When growing marijuana, as long as you have the right growing environment, nutrient-rich soil, water, light, and good care for your plants, they will achieve maximum growth and shoot to incredible heights, translating to higher yields. The best part comes in harvesting your cannabis plants. You can’t wait to roll up your weed and smoke or reap the enormous profits of growing your cannabis. However, much is still left to do before you can enjoy all that. The harvesting, drying, and curing of your weed is vital as any other stage, and it requires you to follow the right procedure if you want to get quality weed.
When you buy weed seeds to grow, you always choose the right strain depending on the benefits you want to achieve. If you’re going to achieve these benefits, for instance, high levels of cannabinoids or THC, you have to harvest, dry, and cure your cannabis with expertise. For example, if you overexpose the harvested weed to light or air, it leads to a significant drop in the weed potency and flavor. The cannabis plant has trichomes that produce the psychoactive, therapeutic, intoxicating, or protective effect of the cannabis. They are most vulnerable during the harvest time. Again, without the right process of drying and curing, the weed can develop molds and fungus ruining is quality. Therefore you have to learn how to harvest properly, dry, and cure your weed if you want to get the best results. There are many online guides from Homegrown Cannabis Co, where you can research the best practices of growing weed. This guide will provide you with these essential insights.
Harvesting cannabis
The initial stage towards reaping the results of your cannabis plants is in the harvesting process. You have to know the right time for harvesting. Harvesting too early can reduce the cannabis potency and yields, and harvesting too late can cause the trichomes to become too brittle after drying and curing, making them break easily. So, harvesting at the opportune time is crucial to get the maximum yields and potency. The question is, how do you know when it is the right time to harvest?
While every cannabis strain requires a different duration to achieve maturity, the buds’ color determines the harvesting time. In the growing cycle of the plant, various color changes occur. These are the signs to look out for:
Colour changing of the fan leaves
During the flowering stage, cannabis plants need nutrients more and will most likely consume all the nitrogen available in the soil. As a result, the leaves may turn color into purple hues and eventually haylike yellow as it consumes all the available nitrogen. While this does not determine the harvesting period, it indicates its onset.
The look of the buds
The next sign you should observe is the shape, look, and texture of the buds as you wait for the harvest time. Check the bud’s pistils. If they are still white and overly fluffy, it is too early to harvest. When they start turning red or brown, it is an indication that you can begin harvesting.
The clarity of the trichome glands
Looking at the trichome gland clarity is the best way to determine the harvesting time. When they are milky white or amber, it is harvesting time. But if they are still clear, it is too early. The trichome color indicates how much resin is in the gland. If they are clear, not much resin has been produced, but the buds are already overripe if it turns amber.
Drying your weed
Drying your weed correctly is essential to preserve its color, potency, and vibrance. Cut the plant in large branches or at the base. Then, hang them upside down in lines in a room with a temperature of 21degrees Celcius and 50% humidity. Maintain that every day.
When the plants are completely dry, the stems will snap a bit when bent. Cut them into smaller pieces and place them in large tots and close tightly. In the following days, rotate or turn over the weed for even drying. Also, open the lid once daily to let in some air to prevent mold growth. The process takes around seven days. If you don’t dry your weed correctly, it loses flavor, can develop molds, and it burns unevenly.
Trimming
After drying, it’s time to trim the weed. Trimming is to cut off the excess sugar leaves that have a lower trichome than the flower. However, they are suitable for weed edibles and concentrates. Hold the branches by the stem, and carefully trim the sugary leaves and stems around them. Handle the bud with extreme care since any contact can cause damage or loss. There are two ways of trimming-wet trimming and dry trimming. Wet trimming usually happens immediately after harvest when the sugar leaves haven’t dried up and curled in on the buds. But, it may cause a grasslike aroma since it allows for more chlorophyll in the leaves. Dry trimming happens after drying the weed. It requires more time, care, and labor, but it is the best approach.
Curing your weed
Cure your weed by placing it in glass jars for about a month or more. In the first two weeks, you should open the jars every day to allow fresh air to sip in and encourage air circulation. During the last weeks, open them after every two to three days. Ensure you are careful with the curing process to ensure the weed gets enough air and moisture to maintain its smell and flavor. After a month or more, you can now roll up your weed and smoke.
Storage
You have to store your weed correctly to preserve its potency and chemical profile. Note that improper storage causes harsh smoke, CBD degradation, loss of trichome, and fungus development. Keep it in a cool dark place, avoid airbags n the storage container, and use dark jars instead of clear ones for storage.
The final thoughts
With this guide, you won’t have to practice trial and error methods while harvesting, drying, and curing your weed. It is worth being extra careful during the final stages to get the best quality of weed. That way, you will be motivated to grow more while honing your expertise at growing weed.