The grower also compared the ice water flushing technique to regular flushes using a combination of water and molasses, which were given to the plant in a grow tent under regular lighting conditions. Does it help turn some of those tricombs amber and slightly increase thc levels. Interrupting the dark cycle with light, even briefly, inhibits the plant’s ability to flower. Leaving the plants in darkness for up to 24 hours might not cause any harm. During a plant’s dark cycle, respiration is in full swing. Many growers leave plants in complete darkness for 36 hours before commencing 12-12 to ensure a high phytochrome red ratio. in absolute darkness for 72 hours before cutting and drying. your friend does not understand why an extended dark period is given in flowering. 1) Darkness increases resin production. Be informed before you purchase. Complete darkness triggers the flowering and growth of buds on marijuana plants. Just as with humans, cannabis plants need water to survive and thrive. … I’ve heard of people giving there plants a … In darkness, the far-red change into red. When Arjan switches from veg to flower, he gives the ladies anywhere from 36-72 hours of dark, depending on the strain. (Fans still on, bubbler etc.) Some growers suggest that ice water flushes and 12 to 72 hours of complete darkness right before harvest can greatly improve the quality of your bud. [/quote] I was jut thinking about using a dark period at different times during the flowering cycle. In this article, we’ll explore the information available on these techniques and how they might affect trichome production in cannabis. On the other hand, if we give them 12 uninterrupted hours of darkness we can be sure that, independently of the variety (and with exception of automatic varieties) the plant will be triggered to bloom by the longer night length. But too much - or too little - and they die. There’s a rumour circulating around the cannabis community that a combination of ice water flushes and a total dark period of 24–36 hours just before harvest can greatly improve your plant’s trichome production and potency. As is often the case with cannabis grow topics, most of the information available about ice flushes and prolonged periods of darkness is hearsay. Sound off with your experience and knowledge below. Look up the sunrise-sunset times at your latitude. After all, if something goes wrong, you run the risk of potentially losing your entire harvest. He tells you that this is essential in speeding up the transition from veg to flower and sends them into budding mode immediately. Share this post. This 12/12 light schedule must be maintained until harvest. the idea behind leaving them in dark is to cause them to stress a bit and give their last bit of energy. I run hydro, 10-14 days before harvest I fresh nutes then only tip in plain water (the girls have already shown little interest in nutes at this stage) 4 days before harvest I dilute to 0.5-0.7 EC then 2 days before harvest I kill the light. They then administered the final flush under complete darkness. Some forum posts also claim that the Stichting Institute of Medical Marijuana (SIMM), one of the first companies to sell medical cannabis via Dutch pharmacies, used this prolonged darkness technique to enhance the potency of their strains. I have just started to flush my big buddah cheese plant after 10 weeks of flowering, i am doing a ten day flush. The theory behind this technique is simple. Remember this. Good info def cleared up some stuff for me. Marijuana plants need at least 12 hours of darkness every day in order to produce buds and remain in the flowering stage. 24 hour of dark iv herd wen rdy to harvest. * Seeds are sold as souvenirs. If the plants start to flower outdoors before Sept 22, when the dark period reaches 12 hours, then their critical period is fewer than 12 hours. Mr. Grow It makes no mention of using ice water flushes in his video. To figure the amount of darkness that a variety growing outdoors requires, notice when the first flowers appear. Boojum 77,119 Off Topic ; Lifetime Subscriber; 77,119 70,874 posts; Posted April 22, 2009 (edited) The triggering of flowering is based on photoperiodism, which is itself governed by the dark period (not the light period). Many growers claim that cannabis plants are unable to produce more resin in just 24–48 hours, and that the prolonged darkness technique does little more than just delay your harvest. My landlord is coming by next week, exactly when I was planning on starting flowering. The grower noted that the period of darkness made significant changes to the amount and size of the trichomes on the plant’s buds. thc is destroyed by light, thats a large reason its there, to shield it from harmful uv rays.