruits, abscission of leaves, and senescence of flowers. Ethylene production can also be induced by a variety of external aspects such as mechanical wounding, environmental stresses, and certain chemicals including auxin and other regulators".

The biosynthesis of the hormone starts with conversion of the amino acid methionine to S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM, also called Adomet) by the enzyme Met Adenosyltransferase. SAM is then converted to 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic-acid (ACC) by the enzyme ACC synthase (ACS); the activity of ACS dertermines the rate of ethylene production, therefore regulation of this enzyme is key for the ethylene biosynthesis. The final step requires oxygen and involves the action of the enzyme ACC-oxidase (ACO), formerly known as the Ethylene Forming Enzyme (EFE). Ethylene biosynthesis can be induced by endogenous or exogenous ethylene. ACC synthesis increases with high levels of auxins, specially Indole acetic acid (IAA), and cytokinins. ACC synthase is inhibited by abscisic acid.

Ethylene perception in plants

Ethylene could be perceived by a transmembrane protein dimer complex. The gene encoding an ethylene receptor has been cloned in Arabidopsis thaliana and then in tomato. Ethylene receptors are encoded by multiple genes in the Arabidopsis and tomato genomes. The gene family comprises five receptors in Arabidopsis and at least six in tomato, most of which have been shown to bind ethylene. DNA sequences for ethylene receptors have also been identified in many other plant species and an ethylene binding protein has even been identified in Cyanobacteria.

Environmental and biological triggers of ethylene

Environmental cues can induce the biosynthesis of the plant hormone. Flooding, drought, chilling, wounding, and pathogen attack can induce ethylene formation in the plant. In flooding, root suffers from lack of oxygen, or anoxia, which leads to the synthesis of 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC). ACC is transported upwards in the plant and then oxidized in leaves. The product, the ethylene causes epinasty of the leaves.

One speculation recently put forth for epinasty is the downward pointing leaves may act as pump handles in the wind. The ethylene may or may not additionally induce the growth of a valve in the xylem, but the idea would be that the plant would harness the power of the wind to pump out more water from the roots of the plants than would normally happen with transpiration.

Physiological responses of plants

Like the other plant hormones, ethylene is considered to have pleiotropic effects. This essentially means that it is thought that at least some of the effects of the hormone are unrelated. What is actually caused by the gas may depend on the tissue affected as well as environmental conditions. In the evolution of plants, ethylene would simply be a message that was coopted for unrelated uses by plants during different periods of the evolutionary development.

List of plant responses to ethylene

* Seedling triple response, thickening and shortening of hypocotyl with pronounced apical hook. This is thought to be a seedling's reaction to an obstacle in the soil such a stone, allowing it to push past the obstruction.
* In pollination, when the pollen reaches the stigma, the precursor of the ethylene, ACC, is secreted to the petal, the ACC releases ethylene with ACC oxidase.
* Stimulates leaf and flower senescence
* Stimulates senescence of mature xylem cells in preparation for plant use
* Inhibits shoot growth except in some habitually flooded plants like rice
* Induces leaf abscission
* Induces seed germination
* Induces root hair growth – increasing the efficiency of water and mineral absorption
* Induces the growth of adventitious roots during flooding
* Stimulates epinasty – leaf petiole grows out, leaf hangs down and curls into itself
* Stimulates fruit ripening
* Induces a climacteric rise in respiration in some fruit which causes a release of additional ethylene. This can be the one bad apple in a barrel spoiling the rest phenomenon.
* Affects neighboring individuals
* Affects gravitropism
* Stimulates nutational bending
* Disease/wounding resistance
* Inhibits stem growth outside of seedling stage
* Stimulates stem and cell broadening and lateral branch growth also outside of seedling stage
* Interference with auxin transport (with high auxin concentrations)
* Inhibits stomatal closing except in some water plants or habitually flooded ones such as some rice varieties, where the opposite occurs (conserving CO2 and O2)
* Where ethylene induces stomatal closing, it also induces stem elongation
* Induces flowering in pineapples

This also brings to mind certain products that are out there that are supposed to stimulate plant defense mechanisms....Chi by General Hydroponics, Scorpion Juice, YEA! < thats actually a product...anyway you get my point.

Trichomes are a plant defense mechanism. Look it up if you dont believe me. Main point im trying to make is we should not be so quick to write things off as "Old Wives Tales" so fast just because we dont understand what is actually going on.

It kind of makes sense to me that our beloved plant that has been here on the earth for so long has the tools and know how to make it in enviorments that are HOT, COLD, INFESTED, FLOODING, etc...idk about your plants but some of mine are fuckin GANGSTA with it. They go through it all at some point in time and keep on walkinandrollin...im jus sayin though
 
general_sketch

general_sketch

55
18
i do believe ethylene is what is affecting this here. Ill do some more brushing up and get back at you....better yet anyone interested wiki ethylene. Interesting shit.

Nah, I don't think so. Cannabis does not produce ethylene and 48 hrs in a dark room doesn't include any ethylene. The dark period is causing the reaction, at least in my limited testing of this idea. We know the dark period is important in flowering so I do believe it has a role.

Ethylene helps ripening of fruits, but I don't think if exposed to it that a bud would ripen its trichomes like a banana ripens, different forms of biology at work, IMHO. The two things that seems to have a strong relationship to ripening is time & darkness. Otherwise we'd all be flowering on 18/6 to get extra hours of light.

I'll have to try this again and look for increased amounts of trichomes and document the previously noted increased maturity levels. Trying to quantify if it increased resin is going to be practically impossible, some of my cuts get so frosty I couldn't honestly tell if there is more. Thats why I was just looking for an increased maturity level - ie; more cloudy/amber of what was previously clear headed trich's. At least that way I could see if it caused any sort of reaction.

After 48 hrs of complete darkness, I noticed a greater prevalence of cloudy/amber heads compared to plants left in flowering under 12/12 for the same 48 hrs.
 
L

Lost

2,969
38
Dude, i hear if you add rat poison to the res for the last 3 days, your plants will turn into giant tricomes.. You need a chisel and hammer to harvest it..


^^!
 
G

Green Supreme

Guest
Cool. at this point would it not be good to show us macro pics to see for ourselves? This is where talk becomes real in my opinion. Thanks in advance for sharing. Peace GS
 
Top Bottom