Starting to Grow Weed - Harvesting, Drying, and Curing Your Marijuana

A Detailed Analysis of Harvesting, Drying and Curing Marijuana

After having employed the best methods in the growth of your cannabis plant for a rewarding harvest, it is also important that you employ the best practices for the harvest and post-harvest to ensure you get that satisfying product you’ve been craving. From determining if your plant is truly ready for harvest to harvesting, drying, and curing your plant till you make use of it, you can make use of a few pointers to be analyzed here to get the best from it.

Harvesting

For any cannabis grower who has patiently cultivated their plant from seed, you should be able to identify any changes to the constitution of your plant and few of these are there to help you determine the time your plant is ready for harvest. Though each plant and its strain are quite different from any other and might exhibit some rare traits, they still share some general ones with others. Some of these might include well-developed buds, yellowing leaves, and plump buds.

In addition to the above, there is one major indicator of whether your plants are ready for harvesting or not, these are the trichomes. These clear but sticky appendages that completely coat your plant are also responsible for the existence of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavors that are contained in your cannabis plant.

To check the trichomes for signs of being ready for harvest, you need to take a very close and careful look at your plants. This can be done with the aid of a jeweler's loupe which allows you to check the color and opacity of your plant. The color changes from clear to cloudy to amber throughout the entire cultivation period and once it starts turning very cloudy, your plant is now ready for harvest. Harvesting is best done in the early hours of the morning. Though many growers choose to cut everything all at once, it is sometimes best to cut in sections. This is majorly because some buds especially those on the upper branches get harvest-ready earlier than those on the lower branches. This not only allows the buds on the lower branches to get more time to fully mature, but it also gives you some time to space your drying and trimming your buds.

Some growers who make use of chemicals to fertilize and grow their plants might need to flush them for a couple of weeks before harvesting to eliminate the presence of such on their plants.

Trimming

Trimming of your cannabis plant is an important aspect of the cannabis preparation process that involves cutting off the excess fan and sugar leaves from your plant to leave a wholesome bud behind. While trimming, making use of a trim bin helps trim easier and you also catch some of the trichomes and useful parts of your plant through the attached screen for later use. Some growers trim their buds before drying while others choose to do this after the plant has dried.

Drying

Drying your cannabis buds is carried out by hanging them upside down on a clothesline to get rid of the excess moisture. This is when your plant THC becomes psychoactive and you might want to take your time doing this. Drying takes an average of 5-7 days although this typically varies depending on the drying location and conditions of your plant. Your buds should be dried in an area with dark or low light, good airflow, and humidity to get the best out of them. To determine if your buds are dry enough, you need the assistance of a hygrometer to test the humidity levels of your buds until they are at an optimal level of 62-68% in an enclosed jar before you start curing.

Curing

Curing your cannabis buds helps increase its flavor, aroma, and taste to make it move from being good to great. To cure your buds, all you need to do is to place them in mason jars as soon as they reach the required humidity levels after drying to seal them up for an average of two months. Your buds should be regularly burped by allowing some air to be circulated into the jars for some minutes to ensure they don't mold. This should be done regularly for about two times daily at the initial stages before it is reduced to once daily or even some days apart after a while. While curing, it is important to constantly check for mold and monitor the humidity levels of your buds such that it doesn’t go as high as 70% or lower than 60% as this might affect your buds.

When all the above is properly done, your cannabis buds not only become more enjoyable but can also be stored for quite a while without any issues for you to slowly enjoy them.

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