Curing Your Cannabis Crop:
When you can’t grow large amounts of marijuana, you want to make sure what you do grow lasts for a long time. The best way to ensure your harvest lasts year-round is to cure it properly. Curing prevents mold, mildew and general spoilage. Plus, if you’ve grown anything worth smoking, and it’s more than you can stash in a drawer, you’ll need a storage plan. Curing is how you safely store marijuana long-term.
There are many techniques for curing marijuana; and learning how to properly dry, cure and store your crop is a skill set that quickly pays for itself. You’ve worked hard to grow the best weed; why ruin it by slacking off at the end?
This guide will explain how to dry, cure and store your marijuana like a pro so that you can enjoy top-shelf marijuana. But don’t worry, if quick and easy is more your style, I’ve included the shortcuts as well.
Why You Should Cure Marijuana
Why You Should Cure Marijuana - Image powered by Bigbudsmag.com
The best marijuana is cured. From cannabis cup winners to expertly grown medical strains, curing is not an option, it is the rule. However, many do not realize that you do not have to cure marijuana to enjoy it. It’s only required if you intend to keep it for a while. Freshly grown weed (often called green marijuana) is also enjoyable, but not cured and should be consumed as soon as possible. Because it is green, it can become moldy or develop mildew, especially if stored.
Some commercial growers, both legal and black market, prefer to spray their harvest with chemicals instead of curing to shorten the production time. While this saves them money, it does not necessarily improve the experience for the end user. As a home grower, you can control everything involved with your cannabis, including how it is prepared for long-term storage. Cured marijuana can be safely stored for months without impacting the flavor or potency. In fact, many believe that curing improves these qualities.
If you’ve started with great genetics, you’ll probably want to reuse them. Curing marijuana properly can preserve seeds for future use. If your flowers produce seeds, those seeds can be saved for future grows, but only when cured correctly. If they are harshly dried, the seeds will be ruined.
If you aren’t planning to store your marijuana, curing is a matter of preference. It is entirely possible to produce good marijuana without it; however, for the best quality, it is a must. Many believe that cured buds produce a smoother effect, stronger potency, and better taste. This may be due to the processes effect on terpenes and cannabinoids. Still, others prefer green marijuana and avoid storing their harvest.
If you are not planning to cure your harvest, do not store your buds with other grow. If they become moldy, you could quickly ruin an entire crop. In fact, try not to store any uncured marijuana – consume it fresh, just like any other perishable good.
The Curing Process
The Curing Process - Image powered by The420shack.com
The curing process is a two-step. It involves an initial drying period, followed by an extended drying period. The length of this process is up to you, with many suggesting that the longer the process is, the better. The initial drying period usually takes about a week, after which you cure for 2 weeks to six months. Two to four weeks is recommended (at a minimum). The drying process can be done in the open air, whereas the curing process is done in a closed environment.
Both drying and curing can increase the smell and bring out the subtle flavors of your buds, indicating the greater involvement of terpenes. Curing affects the smell of fresh marijuana by breaking down chlorophyll, removing the noticeable taste of hay or grass. If you grew a strain that is known to cause anxiety or coughing, the process of curing could also reduce this effect. The best way to experience the difference is to cure some of your grow and compare it to freshly harvested buds.
To optimally cure marijuana, you should carefully trim your harvest based on your environment, slow dry your buds in the open air, then continue drying in quart-sized glass mason jars. The room temperature should be around 70°F (21°C), with 50% humidity during the drying process and 58-65% Humidity, while curing in the jars. There are other methods of curing, of course, with varying effectiveness, and we will include those as well.
The critical thing to remember is that curing is an exercise in patience. If you can be more patient, you could be rewarded with superior results. If you choose to use the quicker methods, you could reduce the overall level of THC, smoothness of your smoke and seed options. However, anything is better than having unusable moldy weed.
Preparing to Dry Your Crop
Preparing to Dry Your Crop - Image powered by Herb.co
Once you’ve harvested your plants, you need to immediately plan for drying. Not only does it make your marijuana smokable, but it’s also the first step in the curing process. The drying process begins the moment you cut down your plants, so every grower needs to choose their ideal method before it’s time to harvest.
Depending on your chosen method, you can dry your marijuana in as little as a day, but it could take up to a week. The first three days of the drying process are the most crucial for preventing mold and bacteria growth, and the slower the drying process, the better. You can also use speed dry methods (as discussed later) but these methods are not appropriate for curing and could impact the flavor of your final product. You should do your best to not over-dry your buds, but, if you accidentally do, you can fix it with products such as HumidPacks.
Regardless of how you choose to dry your marijuana, start by properly trimming your harvest. Cut down your plant, either by the bud or the branch. Then trim the buds so that it is easier for them to dry evenly. If you live in a very dry area, leave a few leaves on your buds – this will keep them from drying out too quickly. If you live in a humid area, remove the buds from the stems and trim as many leaves as possible.
For a reference, here’s what we mean by dry and humid:
- Dry areas have humidity that is under 30% RH
- Humid areas have humidity that is greater than 60% RH
Humid areas will also benefit from using a drying rack (or raised mesh racks) instead of simply hanging branches of fresh cut marijuana. Keep in mind - big buds may take longer to dry.
Once you are done trimming, save some of your trim for other goodies such as marijuana butter or oil. You’re now ready to start your chosen method of drying. Decide where you will dry your harvest and plan to check on them regularly.
Hanging Your Buds
Hanging Your Buds - Image powered by Marijuanagrowing.com
The traditional method of drying plants---the way it's done by large-volume commercial growers---is to simply pull up mature plants by their roots and then hang them upside down in a dry place until nearly all moisture has evaporated.
Despite popular belief, plants are not hung upside down to allow THC to "run" from the roots into the foliage. In fact, the primary reason plants are hung upside down is for convenience; it's just easier to hang them in that orientation---the same reason that tobacco leaves are still hung by their roots for drying. A cord lashed around the stalk, below the last branch, is held securely in place when tied, unable to slide past the plant's large root ball. You can also hang them upside down in a closet using clothes hangers. The possibilities are endless.
Another vital reason for hanging freshly pulled marijuana plants is because it dries more slowly this way. It’s the same method used to "cure" tobacco leaves whose smoke would be disagreeably harsh and unpleasant tasting if they were quick-dried artificially using heat. Being uprooted and forced to dry sends a plant into high-gear survival mode – causing a high level of simple plant sugars in the tissues, and a less-bitter chlorophyll. And like tobacco, those phenomena of the curing process have the effect of making the marijuana you process for smoking into a product that is palatable, pleasing to the nose, and as gentle on the lungs as it is hard-hitting to the brain. In fact, some growers maintain that proper curing is necessary for coaxing maximum THC levels from a harvested plant.
Ideally, plants hung to cure should be under a roof to block out harsh sunlight that might dry plants too quickly and unevenly. It's also essential that falling rain is blocked from literally washing away THC from the outsides of curing bud, and of course to keep drying time to a minimum. Open air tobacco-curing sheds---essentially just a roof supported by posts---are probably best, but not always feasible; backwoods growers often accomplish the same purpose by stringing a green tarpaulin in the form of a peaked roof between trees, over a taut "clothesline'' hung with drying plants.
Drying time using this method is very dependent on humidity and ambient temperature, but figure on leaving plants---especially females with large, dense buds that have more moisture content---to hang for at least a week in dry 70-degree weather. Your optimal humidity is 50%.
If you are using an indoor drying room, you can adjust your environment. To do this try:
- An air conditioner to cool the air and lower humidity
- An evaporative cooler to cools the air and raise humidity
- A dehumidifier to heat the air and lower humidity
- A humidifier to heat the air and raise humidity
- A heater to heat the air and possibly lower humidity
Be careful not to over dry your marijuana and do not let your buds touch each other while drying. For maximum smoothness and minimum harshness, your bud or leaves need to contain a percentage of moisture that allows them to burn less hotly with more smoke. Leaves that are at prime dryness will have turned dark green, but not yet brown, with slight dry crunching at the edges, but a tough and fibrous consistency throughout the leaf. Buds should feel dry and slightly crunchy on the outside, but sticky (the stickier, the better) when squeezed between thumb and forefinger.
Other Air-drying methods
Other Air-drying methods - Image powered by Herb.co
Air-drying, in general, is one of the best ways of drying leaves or whole harvested plants because it retains the most of a plant's pleasantly fragrant scent and spicy taste. In the case of trimmed leaves, the best way to air dry them is to bag the loosely wadded foliage---" fluffed'' to maximize the airspace between leaves---in an airy sack. You can also dry small amounts of trimmed buds using this method.
Two unsophisticated favorites are a plain brown paper bag and a net-type fruit sack. Using a paper bag, fold the top over several times to seal it. This setup steadily and evenly absorbs moisture from inside, then dissipates it to the outside. You don’t want the buds to sit in the same place and possibly develop mold; so shake the bag from time to time. This also helps them to dry more rapidly.
You can also lie buds on cardboard or on a drying rack– just remember to move and rotate them to prevent wet spots. A mesh onion sack containing loosely crumpled leaves is a favorite among pot growers who dry small amounts for personal use because the netting provides for maximum air circulation and the shortest drying time.
The most important thing to remember is to check on your plants. They need to dry slowly, but thoroughly. Watch your temperature and maintain a good drying environment. Even mildly hot temperatures, such as 85°F (30°C), can burn your marijuana- potentially reducing terpenes and cannabinoids. If you live in an environment with lots of molds, you may want to consider drying indoors with a dehumidifier or air conditioner or using a fan.
These air-drying methods are best for drying marijuana for smoking but can be used for curing if you do not dry them too quickly or too much. Remember, just like with the hanging method, to not let the plants get too dry. Leaves should be just moist enough to be flexible, but dry enough to burn evenly with a smooth, sweet smoke. Chop your dried buds into fine pieces with scissors for a superior smoke with leaves or bud. Air-drying or hanging is the only safe way to dry buds from which you intend to gather seeds for another crop.
Heated Methods of Drying Leaves and Buds
Heated Methods of Drying Leaves and Buds - Image powered by Herb.co
Of course, air drying isn’t your only option. Sometimes you need to dry marijuana rapidly. In those situations,
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