Harvest & cure
The last ten days are where quality is made or lost — your job now is patience.
You’ve done the hard part; the plant did the growing. Get the chop, the dry and the cure right and you’ll have flower that’s genuinely worth the wait.
What good looks like
How the finish works
- Day 0
Read the trichomes
Check trichomes with a loupe, not pistils — harvest when most heads are cloudy with 10-20% turning amber.
- Day 0
Chop in the dark
Flush with plain water for the last 7-10 days, then cut at the base during or just after the dark period with clean, sharp shears.
- Day 0
Dry trim
Take off the big fan leaves but leave the sugar leaves on — they buffer humidity and protect the buds while they dry.
- Days 10-14
Slow dry
Hang in the dark at 18-20°C and 55-60% RH with gentle airflow until the stems snap, not bend.
- Wk 2-8
Cure & burp
Jar three-quarters full with a 62% pack, burp daily early on, and let the aroma develop — minimum two weeks, sweet spot four to eight.
- Ongoing
Store it right
Keep cured jars cool, dark and airtight in a cupboard and they hold peak quality for six to twelve months.
The numbers that matter
The numbers that matter
Do this
The harvest & cure checklist
- Buy a €10-15 loupe and check trichomes daily, not pistils.
- Run plain water for the last 7-10 days before you chop.
- Harvest during or just after the dark period.
- Dry trim — leave the sugar leaves on for the dry.
- Dry slow in the dark at 18-20°C and 55-60% RH for 10-14 days.
- Jar three-quarters full with a 62% humidity pack.
- Burp twice daily in week one, once daily in week two, then every few days.
- Store the finished jars cool, dark and airtight in a cupboard.
Watch for
Catch these early
The early sign, what it means, and the fix. The full stories are in the book.
Outside crispy in 2-3 days, inside still spongy.
Drying too fast or too hot — the outer layer sealed before the inner moisture could escape and the chlorophyll got trapped.
Fix: Pull the heat and airflow back to 18-20°C and 55-60% RH so the dry takes the full 10-14 days.
📖 Dave dried his first harvest in four days with the fan on full and ended up with hay in a jar. The full story →
Sharp, chemical or ammonia smell when you open the jar.
The buds went in too wet and anaerobic bacteria have started working — mould is next.
Fix: Get them out, air or re-hang them for 24 hours, then re-jar and burp on schedule.
📖 See how the cure goes wrong — and right — in the book. The full story →
White fuzz and a dusty, sour smell three weeks in.
Jars packed tight and never burped — too much moisture in a closed container, and the whole harvest is at risk.
Fix: Pack jars loosely to three-quarters, drop in a 62% pack, and burp daily through week one.
📖 Dave met The Jar Stuffer at the counter more than once. The full story →
Buds dry on top but musty where branches touched.
Branches hung too close together so air couldn’t reach the contact points and mould started there.
Fix: Leave a hand’s width between branches — dry in two batches if you have to.
📖 The quick-fire mistakes round in the book covers this one. The full story →
Questions
Harvest & cure FAQ
How do I actually know when it’s ready?
Look at the trichomes, not the pistils. A €10-15 jeweller’s loupe lets you see when the heads turn from clear to cloudy. Harvest when most are cloudy with maybe 10-20% turning amber — that’s the fullest expression of the strain.
Wet trim or dry trim?
For one or two plants in a small tent, dry trim. Leave the sugar leaves on while it dries — they act as a humidity buffer and slow the moisture loss, which keeps the terpenes and the flavour intact.
Can I dry it faster in the oven or with a fan?
No. Oven, dehydrator, microwave, hair dryer or a fan blowing on the buds all destroy in minutes what you spent months building. A proper dry takes 10-14 days of slow, even moisture loss.
Do I really need to cure it?
Yes. Curing is where good bud becomes great. Sealed in jars, the internal moisture redistributes, the chlorophyll keeps breaking down and the aroma develops. Minimum two weeks, sweet spot four to eight.
Why did my dry weight come out so low?
Fresh-cut buds are 75-80% water. A plant that weighs 400g wet gives you roughly 80-100g dry. That’s normal — let the wet weight set your expectations, not your hopes.
The whole story is in the book
The full trichome guide, drying setups for a small Irish house and the burping schedule are all in Grow Good Bud.
The web gives you the lesson; Grow Good Bud keeps the scars. The kit to grow it is at Dublin Indoor Gardening.