Trim the plants standing, you don't want to deal with trimming once they are dry. It is a PITA. If you like, leave the sugar leaves on the buds but for sure get the majority of the big stuff out of the way. I generally trim completely then hang but have left the sugar leaves on when in a rush. There is absolutely no noticeable difference in flavor but the bag appeal is pretty horrible. If you are growing personal stash, bag appeal isn't important and the sugar leaves will increase the potency of course, because they do carry a good amount of THC that would otherwise get thrown to the side for hash making.
Cure is pretty strain dependent. Some strains really need a month or longer to bring out the aromas and some not as much. If you are already getting good aromas then it is probably safe to guess that it won't need as long. For the most part, the longer the cure, the better the flavor. There are some exceptions but generally speaking that is correct. The biggest thing with the cure is to allow plenty of drying time. If they go in the jars moist then it becomes very difficult to get the moisture out without making the flowers look like hell. They will brown up pretty quickly, which won't affect the psychoactive properties but will make them look pitiful and has a possibility of creating mold.
When you put them in the jar with your hygrometer and seal them up, let them sit for about 5 minutes. If your hygrometer goes over 70% get them out immediately and spread them on a drying rack of some sort in a single layer and let them dry another day. What I like to shoot for when they go in the jar is about 60%. Granted, after an hour or two they will begin gassing off and the RH will rise. That isn't a big deal, just open the jars until it drops back down to 60 or lower. Even at 50, once you put the lids on, in an hour or two they will raise back up again. The first day or two, keep a real close eye on them. You may have to open the jars several times a day or even leave the lids off the first few days. No big deal. If you can keep the RH around 60 with the lids off then leave them off until you start to see it dropping into the 50s pretty steady then start closing them back up again. Once they can keep mid 50s steady then I keep them closed throughout the day and open for 5 or 10 minutes once a day. My wife likes her flowers a little on the dry side so I shoot for 55-60. I like mine low 60s, 62 or 63 is perfect for me. I like mine to burn a little slower where the THC vaporizes some before the flower begins burning. I am not a smoker though and she is, so I don't care much for actual combustion. Yes, I have used a vaporizer but a glass bowl is perfect for me because I can't judge intake with a vaporizer like I can a bowl.
So yeah, just keep an eye on moisture content and let your nose tell you when it is happy with the cure. Your nose knows. I have no problems with a couple of day cure to test the waters but the aromas and flavors really begin getting nice after a couple of weeks. You will notice a lot of different flavor profiles and nuances that you wouldn't have otherwise smelled with the longer cures. Especially with the haze varieties. An absolute must for long cures.