Some growers like trimming because it gives them a chance to connect with the plant, especially if they have taken care of it for a long time. However, some people don’t enjoy trimming because it’s a tedious and monotonous activity that can take hours or even days. Nevertheless, when it comes time to harvest your plants, you have a few options for trimming them next. The process has rules that must be followed to get the perfect outcome.
If you’re a first-time grower, you may need some guidelines for starting out. Here you may seek tips for trimming cannabis plants. We’ll cover the two most popular methods to help you select the best option and provide easy step-by-step instructions. They might help trim your plants correctly for the first time. Experienced growers can also find this article helpful for refreshing their knowledge about the process. You can review each step to enhance your current technique. So, whatever type of grower you are, keep reading!
Importance of Trimming
When you look for cannabis seeds for sale Canada and buy the quality ones for cultivating your plant, you explore such essential points as curing, drying, or storing, and trimming isn’t the exception to that list. It’s crucial to define why trimming weed is so essential before we can get into the specifics of how to trim cannabis buds.
When you trim your cannabis, you remove everything from the plant that isn’t a bud. That implies cutting off the stems, branches, fan leaves, and sugar leaves. Removing unnecessary parts makes buds smoother for further uses, such as smoking.
During wet trimming, removing extra plant parts lowers the overall amount of water in the buds, letting them dry more evenly. When cannabis is trimmed, its appearance transforms into one that is denser and more uniform.
Wet Trimming
Wet trimming is performed all in one session. You’ll cut down the plant, remove buds from the branches, trim them, and set them on a drying rack, where they’ll remain for a few days to dry out. The wet method provides several advantages:
- easier time cutting off the fan leaves and the sugar leaves;
- drying is much simpler and faster (due to the moisture content around the buds being removed);
- mold development is prevented by removing all of the moist foliage;
- requires less space for drying because you need to dry only the buds.
However, it does come with a few drawbacks:
- takes up more time;
- creates a mess because all of the fresh resin will end up on your hands, garments, and surfaces;
- is critical to be carried out directly following the harvest.
Dry Trimming
Dry trimming is the method most commonly used by large-scale growers. When you use that method, you will first chop down the plant and then hang it out to dry for several days. When the plant is dry, you will cut buds off from the branches and trim them. The following are some advantages of the dry method:
- creates significantly less of a mess;
- the drying process is so much more gradual, and buds can keep a higher terpene content;
- dried sugar leaves can be used for edibles;
- no need to worry about trimming right away after the harvesting.
Now, let’s look at some of the downsides:
- it takes up a lot more room (as you have to hang the entire plant up);
- there is a higher risk of mold growth (especially likely in humid climates because the plant’s foliage traps excess moisture).
Step-by-Step Instruction
Getting your hands on the appropriate equipment is another essential step. To get started, first come prepared with the tools below:
- shears or scissors;
- comfortable chair;
- trays or bowls;
- cleaning supplies (rubbing alcohol and a rag);
- clothes (something comfortable that you don’t mind getting mucked, plus disposable gloves).
Whether you choose the dry or wet method, the actual procedure is similar in both cases.
- Cut the plant down and then cut off its branches. Break it into smaller pieces until you get to the main stalk. If the dry approach is preferable for you, you should hang the plant for drying now.
- Cut off the fan and sugar leaves. If the wet method is chosen, you might be able to remove the leaves by hand. If the dry technique is your option – it’s better to cut them.
- Buck individual buds from the branches.
- Start trimming the buds. If they’re excessively large, prune them down into smaller ones. Trim the stem at the bud bottom, remove the crow’s feet, cut off extra plant matter, and manicure the bud.
Conclusion
The most important thing is to prepare the room and equipment and give yourself enough time to do the process well. Which method to choose is a matter of personal preference and circumstances. Smaller growers usually choose the wet option because they don’t have enough room for dry trimming and stand to lose more if their buds get moldy. However, most cultivators choose the dry method since it produces a higher-quality end product.
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