Forced to harvest TOMORROW due to an unexpected trip. Am I chopping too early? Need advice on fast drying and long-term curing!
Hey everyone,
I’m in a bit of a logistical nightmare and need your expert eyes. Tomorrow I have to chop down my two girls: a Gorilla Glue and a Purple Punch. I have an unexpected long-term trip coming up in a couple of weeks, I live alone, and I have absolutely no one to take care of them or watch them if I leave them alive.
To save the harvest, my plan is to chop tomorrow so I can manage a controlled, slightly accelerated drying process over the next few days, and then leave them curing in large glass Boveda packs for about two months until I get back.
Here is the current state of the plants:
Gorilla Glue: Trichomes are mostly cloudy with a solid amount of amber starting to pop up on the buds. Interestingly, she just started a second flush of white pistils over the old, mature ones.
Purple Punch: Trichomes are almost 90% cloudy and 10% still translucent but barely any amber yet. She is also throwing out a massive re-flowering flush of new white pistils.
I’ve been flushing with plain pH-corrected water for the last week to clean out the substrate.
My main questions for you guys:
Based on the pics, do you think I'm chopping too early or losing too much yield because of those new white pistils? Or is it a good compromise given the situation?
How much dry yield do you estimate from what you see? (They are grown outdoors under natural light in Ecuador (~12 hours a day))
Since I need to speed up the drying process slightly to ensure they are stable before entering the jars with the Boveda packs, what is the safest way to dry individual buds on hangers without ruining the flavor or risking mold?
I'm super proud of this run compared to my first plant but the timing is stressful. Any tips, estimates, or words of encouragement are highly appreciated!
Thanks in advance!