Learning to dry weed is one of the most important steps in curing cannabis.

Let’s say you’re a genius when it comes to fostering the growth of cannabis plants, cloning weed, and yielding strong and tall weed crops. This is, of course, a super brag-worthy feat. However, your skills will prove to be worthless if you cannot effectively dry cannabis.

You may be wondering how this could be possible while fawning over your lush cannabis crops. Sadly, you stand to lose your weed plants if you cannot properly dry and store your harvest. Do not worry just yet. We’re going to teach you why and how you go about drying your cannabis crops.

Let’s start with why drying cannabis is so important.

How about we call it like it is? Drying weed is not just drying weed. It’s actually preventing mold. This is the number one reason that you need to make sure your cannabis crops are free of excess moisture.

You see, mold is a pesky and invasive creature that multiplies pretty quickly. For mold spores to flourish, all they require is dying organic matter, water, and air. The moment that we harvest weed, we are making it vulnerable to mold as it starts its decaying process. The sooner we dry cannabis, the sooner we create an environment that mold does not like to live in.

Drying weed also preserves many of its unique properties.

In addition to mold prevention, drying cannabis also preserves a few of its most notable attributes. For example, correctly drying and storing your cannabis crops actually helps to protect chemical compounds that give flavor and aroma to your weed plants.

Cannabis flowers contain compounds such as resin, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidoil (CBD). These compounds are mostly inactive when we harvest the cannabis plant. In order to prevent the degradation of these weed properties, following the proper methods to dry and store your weed plants is imperative.

Now that you understand why drying your cannabis plants is so important, let’s get to it!

If you feel that you understand the importance of drying cannabis, it is time to start the process.

Your very first step will be to harvest your cannabis.

As soon as you finish harvesting your plants, you need to trim your cannabis to prepare your weed for drying.

There are two different ways to trim weed plants.

It is most common to start by cutting off a weed branch. Next, clip off the large cannabis flowers from the stalk. Finally, you will trim the leaves from your weed bud.

Alternatively, if you are using a drying rack, you can trim your weed plants while they are hanging. After they are dry, carefully trim the leaves from the weed buds, followed by the flowers.

Store your cannabis buds in a dark, temperature controlled room.

Your newly trimmed weed buds will need to be stored in a temperature controlled, dark room. This room will need to remain between 60-70 degrees fahrenheit. You may need to include an air conditioner unit to prevent your room from becoming over heated.

Further to this, the moisture levels need to stay between 45-55%. To achieve proper moisture levels, you may need to use a dehumidifier. If your room contains an air conditioner, you may be able to get a humidity reading from your unit. Otherwise, you will need to purchase moisture detecting equipment.

Additionally, your cannabis drying room needs to be dark. This is to ensure that none of the compounds degrade due to exposure to sun. Taking extra precautions to check for sunlight pollution is imperative to the health of your harvest.

Wondering how long your cannabis needs to dry for?

Your cannabis will need to dry for 5-15 days. It is important to check on your cannabis every day to keep track of its progress. When entering your cannabis dark room, be sure to check the moisture levels of your plants, and carefully inspect for mold.

Remember, mold can cause you to lose your entire crop. It is important to fully examine your plant and check for signs. Mold can appear as a white, power-like substance. It can also carry green and blueish hues. Mold has a pungent scent and is pretty easy to identify. Unfortunately, if you find it on a stalk or flower, your cannabis plant must be discarded.

Palpate your weed buds to check for dryness. Remember to gently handle your cannabis plants with clean and dry hands. If your weed flowers feel slightly crispy and the branches will snap, your pot plant is dry and ready to go.

Your weed plants are dry and ready to cure.

Congratulations, your cannabis flowers are dry, and ready to cure! Curing your cannabis is another simple mold prevention step that is very important to preserve your buds.

All you’re going to do is place your weed in an air-tight container. This container can be made of plastic or glass, so long as it will not let any air in. We recommend leaving the cannabis to cure for 2-4 weeks for optimal flavor and potency. Each day, you will need to open your cannabis curing container to let out any moisture.

If your weed was submit to curing prior to being completely dry, it is possible that it will become contaminated. When you check on your bud to let out moisture, pay attention to the smell of your weed. If it starts to smell like ammonia, it is likely that bacteria is forming, and you’ll need to dispose of this cannabis bud.

There you have it, cannabuds. The golden rule of cannabis cultivation.

It isn’t so bad, is it? You now know how to properly dry cannabis plants. In addition, you’re able to effectively trim, store, and cure your cannabis for top-shelf weed. If you need any assistance with drying, storing, and curing your cannabis, hit us up on social media or in the comments below!