Don’t Ruin the Final Stretch: How to Preserve the Full Potential of Your Cannabis Flowers After Harvest

deamspam
Jul 30
3 min read

In cannabis cultivation, every phase matters — but not all phases weigh the same. During veg, you can sometimes recover from mistakes. But once flowering begins, any slip can be decisive. And in the final days of your plant’s life, one misstep can cost you everything.

This blog focuses on that final stretch, when your entire grow is either crowned with success — or compromised forever.

A Plant Isn’t Just a Cycle — It’s a Trajectory

If you’ve done everything right — killer genetics, perfect irrigation strategy, precise VPD, a clean environment, solid equipment, and consistent passion — you’re on the path to crafting elite-quality cannabis.

But this potential can vanish if you botch the last phase.

This is where you go from a good harvest… to a legendary one.

Taper Nutrients — But Do It Right

A common mistake is flushing with only plain water. Wrong.

That sudden shift shocks the plant and weakens its immune system, making it vulnerable to issues like botrytis.

At Botafarm, we cut nutrients in phases:

In the last week: 50% of the usual feed
In the final days: 25–30%

Irrigation becomes less frequent, and drybacks are more pronounced in the last week of flower.

But temperature should have already begun to drop back around week 4 or 5, as soon as the first trichomes appear — depending on the strain — to preserve terpenes, which are extremely volatile.

Let the Plant Die on Its Feet

After tapering nutrients, we cut irrigation entirely.

The plant finishes its life on the stem — standing tall, stress-free.

You may remove a few large leaves with thick petioles, but never touch the buds.

At Botafarm, we have one rule: the only hands allowed to touch our buds are the customers’.

Harvest and Drying: Calm, Cold, and Dark

Plants are harvested gently, branch by branch or whole.

They’re then hung in a dark room at 18 °C or lower, with 55–60% humidity.

If you can drop temps to 15 °C or less, even better for preserving terps.

Drying usually takes around 15 days, depending on volume and airflow.

When the small stems snap cleanly instead of bending, it’s time to trim.

Trimming: Sacred Territory

Trimming at Botafarm is sacred. Period.

No machine trimming — ever.
Finger hash = fired immediately
Clean your clippers every 15 minutes, because resin attracts resin and buildup ruins precision.

Hold buds by the stem, never by the flower.

Place them gently in trays — no squeezing, no tossing.

Curing: The Art of Finishing

Once trimmed, buds are sealed in airtight containers, stored cool and in total darkness.

For 15 days, they’re “burped” daily for 15 minutes to allow core moisture to migrate outward — and exit during those openings.

No shaking. No stirring.

Absolute stillness.

Storage: Protect What You’ve Created

After curing, it’s time to lock it all down:

🎯 Ideal storage:

Oxygen removed
Consistent cool temperature (10–15 °C)
Total darkness
Minimal handling

How to Dose Oxygen Absorbers

We use oxygen absorbers, not Boveda-style humidity packs.

Air contains 21% oxygen.

For example:

A 50 L container = 50,000 cc
→ 21% O₂ = approx. 10,500 cc to absorb

🧠 Simple formula:

Volume in liters × 0.21 = cc of oxygen to absorb

Examples:

20 L → 20 × 0.21 = 4,200 cc → use a 5,000 cc absorber
50 L → 50 × 0.21 = 10,500 cc → use two 5,000 cc or one 10,000 cc

Better to overshoot than undershoot.

Real-World Tips

Store in small containers so you don’t open the entire stash every time you dip in.
Avoid touching the buds — every contact damages the trichomes.
Cool and dark always — it’s not optional.

Botafarm: It’s More Than Just Seeds

At Botafarm, we don’t just sell seeds.

We created Mérismati, our own meristem culture lab, to clean cultivars from viruses like HLVD and others.

This is how we produce meticulously clean, virus-free, high-quality seeds.

But genetics alone isn’t enough.

Want to Grow Like a Pro?

👉 Join our personal coaching, guided directly by me — Julien, founder of Botafarm.

No contracts, no pressure. Just tailored support for your level, space, and budget.

Check out ➡️ botafarmcalifornia.com

Remember:

Your plant gives back what you give it.

Don’t blow the final stretch.