Drying and Curing Your Cannabis

Drying and curing your bud is always the last skill developed as a cannabis enthusiast.

But if you’ve put in the time to grow your plant all the way from a President Seed to a flowering masterpiece – you want to make sure you get the most out of your harvest.

This is the last step, so don’t rush it, and do it correctly.

Cannabis Flowers Age When Cut

As you know, your cannabis plant produces tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and other cannabinoids.

These compounds, or other cannabinoids, are produced during a process called biosynthesis THCA turns into THC.

But what you might not know is that biosynthesis doesn’t stop when you the flowers are harvested.

Storing it correctly will mean these THCAs age properly.

Drying Your Flower

Most growers cut their branch lengths at around 30-40cms. However, this is dependent on the size of your plant.

Once these branches have been cut, you can hang them up with a wire.

For those into pruning, you can snip the buds off and place them onto a drying rack. We know our favourite growing medium store stocks them.

Make sure that you dry out your crop in a dark environment where the temperature of the drying room is between 15℃ – 21℃, and that the humidity level is between 45 – 55%.

If you are struggling to manage the humidity level, you can purchase Boveda products to help. If you rush the drying you will stop the THCA to THC process.

Also, you should invest in a fan to circulate air around the drying room.

You’ll know you’re ready to cure when the cannabis bud is a little crunchy on the outside and the small branches snap – rather than bending.

Timings can vary from 5 – 15 days.

Curing Time

Once you’re happy that your cannabis buds have dried, it’s time to cure them.

Remove the branches and leaves.

You’ll need an airtight container. What you’re looking for is a proper seal, but it doesn’t matter what the container is made from.

However, we’re a fan of glass containers, as you can see any moisture build-up easily.

Don’t be tempted to cram your crop into these containers, rather invest in more storage solutions.

Buds should have some breathing room between them. If they are densely packed, moisture becomes an issue.

Your storage unit needs to be placed in a cool, dark spot.

After a week, you’ll know if the curing is working when the flowers aren’t crunchy on the outside anymore. This happens because the interior of the flower is rehydrating the bud.

If this isn’t the case, you’ve over-dried your bud.

During the first week, you’ll need to let the buds breathe (or burp) a few times a day. This allows any built-up moisture to escape and lets the flower breathe.

If you smell ammonia when opening the bud storage unit, that means bacteria has started to form due to moisture build-up.

But, if this doesn’t happen after the first week, you can switch to opening the storage unit only on a once-daily basis.

For those who push curing to 2 – 3 weeks, your cannabis should be excellent.

And after 4 – 8 weeks it’ll be tremendous.

Think of it as a bottle of red wine. The longer it’s left in the bottle, the better it becomes. And that’s it.

Happy drying and curing season.