Tips to Successfully Dry and Cure Your Cannabis Buds

The path to top quality marijuana starts with the drying and curing process of the buds. These two are just as important as the growing and harvest preparations. This attention you give to nurturing your cannabis plant should also be applied when you dry and cure your buds. If you are new to growing marijuana, it helps to know the basics and a few tips on how to properly dry and cure cannabis buds.

Drying and curing are similar in purpose and method, but they have their differences as well. Basically, drying is a passive step, while curing is more active and requires a little more attention. Drying is done before or after trimming the buds. On the other hand, curing requires you to store the buds in sealable containers and to open them for a specific time, which happens once the buds have been dried and trimmed.

Tips on Drying Cannabis Buds

  • Maintain the right temperature. The buds will dry out prematurely if the temperature reaches above 25 degrees Celsius. Below that and the buds will take longer to dry. Have a heater or air-conditioning so you can the room temperature at the ideal range.
  • Ensure proper ventilation. Good and consistent ventilation helps remove moisture and air pockets in the drying room, affecting the humidity inside. Humidity should be between 50 to 60 percent. Achieve adequate humidity and ventilation by setting up fans blowing from the ground up, ensuring that it does not hit the buds.
  • Room should be dark. Light can damage the THC in the buds. You can have a light source inside to check on the progress of the buds, but keep it off most of the time. Block all other passages of light in the room, including windows and slits.
  • Proper distancing. If the buds are too close, they might not have enough space to release trapped moisture. This can result in mold formation in the buds. Place your buds a few inches of space between each other. When done right, drying will take about 15 days. If the branches breaks, instead of bending, it means the buds are dry.

Tips on Curing Cannabis Buds

  • Trim the buds. If you want to dry right after the harvest, trim the buds first. Using a trimmer and bucker, remove excess leaves and stalks on the buds before starting the curing process. By giving the buds a proper trim, you can unlock more flavors from the strain and get rid of other contents inside.
  • Control temperature and humidity levels. Curing requires full control of the humidity inside the room. This room should have the same humidity and temperature range as the drying process. Unless you are simultaneously drying another batch, you can use the drying space you used because the setup is basically just the same.
  • Prepare the containers. Get glass containers to store the buds for curing. Use those that can easily be opened, since you will have to periodically open them. Ensure that you have enough containers because you cannot overfill the jars. The container should have enough space to shake from time to time.

The drying and curing processes are very straightforward and requires adequate understanding, perseverance and perfection. The procedures might look a little too complicated, especially if this is your first time doing it. But once you get a good understanding of it, the best flavors will wait for you right at the end of the process.
 

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StonedGardener

Well-Known Member
1 gallon mylar zip bags are my go to for storage/cure. Air tight, light tight, sturdy and pretty cheap you can fit about 6oz with enough air space.
I like the amber canning jars but the bags work well too as long as they don't get roughed up. Great tip and very economical !
 

PioneerValleyOG

Well-Known Member
The path to top quality marijuana starts with the drying and curing process of the buds. These two are just as important as the growing and harvest preparations. This attention you give to nurturing your cannabis plant should also be applied when you dry and cure your buds. If you are new to growing marijuana, it helps to know the basics and a few tips on how to properly dry and cure cannabis buds.

Drying and curing are similar in purpose and method, but they have their differences as well. Basically, drying is a passive step, while curing is more active and requires a little more attention. Drying is done before or after trimming the buds. On the other hand, curing requires you to store the buds in sealable containers and to open them for a specific time, which happens once the buds have been dried and trimmed.

Tips on Drying Cannabis Buds

  • Maintain the right temperature. The buds will dry out prematurely if the temperature reaches above 25 degrees Celsius. Below that and the buds will take longer to dry. Have a heater or air-conditioning so you can the room temperature at the ideal range.
  • Ensure proper ventilation. Good and consistent ventilation helps remove moisture and air pockets in the drying room, affecting the humidity inside. Humidity should be between 50 to 60 percent. Achieve adequate humidity and ventilation by setting up fans blowing from the ground up, ensuring that it does not hit the buds.
  • Room should be dark. Light can damage the THC in the buds. You can have a light source inside to check on the progress of the buds, but keep it off most of the time. Block all other passages of light in the room, including windows and slits.
  • Proper distancing. If the buds are too close, they might not have enough space to release trapped moisture. This can result in mold formation in the buds. Place your buds a few inches of space between each other. When done right, drying will take about 15 days. If the branches breaks, instead of bending, it means the buds are dry.

Tips on Curing Cannabis Buds

  • Trim the buds. If you want to dry right after the harvest, trim the buds first. Using a trimmer and bucker, remove excess leaves and stalks on the buds before starting the curing process. By giving the buds a proper trim, you can unlock more flavors from the strain and get rid of other contents inside.
  • Control temperature and humidity levels. Curing requires full control of the humidity inside the room. This room should have the same humidity and temperature range as the drying process. Unless you are simultaneously drying another batch, you can use the drying space you used because the setup is basically just the same.
  • Prepare the containers. Get glass containers to store the buds for curing. Use those that can easily be opened, since you will have to periodically open them. Ensure that you have enough containers because you cannot overfill the jars. The container should have enough space to shake from time to time.

The drying and curing processes are very straightforward and requires adequate understanding, perseverance and perfection. The procedures might look a little too complicated, especially if this is your first time doing it. But once you get a good understanding of it, the best flavors will wait for you right at the end of the process.
I take it you give them a quick wet trim before hanging, or slightly more detailed?
 
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