There are both pros and cons for trimming your cannabis dry and wet. Regardless of if you’re using trimming trays for weed or hanging drying racks - whether they’re dry or wet plays a massive part in the entire process and how the results turn out to be.
Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each:
Cutting Wet
- Bucking wet is easier since the leaves are still sturdy and stand out rather than curling around a bud.
- Mold is less likely to grow when the buds are wet. During the drying process, mold most often forms between the stalk and the bud.
- Bucking wet might provide you with prettier buds since removing extra plant material allows them to fluff out better.
- Bucking wet may make buds dry too fast without the extra moisture in the leaves. As a result, the buds could become harsh when smoked.
The Dry Trim
- You may want to wait to trim your buds until they're dry if you're concerned that they will dry too fast. The best method is using hanging racks.
- Sugar leaves coated with THC will adhere to your buds if you let them dry. Your smoke will be smoother.
- The process of trimming cannabis will be much less sticky if you wait until it is dry, and you'll be able to cut more cannabis and spend less time cleaning shears.
- The leaves will curl up around the buds after they have dried.
The Best Way?
Wet bucking and dry bucking with weed drying trays or hanging racks both have their fans. It partly depends on what kind of climate you grow in. If you want to keep all your leaves, you could trim off the largest ones while harvesting, dry your bud, and trim off the smaller leaves once the bud is dry.
Cannabis Trimming
Bucking your plants first then trimming needs to begin while the buds are still attached to the stalk, whether the buds are dry or wet. Fan leaves retain moisture and have a bitter chlorophyll taste because they are thick and retain moisture. Furthermore, they are not covered with trichomes, so they shouldn't be kept. During the last week before harvest, trim the fan leaves off. Be careful not to mistake sugar leaves for fan leaves. Sugar leaves will need to be trimmed off as well, but you should keep them. Although they have fewer trichomes and harsher smoke, they can be used for extracts and edibles.
Cutting Tools for Cannabis
- Nitrile Gloves - Latex is also an option, but it's preferable to use heavy-duty nitrile gloves for trims. You don't get sticky fingers, and your buds stay clean.
- Cutting Scissors - Spring-loaded scissors will keep your hands from getting sore.
- Trimming trays for weed and bowls are available, but you can get by just trimming over a serving tray or large bowl.
Trimming starts after harvest. You'll need a silk apron, shears, rubbing alcohol for removing resin from the blades, cannabis drying trays, and rubbing alcohol to dissolve the resin. Prepare yourself! Listen to some music or an audiobook and get to work.
At Harvest Supply, you can get your hands on every type of drying and trimming tray right here.