Starting your First Grow: When to Trim Your Cannabis

Aug 24, 2020

Over the years, cannabis trimming has been a controversial topic among growers. While some agree that it improves yield and makes the plant more potent, others feel that it involves a lot of risks.

Why trim cannabis?

Cannabis trimming offers so many benefits. First, it makes the plant look better, providing a more unified appearance. In addition, it increases the plant’s potency because removing sugar leaves that contain a lesser concentration of trichomes exposes the parts with much richer trichome concentration. Clipped buds also produce less harshness of smoke and have uniformed moisture content, which results in a flavourful experience.

Find a trimmer that works best for your harvest

When is the best time to trim your cannabis?

Trimming at home begins a few weeks before harvest when the larger leaves are removed. Usually, growers trim the fan leaves weeks before harvest, which is a period that leads to senescence, a phase in the plant cycle when the larger leaves start fading away.

It is safe to start removing these dying leaves and continue until harvest. However, the main trimming processes commence after harvest. At this time, some industrial growers prefer using either the wet-trimming or dry-trimming techniques to trim the leaves.

Wet-trimming technique:

This involves clipping your marijuana after harvest. At this time, the leaves are moist and wet, which makes it easy and also improves efficiency. To use this technique, simply harvest from the stock with multiple branches. Turn the branches that have already been harvested upside down so that you can get access to the bigger leaves’ stems. Then you can take your trimming scissors and use them to trim the largest leaves away, after which you can put them in your compost. Then either cut down the sugar leaves (these are the small ones) away from the bud and shape the buds using your manicure scissors OR utilize one of our trimming machines for efficiency, then dry them in a cool area where it’s nice and dark, with a temperature of 60°F to 70°F. Ensure that you save all the larger leaves and sugar leaves trimmed away from your bud; they can be used for bubble hash and edibles.

Dry-trimming technique:

This method is perfect for people who use cannabis machine trimmers or reside in a dry environment. The process involves allowing the larger leaves of the harvested plant to dry slowly for 4 to 10 days. After trimming, simply place the bud in an airtight container to begin the curing process. Although this is a more tedious process, it gives a smoother and more flavourful experience.

What are the Essential Tools Needed for Cannabis Trimming?

As a grower, you do not need to spend a lot of money just to get your plant trimmed; there a handful of home garden equipment for sale that can be of help in this process. Some of this equipment includes:

A marijuana trimming machine
Manicure scissors
Gardening shears for chopping down the plant
A clean tray
Disposable gloves to minimize cross-contamination
Clothing line to spread your budget
A comfortable chair and solid music playlist for your comfort.

Tips for Trimming your Cannabis

Here are a few tips that can help you get your cannabis to produce the best yield

Use top quality equipment: Whether it be the Home Grow Pro (for home operations) or an industrial machine such as our best-selling T4 Trimmer, or manicure scissors, invest in quality.
Save your trims: Remember that there is a right amount of cannabinoid still contained in those large and sugar leaves. Therefore, it is vital to save them for tincture and edibles.
Store your buds: In addition, store your trimmings in an airtight container for automatic curing.
Remove items not covered by trichomes: This is very important to create a uniform surface around your bud.

Finally, as a grower, it is up to you to determine the best time to trim your cannabis. No matter when you choose, remember that this is an important stage in your plant life cycle. It helps to create a uniform appearance for your bud and increases the potency level while reducing the harshness of smokes.