Most growers stop the cure too early. The buds smell decent, they’re dry, they burn cleanly enough — and after weeks of growing and two weeks of drying, the patience runs out. I understand it. But curing cannabis in Australia isn’t a formality you do before the real thing. It’s where the final 20–30% of the quality gets built, and cutting it short at two or three weeks leaves that quality on the table every time.
Jess covered the drying process in her complete drying guide. This picks up where that ends — what’s actually happening inside a sealed jar, why it matters, how to manage the process, and how long you actually need to go before the cure is doing everything it can for your harvest.
Curing at a Glance
| Target RH in jar | 58–65% RH |
| Temperature | 15–21°C — cool and stable |
| Light | Complete darkness |
| Container | Glass only — wide-mouth mason jars |
| Jar fill | 70–80% — leave air space |
| Burping — weeks 1–2 | Once or twice daily, 5–10 minutes |
| Burping — weeks 3–4 | Every 2–3 days |
| Burping — week 5+ | Once a week or seal long-term |
| Minimum cure | 4 weeks — absolute floor |
| Good cure | 6–8 weeks |
| Exceptional cure | 3–6 months for complex terpene profiles |
In this guide:
- What curing actually does
- Target temperature and humidity
- Equipment — jars, hygrometers, humidity packs
- How to burp curing jars
- How long to cure
- Which strains benefit most from extended curing
- Curing in Australian conditions
- How to store cannabis after curing
- Common curing mistakes
- Mould, ammonia, and fixing problems
- FAQ
What Does Curing Cannabis Actually Do — The Science Behind the Jar
Curing is a controlled, slow biological and chemical process. Understanding what’s actually happening helps explain why it can’t be rushed and why cutting it short consistently produces inferior results.
Chlorophyll breakdown continues
Freshly dried cannabis still contains residual chlorophyll — the compound that gives the harsh, green, grassy taste to under-cured material. During curing, enzymes continue breaking down chlorophyll in an anaerobic environment. This process takes time and can’t be accelerated. It’s the primary reason a two-week cure smokes harshly compared to a six-week cure from the same harvest — the chlorophyll hasn’t fully broken down.
Terpene development and preservation
This is the most significant quality factor in curing. The terpene profile of cannabis is not fully expressed at harvest — many terpenes continue developing through complex enzymatic processes in the first four to six weeks of cure. Monoterpenes (lighter, more volatile) are present early but can degrade if conditions aren’t right. Sesquiterpenes (heavier, more complex — the deeper earthy, spicy, and fuel notes) develop more slowly and require adequate curing time to reach their full expression. This is why a properly cured OG Kush or Godfather OG smells and tastes dramatically different at week six of cure compared to week two. The genetics haven’t changed — the cure completed what the grow started.
Moisture redistribution
After drying, moisture distribution within individual buds is uneven — the outer surface is drier than the interior. When buds go into sealed jars, that moisture redistributes gradually and evenly. This is why buds that feel crisp going into the jar feel slightly softer after the first day — the internal moisture has moved to the surface. This redistribution is part of the cure, not a sign that the dry was incomplete. Managing this with the correct RH range and regular burping is the core mechanical task of curing.
What curing doesn’t do — the potency myth
A common claim is that curing increases potency by converting THCA to THC. This is largely inaccurate. The THCA-to-THC decarboxylation reaction requires sustained heat — it’s what happens when you apply flame or vaporise cannabis, not what happens in a sealed jar at room temperature. The decarboxylation rate at 20°C over weeks is negligible. Curing improves the smoking and flavour experience significantly, but it doesn’t meaningfully change the cannabinoid content. The potency ceiling was set in the grow, not the jar.
Jason: I’ve had growers tell me their cure “increased the potency” of their harvest. What they’re experiencing is the improvement in flavour and smoke quality that comes from a proper cure — it’s a noticeably better experience than the same genetics under-cured. Whether the THC percentage changed is a different question, and the answer is: not meaningfully. The cure earns its reputation through what it does to terpenes and chlorophyll, not through cannabinoid chemistry.
What Temperature and Humidity Do You Need to Cure Cannabis?
Relative humidity — the most critical variable
The target RH inside the jar is 58–65%. This range supports the enzymatic processes driving chlorophyll breakdown and terpene development while keeping moisture levels low enough to prevent mould. Below 55% RH the cure effectively stalls — the enzymatic processes slow significantly and buds become too dry for further development. Above 70% RH mould risk becomes serious.
The 62% midpoint is where most experienced growers aim. Boveda and Integra both make two-way humidity control packs at 62% that actively add or remove moisture to maintain this level — they’re the most practical solution for maintaining consistent RH without constant monitoring, particularly in Australian conditions where ambient humidity can swing significantly between seasons.
Temperature
15–21°C is the target range. Cooler temperatures slow the enzymatic processes slightly but also reduce terpene degradation and minimise the risk of mould. In Australian summer, keeping jars in an air-conditioned room or a cool interior space is worth the effort — above 24°C the cure environment starts working against terpene preservation. I keep my curing jars in the same cool dark space I use for storage: a temperature-stable interior room away from external walls.
Light
Complete darkness throughout the cure. UV light degrades THC and terpenes at measurable rates — the same reason you keep seeds and finished product away from light. Store jars in a dark cupboard, drawer, or box. If you’re using clear glass jars in a lit space, wrap them or move them. Amber or UV-resistant glass is worth investing in if you’re curing long-term.
What Equipment Do You Need to Cure Cannabis?
Containers — glass only
Wide-mouth mason jars are the standard for good reason — they seal reliably, they’re inert (glass doesn’t off-gas anything into your cure), they’re reusable, and the wide mouth makes loading and burping practical. The size that works for most home growers is the 1 litre (quart) jar — large enough to hold a meaningful harvest quantity, small enough that you’re not opening a single large jar and disturbing the whole cure every time you check one batch.
Plastic containers are not suitable for long cures. Even food-grade plastic is slightly gas-permeable over time and can impart subtle flavour compounds into the cure. For a two-week cure the difference is minor; for a three-month cure it’s noticeable. Glass is not negotiable if you’re taking the cure seriously.
Hygrometers
A small digital hygrometer inside each jar tells you the actual RH your buds are sitting at — not the ambient room humidity, which is a different number. They’re available cheaply and are worth using, particularly in the first two weeks when RH is most variable and you’re making daily adjustments. Once you’re using humidity packs and the RH has stabilised, they become less critical — but they’re useful for confirming the pack is doing its job.
Humidity packs
Boveda 62% and Integra Boost 62% are the two main options. Both work on a two-way mechanism — they release moisture when the jar is too dry and absorb it when too humid. For most Australian growers they’re worth using from the start, particularly in the first two weeks when the residual moisture in buds is still moving around. Replace when the pack feels hard and rigid — it’s exhausted its capacity. One pack per litre jar is the standard ratio.
Jason: I’ve cured without humidity packs and I’ve cured with them. With packs the process is more consistent and requires less daily intervention — you’re confirming rather than adjusting. For a first cure or for anyone in a climate with variable humidity, they remove a significant variable. I use them for the first four weeks, then seal without them once the cure is stable.
How to Burp Cannabis Curing Jars — Schedule and Technique
Burping — opening the jars briefly to exchange the air — serves two purposes. It removes the CO2, ammonia, and other gases produced by the ongoing enzymatic processes inside the jar, and it allows moisture-laden air to escape and be replaced with fresh air. Without burping, gas buildup stalls the cure and excess moisture accumulates, raising mould risk.
Weeks 1–2: Daily burping
Open each jar once or twice daily for five to ten minutes. During this period the buds are still releasing significant moisture and the enzymatic activity is at its highest. Each time you open the jar, check the smell — the aroma tells you more than the hygrometer in these early days. Fresh cannabis developing its characteristic profile is correct. Ammonia smell means too much moisture and bacterial activity — leave the jar open longer and increase burping frequency. Hay smell means the dry was too fast and the cure can only partially recover the situation.
Weeks 3–4: Every two to three days
By week three the enzymatic activity has slowed and moisture levels have stabilised. Burping every two to three days is sufficient. The smell should be developing into the characteristic strain profile — the difference between week two and week four is usually significant for complex terpene profiles. Continue checking RH at each burp and adjusting humidity packs if needed.
Week 5 onward: Weekly or seal
Once the cure is well established — stable RH, full strain aroma developing, no signs of excess moisture — you can move to weekly burping or seal the jars for long-term storage with a humidity pack. At this stage the cure is doing its work slowly and doesn’t require daily intervention. Some growers continue weekly burping indefinitely; others seal and store. Both approaches work.
Jason: The smell during burping is information — use it. I’ve opened jars at week three that still had a faint hay note and known immediately they needed another three weeks minimum. I’ve opened others at week four that smelled fully characteristic of the strain and known the cure was where it needed to be. The nose is faster and more accurate than any timer. Let it guide the schedule rather than treating the calendar as the only indicator.
How Long Should You Cure Cannabis?
Four weeks is the absolute minimum for any strain before the cure is doing meaningful work. At two weeks, chlorophyll breakdown is incomplete and the terpene profile is not representative of the genetics. Smoking at two weeks and judging the strain is like eating bread dough and judging the bread.
Six to eight weeks is where most strains reach a quality plateau — the point at which the incremental improvement from additional curing time becomes less pronounced. For straightforward indica-dominant genetics with myrcene-dominant profiles, six weeks will usually produce excellent results. This is the range I’d recommend as the default target.
Three to six months is where complex terpene profiles — particularly OG-lineage genetics with their diesel, grape, and earthy sesquiterpene profiles — continue to develop noticeably. Godfather OG, Gorilla Glue #4, and the Cookies-lineage strains all benefit from extended cures. The difference between a six-week cure and a four-month cure on Godfather OG is not subtle. If you can set aside a portion of your harvest for extended curing, the genetics that will benefit most are the ones with complex, heavy terpene profiles.
There is a ceiling. Beyond six months most strains start to plateau or very slowly decline in terpene intensity as the more volatile compounds continue to degrade. For long-term preservation beyond six months, the focus shifts to storage conditions rather than continued cure development — cool, dark, stable humidity, minimal oxygen.
Jason: The hardest part of curing is accepting that the timeline is determined by the chemistry, not by your patience. I’ve opened jars at three weeks on a strain I know well and been genuinely surprised by how much further it had to go. The smell at three weeks and the smell at six weeks from the same jar are sometimes dramatically different. Trust the process and set a calendar reminder rather than relying on willpower.
Which Strains Benefit Most from Extended Curing?
Not all strains respond equally to an extended cure. The strains that develop most noticeably beyond the six-week standard are those with complex sesquiterpene-dominant profiles — the heavier, slower-developing compounds that produce diesel, earthy, grape, and spice characteristics. These require time that lighter, more volatile monoterpenes don’t.
Godfather OG — the earthy pine and grape character that defines this strain’s reputation is a sesquiterpene-driven profile. At four weeks it’s decent. At three months it’s recognisably Godfather OG. The cure makes more difference to the final flavour of this strain than almost any other in our range.
Gorilla Glue #4 — the diesel and chocolate notes in GG4 are complex and develop slowly. An eight-week cure versus a four-week cure from the same harvest is a noticeable difference in depth and flavour intensity.
Girl Scout Cookies — the baked goods, earthy spice, and mint profile of GSC is one of the most cure-responsive terpene profiles available. Jess won’t smoke it before four weeks and rates it best at six to eight. The cure is not optional with this strain.
Simpler profiles cure faster. Northern Lights, Purple Kush, and indica-dominant strains with straightforward myrcene-dominant profiles reach their plateau earlier — six weeks is usually where they’re fully expressing. Indica-dominant genetics generally don’t require the extended three to six month cures that OG and Cookies-lineage strains do.
Curing in Australian Conditions
Summer heat
Above 24°C the cure environment works against you — terpene degradation accelerates and mould risk increases. If you’re harvesting in late summer or early autumn and curing through the heat, find the coolest stable space available. Air conditioning is worth running for the cure if you have it. Avoid storing jars in sheds, garages, or any space that gets direct afternoon sun. Interior rooms, particularly those away from external walls, tend to be the most temperature-stable. A small cooler or insulated box in a cool room provides additional temperature buffering without refrigeration.
Coastal humidity
In high ambient humidity — coastal Queensland and NSW through summer — the moisture trying to enter your jars every time you burp is the main challenge. Keep burping brief in these conditions: five minutes maximum in humid weather, less if ambient RH is above 70%. Humidity packs become more important, not less, in high-humidity environments — they’re actively absorbing moisture that would otherwise push the jar RH above the safe range. Consider burping in the early morning when temperatures are lower and humidity is typically more manageable.
Dry inland conditions
In low-humidity inland areas, the risk runs the other direction — jars losing moisture too quickly during burping and buds drying out in the cure. Humidity packs at 62% provide the necessary buffer, actively releasing moisture to maintain the jar at target. Keep burping times brief and consider sealing with a pack earlier than you would in coastal conditions — once the initial high-activity period is past, the pack maintains the environment without daily intervention.
How to Store Cannabis After Curing
Once the cure is complete — typically six to eight weeks minimum — the goal shifts from active development to preservation. The enemies are the same as the enemies of stored seeds: heat, humidity, light, and oxygen. Sealed glass jars with a 58% humidity pack in a cool dark space will preserve properly cured cannabis for twelve months with minimal quality loss. Beyond twelve months, terpene intensity will gradually decline regardless of conditions — the cannabinoid content is more stable than the terpene profile over time.
For storage beyond twelve months, vacuum-sealing inside glass reduces oxidation and slows terpene degradation meaningfully. Freezing is viable for very long-term preservation — frozen with minimal moisture and oxygen, cannabis can remain stable for years — but the freeze-thaw cycle damages trichomes if repeated. Freeze once, thaw once. The seed storage guide covers the underlying principles in detail — the same variables of temperature, humidity, darkness, and oxygen apply to both.
Common Cannabis Curing Mistakes — and How to Avoid Them
Stopping too early. The most common mistake by a significant margin. Four weeks is the minimum — six to eight weeks is where the genetics express themselves properly. Impatience costs more quality than any other single factor in the post-harvest process.
Using plastic containers. Plastic is gas-permeable and imparts trace compounds into the cure over weeks. Glass is the correct container for any cure longer than two weeks.
Storing in light. UV light degrades THC and terpenes measurably. Dark storage throughout the cure is not optional.
Jarring too wet. Buds that didn’t pass the stem snap test before going in the jar will push RH well above 70% and create mould conditions within days. The dry has to be complete before the cure begins — the jar doesn’t finish what the dry didn’t.
Skipping burping entirely. Leaving jars completely sealed without burping allows gas buildup that stalls the cure and creates an environment that promotes anaerobic bacterial growth. The ammonia smell that results from this is the cure telling you it needs air exchange.
Over-burping in humid conditions. In coastal Australian summer, leaving jars open for 30+ minutes in 75% RH ambient air adds significant moisture to the cure. Keep burping brief in humid conditions and let humidity packs do the management work.
Curing Problems — Mould, Ammonia, and How to Fix Them
Ammonia smell in the jar
Ammonia smell means bacterial activity from excess moisture — the buds were either too wet going in or the jar accumulated too much humidity without adequate burping. Open the jar and check for visible mould. If no mould is present, leave the jar open for one to two hours to allow moisture to escape, then resume the cure with more frequent burping and a 62% humidity pack to stabilise. If the ammonia smell persists after airing out, inspect all buds closely — the bacteria producing that smell will degrade quality significantly if left unchecked.
Mould in the jar
Remove affected buds immediately and discard — mouldy material cannot be salvaged and the mould spores will spread to the rest of the jar if left. Inspect remaining buds under bright light, checking inside dense colas. If mould is isolated to one or two buds, the rest can potentially be saved — air out the jar, allow to dry slightly if RH was above 70%, and resume the cure with more frequent monitoring. If mould is widespread, the batch is compromised. The cause is almost always buds that were too wet going into the jar.
Buds too dry in the jar
If the hygrometer is reading below 55% RH and buds feel brittle, the cure has effectively stalled. Add a 62% humidity pack and seal the jar — the pack will slowly release moisture and bring the RH back into range. It takes 24–48 hours for the pack to do its work. Once RH stabilises at 58–62%, resume normal burping schedule. Terpene development that stalled during the dry period will resume once moisture is restored to the correct range.
Hay smell persisting into the cure
A persistent hay smell beyond week two of cure indicates the dry was too fast and terpenes were lost before the jar went on. The cure will help — chlorophyll will continue to break down and the smoke will smooth out — but the terpene profile that evaporated during a fast dry is gone permanently. A six to eight week cure is the best available recovery option, and it will produce a noticeably better result than giving up at three weeks. The genetics are still there; it’s the top layer of aromatics that was lost. Extend the cure and give the remaining terpenes time to develop as fully as possible.
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Cannabis Curing — Frequently Asked Questions
What is curing and why does it matter?
Curing is a controlled slow process that continues breaking down chlorophyll, develops the terpene profile, and redistributes moisture evenly through dried buds. It’s the difference between cannabis that smokes harshly and tastes green and cannabis that expresses the full flavour and smoothness the genetics are capable of. The cure can’t fix a bad grow, but it completes what a good grow started — and skipping it or rushing it leaves a significant portion of the potential quality unrealised.
How long should I cure cannabis?
Four weeks is the absolute minimum. Six to eight weeks is where most strains reach a quality plateau. Complex terpene profiles — OG-lineage genetics, Cookies-lineage, heavy diesel and earthy strains — benefit from three to six months of curing. The timeline is determined by the chemistry, not by patience. Set a calendar reminder and don’t open the jars to judge early.
What RH should my curing jars be at?
58–65% RH inside the jar. Below 55% the enzymatic processes stall and buds become too dry for further development. Above 70% mould risk becomes serious. The 62% midpoint is the practical target — Boveda and Integra humidity packs at 62% maintain this passively without constant monitoring.
Does curing increase potency?
Not in any meaningful sense. The conversion of THCA to THC through decarboxylation requires sustained heat — it doesn’t happen at room temperature in a sealed jar at rates that matter. What curing does is improve the flavour, aroma, and smoothness of the smoke significantly — which produces a noticeably better experience from the same cannabinoid content. The potency ceiling was set in the grow.
Can I cure in plastic containers?
Not recommended for anything beyond a week or two. Plastic is gas-permeable and can impart trace compounds into the cure over extended periods. Wide-mouth glass mason jars are the correct container. The investment is minimal and the difference over a six-week cure is real.
What does ammonia smell in the jar mean?
Bacterial activity from excess moisture. The buds went in too wet, or the jar accumulated humidity without adequate burping. Open and air out for one to two hours, check for mould, add a 62% humidity pack, and resume with more frequent burping. If the smell persists after airing, inspect all buds carefully.
How often should I burp curing jars?
Once or twice daily for the first two weeks, for five to ten minutes each time. Every two to three days in weeks three and four. Weekly from week five onward, or seal with a humidity pack for long-term storage. In high-humidity Australian conditions, keep burping times brief — five minutes maximum when ambient RH is above 65%.
Can I cure different strains in the same jar?
Technically yes, but there’s no good reason to. Different strains cure at slightly different rates and their terpene profiles will mix in the jar. Keep strains separate — label jars clearly with strain name and harvest date. Mixing makes it impossible to evaluate individual strain quality and harder to identify problems specific to one variety.
What’s the difference between 58% and 62% humidity packs?
The 58% pack targets the lower end of the acceptable cure range — better for strains prone to mould or for storage after the cure is complete. The 62% pack targets the midpoint of the cure range and is better for active curing where you want enzymatic processes running at full capacity. Most growers use 62% for curing and switch to 58% for long-term storage.
How do I know when the cure is finished?
The cure is never truly “finished” in the sense of a definitive endpoint — quality continues to develop slowly for months in well-stored cannabis. The practical answer is that after six to eight weeks, the incremental improvement from additional curing slows significantly for most strains. The aroma should be fully characteristic of the strain, the smoke should be smooth and clean, and the RH should be stable without daily intervention. At that point you can move to long-term storage conditions.
Related Reading
How to dry cannabis in Australia — Jess’s complete drying guide covering environment, methods, the stem snap test, and drying in Australian conditions. Read this before the cure.
Knowing when to harvest cannabis — trichome reading, regional timing, and harvest indicators. The step before the dry.
High-THC cannabis seeds in Australia — the OG-lineage and Cookies-lineage genetics that benefit most from extended curing, including Godfather OG, Gorilla Glue #4, and Girl Scout Cookies.
How to store cannabis seeds in Australia — the same principles of temperature, humidity, darkness, and oxygen control that govern long-term storage of cured cannabis.
Browse all cannabis seeds — over 50 feminised, autoflower, and photoperiod strains shipped from Australia.
Seeds are sold strictly as novelty collector’s items. They contain no THC or CBD. This page does not constitute medical or legal advice. By purchasing you agree to our terms and conditions. Always check local laws before germinating or cultivating cannabis.
