# Buds won't compact



## Xaraph (Sep 29, 2009)

I've been fretting over my first harvest like a first time mother.  It's giving me a twitch and my co-workers are starting to get nervous whenever they see me.

I'm at the curing stage in the dry/cure process.  Or at least I thought I was.  Here's the details:

Two Dutch Passion Tundra's outdoor harvest
Two Nirvana Early Misty's indoor harvest

Both have been cut, manicured hung for ten days, and brown bagged for three days.  Then I put them into plastic freezer zip bags. At this point I realized the buds haven't tightened up much at all.  The stems snap in the middle, but they still look like pretty loose flowers.  The stigmas are still sticking out everywhere and the buds don't look anything like what I would buy.

I sampled a bud and it smoked fine.  Am I worrying over nothing?  Does it tighten up during the curing process, or should it already be tight?

Thanks for the help.


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## meds4me (Sep 29, 2009)

Tightening of the buds happen during the growth period. Most of us ? use some sort of carb builder to get denser nugs. Molasses is good for soil. 
Otherwise : ENJOY the harvest ~


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## Growdude (Sep 29, 2009)

Curing wont make them tighter, generally loose buds are from lack of light or high temps.


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## The Hemp Goddess (Sep 29, 2009)

Also, some strains just have less dense buds than others.  I would recommend storing cured bud in glass jars rather than zip lock bags.


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## Droopy Dog (Sep 30, 2009)

The Hemp Goddess said:
			
		

> Also, some strains just have less dense buds than others.  I would recommend storing cured bud in glass jars rather than zip lock bags.



+1 on the glass jars over the zip locks.

I use the wide mouth qt mason jars.  Not cheap, but I also can stuff.

DD


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## Growdude (Sep 30, 2009)

Droopy Dog said:
			
		

> +1 on the glass jars over the zip locks.
> 
> I use the wide mouth qt mason jars.  Not cheap, but I also can stuff.
> 
> DD



Here the place for jars for the bigger harvests.
hxxp://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=27


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## 2Dog (Sep 30, 2009)

I buy mine at yardsales....some are huge and have the hinged lids with the sealable rubber.. .50 cant beat that...


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## Xaraph (Sep 30, 2009)

Thanks guys.  I'll get some mason jars tonight and get things going.


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## tcbud (Sep 30, 2009)

the loose buds............
I grow outdoor too.  And get this loose bud thing on some plants.  I totally understand you wouldnt be happy buying it.  You can, while still semi wet/dry, roll the bud between a sheet of waxpaper, kinda like you would roll a J.  It *will* affect potency as the trichs will be left on the paper.  This is a trick I learned from a comercial grower.  I smoke my own, and dont care if the bud is airy.  I was goofing around with some of the buds the other day while trimming and took these pics.

Another way you can tighten up the buds is...
take them before the stems get crispy and put them in a brown paper bag, lay them nice and straight, then roll the bag down, place something on top of it that is heavy.  The buds will look flat, but hard.  You have to be careful that they get some air tho.  When done like that, it reminds me of old Mexican Kilo's, all flat hard buds.

Good luck to you.


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