Cannabis is commonly referred to as a “weed” for a reason. Marijuana finds ways to survive, whether it is meticulously managed by hand in a controlled atmosphere or flung to the wind by nature. In light of this, you must accept the drying and curing processes if you want to grow the best cannabis seeds and maintain control over their output.
To prepare your cannabis for use, a crucial post-harvest step is to dry and cure it. This process significantly raises the potency and flavor of your flower. As we discover the most effective techniques for quick drying and curing cannabis, let’s investigate this system together.
Following Your Harvest: Drying Marijuana
Planning for your crop’s post-harvest needs is almost as crucial as cultivating the crop itself. Following plant growing, drying, and curing are the processes used to prime the buds for maximum efficacy when consumed later.
After a plant has been harvested, when the freshly cut plants are still dripping with moisture, drying is a process that takes place. Cultivators will hang their plants upside down and remove the blossoms to lessen the plant’s total moisture content in an effort to assist in halting this moisture-heavy process.
To prevent taste and scent from fading once the plants have fully dried, farmers will trim the buds before putting them in containers.
Normally, the drying process might take two to seven days, however wet trimming can speed up the process. The entire process can be accelerated when there is less plant material to dry.
- Creating Your Dry Room
Building a reliable post-harvest curing facility might be essential to the success of your crop as a whole. Depending on the type of treatment you intend to use, you will require a certain amount of overall area. When it comes time to dry your hemp or marijuana plants, you can use a variety of techniques.
- Manual Trim / Dry
Lay some foundation with your own two hands to hasten the drying process. Trim your plant manually by removing the fan leaves, and then hang the buds outside to dry. Since these fan leaves hold a lot of water, getting rid of them should help the room’s humidity levels drop. Additionally, removing leaves might aid in preventing the growth of mold.
When using manual trimmers, you may achieve a level of accuracy and sensitivity that trimming machines just cannot match, resulting in a cleaner and better final product. However, this practical experience necessitates time, endurance, and work.
- Brown Paper Bags
Did you know that brown paper bags may be used to dry things out? Cut and cut your buds into bits about the size of popcorn. Prior to putting the marijuana into your paper bags, trim everything to a reasonable size. To promote airflow, fill the bags only about halfway. The brown bags must be kept in a dry, temperature-controlled area.
- Agriculture Trimming Machine
An automated trimming machine may be the ideal option if speed is the word of the game. Automated trimming equipment is perfect if you want to reduce the time it takes for your cannabis to dry and cure.
Automatic trimming devices, on the other hand, are far tougher on your plants, losing pistils saturated with THC as well as bruised, harmed, and beaten buds. Avoid using a trimming machine unless it is absolutely necessary for organic producers.
A trimming machine may significantly lower the amount of moisture that your business must deal with, which will hasten the drying process.
- Hang to Dry
Your freshly harvested cannabis has to be trimmed before being put in a cool, dark, and well-ventilated space where it may hang to dry. Avoid dampness and humidity in the area where you are drying, and stay away from any light—natural or artificial. At this point in the game, light exposure might result in bleached buds, destroyed hues, and diminished flavor.
Depending on the plant, the type of growth, and the area where you are gardening, this procedure might take up to three to four weeks.