Trimming cannabis flowers: fresh or dried?

Pros and cons, opinions and new frontiers of trimming

The drying process is the phase that decides whether the cannabis you have grown will be of high quality or not: during drying you can lose, preserve, or improve the smell of the buds, and you can refine the flavor and potency of the cannabis . An incorrect drying process can ruin even the best quality sprouts, undoing months of work. Proper drying takes time and patience, but the quality of the cannabis will reward all the efforts.

The objective of the drying process is to reduce the water contained in the sprouts , which will have to go from 75% to 10-15% , in a recommended time of 10-14 days. It is important to ensure that the branches do not touch each other, to prevent them from acquiring an unnatural shape during drying. It is optimal to get rid of as much water as possible during the first 3 days of treatment; from here on the process will be downhill.

It is important to keep an eye on temperature, humidity, light and air.

Temperature

During the first 3 days it would be optimal to keep the plants at a stable temperature of 20 degrees Celsius. This way the sprouts will dry quickly, without drying out too much. After the first 3 days the temperature should be lowered to around 17-18 degrees Celsius, in order to slow down the process.

Humidity 

During the first 3 days the relative humidity should be around 50%. After three days the relative humidity should rise to around 60%, again to slow the drying process.

Air

It is very important that there is enough air circulation in the room, which is why it is advisable to use an electric fan. A ventilation device can also come in handy to control temperature and humidity. However, do not point the device directly at the buds, as this could dry the cannabis buds improperly.

Light

The room should be relatively dark as light, especially direct sunlight, degrades some cannabinoids.

Trimming: before or after drying?

As in all sectors, factions of professionals have been created in the world of cannabis who prefer this or that technique.

This also happens in trimming, the art of removing the leaves that grow around the cannabis flower . According to some professionals, it is preferable to remove the leaves before drying freshly harvested cannabis, therefore they recommend acting on the inflorescences while they are still fresh. Other growers, however, argue that it is better to remove the foliage from the dried flower .

What is better? Both techniques have pros and cons. Let's see them together.

• WET TRIMMING

Removing the leaves immediately after harvesting the plants is the strategy most recommended by many growers. It is a simple and practical method , especially recommended for beginners. When the leaves are still fresh and strong it is easier to find them and reach the insides of the buds to remove all their stems. When trimming fresh buds, the process is much faster. You will only have to worry about drying the buds, without thinking about the time you could waste removing the leaves later. During drying there is a risk of mold developing between the leaf stems and buds; it is important to perfectly remove the stems from the buds to minimize risks.

Wet trimming is also preferable from an aesthetic point of view. Thoroughly cleaning the fresh buds will give the flowers a much more elegant and pleasant appearance , which is especially essential for those who grow professionally in countries where the sale of cannabis is permitted.

• DRY TRIMMING

According to other growers, however, dry trimming is the most accurate bud manicure method. Despite its lower efficiency, in some cases it can offer better results. Most growers who choose the dry trimming method want to keep their buds from drying out too quickly to preserve their flavor. The larger leaves will cover the buds maintaining the right humidity, until the entire branch is completely dried.

However, dry trimming involves more difficulties. Furthermore, it is often not possible to remove all the leaves, as many of them will be covered in resin crystals and, as they dry, will have curled up around the buds. Obviously eliminating them all is not impossible, but it requires extreme attention and patience.

This technique can make the overall experience more enjoyable. The longer it takes to dry your crops, the more slowly the chlorophyll will be eliminated. This mechanism tends to give a rougher flavor and aroma to the buds and is not appreciated by all consumers.

The trimmers

Obviously trimming does not necessarily have to be done by hand. For professional growers, devices have been invented that allow you to process a large quantity of cannabis at the same time : trimmers.

Trimmers are tools that allow you to cut and shred excess branches, flowers and leaves from the plants of your crops. The trimmer is the ideal solution for those who have a large garden or a small to medium sized cultivation where they need to trim and clean the plants quickly and easily.

Most of the trimmers on sale are equipped with a practical crank that activates a system of blades, placed underneath a safety grid. Thanks to this mechanism it is possible to proceed quickly and more comfortably with the cleaning and finishing of plants and flowers.