High! I've never heard that either, about having to "cure" it. We've been growing our own pot for about 25 years, and once the harvest, both the hanging big buds/coloes, and the smaller tray cuttings are dry, they're ready to store in Mason jars and smoke. Periodically we check the jars, to see if they're either too moist or too dry. If they're too moist, we leave the seal and ring off for a day or so; if it's too dry, we take a tiny piece of moistened paper towel, and stick it in the jar. Since we have almost NO HUMIDITY here, (you lay a piece of bread on the counter, and it's ready to be used as a crouton in about 10 minutes!), our "check" is usually for "too dry" inspection. And we've never had any complaints about its potency.
In years past, we've dried the harvest ("hangers" and "trays") on our covered back porch. In those days, especially if it was raining, we kept a small fan going to circulate the air, and help dry the pot. So never any mold on our stuff. Keep the room as dark as possible (1 time we lined the area with giant black plastic trash bags, that we slit open into 1 big piece, then stapled to the walls).
And remember, TRICHOMES = STONED MIND-AND-BODY. The MORE trichomes you see on your harvested plants, the MORE stoned you'll get. That's why, some of the strains we grow produce plants COVERED in trichomes, and not just on the "bud" area, but all over the leaves, and the branches, as well. Often, I'll toke on a blend of bud, and trichome-covered leaves -- I get blasted!
BTW, there are 2 main types of pot in terms of "what 'the stone' is good for" -- Indica strains produce a stone that's more "physical," which is why they're especially good for pain reduction; Sativa strains produce a stone that's more "mood-effecting," which is why it's especially good for depression (and autism!). A majority of medical dispensaries usually offer "blends," and/or have hybrids readily available, that incorporate some of the benefits of both types.
Altho my precscription is for "pain" (diabetic neuropathy), I PREFER Sativa strains, because once my "head" is in a better place, I scarcely notice the pain/tingling/itching in my feet! It's as tho I can "remove" myself from any physical discomfort, because my BRAIN is in such a good place.
And, of course, there are countless varieties of pot, with some putting you to sleep, others energizing you, still others making you contemplative and introspective. We grow from clones that we select AFTER reading the dispensary's catalog, which includes a picture of the mature plant, it's "taste," how long to grow it to maturity, it's approximate height at maturity, whether it's good for indoor or outdoor cultivation (some can be grown either place), whether it's Sativa, Indica, or a specific Hybrid, and, last, but not least, THE "TYPE" OF STONE. For us, because we're at such "high" elevation, we try to find Sativa clones that mature quickly, because we've had early snows over the years -- luckily, this year the weather was GREAT! Gotta get back to trimming... Stay High and Peace! Alison
High, Paisley
Sounds like your harvest went well. Wish (solely for the purpose of pot growing) sometimes that I had your climate. You can get about 75% more than I can and lots stronger. Here, we need to start clones in a greenhouse or indoors in about April and make sure they don't rot in the 94% humidity, then get them into a spot that doesn't get beaten to death by "offshore winds". I'm probably less than a mile from the beach. We also have to maximize sunlight hours by location and conceal them amongst the shrubbery and such or get ripped off, like two days b4 we're due to harvest. Then, at harvest time, we have to watch each plant like a hawk for mold, rot, and all things connected to humidity. Harvest is a good month before yours because it starts raining - that storm that you guys got gave us (a full day earlier and longer) twice as much rain, and it wasn't the first we have had. BUT, It doesn't appear that in this county a set amount is prescribed, which is nice. I guess if I needed, I could go to the "pot store" every day. Woooooooooooo, a little off topic there: My fave is a (mostly) indica, Pot of Gold. It soothes away your aches and stresses, and lets a person in pain sleep. It also tastes better than anything but Jack Harer.
Harvested the last plant and found a little brownish grey what looks to be mold. Live near Seattle and it has been wet. Had tarp over the last plant, but still had some problems. I cut out the bad looking stuff. Hope the rest is good. After it set out in the shed it looks okay. Don't want to smoke mold. Is that what I found and did I do it right?
The stuff I thought was moldy lookb better, more green today. Should I toss it? Will the good looking part I cut off be okay:?
High phrogkar! Yes, it sounds like mold, and yes, you CAN cut away the moldy parts of your plant, leaving the rest smokable. Since you've found mold on some of it, after you remove the moldy areas, keep a close eye out for further mold development, which can happen both while the plant is still growing, and after it's been harvested. You want your drying environment as arid as possible, which is why a small fan often works well, keeping the air circulating, and avoiding a "moist" (which in turn, leads to "moldy") atmosphere. And you should allow space between your drying buds, so they don't touch each other, whether they're hanging from a line, or spread out in a tray, as that can also lead to mold (too close of proximity while they're drying out) developing. Good luck! Stay High and Peace! Alison
Thank you Paisley,
The last plant is very wet. I live near Seattle and the climate here this time of year is wet wet wet. I know now that I have to watch the growing plants to avoid mold. I didn't know they would mold as they were growing. We can grow great mushrooms here too, hopefully not on my harvest.
The other plants dried beautifully.
Thanks to everyone who posted and provided for me on my very first grow.
Phrog, who seems to live in a very damp pond
Oh I forgot to say that I am using a fan and a small heater that is fighting the cold and kinda breaking even. The buds are hanging and spaced. I will be soon, not hanging, just spaced.
High yet again! Phrogkar, thanks for mentioning using a small heater, as well as a small fan, to keep everything as dry as possible. We used to employ a heater and a fan when we dried ours on our covered back porch. But we've since turned an inside bedroom into the "drying" room, so now we don't need either 1, because there's virtually no (or low) humidity inside the house.
Your area sounds similar to seagazer101's environment (she lives closer to the CA coast, in Humboldt County), so you might want to "pm" her on what folks do there to prevent and protect against mold. I'm so happy to hear you've been so successful this 1st time -- it really gives you a great feeling when you're getting stoned on your OWN pot! You say to yourself, "I'm really stoned right now! And I GREW it!" It's SO satisfying to "grow your own stone!" Stay High and Peace! Alison
