Regardless of whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned marijuana grower, knowing how to properly crop your plants is essential. You can find countless information on the Internet today about different kinds of trimming or cropping your plants. Due to the number of techniques available, finding the right one is a daunting and overwhelming task.
Don’t be surprised if you hear different opinions and preferences regarding marijuana cropping. The arguments about what is the best crop method are never-ending. However, this article will set its focus on dry trim and wet trim. We aim to provide you an in-depth comparison to help you make the most of your cannabis crop.
Dry trim vs. wet trim is one of the hottest topics in the marijuana world today. For us to become a more experienced cannabis grower, we need to collect do our research and collect more information about the cultivation and harvest process. And fortunately, we’re here to shed more light about the cannabis trimming process and we hope that you’ll learn a lot from this article.
The Art and Science of Marijuana Harvest
So you’ve patiently waited for your cannabis trichomes to reach its peak. You believe that the time has come for you to harvest them since it has already finished the flowering period. All cannabinoid contents are ready for harvest. This is your first time harvesting cannabis crops and you’re thinking, what’s the right way to harvest my marijuana crop
After you cut down your cannabis plants, you then need to decide whether you immediately start the trimming process (while it’s still wet), or you want to dry the plant first before you trim. The truth is, there are advantages and disadvantages to both methods. Keep in mind that what may work best for other growers may not be the best option for other growers. For these reasons, it’s necessary that you know what you’re doing or else you’ll be wasting your crops which is equivalent to wasting your time, money, and energy.
3 Reasons Why Trimming is Essential
Appearance
If you want to grow high-value cannabis crops which are often displayed in weed magazines or popular marijuana sites, then you need to master trimming. A well-trimmed marijuana bud is important to give your plants better potency, desirability, and appearance. And yes, trimming your plants make your grow room look more appealing. Believe it or not, this has become the new standard among seasoned marijuana growers.
Increase in Trichome Concentration
Another important reason why you need to learn how to properly trim your cannabis is that you want to make sure that you get the highest concentration of trichomes. Trichomes are abundantly found on buds and less in small leaves. They are like small factories that can produce hundreds of known terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids.
Trichomes make the plant more potent, special, effective, and superior in quality. Now, if you want maximum potency, then it’s highly recommended that you trim the leaves and get more trichomes in the buds. Always remember that your final product is more potent and satisfying if you aim at getting more buds,
Smoother Product
If you’ve been consuming marijuana for quite some time now, then you already know that some products can have a harsher texture – and this is because of the excess leaves on the buds. However, by trimming off the excess, you’ll be able to create marijuana products that are smoother and more pleasant to consume. For marijuana growers, it’s critical that they can harvest high-quality crops and superior quality final products
What is Dry Trimming
Dry trimming happens after the cannabis plants have been hung and dried. Many growers are doing this process since it’s very effective. However, if you do it by hand, then expect a long, slow, and sometimes, tedious process. It’s because all the leaves on your marijuana plants, which you need to remove, are already stuck against the sides of the flowers. If you have a large grow operations, then it’s very important that you hire many laborers or hired hands during the trimming process.
Keep in mind that hiring more hands to aid you in this process can be very costly. It also requires micromanagement and increased security measures. Fortunately, you can purchase many high-quality large scale cultivators who are utilizing commercial trim machines. Trim machines automatically trim marijuana flowers.
But not all machines that you’ll find on the Internet today can produce excellent quality results. You have to be very careful when choosing a machine and make sure that you always check the RPM. Machines that have high RPMs are loud and noisy. Moreover, they can also potentially damage the quality of your finished product.
There are also those machines that tend to “over cut” and ruin your machine. The best thing that you can do is to look for machines that have received many great reviews and positive feedback from other marijuana growers. One of the best thing that you can do is to watch for demos on the Internet and see how the trim machine works and if it’s feasible for your set up.
Although dry trimming can be a bit of a hassle, many growers still consider it as more effective than wet trimming. A lot of cannabis cultivators choose this method because they want to prevent buds from drying too fast. Properly dried cannabis produces a very pleasing smoke – rich in flavor and aroma. Always remember that bigger leaves will coat the buds with constant humidity until the full cannabis branch is ready to be consumed or smoke. Dry trimming also prevents cannabis growers to get rid of many of the sugar leaves that have dried up and stuck on the buds.
Why Choose Dry Trimming
– There’s no need for you to trim all at once
– Results in higher quality buds
What’s Wrong with Dry Trimming
– A difficult process
– Slow and takes time
– High risk of getting molds
What is Wet Trimming
Once the marijuana plants are cut down, numbers of marijuana growers begin the wet trimming process. Many growers love this method because it can be done quickly and they can enjoy the product sooner than dry trimming – assuming that it’s done by hands. This process is faster than dry trimming since most of the plant material that will be removed is perpendicular to the flowers. Wet trimming also makes it easier for you to access the plant and trim them with scissors.
Wet trimming is the easier method and this is because sugar leaves close to the flowers and are easier to access. Unlike in dry trimming, leaves in wet trimming process are not stuck to the flowers. And you may notice that most trim machines are made out for dry flowers, you can still find automated tools for wet trimming. You’ll find some cannabis growers who use the same hand-held hedge trimmers for removing fan leaf – this effectively speeds up the whole process.
As mentioned earlier, wet trimming is recommended by many cannabis growers. It’s an easier and more practical technique or method. Now, if you’re a beginner, then there’s no doubt that you will benefit from it. However, even though it’s the easier method, you still need to make sure that you do your homework well. Many novices made a lot of mistakes thinking that they don’t have to do extensive research when doing wet trimming since it’s a very easy process.
You need to note that mold develops in between the bud and the stalk during the removal of leads. However, removing the buds from the stalk should eliminate the risk – this should help you save a lot of stashes. You also have to make sure that you know how to control humidity if you want to avoid any mold problems.
Another reason why many cannabis growers prefer wet trimming is that it gives the buds a chance to puff out. Therefore, they are more pleasing to look at. If aesthetics matter to you, then we highly recommend that you do the wet trimming. Also, if you’re contemplating selling your cannabis buds, then you have to make sure that your buds or products look pleasing and attractive. This method can help you draw in more customers to your cannabis business.
Why Choose Wet Trimming
- It’s easier compared to dry trimming
- Faster results
- Significantly reduces the risk of mold
- It requires lesser space for drying
- The buds look nicer
What’s Wrong With Wet Trimming
- They have lower quality buds
- You need to trim everything at once
Dry Trimming vs. Wet Trimming
Knowing the main difference between dry trimming and wet trimming is crucial for any marijuana grower. Dry trimming requires you to be more patient and involves marijuana plants being dried out first and then trimming the leaves from the plant afterward. Meanwhile, wet trimming is the art of getting rid of the leaves from the plants by the time that they are harvested.
It’s advisable that you dry trim if…
- you are not able to finish all the trimming process in one day
- you need to transfer your harvested crops off-side the soonest time possible
- uality buds are more important to you than anything else
It’s advisable that you wet trim if…
- you live in an area with an ideal humid climate
- your grow room or space is limited
- you want the trimming process to be done quickly and save labor cost
The Final Verdict
Wet trimming is a popular choice among many cannabis growers and they are perfect for beginners since they are easier to accomplish the dry trimming. If you’re a beginner, then we suggest that you start learning wet trimming first. This is a very straightforward process and accessing the leaves is a lot easier compared to the dry method since they get stuck to the flowers. You also won’t have to worry too much about moldy buds if you choose wet trimming. And if you love your final product to look prettier and more presentable, then wet trimming is the right process.
But if you have the experience and the right machine, then dry trimming is recommended. If you think that the quality of the buds matters to you, then there’s no better way to achieve your goal than following this method. You have to be very careful though since dry trimming is most likely to get molds between the stalk and the flowers – of course, you can avoid this if you control humidity and temperature.
Choosing the right method is really up to you. The key here is to know what you’re doing or understand the art and science behind it. To make things a lot easier and more efficient, you need to train your hands or get reliable equipment to be able to successfully trim your plants. Always do your research and make sure that you do some reading before you begin any trimming method. Remember that there are consequences that you need to pay if you’re not careful in whatever it is that you’re doing.
Asking for Tips and Recommendations
Finally, be sure that you ask for tips and pieces of advice from the experts. If you know someone who has been trimming their cannabis plants for many years now, then don’t hesitate to ask for recommendations from them. Learning from other growers is vital if you want to grow and develop. The good news is, the cannabis world has a lot of awesome and generous people who are always willing to share their knowledge.
Join online forums or communities wherein people gather and share their experiences about trimming. Don’t forget to interact and never hesitate to ask relevant questions. And of course, be sure that you enjoy the whole process. Be patient and always remind yourself that experience is the best teacher when it comes to growing, harvesting, and trimming marijuana.