Ok, so i have a good crop almost ready to be harvested, but i'm stuck on how to dry and cure it. One of my buddies was going to dry it at his house, but he's going back to college before the buds are going to be done. So my options are pretty limited. Would it be horrible if I hung them up in plastic containers and put them outside, but in the shade (in a dog house)? Or is it absolutely neccesary to hang them indoors? Also, I have a spot where I can put glass jars full of bud, where i'm going to cure... so my question is how bad would it be to just go straight to curing? I read somewhere that you can break the stem but leave it growing, so it dies slowly and begins drying or something. Is it possible to do that, then go right to curing? Lastly, I just want to confirm that drying will smell... a lot. I'm assuming it will be a little less than the plant, but still bad. Stupid question I know. Thanks for your help!
yes it gunna smell good,can u hang the in ur dpghouse in papper bags ? leave the bottom open.they must b dry to cure or u will get bad mold fast
The doghouse hasn't been used in years, and it's full of spiders and stuff so I don't really want to put it in open bags. Could i put it in plastic containers that I either open periodically or cut holes into? There like big plastic boxes.
Hey Salsa... I just went through a harvest myself, and I'll try to answer your questions the best I can. First off, if you try to dry them in a plastic container, it completely defeats the whole purpose. You need the moisture from within the plants to dry out. If you keep them in an enclosed container - there is no where for thair moisture to go, and your bud will mold, quickly. Secondly, Yes - your buds are going to reak like the high heavens. --- Is it neccesary to dry indoors? No. --- Why is indoors better? Conditions. You want a cool darker area with good air ventilation, and if you have one - a dehumidifier, to pull the moisture out of the air. Thirdly. Your only halfway through your grow my friend. A lot of how good your grow is in the end, has to do with what you do with the bud afterwards. -- Skipping the drying process will inevitably downgrade your marijuana. The drying and curing process must be done.
Oh, I know I can't skip the process alltogether, i'm just looking for non quick-drying alternatives to just hanging them. I was especially interested with the breaking the stem partially and let it die while still attached to the plant idea... even if it only decreases time the bud needs to hang. Also I planned on cutting wholes in the plastic container. It was for ease of hanging it up in the box then moving it to the dog house, so I wouldn't be crawling around inside hanging them up. I know you can't have them in a sealed container until the stems snap. On your note about outdoor drying... I plan on curing this but for however long necessary (2 months or more is fine). With that said, will the quality of my bud be much lower if I hung the bud up from trees outside? I'm kind of hoping any negative effects of this can be negated by a good long cure. Maybe a combo of snapping the stems, and then drying them for a few days outside? I know this isn't ideal but I'm just asking for alternatives that will yield a good crop, even if the potential isn't reached. This is my first grow, and thanks for all your help!
You could put them in brown paper bags. Make a layer of flowers then a layer of shredded newspaper then a layer of more flowers etc. Then when they are dry you can cure them. You can also place the brown paper bags anywhere.
if you go straight to curing your plants will taste like actual grass if they don't mold. I may have missed this, but is there a reason you can't dry them in the room you are growing in? all it takes is some string lol
dude just go get some clean cardboard boxes, put your wet stuff in the box. put in a safe spot... come back in two weeks and enjoy!!
yea.. dont skip the process, and i did what pot belly is telling you. i got a box, disguised it, and tied a string inside. had a hole on the side where i could reach in and hung it. easy. and i wouldnt do it outside.. too nasty and humid lately. and the dog house would get hot as well, unless you live in colder environment. you want it to be dry and cold when you dry (aka house temp). and the smell wont be as bad as the plant. it actually wouldnt smell much outside of the box. good luck man. if you need help.. after all these answers, just go look at the tagged stuff on the forum. those threads are there for a reason, should go check it out. take their advice and be creative and turn it into your own ideas and techniques. good luck.
I'm growing outdoors, and I have no room for enough boxes. I could probably do the paper bag method if that works well. What I still want to know is if anybody has experience with partially breaking the stem to allow the plant to begin drying while still in it's pot. I know I can't skip drying the bud. Thanks.
first hand experience is the best way to learn my friend. if you like the paper bag method, try it. and who told you about the breaking stem thing? that sounds like a bad idea. just dry it normally and itll only take a week. no point in having dried bud on your plant if it aint doing anything right? and like the guy said above. you cant yield good crop. it all depends on how you handle your crop afterwards. i say. just stick to the original methods that are 100% guaranteed and you'll have good shit. dont do any weird stuff.
Not sure how much standard botany transfers to cannabis but if you took a razor blade scored around the base of the plant and then about an inch above then peeled the skin off you should remove the phloem and essentially cut off water to the plant. But maybe that only works for trees you'll have to look it up.
in this summer sun, heat, and drought conditions in most areas... the plants will scorch. just use some paper bags... heck ive let plants dry in a 5 gallon bucket with no top on it... becasue i forgot about them in my workshop... they dried and smoked just fine 2 months later when i found them (what a find that was!!)...
First of all... wow thats awesome lol. i found an eighth once but that's way better lol. So my last question... do you guys think hanging outdoors is worse than the bag method? I can do either of those methods fine and I just want the best result, obviously. Should I hang it to dry outside for a few days, then bag them? I've been reading that you need to dry the bud a bit before the bag stage. Thanks.
It's easier to control the environment in your house or closet than outside. I prefer to keep as much as I can in the house. Just my opinion.