Everything you did for four months can be undone in the ten days after harvest. A fast, hot dry gives harsh, grassy smoke whatever the plant was like; a slow dry in the right conditions and a proper cure is what turns a decent grow into a great one. It's also the cheapest part of the whole process — the equipment is a hygrometer and some jars.
Why it matters
Fresh buds are around 75% water, full of chlorophyll, and their terpenes evaporate at temperatures a warm room reaches. Drying slowly lets chlorophyll break down (that's the "green" taste going away) while keeping the terpenes; curing continues that process in a controlled way and evens out the moisture. Rush either step and you get harsh smoke, a hay smell, and a bud that burns badly.
Drying: 60/60 for 7–14 days
The target is 60 °F and 60% humidity, in the dark, with gentle air movement — the "60/60 rule". Cooler and slower is better than warmer and faster, within reason.
- Where: the grow tent itself is ideal once the plants are out — it's dark, the exhaust fan is already there, and the clip fan gives air movement. A closet or a cardboard box with a small fan works too.
- How: hang whole branches on a line or hangers, buds not touching. A drying rack (the mesh-shelf kind) works for trimmed buds but dries them faster; hanging with sugar leaves on is slower and better.
- Air: the fan should move the air in the space, not blow on the buds. Direct wind dries the outside fast and traps moisture inside.
- Light: dark. Light degrades THC.
- Time: 7–14 days. Warm, dry climates land at 7; cool ones at 14. Below 5 days means it was too warm or too dry.
When it's done: small stems snap rather than bend, and the outside of the bud feels dry but the inside still has some give. If the stems bend, wait. If the buds crumble, you've gone too far — a humidity pack in the jar will partly rescue it.
Watch for mould: every day or two, look and smell. Grey fuzz or an ammonia smell means that bud comes out and the space needs more air and less humidity. Above 65% RH for more than a couple of days is where it starts.
Curing: jars at 62% for 2–8 weeks
Once dry, trim the buds and put them in glass jars, filled about two-thirds to leave air space. Add a 62% humidity pack to each jar — the single most useful few dollars in the whole grow — and a small hygrometer in at least one jar.
- First week: "burp" the jars daily — open for 10–15 minutes to release moisture and bring in fresh air. If the buds feel damp or the jar reads above 65%, leave them open for an hour, or take them out for half a day. Sweating happens; mould comes from ignoring it.
- Weeks 2–4: burp every few days, then weekly. The smell shifts from hay and green to what the strain is supposed to be.
- Weeks 4–8: most of the improvement is done by four weeks; some strains keep getting better to eight. Beyond that, it's storage.
Target jar humidity: 58–62%. Below 55% the buds go crumbly and harsh; above 65% they risk mould.
Storage
Sealed glass jars with a 62% pack, in a cool dark cupboard, keep well for a year. Mason jars are fine; UV-blocking ones better. Never the fridge (humidity swings), never plastic bags (static strips trichomes, and they don't seal). Grinding before storage is a mistake — grind as you use it.
The mistakes
- Drying in a warm room. Above 70 °F the terpenes go. Cooler and slower, always.
- Fan blowing on the buds. Dry outside, wet inside, then mould in the jar.
- Jarring too early. Bendy stems mean too wet. A day longer drying is safer than a day less.
- Not burping. Week-one jars are the highest-risk moment in the entire grow.
- Skipping the humidity pack. For a few dollars it makes the cure nearly foolproof.
- Judging at two weeks. It's still improving. Give it four.
What to have
- A cheap hygrometer for the drying space, and small ones for the jars.
- Mason jars — quart size, wide mouth.
- 62% humidity packs, one per jar.
- Trimming scissors and a tray; for a bigger harvest, a drying rack.
- If your climate is far from 60/60: a small humidifier or dehumidifier for the drying space, or simply a smaller enclosed space you can control.
The one-line version
Hang it at 60 °F and 60% in the dark for a week or two until the stems snap, jar it with a 62% pack, burp daily for a week and then weekly, and don't judge it for a month. Cheap, slow, and the difference between good and great.
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