One of the most crucial steps in the harvesting process would be the step of trimming buds as if done in the wrong way, you will end up with some harsh smoke and the taste of your product will also undoubtedly be affected. If done incorrectly it can be the culprit of mould in your end product which is something you definitely want to avoid when growing your own product.
So What Is Bud Trimming?
Trimming your buds is exactly as the name suggests, basically manicuring your buds and removing all excess plant material, leaving only the buds.
Many growers simply hate the idea of trimming their buds as it is one of the most tedious tasks in the whole process. Having said that, today trimmed buds are recognized as the new standard whether you like it or not. This is what distinguishes a bud as being top-shelf. It is the manicuring and the care taken to make the bud look appealing as it is potent and with good reason.
Plants which have not been trimmed tend to have a sort of hay smell and taste, taking away from the majestic aromas and palates cannabis buds are known for.
There are 2 known types of trimming:
1)Wet Trimming
This is simply when you trim your buds right after harvest when they are still wet.
2) Dry Trimming
This is when you dry your plants first and trim them later.
Which one is good for you? this depends.
First of all, if you are using a trimming machine, many such machines will require you to trim your buds wet, while others require you to trim your buds dry use the appropriate method for your machine.
If for whatever reason you need to get the product out the door as quickly as possible (i.e., you need to trim plants in your current location and move all your buds somewhere else for the longer time it takes to dry), you’ll be doing it wet, too.
Otherwise, if you do have a choice in the wet vs dry dilemma, we would recommend always going for dry trimming.
Why Do We Recommend Dry Trimming over Wet Trimming?
We recommend dry trimming over wet trimming as it is generally easier on the plant. When plants are wet, they are very malleable and soft, laying them on one side will likely flatten the bud on one side. If you operate in a low-humidity environment, dry trimming is also the way to go.
Tools For Trimming
Pruning Shears– These are necessary for cutting the tough stem and branches of the plant.
Sharp Trimming Scissors– Needed for trimming buds and the foliage around the buds
Rubbing Alcohol-Used for cleaning your hands and the workspace from resin.
Containers- One for the branches, one for the leaves, one for the buds.
How To Wet Trim
1)Cut the branches with buds into manageable sizes- This will enable you to be able to handle the branches better when cutting
2)Remove Fan Leaves- The large leaves are the first thing you should aim to remove
3)Close Manicure The Small Leaves- Now it is time to start removing the sugar leaves all around the buds. You can keep them on or only remove half however simply remember that the more of these that you leave on the harsher your product will be.
4) Time To Dry– After your buds have been trimmed and closely manicured is time to dry your buds, if you left the buds attached to the main branches, then you can simply hang them up to dry in a dark place- if not simply purchase a hanging net and leave them to dry on it.
Here are the ideal environmental conditions and the timeline for drying:
- Day 1 — 3:65 degrees at 55% humidity
- Day 4 — 6:70 degrees at 50% humidity
- Day 7 — 10’ish:73–75 degrees at 45% humidity, until stem breaks evenly and audibly.
5)Curing Time- When the stem snaps with a sound it is time to dry your buds, if they are still attached to their branches, then you might want to cut them off. Get a couple of air-tight glass jars similar to mason jars and follow your curing process
How To Dry Trim
1)Again, Cut The Branches Into Manageable Sizes- Cut the branches with the buds to be able to handle them more easily.
2)Remove Fan Leaves- Remove any large foliage from the plants.
3)Hang To Dry-Here is where the process starts to vary a little from wet trimming, in dry trimming the first step after removing large foliage, would be to dry your product. Here are the optimal conditions for drying
- Day 1 — 3:65 degrees at 55% humidity
- Day 4 — 6:70 degrees at 50% humidity
- Day 7 — 10’ish:73–75 degrees at 45% humidity, until stem breaks evenly and audibly.
4)Trim Away All The Sugar Leaves-Closely manicure all the buds, from the sugar leaves, again, we recommend removing all of them. It simply makes the buds look so much better and also much smoother
5)Curing Time-Get your air-tight container and start your curing process.
WARNING- DO NOT THROW AWAY SUGAR LEAVES
Sugar Leaves, just like buds, are covered in precious trichomes, these are the parts of the plant which produce our beloved cannabinoids, Even though the actual buds, will be better off without them, they are still very useful and you can create a variety of other products from sugar leaves such as hash, teas, butter, tinctures and edibles.
