Hey all,

Any thoughts on how the different environmental factors effect alkaloid conent? Sun, heat, water, time of year etc? I've heard it's best to harv at the hottest times of the year and when there is very little moisture. I'm also wondering how big a factor age is, I've heard directly opposite things... that the youngest growth has the most alkaloid content and vice versa that the older the tissue the more alks.

Thanks,
D

the older the specimen the higher the alkaloid concentration, sun deprivation increases alkaloids as well as exposure to cold and lack of water.

i know achuma is more potent the older it is

sweet thanks mew Great cactus posts btw, I've gleaned a ton of good info over the last few years from your posts, so thanks again

mew is most pleased.

glad to have been of service! please feel free to post queries of any fashion, if they are cactus related ill do my best to answer promptly!

Some evidence seems to suggest that alkaloid concentrations peak in winter, when it is cold
Keep in mind that this is including plants in the Andes, that have cold wet winters

Do alkaloids increase in amount as plants age?
It seems to be true to a degree, but there seems to be responsive alkaloids production, seasonal variation and nutritional factors all relating to this.
What I mean to question is the idea that as a plant ages, that it gets more potent, there might be a maximum potency determined by various factors and once the plant reaches this, it may not increase alkaloid content above it.

Lots of people seem to have experience relating that desiccated or dried plants appear more potent, but has anyone tested this?

If you took two identical cuttings of the same plant, that were the same age etc, and then extracted one of them as is, and then dried the other out and then extracted that, would the dry one be more potent?

In general I agree with Mew, but there are a lot of untested and unanswered questions regarding this matter and experimentation is needed.

or left one in cold storage (fridge) for a few months?

nice to see you around btw

to answer your question albertklloyd

they are just as saturated with alkaloids extracted whatever way you please

ive extracted from dry and fresh, some of the feet i dried and extracted some i did wet
same results, different process though

for the dry you do a nearly drytek, but minimal water to base. then start pulling with nps

for wet you make 2x2 tea, filter, decant, (you can acetone bomb for easier separation, however if you decant/filter enough youll be fine) reduce tea again, bassify and pull with nps liquid liquid style.

same results

So I've cut some of my pachanoi this summer (first cutting!). Does dark storage and cool temps affect the potency of them even after they are cut, or is it only before cutting that this type of stressing is key? Would it be good to say, put them in the fridge in storage to increase potency?

Hey nice,

I've read a bunch of posts about how storing a cutting for a long time will increase potency. I've been trying to see how this would work...I don't really come up with anything, but there are a ton of posts on it.

Unless maybe it has to do with the stability of the molecule and some chemical change that takes place as it dries out or isn't exposed to light anymore? I guess only way to find out would be to take two specimans from the same crop and store one in the dark for a month or two, do your extracts and then weight it out...maybe even take like 3 cuts and store em and 3 you don't.

One other thing, in all those posts that mention something about this, I don't think I ever saw mention of it being stored in the fridge, but I think it was Al's post that said cold increases potency. In light of that, it may be best to try out the fridge, or one in the fridge and one the pantry. If it is cold that is doing the trick, I wonder y not freeze, or is that to much.

Good stuff to ponder,

Good luck!

Al and i have been debating this subject for years now
ime, well fed cacti, harvested after long cold(and dry) periods are more productive than those harvested during active growth/ warm periods

never stressed a cacti on purpose though, i love my cacti it doesn't seem nice