When To Chop? Mornings Or Night Time

[str8smokn]

As the title states, do you chop down in morning- lights on or at night-bed time, do you do it while wet or do you let soil dry out? I've noticed that as the soil dries out the buds get airy it seems.
Any input would help.
STR8

 

[geologic]

 

[str8smokn]

Cool so I'd say mornings,thanks @geologic . what about the wet or dry part ,any input?
STR8

 

[north knect]

I usually harvest at the end of day so the moisture content is at its lowest in the buds,I've never considered the terpene concentrations being different at times though? I don't understand how they can change like stated above?

 

[str8smokn]

I guess they reach for the light also,stretching the stalks causing them to be bigger? I don't know,just hypothetical.
STR8

 

[str8smokn]

Then I guess I will wait until tomorrow morning to cut instead of today.
STR8

 

[geologic]

In the 60's~70's I saw a study with a chart from the Government Farm that showed the highest concentration of THC was during the hottest part of the day,
so I always harvested mid-day/afternoon;
after I got here to The Farm I found that terpene chart--
and now I harvest ~before dawn...

 

[geologic]

...I hadn't thought about moisture content,
but seems like I want the wet side
to maybe slow the drying process down;
that's what I do--
subconscious stuff I reckon...

 

[north knect]

Ya I suppose your climate and temps matter where your drying..I don't have the luxury of drying in a controlled climate for large harvests so it goes to the shed and at the end of the year in my parts we get hit with a lot of rain and its always 70-90% RH outside with all the rain so the drier the better off the start in my case.. @geologic have you done a comparison yourself harvesting in the morning or end of day? I'm curious now whether the terpenes are drastically changed?

 

[kuz]

I always heard an hour or two before lights come on, but didnt know why, i did that for a while. I usually chop when I have time to trim.

 

[FooDoo]

Good topic for a thread.

I always heard an hour or two before lights come on, but didnt know why, i did that for a while. I usually chop when I have time to trim.

I read the same thing a long time ago. Also read the 48 hours dark period before chop so that also constitutes a night time.chop.

I think I'll change it up and do a lights on chop

 

[north knect]

Good topic for a thread.



I read the same thing a long time ago. Also read the 48 hours dark period before chop so that also constitutes a night time.chop.

I think I'll change it up and do a lights on chop

Ya on my indoor crops I do 48hrs of darkness and notice a nice a amount of resin production from it but still run lights for 12 hours after that to reduce the moisture content..I hope somebody Chimes in who's done this experiment and notices much difference in end result

 

[geologic]

[disclaimer]--
I'm outdoor...

 

[str8smokn]

The one I'm asking about is outdoors also, in a pot but outside.

 

[derkaderk]

I always chop at first light of dawn. I've read terepines evaporate in the sun and then reproduce over night. (no idea if this is true) but that chart makes me think that is probably correct...
I also think that the plants natural osmotic flow would be minimal early morning. Theoretically, there should be less sugars and starches from the soil flowing to the plant at this time.....(sugars and starches are acrid tasting when burned)
HOWEVER, I do believe a proper cure will convert those elements anyways, leaving you with good, clean tasting bud.
So, I guess it comes down to science, and you would need major controls and samples to get an accurate idea of time of day effect on harvest (terepene profile, length needed for dry/cure, potency and the effect of chemical ratio make-up(THCa, CBD, CBN, etc), longevity of storage and its effect on degridation of individual chemical compounds).....you get the idea.

Until then, I think it's up to individual experimentation and preference as to how, why, and when you chop.

 

[roach]

I tried to let my plants dry out a bit before harvesting as I had some problems with mold at another place I lived, but I found it was alot harder to trim the plants when the leaves had started to drop a bit, so I always water my plants the day before I harvest, might take a day longer to dry but its so much easier to trim :)

 

[burn4me]

Awesome thought process guys. This is probably a question for the ages lmao. I'm sure people have argued this to death with their own personal preferred method.
I myself like a drier pot but not to where they droop. I also like to take them out of tent and put them in my darkroom with temps at about 68-70°F for at least 24 hours. Just my 2 pennies

 

[ghettogrower]

Yeh ever since I've been growing I've always harvested before lights on I read somewhere that during the lights on theres more startch in the plant???Don't know whether that's right or not...and i think dry trimming leads to a better tasting finished product as well

 

[ghettogrower]

Man I should I always read other comments first before waltzing in lol