This is the time when the bulk of the final, "usable" part of the plant is produced. As you may well already know, there are over four hundred separate chemicals associated with cannabis and her effects. It is during the final bud-building stage that most of these chemicals are produced. Thus, it is very important to give the plant as much pure water as possible during this crucial period. I like to remember it as the "rinse" and "flush" cycle. Simply remember to give the plants only water for the last two to three weeks in order to rinse and flush them clean. This is to purge unwanted impurities from the plant.

Pot that has been fertilized right up to harvest is harsh to smoke, sometimes the joint will even sizzle and pop as unmetabolized fertilizer salts combust. Unflushed pot leaves black ash, is hard to keep lit and burns your throat. Pot which has been organically grown and properly flushed is more flavorful and fragrant, burns easily, leaves grey ash, is easier on the throat and is much more pleasurable to smoke.

Drying Marijuana

Drying marijuana buds generally takes from 2- 6 weeks and curing marijuana can take 2 weeks up to 2 or more months. Drying time also depends on where you live and the place you dry them. Places in a desert would dry them faster, and tropical places would take longer

The first step after harvesting your marijuana buds is the drying process. This can be performed by taking the branches and hanging them up side down so the fan leaves droop and cover the buds. During this step you need to put the branches in a cool dark place (not humid) with enough ventilation. It is good idea to check up on the buds every day to watch for signs of mold and mildew and correct the problem if it happens. After the fan leaves droop down over the flowers and turn crisp or break off easily, you would want to start trimming off the fan leaves only. Even a better way to take off the leaves is to do it before drying the marijuana buds because it it will be much harder to cut off the fan leaves after the buds have dried. So, I recommend you to cut them off before you hang the marijuana branches upside down.

The deal with this method is to dry it slowly but not to fast. If you dry your buds too fast it will make your buds smell like pine needles, hay, or taste bad. Drying the buds too slow in this first step is not a good idea ether because of mold and mildew will attack them. It's very important there's enough air circulation in the room so you can't do it without an electric driven fan.

After the fan leaves are trimmed you want to hang it up to dry again because the marijuana buds will still be moist or wet. They should still have the little inner leaves so they can droop and cover the buds . Hang the branches again in a cool dark place with proper ventilation until the little leaves and bud tips turn crisp when you touch them. It is then time to remove the buds from the branch and remove the rest of the leaf material as best as possible. This is what is referred to as "manicuring" of marijuana buds. But as said before it's better if you do this before you hang them to dry.

At this point the buds should be a little moist, including the inside of them. Some can be smokable at this point, but if you wait till the next 2 processes you can get even better smelling and tasting buds.

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Bagging the Marijuana Buds

After the marijuana buds are trimmed (and a little moist still) you would want to dry them some more in the paper bag step. The best choice would be the brown shopping bags found at a supermarkets, because they are not bleached (the stuff you don't want in your buds) This is another tricky step. Put the trimmed marijuana buds in the brown bag loosely and its best not to fill it more than 3-4 inches from the bottom. It is not necessary at this time to close the bag ( still need to prevent mildew and mold) When the buds are in the bag you would want to check every day to rotate the buds in the bag so they dry evenly. This can be achieved by shifting positions of the marijuana buds, turning them ever so often, or shaking the bag. As the buds dry they will naturally compact into the self-preserving state that is mostly desired . At this time that the buds can be more compacted together and the bag can be folded close. They should now be fully smokable, though perhaps still ! slightly moist in the middle. A big reminder that every climate differs and may take more or less time. There is nothing better than repeated, hands-on checking to prevent damage to the marijuana buds from mold and mildew.

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Curing the Marijuana Buds

The last step is to create a way to bring out the full flavor and best smoke from the marijuana buds. This can be done by using an air tight jar or similar. Put the dried buds into the jar loosely (do not compact them) and cover them. It is very important in the early jar-stage to check the buds at least once a day to replace the air, take them out(this helps dry evenly) and put them back in a different order. This should be done for 7 to10 days then it can be done lest often. After 7 days all you need to do is open the jar and check the buds on a daily basis for mold and mildew. If mold and mildew is found in this step. Take the buds with mold or mildew out of the batch (throw away) and put the rest back in a brown bag for a few more days then the jar step can be repeated. This step can take from 2 weeks to 2 months depending on how you want you buds to develop its distinctive characteristics. The longer the better.

A bud is completely dry, cured, and ready for consumption when the stem in the middle of the bud snaps easily with the fingers. The snap is easy to detect with practice. The marijuana buds now can be sealed and stored for a really long period of time.

Enjoy!
Cedar_Tree