There ’ s more to properly trimming your buds than taking a pair of scissors and cutting off the leaves . For the best flavor , smell , and potency , check out Dan Vaillancourt ’ s tips to really get the most out of your grow .
Dry Trim
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The term “ dry trimming ” refers to a method of trimming the plant ’ s leaves after they have been dried on the stalk with the flowers . This insulates the flowers and allows them to dry slower , retaining the plant ’ s terpenes and producing the richest flavors and quality . You will want to be careful with the buds at this point as the trichomes will be more delicate and easier to knock off . Dry trimming is regarded by cannabis enthusiasts around the world as the best method of trimming to retain the plant ’ s craft-quality and flavor . It is , however , a more time consuming and delicate way of trimming compared to wet trimming , and most commercial grown cannabis will not be trimmed this way . The best techniques for dry trimming include stripping the plant into multiple branches of flowers roughly 18-24 inches long ( depending on plant size ), removing all fan leaves , and then hanging the branches . The fan leaves are the largest leaves on the plant sent out to catch the light and each branch generally has a few of these unless they have been removed during the flowering cycle .
“ Much like aging a fine wine , trimming and curing takes time and is a crucial step to growing quality cannabis .”
Scissors Over Machines
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Machines will make a grower ’ s life easier , but for the best quality , cannabis machines are not the answer , unfortunately . At least , not yet . The problem lies in how precise of a job proper trimming does , considering we want to be as delicate with the flowers as possible , while also getting into small areas and precisely cutting leaves out and ideally dry trimming . For months you have been farming millions of tiny trichomes , the last thing you want to do is knock them off with a brush or aggressively tumble and cut with a machine . Of all the expensive trimming equipment I have seen the end product is night and day . Scissor-trimmed flowers always come out on top compared to machine trimming in terms of flavor , smell , and look .
Things You Will Need
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Trimming can be a sticky business that can end up following you around if you aren ’ t prepared . Disposable suits are cheap and are a great way to keep the trim off your street clothes . If you don ’ t have disposable suits , then a change of clothes is recommended as the smell can easily stink up your vehicle or home . Powder-free gloves are always a must if you like to use your hands as well as sharp , spring-loaded scissors with rubbing alcohol and paper towels to clean them when they get gummy . Cleaning your scissors regularly will keep you trimming your best and damaging the flowers the least . A tray or bin will be useful to keep your working flowers on hand as well .
When to Trim
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The environment that your flowers are drying in is as important as how you grew them , which is why many will dry in the room they grew in . Air movement in the room should be moving well but without fans pointing directly at the flowers . Temperature for a craft-quality slow dry is ideally between 63-65 ° F with the humidity at 50-55 percent . Flowers will need to dry in this condition for 10-15 days on average depending on the density of the flowers . You will know the flowers are ready to trim when the stem they are connected snaps when bent . The flowers ’ leaves and surroundings will feel almost too dry , but not to worry , there will be moisture inside them that will release throughout the curing process .
Curing Your Cannabis
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You can spend months growing , dry trimming , and doing everything right . In the end , if you don ’ t cure your buds properly , you can ruin all your hard work . Curing will release chlorophyll amongst other stored chemicals , create a clean and even burn when smoked , and increase the smell and flavors . This is all dependent on a process called “ burping ” your cannabis while curing . Your cannabis needs to be freed of built-up chemicals regularly while curing , otherwise the chemicals your flowers release during curing will be leached back into themselves . This process is called burping and it involves releasing pressure and moisture from the jars by opening them up for a bit . Curing is best done in glass since the flowers will absorb most plastic smells and tastes . Curing needs to be airtight with the flowers filling the container to its fullest . Burping should be done two to three times for 10-15 minutes a day for at least two weeks , turning and moving the flowers around each time .
Much like aging a fine wine , trimming and curing takes time and is a crucial step to growing quality cannabis . By applying these final steps to your harvest , you will retain the most potency , smell , and taste in your flowers .
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