hello, just read ed's suggestions on the 1st pg., at the top.
i used to hang the whole plant but i found that the 'popcorn' buds were drying way earlier than the main cola, etc... i cut the plant apart and seperate the small ones so i can start curing them earlier than the big ones. i found that when i mixed my small and large buds together, the small ones were already too dry to cure. i leave the fan leaves on (personal preference), and slooooowly dry the buds. as soon as the big fan leaves start to dry up, clip them, then let the middle size leaves dry somewhat before taking those off. then when the buds are feeling dry to the touch and stems bend, i manicure the buds and put them in paper bags keeping the fan on them with the top of the bags open. only put 2 to 3 inches of buds per bag. i rotate the buds twice a day and give them lots of love before putting them in the mason jars. last year i messed up on some of the bigger buds. i put them in too soon and some of the buds turned moldy, i think it's called 'botryis' somekind of mold. anyway, i cured them for a month and i tell ya, the wait was well worth it. the taste, smell and amazing high still makes me happy. this year i'm cutting up my buds into more of the same size, i find that the big buds curing in the jars take forever and are more succeptable to mold. anyway, i learned almost everything from reading and asking questions on this website, so don't be afraid to ask the mod's and others for advice.
happy drying and curing,
boydee