Bringing in the legal harvest in India

 

Larger amounts are cured in areas with more air circulation — an attic or basement or a dark room will do. A fan may be needed to increase circulation. Since all of the vegetation is contributing moisture to the air, ventilation is needed to remove it. Rooms that are too moist are conducive to mold. If mold appears, increase the heat in the room to 80 degrees, so that the air can absorb more water.

 

Whole plants can be hung upside down but it is much easier to hang branches cut in 1–2 foot lengths. These can be hung along lines, laid on trays or placed on shelves. It is easy to hang buds using clothespins or twist-ties.

 

 

Some growers don't mind a little more chlorophyll taste and would rather dry the buds quickly. If the space has low humidity and is warm, the plants will dry fast. One grower placed buds in a microwave oven for 30 seconds or more on high power so that some of the moisture was removed, then let them dry normally. He said it reduced drying time by 50%.

 

Microwaves kill seeds, so that buds containing desired seed should not be microwaved. Food dehydrators can come in handy, too. They never get very hot so little THC is destroyed, yet their warmth promotes quick drying. Some growers let the plants dry naturally for a few days and then finish them off in the food dryer.

 

If plants begin to mold, they should be dried immediately before the infection can spread. Mold is contained by keeping infected plants separated from others. This should always be done because of latent spores. Drying in an oven is not recommended. Getting the timing wrong or forgetting the buds for a few minutes can spell disaster. A vegetable dehydrator serves the purpose much better because it has relatively low maximum temperatures and will not burn the buds. While the plants are drying, the large leaves can be removed us- ing scissors, a knife, fingernails, or a clipper. It is harder and takes longer to manicure when the plants are wet. The best time to manicure is when the plants are near dry. When the plants are wet they are difficult to clip. When they are dry many of the glands fall off as the bud is handled. When the plants still have some moisture, the glands are more likely to stay attached to the plant. Manicuring is easier right after picking because the leaves are still turgid. Growers sometimes manicure while the plants are still standing. The plants are in a convenient position and there seems to be less chance of damage to the bud.

 

Buds which are too close can be pressed together when they are still wet. They will dry in the position they hold. Rolling them gently in between one's hands shapes them.

 

Plenty of light must be used manicuring the buds so that the grower can see clearly exactly what he is doing. A good overhead light as well as a table or floor lamp will do as long as it is bright. A directional light such as an office or typewriter lamp is ideal.

 

To manicure, the large sun leaves outside of the bud area are removed. The smaller multi-fingered leaves are removed next. The bud should now appear almost naked, except for some single fingered leaves sticking out from between the flowers. Rather than removing these leaves entirely, they are clipped down to the circumference of the flowers, so that the ends of the leaf do not stick out.

 

 

Close-up of buds

 

Once the bud has dried, it should be packed in an airtight, light-tight container. Buds which are packed moist are likely to mold. One grower left some moisture on the buds, packed them in food sealers, and then microwaved them to kill the mold. A bud should be left undisturbed until it is to be smoked. Every time it is moved, unpacked, or handled, some of the resin glands fall off. The glands can be seen cascading through the air whenever a bud is handled roughly.

 

Sun leaves are unsuitable for smoking except through a water- pipe. The leaves can be prepared for smoking by soaking them in water for several hours and then rinsing the leaves. The water dissolves many of the pigments and resins including much of the chlorophyll, but the THC remains on the leaves. The water is dumped and then the leaves are dried. They smoke much smoother than they did originally. They can also be used in cooking, in brewing or the THC they hold can be removed and concentrated.

 

The smaller leaves which were trimmed from the buds, including single finger leaves and trimming, are quite potent but they do not smoke that smoothly. Trim can also be smoked in a water- pipe or soaked in water.