Pay attention that growing marijuana may be subject to special restrictions and regulation in your country or state. Please contact your attorney to obtain advice before cultivating cannabis.
Disclaimer
Pay attention that growing marijuana may be subject to special restrictions and regulation in your country or state. Please contact your attorney to obtain advice before cultivating cannabis.
Successfully growing cannabis is only the start of the way as the entire crop needs to be dried. It removes excess moisture and keeps mold from growing on your crop. Cannabis drying is very important as a whole process, it includes many factors.
First things first
After harvesting, the cannabis is first dried and then cured. The first process is usually simpler and less demanding. However, each marijuana strain is unique in its way, so make sure you keep the plant stable for at least 24 hours. After that, buds can be allowed to go into a slower drying stage, which takes about 10 days.
How do you prune your plant?
How you dry your cannabis depends on that. For example, if you choose to harvest after the buds have dried, then you can prune them and hang them to dry. This method is preferable to spreading the weed out on the table as it can distort your crop. It is quite easy to control the drying process because it is enough to try to bend the twig. If it curves, then there is still moisture in the plant, and if it breaks, then the crop is ready for further processing.
If you choose to harvest as soon as the buds are ripe, then the rack will be your main tool. The thing is that you first need to dry the smaller parts of the plants. Testing cannabis is easy: you can simply squeeze the bud and test it for moisture.
Study your strain
We wrote this paragraph for a reason. The point is that marijuana can contain different terpenes, which require special conditions for drying. Otherwise, they can simply evaporate, disappear. A perfect example is terpene myrcene, which is responsible for the quieter high of marijuana, as well as the pleasant herbaceous smell. The component can simply erode at high degrees during drying. Therefore, it is important to stick to low temperatures. Either way, the terpenes issue is worth investigating if you want to keep your cannabis fresh and potent.
Important criteria
-
Remember to regulate humidity. Mold is the real enemy of cannabis, but don't over-dry your crop. It should not crumble in your hands.
-
Check that there is airflow in the room. Its absence can raise the humidity, or dry out plants. Plus, the air will help your plants dry out faster.
-
Choose the right lighting. The white light will cause the crop to photosynthesize, which is highly undesirable during drying.
To be more specific, try initially setting 50% humidity at about 50-60°F (10-16°C). Remember to check your plants periodically. After drying, proceed to the process of curing your weed, which helps to strengthen your crop and "close" all odors inside the cannabis. Finally, enjoy your weed, but do it wisely!
