Along with the purchase and use of marijuana, growing marijuana yourself is now also legal in Canada. There are some restrictions- you must be of legal age in your province, and growing marijuana is still illegal in Quebec and Manitoba. However, everyone else can grow up to four active marijuana plants at a time and keep all of the weed they harvest. But before you get your weed, you’ll need to know about drying and curing marijuana buds.
Growing marijuana is a long process that involves taking your plants from seed to harvest. However, before you can enjoy your marijuana, it’s best to dry and cure it. Drying and curing occur after your marijuana buds have grown and you trim them from the plants. You need to dry them out to remove moisture, avoid mold, and get them ready to smoke. Curing adds to the potency and flavor of your buds.
If you don’t dry and cure your buds, you could end up with low-quality buds at best and damaged buds at worst. Fortunately, it’s not too hard to dry and cure your marijuana buds, and once you know what to do, you’ll end up with top-notch weed from every plant you grow. Here’s a helpful guide to drying and curing marijuana buds.
The Marijuana Growing Process
Naturally, you’ll need to know about growing before getting into drying and curing. Adults across Canada can now grow up to four active plants, although there are still certain laws around growing. Growing is still illegal in Quebec and Manitoba, but those in other parts of the country can grow marijuana at home as long as they’re 19 or over (18 in Alberta).
You can get cannabis seeds from a seed bank or some cannabis stores. Regular seeds will give you a mix of both male and female marijuana plants, but it’s the female plants you want as these are the ones that grow marijuana buds. As such, make sure you get feminized seeds instead of regular seeds. You can also get autoflowering feminized seeds that grow faster than normal feminized seeds.
You can grow marijuana plants either indoors or outdoors. If you choose to grow indoors, you’ll need to invest in some equipment that enables you to control the growing conditions including light, temperature, and humidity your plants get each day. Growing outdoors is easier as the weather will take care of the light and heat your plants get, but it can take longer. Keep your plants safe and out of public sight.
Growing can take around 3-6 months and depends on many factors, including the types of seeds you use, the types of strain you’re growing, and the conditions your plants get. For the healthiest plants, make sure you feed them with nutrient-enriched soil or nutrient-enriched water- marijuana plants need nutrients such as nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, and calcium.
These are the basics, although there’s much more that goes into growing weed and it’s best to read our guide about growing your own weed in Canada. Once your marijuana plants have grown and flowered, it’s time to start the drying and curing process. You’ll know your buds are ready to harvest when you see that the pistils (hairs) have darkened and the buds are covered in crystal-like trichomes.
Why Do You Need To Dry Marijuana Buds?
Once you harvest and trim your marijuana buds, you’ll need to dry them before use. Drying helps ensure that you end up with the best possible weed to smoke. Drying and curing your marijuana buds before use is important for numerous reasons.
For one, you won’t be able to smoke damp or wet marijuana buds. It’s important to get all of the moisture out of your weed before you use it. That’s why you’re going to need to give your buds some time to dry and cure properly before you start trying to smoke them.
Drying is also important for maintaining the quality of your weed. Moisture is one of the most damaging factors for marijuana buds. Not only does it cause your weed to degrade in quality faster, but it can also attract mold and mildew which will severely impact the quality of your weed and potentially even cause you to get sick.
While you can dry your marijuana without curing it, curing is also an important part of the process which improves the quality of your weed even more. It’s best to both dry and cure your weed to get the best out of your buds.
Why Do You Need To Cure Marijuana Buds?
After your marijuana buds have been thoroughly dried and are free of all moisture, it’s best to cure them. Curing involves placing your buds in airtight containers and storing them over time to improve their quality and potency. Although you can smoke your buds once they’re dry, curing is helpful for a few reasons.
Curing prolongs the life of your marijuana significantly. It ensures that you can store your weed away and maintain its freshness and potency for a much longer time. While you can use your weed without curing it, uncured weed will degrade in quality much faster and should be consumed as quickly as possible. When you have a large yield of weed, it’s best to take measures to cure it.
You can cure weed for anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months, but it’s usually best to cure your weed for around 2-4 weeks at least. Curing will make your marijuana more potent. It can also bring out more of the aroma and flavor of your weed. Much like wine, marijuana is at its best when it’s given some time to mature. As such, curing can result in some incredibly flavorful and potent weed which will maintain its quality for a long time.
What You Need To Dry And Cure Marijuana
To dry and cure marijuana, you’ll need a few pieces of important equipment for the best possible results. For a start, you’ll need a room or an area that’s cool or dry with plenty of airflow. This is where you’ll put your weed for the drying process.
There are a few different methods to dry your weed, but you’ll need somewhere to put your weed where it’s protected from dirt and debris. The best option is to invest in some drying racks which you can place your buds on. Another option is to hang your weed out on a line, although you’ll need to be careful they don’t fall.
Having the optimal humidity is important, so you may want to invest in a dehumidifier. This will help remove the moisture from the buds faster. It can also help to buy some humidity packs for when you cure your weed. These are packs that provide 2-way humidity control for your weed while it’s in storage containers.
Finally, it’s essential to have some high-quality, airtight storage containers. Mason jars can work well for this purpose- just make sure you thoroughly clean them and dry them out before you store your weed.
How To Dry Marijuana Buds
Once your plants are ready for harvest, it’s time to dry them. Drying usually takes around 7-10 days, although it can vary widely depending on the size of your buds and the condition of your growing area. It’s best to have a growing room that’s around 21°C (70°F) and has a humidity of around 45-55%. You may want to use a dehumidifier and a hygrometer to measure the humidity. Here’s how to dry your weed.
Step 1: When your plants are ready to harvest (you’ll know when they have darkened hairs and rich trichomes), then you’ll need to trim them first. Cut as many stems as possible till you’re left with just your marijuana buds. You may want to leave a bit of stem if you plan to hang them up. You should also cut away the leaves. Put your buds on a protective sheet or use a protective container before hanging them out to dry.
Step 2: Now, it’s time to dry your marijuana buds in your drying room or area (you can use a dry closet if you don’t have much space). It’s best to use dry racks- these make it easy to simply lay your buds out and leave them to dry. You can also hang them out on a makeshift washing line if you prefer. Keep your room at a temperature of around 21°C (70°F) and a humidity level of 45-55%.
Step 3: Give your buds around a week to two weeks to dry out. You may want to check on them from time to time. You’ll know they’re ready once the buds are dry, slightly pale, and the stems are brittle enough to snap off instead of bending when you touch them. Once your buds are dry to the touch, it’s time to carefully take them down and start curing them.
How To Cure Marijuana Buds
After the drying process, your marijuana buds are technically ready to smoke. However, curing your marijuana buds will ensure you get the most potent, flavorful weed possible. It’s best to allow at least 2-4 weeks for curing, although you may want to leave some for up to 6 months to allow it to mature for even higher quality weed.
Step 1: Once your buds are fully dried, apply some gloves then carefully remove them and place them into clean, dry, airtight containers. You may want to snip away any excess stems. Mason jars or other sealable glass containers work best for marijuana storage. Fill your containers until they’re almost full so that less oxygen can get in.
Step 2: After filling and sealing your containers, store the containers in a cool, dry place. It’s important to keep your containers away from direct light, heat, and moisture- these elements can damage the potency and quality of your buds.
Step 3: At the start of the curing process, return to your contains frequently and “burp” them by opening them to remove excess moisture and air. Smell your buds to ensure they smell fresh. If you smell dampness, mold or ammonia, then they’re not yet dry enough to cure and you’ll need to take them out for further drying.
Step 4: After a couple of weeks, you’ll need to burp your containers less often. Although 2-4 weeks is usually enough to cure your weed, you may want to cure your weed for even longer. Curing for a few months will result in you having incredibly potent and flavorful weed. Make sure you keep your weed well-stored in sealed containers in a cool, dry place and it’ll maintain its quality for a long time.
Where To Buy Marijuana
Growing marijuana is great fun for any weed lover. You can grow any strain you want and end up with huge yields. However, the whole growing, drying, and curing process can take a long time- you may be waiting months to finally enjoy the fruits of your labor.
The good news is that, whether you’re waiting for your weed to grow or want to forego the process altogether, you can buy weed online at any time for efficient home delivery. BudExpressNow.ca sells high-quality cannabis products that are available for delivery to every province and territory in Canada.
Whether you’re looking for high-quality strains of cured marijuana or want to try something different like concentrates, edibles or tinctures, there’s something available for everyone. Just order the products you’ll need and you can have them sent straight to your door safely and discreetly.
Conclusion
While growing marijuana is a lengthy process in itself, it’s best to dry and cure your marijuana buds after growing for the best possible results. Drying removes your weed of moisture and avoids the risk of damage from mold and mildew. Curing will make your weed even more potent, as well as bringing out more of the aroma and taste.
Drying and curing can be done within a few weeks, and once your buds are dry you can smoke them at any time. However, storing your weeds properly and curing them over time will result in even higher quality cannabis. You may want to set some aside for smoking and leave the rest of your stash to cure for a while.
