Drying and Curing: The 60/60 Method

Drying and curing decide more about final quality than the last month of growing. Slow is the whole game — chlorophyll and moisture need time to work out of the plant. THE DRY - Hang whole plants or branches in the dark at ~60°F (15–16°C) and ~60% RH — the "60/60" rule. - Gentle airflow in the room, but never a fan pointed at the buds. Drying the outside faster than the inside traps moisture and gives hay smell. - Target: 7–14 days. Small stems snap instead of bend — that's the ready signal, and it's usually when the outsides feel dry but the bud still has give. Too hot or too dry and you get the hay smell permanently. Too humid or no airflow and you get mold. Both ruin the same amount of work — the whole grow. TRIM TIMING Wet trim (before drying) dries faster — useful in humid climates. Dry trim (after) is slower and kinder to terpenes. Either works; be consistent so you can compare grows. THE CURE 1. Fill wide-mouth mason jars about 75% full — don't pack. 2. Seal and open ("burp") once or twice a day for the first week to exchange air. 3. Put a cheap hygrometer in a jar. If it reads over 65% RH, dump the buds out for a few hours and re-jar — that's mold territory. If it stays at 58–62%, the cure is dialed. 4. After week one, burp every few days. HOW LONG Two weeks of cure makes decent smoke good. Four to eight weeks is where it gets genuinely smooth — the difference is not subtle. Most people never cure long enough to find out. STORAGE Airtight glass, dark, cool. No plastic bags for long-term (they breathe and static-steal trichomes), no fridge, no freezer unless vacuum sealed for true long-term. Properly cured and stored, quality holds for a year-plus.