Curing, a myth perpetuated by bad growers

WestDenverPioneer said:

I hear it all the time from people showing me their flowers... "Oh, once its cured it will be fire!"
Nope. It has to be killer for it to end up killer.
I live in Colorado and I dry my flowers for maybe a week, if that. There's no point in waiting or curing. The results are top notch when its fresh or it will never be good.

I do not flush at the end. I do not perform any fancy cure.
People tell me that they can tell I flush my buds. Nope.
People tell me how good my cure is. Nope, no cure.
People tell me that my bud is smooth, that its been well cured. Yep, but nope.
Cut it. Dry it. Smoke it FRESH.

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Your right about the fact a cure won't make bad weed good. That is a fact. But there are chemical processes that take place when you properly cure.

If your bud is good, it would be even better flushed and cured. The argument isn't that curing makes the bud, it's that curing makes top shelf bud even better. If you don't jar up and cure your shit it won't burn evenly. If it's just hung and dried it will be drier on the outside than the inside - that's a fact. Curing evenly distributes the moisture through out the bud if nothing else, so it burns easily.

Squidbilly said:

If your bud is good, it would be even better flushed and cured. .

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When showing/sharing/exchanging with others here in Denver, people literally tell me "I can tell you flush your bud, this is so smooth".
Nope. No flush.
I run my girls strong to the finish. I don't starve them.

Maybe bud that has been flushed needs to be cured for long periods of time. Mine is ready as soon as it will catch fire and stay lit. The best, hardest-hitting head-rushing bud is the freshest bud. If it sits it becomes meh.

Timing is critical. Most people cut their plants early. You can harvest a green tomato and it will ripen on your counter. If you pick cannabis early it doesn't ripen, it decays. Rarely do I harvest an entire plant. What is ripe is ready to be cut, nothing else. All it needs is a simple hang-dry until its safe to put in a jar.

ttystikk said:

Trim wet levee it on shirt sticks and hang until it's spongy, maybe a day in a humid room.

Buck the buds off their sticks into a tub and close it up until they moisten up. Then, it's burp and close until they're ready. It never takes a while week start to finish, usually four or five days or so.

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So trim wet leaves fans and sugars, then place on alike cotton t shirt for a day in a humid room for 24 hrs theb take of t shirt and place in a big plastic tote people use for dwc. And burb for what a week few days and its good. You dint hang the plants or anything you literally chop plants trim it lay on shirt in humid area then into pladtic tote a day later

@WestDenverPioneer hahahahaha exactly. When you figured out you climate rh and how long it takes for you. Cure is not a thing any longer.

WestDenverPioneer said:

When showing/sharing/exchanging with others here in Denver, people literally tell me "I can tell you flush your bud, this is so smooth".
Nope. No flush.
I run my girls strong to the finish. I don't starve them.

Maybe bud that has been flushed needs to be cured for long periods of time. Mine is ready as soon as it will catch fire and stay lit. The best, hardest-hitting head-rushing bud is the freshest bud. If it sits it becomes meh.

Timing is critical. Most people cut their plants early. You can harvest a green tomato and it will ripen on your counter. If you pick cannabis early it doesn't ripen, it decays. Rarely do I harvest an entire plant. What is ripe is ready to be cut, nothing else. All it needs is a simple hang-dry until its safe to put in a jar.

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Hey...I'm on day 47 of my 12/12 experiment and I've been reading as much as I can regarding harvesting and damn there are so many conflicting opinions. I'm inclined to try and imitate what you described. Flushing seems so counter-intuitive to me...why starve the plant during the most crucial time...makes no sense to me.

At any rate, you indicated you feed strong right up to the end, dry and then jar. Any tips for me on the drying part? Many years ago was my last harvest and regarding the fan leaves, I've done it both ways...remove 1st or remove after the dry and removing them after is really a pain. Based on the weather, my projected conditions are going to be low 60's for temp and probably 30's for RH.

I have never came across a strain I didn't like even better after a soild 1 month cure - especially the dense kush strains

WestDenverPioneer said:

When showing/sharing/exchanging with others here in Denver, people literally tell me "I can tell you flush your bud, this is so smooth".
Nope. No flush.
I run my girls strong to the finish. I don't starve them.

Maybe bud that has been flushed needs to be cured for long periods of time. Mine is ready as soon as it will catch fire and stay lit. The best, hardest-hitting head-rushing bud is the freshest bud. If it sits it becomes meh.

Timing is critical. Most people cut their plants early. You can harvest a green tomato and it will ripen on your counter. If you pick cannabis early it doesn't ripen, it decays. Rarely do I harvest an entire plant. What is ripe is ready to be cut, nothing else. All it needs is a simple hang-dry until its safe to put in a jar.

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You have alot to learn grasshoper I hear what your saying, but you need to experiment. Your selling yourself short.

I've tried to flush, not flush, cure, not cure...

Bottom line is your product could be better....

and people who don't grow are dumb. Anyone who says they can tell a plant is flushed is dumb.

If you gave someone a sample of your shit that was flushed and cured, then gave them a sample that wasn't they would tell the difference. Bottom line.

I get it, you grow good bud. Now, learn from the people who have been doing this for a long time. I don't know many veterans who don't recommend a flush and cure.

Growers get greedy and want to move and share their product ASAP and settle for how good it is.

What a shame so many growers are impatient.

I have a cut a Jack that you could pick lower buds off of, lights on, in week 6 of flower that blows the average smoker away...

I would put my jack herer unflushed, premature, and not cured against ANY bud ANY day.

Doesn't mean I'm satisfied with that and I'm gonna chop it early, not flush it, or not cure it feel me?

After a 3 month cure it's the best weed I've ever had. That's subjective of course, but you know what I mean.

Hot Diggity Sog said:

Hey...I'm on day 47 of my 12/12 experiment and I've been reading as much as I can regarding harvesting and damn there are so many conflicting opinions. I'm inclined to try and imitate what you described. Flushing seems so counter-intuitive to me...why starve the plant during the most crucial time...makes no sense to me.

At any rate, you indicated you feed strong right up to the end, dry and then jar. Any tips for me on the drying part? Many years ago was my last harvest and regarding the fan leaves, I've done it both ways...remove 1st or remove after the dry and removing them after is really a pain. Based on the weather, my projected conditions are going to be low 60's for temp and probably 30's for RH.

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I don't know why people are starving plants, by the time I start my flush my buds are swollen to the max. Im waiting for trichs to ripen and see more amber during my flush. I think people harvest way too early, so they start their flush way to early.

Plants are suppose to get yellow before you chop...look out your window and look at the trees...they are changing colors and leafs are falling off - that's what cannabis is suppose to do! It's not naturally suppose to stay green until harvest.

Too much N is bad in flower, keeping your shiz green, especially during the last couple weeks is lowering your overall THC levels. Too much N in flower lowers THC levels - google it.

Seeing leaves turn yellow, purple, or even get crispy and start to fall off during the last few weeks is totoally normal and the sign of plant that is naturally finishing it's life cycle.

A plant that is green at harvest has been artificially pumped with fertilizer, and IMO feed too much. If your shiz is green and your not flushing...oh boy

I feel like the people who argue against these practices haven't tried to flush to and cure their product and are just satisfied with what they have...

If you have a good cut/pheno of something you would have to thow shit on it for it to suck, seriously. I think these people just have amazing cuts and phenos - which can make anyone look like a good grower

Squidbilly said:

Plants are suppose to get yellow before you chop...look out your window and look at the trees...they are changing colors and leafs are falling off - that's what cannabis is suppose to do! It's not naturally suppose to stay green until harvest.

Too much N is bad in flower, keeping your shiz green, especially during the last couple weeks is lowering your overall THC levels. Too much N in flower lowers THC levels - google it.

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I hope to start seeing some yellowing with mine. They are still super green. I'm trying to not overthink my feeding regiment and hope they will start yellowing on their own without me lowering the N but I will start lowering N if I have to.

Hot Diggity Sog said:

I hope to start seeing some yellowing with mine. They are still super green. I'm trying to not overthink my feeding regiment and hope they will start yellowing on their own without me lowering the N but I will start lowering N if I have to.

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I almost eliminate N completely after week 4-6. They get minimal N from my super low dose of base nute(approx 200ppm) and the other 400-600ppm is P and K(the product I use is liquid koolbloom which is 0-10-10) until I start flushing.

This is just what I do, and it works really well for me.

Also, I think a lot of people just chop too early, so they start their flush too early. Your buds should be almost completely done before you start the flush, there should be minimal growth during this period. Your just trying to leech the excess salts from your medium so you plant and start to use it's reserves - it signals to the plant it's the end of the season and they don't have much time left. I'm checking trichs during this entire process, as I like at least 25% amber.

A flush also brings out ALL SORTS of color that I (and espeically other people) love.

I also tell people to experiment. I've reached these conclusions over years of trial and error with more strains than I can remember.

My conclusion is a flush and cure always improves the product

But, at the end of the day it's about the hobby and the enjoyment it brings us, so i say....

DO WHA EVA the FUDGE YOU WaNNA DO! Just keep having fun RIU

Plants use WAY LESS nutrietns during their last couple of weeks. Again people chop early and think they swell in the last couple of weeks. I don't start seeing a decent amount of amber until after the buds are done swelling for the most part. This has been my experience anyway.

Squidbilly said:

Plants use WAY LESS nutrietns during their last couple of weeks. Again people chop early and think they swell in the last couple of weeks. I don't start seeing a decent amount of amber until after the buds are done swelling for the most part. This has been my experience anyway.

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Being on day 47, should I start reducing now? I've been running @50% strength of my nute line since day 21. If so, should I reduce evenly or try and reduce the N high parts a little bit more aggressively?

Hot Diggity Sog said:

Being on day 47, should I start reducing now? I've been running @50% strength of my nute line since day 21. If so, should I reduce evenly or try and reduce the N high parts a little bit more aggressively?

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I'm not touching that with a ten foot pole. I would say keep doing what your doing, lol.

If your feeding a normal dose of bloom nutrient, that is fine it already has reduced N in it. I would avoid anything with extra N in it though.

You can pump it full of nutes untill your almost finished, then give it just water for the last few weeks. This is what I am calling a flush BTW.

I don't run 3x the amount of water through the medium, I just start giving my plants plain water two weeks out. They slowly use up what in the medium and themselves and by the time I chop I am seeing all sorts of colors.

I understand. My medium is not going to behave like most others due to the extreme small size of my containers (presumably). I was already planning on reducing the Grow and Micro parts of my feed since they are the highest in N. I guess I'm just gunna have to wing it and use my instincts and watch the girls like a hawk.

ALL of my posts are just my opinions and what has worked well for me. Everyone else's milage may varry, I'm just sharing what has given me the best results over the years.

Squidbilly said:

ALL of my posts are just my opinions and what has worked well for me. Everyone else's milage may varry, I'm just sharing what has given me the best results over the years.

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I understand and that's why I'm asking. I appreciate your input.

Lets all be clear about something else...

If you hang, then store in a jar...your curing your bud. If you hang and don't put in a jar or other container, your bud won't be evenly dry through out.

AND for all who say they don't cure and like fresh...I guess your product getts worse each consecutive month? Mine always gets better over time, up until about 6months to year, then it will slowly degrade IMO.

I also like to ask the old timers who have been growing longer than I've been alive what THEY do...

Years and years and years of anecdotal evidence of the effectiveness/positive impact curing has should tell you something.

I was young, dumb, and thought I knew better than the old timers once too...

When I want to learn how to do something proper, I try to imitate the professionals. I think you would be hard pressed to find professional growers or connesiours who say it's BS.