The Chop

I planted sometime during the summer, i know thats not the correct time. First question is, when is the right time?. BUt more importantly, i think my small plant is ready to be harvested. I know its kinda late, but the crystals are milky and the crystals on the tops are turning slightly amber color, jsut a little. From what i read its time to chop, but how much? My plant is not even 1 foot tall but the buds are small and smell pretty yummy. After cutting i hang them upside down in the dark for two weeks right?

Think about when you plant your garden. What is the right time for that. About the right time for your other crop too.

Sounds like its about right for harvest time.

I find it easier in the longrun to manicure before hanging to dry.

Cut, manicure, hang your plants in a cool, dark place until totally crispy and smokable in a joint-- usually 10 days. Optimum conditions are 68-74 degrees F.

is there anyway to shorten the 10 day drying period?

get one of those things that are in the little white packets that come in beef jerky containers that absorb the oxygen...put these in a bag with the weed and it should work a lot faster. this is the only thing i can think of besides making it extremly dry, like lower than 10% humidity

c'mon yall lets break out the food dehydrator and smoke tonight what we cut today

waiting is for wussys anyway lol

in Cervantes book, he mentions a fellow using a food dehydrator, and says it doesn't have a negative effect on the bud. I am going to at least, try it. Where I'm at you can buy one for about $40.00. I think its worth it, and the other things he has said turned out to be accurate.

Do a controlled test and let us know what U find out.

That is with the heating element unplugged!!

so there is no negative effect on the bud if i were to use a food dehydrator?

I would think it would be damaged slightly by the heat but if would be dicernalbe or not is the question. If you only lost like 10% content you probably wouldnt be able to tell.

But like I said try it out and let us know.

Just do a few buds to last till the rest is properly dryed, then compare the 2.

my friend stuck his leaves in the microwave and said it worked

putting pot in the wave destroys it. think of it like a vaporizer, you are losing alot of THC. if you want a fast way to dry try this i am going to compare this to the other way I dried and see what works better. bear with it some and then you will get to the harvesting part.

YouTube - Ready-Set-Grow Part 5 of 7 UPDATED

start with this link then click on #6 in the grow journal.

if your looking for a mild smoke the food dehydrater works well.......but if your looking for a more smooth hit dry by the hanging method it's worth the wait
and millner no offense but whoever told you that a microwave works is a dumbass like meat said it destroys your pot

i smoke wet bud in a vaporizer. works.

The Oven
The only thing I can say to this is 'hey it does work' you can smoke pot dried in the oven. Taste and potency all goes to crap, but smoke will go out of your mouth as you exhale. If that’s all you crave, then this is the simplest way to dry your herbs out, just keep an eye on it. I find oven-dried weed to be lacking in everything, including the high.

Microwave
When used on lower power settings (40-50%) can do an adequate job. Mind you it still tastes like crap and certainly not as potent as air-dried, but in a pinch it will work. Keep an eye on it and go for short 5- 10 second bursts.

Dankmaster's Microwave Steam Method
A vast improvement in quick dry technology. It does a satisfactory job fairly quickly. Trichomes don’t burst and flavor while not great isn’t awful anymore -- which is all I can say for any of the previously mentioned methods. What the method does is use steam to dry out the weed.

Necessary items

*Tupperware container with lid.

*Buds fresh off the plant (cut into small pieces, don’t shred them – cut into nice little chunks).

*3-paper towels.

*Microwave with power setting options.

*Water.

First, take 1/4 piece of a paper towel and lay it on the bottom of the Tupperware container. Then put your cut up weed on the paper towel. Next, take two paper towels, fold them several times and get them wet. Wring out most of the water. You want the paper towels wet but not dripping. Now, you lay the paper towels over the top of the Tupperware making sure that you completely and evenly cover the top. Then take the lid and squeeze it almost all the way on. When I say almost I mean to get all sides and corners on tight except for one corner to allow the steam to exit. Now your ready to put your steam dryer in the microwave.

Set the microwave power to 40 or 50 %. I recommend 40% -- I tried it on full power the first few times and it didn’t work nearly as well. Now set it for a minute and let it go. Take it out and let the steam evaporate out and let sit for 15-20 seconds. If the bottom paper towel (the one that the buds are on) is wet change it. If the two paper towels you were using are dry make sure to re-wet and wring out and put back over top and put lid on in same way.

Now microwave at 40-50% for another minute and repeat process for typically 3-5 minutes. This is the best method if you need the herb in less than 20 minutes.

Ballast Drying Method
Cut up fresh buds and place them in an envelope evenly spread out. Close the envelope and place it on top of your ballast. Obviously you need a remote ballast to do this. Built in ballasts typically get too hot. I've tried this a few times. I typically left it on the ballast while the light was on for 2 to 3 hours. As I remember I always kept over or under drying the buds. On retrospect I would say go for a little bit too dry because you can put it in an airtight container and allow the moisture to be sucked out of the stem. Taste was good for a quick dry, and potency seemed acceptable.

My Toaster Oven method
Turn your toaster oven onto bake on the lowest setting it has. Take your herb and cut it up small similar to the steam method. Then take the tray you would use to say, toast peanuts and put the cut up herb onto the tray. Next place the tray ON TOP of the toaster oven NOT inside it! Turn the pieces of herb over every 5 minutes or so. This typically takes a good 20-30 minutes but is well worth the wait. When dried right the taste still isn’t great, but its the best of the already mentioned methods. The high is great, the trichomes remain intact and the smoke is semi-smooth. I like it and it works pretty well.

The Couch Method
And finally, the method that works the best but takes the longest, and sounds the strangest. Take a few fresh cut buds and put them in a clean ashtray. I do this the night before I want to smoke the buds. My couch is over a vent in my house and stays fairly warm under there at night when the heat is on. (It’s been cold lately) I just put it there before I go to sleep and the next morning the bud is nicely dry! Not extra crispy and the taste is great. Still not air dried/cured but gives a real good hint what your buds are going to taste like. The high is great, its probably 85F under my couch when the heat is on, and over 8 hours it does a great job. This method is the only one that my girlfriend will smoke and enjoy. The other methods always make her gripe about how bad they make the weed taste. This keeps her and me happy. If you wake up and find the herb just a little two crispy, put in a jar or bag and it will draw a little moisture out of the stem and make it just right.

Most electronic devices could be used, TV-monitor, cable box, refrigerator fan etc. Finding the method that works best for you is crucial.

I know people yell about not sampling your plant but I think its a good way to tell when your herbs reached that peak. To all those first trying these methods, I would urge patience and multiple attempts. I didn’t get any of them right the first time, but I am glad I kept trying.

Car Window Method Contributed by: Hopefull
Take a few buds and throw them in an envelope. Then just put them in your car window on a sunny day. Smoke when dry – simple!

Bulb & Foil method Contributed by: HashMan
Here's a fast way to dry your dank. Break up your bud’s, and place them on a 4”square piece of tinfoil. Then take the piece of tinfoil and put it on top of a light bulb -- 60-80w works best (NOT YOUR HID). Stir it every 30 seconds. It should take about 1-3 minutes to dry completely. Dry buds, and you don't stink up your microwave/oven in the process.

Heat Plate Method Contributed by: Pharmer
The following method has worked the greatest for me when quick drying my buds:

Step 1 - get your buds, cut them up reasonably, then stick them on a plate-- make sure they're evenly distributed all over the plate.

Step 2 - get a pot and fill it one-third with water and bring it to boil on the stove.

Step 3 - place the mull plate on top of the pot. The steam heating the bottom the plate dries the weed. It should take about half an hour using a medium sized plate covered in weed. When the weed is dry, make sure you don't tip the plate on an angle when getting your weed into your bowl-- you don't want all the steam from the bottom of the plate to drip off and drench your buds all over again!!!

The Crystal method
To dry, break up your bud into small pieces then put them in a small canning jar with a sealing lid. Place silica gel desiccant packs into the jar with the bud. These desiccant packs will remove the moisture from the bud. Small jars work best because there is less air in the jar.

Auto parts stores sell desiccant crystals (similar to silica gel packs) for cheap. They turn to goop once moisture has been absorbed, so they need to be put above a drip tray.
(works for seeds too..)

I hang them but I also put a few buds in a drawer with a bunch of old stems and they seen to soak up the moisture, takes about a day and a half and they are bone dry and will get me through till the rest is cured.