Important things to consider when Drying, Curing, and Storing marijuana

Cultivating marijuana is not restricted to solely planting and harvesting it. It consists of a detailed post-harvest process with various steps like drying, curing, and storage. To achieve the best results, hemp and marijuana cultivators or growers must have the right strategies and facilities in place before they set out to plant marijuana.

Let’s have a look into each of this step.

What is drying?

Drying is the process where a grower dries his freshly harvested buds to reduce their moisture content. Generally, the drying process takes anywhere between 7 to 12 days. This depends on various factors such as the size of the buds, the trimming style, also the humidity, temperature, and airflow of your drying space.

Here are a few reasons why drying is essential:

• The process of drying helps in increasing the quality of your buds and also increases their shelf life.

• It helps eliminate excess moisture and tones down the harshness of your marijuana while accentuating the terpene content, making it smokable.

• Drying protects your crop from any fungi as it lives and thrives in dark and moist spaces.

How to know when your bud is dry and ready to cure?

There’s a simple test you can conduct for this. Take a small branch of your harvest and try to bend it. If the branch breaks, it is dry and ready to be cured. In case they are still retaining any moisture, they will bend and need more time to dry.

What is curing?

Curing is the process where the buds are stored in closed containers to help them mature and develop their aroma and flavor. If you have trimmed your buds wet, then once they are dry, you can directly move to the curing process.

In case you wish to trim them later, you must do that before curing them. It is recommended to trim them when moist to get a better cut!

Here are a few reasons why curing is essential:

• Curing enables your weed to retain its unique flavor and maximizes its potency, making it enjoyable for the smoker.

• Harvested marijuana consists of excess sugar and starches that can make your crop attractive to airborne bacteria and enzymes, that can end up spoiling your crop. When you cure your weed, these nutrients get degraded and make the weed more flavorful for a smooth hit.

Here are the steps you need to follow to cure your harvest:

• When your buds are dry as well as trimmed, you can start the process of curing. Use tall and wide-mouthed mason jars for this purpose.

• But don’t make the mistake of filling the jar to the brim. Fill them only three quarters to leave space for some air. This process will reduce the risk of any mold ruining your harvest.

• Lastly, store these mason jars in a dark and dry space. A cupboard would be a good idea. But ensure you check your buds every day for about two weeks.

• When you check the jars, it would be best to keep the lid open to allow your weed access to fresh air. Inspect your buds for any signs of mold. If you see even a single infected bud, remove it from the jar immediately to avoid spreading the fungus and ruining the entire lot.

• Continue this process for about a fortnight, and at the end of it, you will have a fresh, dried, and cured harvest of weed that is ready for sale.

Besides the above steps, you need to plan how you will be drying and curing your marijuana. For that, there are many other criteria you must consider:

Here are some criteria growers should be careful about:

1. Arrangement of Space

If you are planting marijuana on a massive scale, ensure that you have enough space to dry, cure and store it post-harvest. Generally, the space required to cater to marijuana is almost double than one would expect initially.

This is also important because in case marijuana is not dried well enough, it can be impossible to cure it back. The process of drying can take up to 3 to 4 weeks. The amount of space that is required also depends on the method of drying that one uses.

2. The Climatic conditions

The climate is not just crucial to the planting of marijuana but also the drying process. For example, when you are drying marijuana in a damp region, you might need more space to eliminate any occurrence of mold. Similarly, in arid regions, whole-plant drying conditions will work better for a slow drying process. Improper climatic conditions can contaminate the entire harvest and lead to a significant crop loss.

3. Don’t skip the curing process

It is observed that the curing process, if done well, adds a value to the quality of marijuana. Many growers avoid the curing process because it can be labor-intensive, tedious, and lengthy. But it can be worth it when you consider the profit you get on that harvest due to the excellent quality of smokable marijuana. There is a huge risk of mold, bacteria, and over-exposure to sunlight without the curing process.

Growers need to consider that extensive planning is crucial to get the best product, and without planning, a plentiful harvest can become a non-quality product within no time.

4. Storage Criteria

Long-term storage preparation is essential for hemp, primarily because the supply has surpassed the demand for hemp-derived CBD. Another aspect of the storage issue is that proper marijuana storage must be used. Mylar bags can be used on the retail scale, but breathable bags and containers are best for growers. This is because biomass starts breaking down immediately once it is harvested.

If you take the above factors and tips into considerations during your cultivation process, you will be more productive and profitable with the cultivation of marijuana. Also, having the proper packaging, storage containers, growing and processing accessories plays a crucial role in marijuana cultivation. At MJ Wholesale, you can buy all of this in bulk at one go, at the best prices!