Trimming Cannabis Plants

Trimming cannabis is a productive way for some individuals to interact with their plants. However, some people despise trimming since it is so monotonous. Moreover, trimming cannabis is an essential aspect of the growing process for both novice and experienced growers. Here goes the greater detail about what this practice is all about, how important it is, and how to do it correctly.

Why is trimming cannabis important?

Trimming cannabis properly is critical for excellent bud quality. Cannabis cultivation takes several months, and you want the result to be worthwhile. Trimming all of your buds’ superfluous leaves also improves their bag appeal significantly.

When should you begin trimming cannabis buds?

Trimming cannabis should begin a few days before you start the harvesting procedure. When senescence, or when larger fan leaves start to wilt, growers frequently begin removing fan leaves at this stage.

Try eliminating them before harvesting if time and resources allow, so trimming after harvest will be easier.

What do you need to trim cannabis?

To hand trim your cannabis, you’ll need the following tools:

• Gloves
• Scissors
• A spotless surface
• A container for the buds.
• Isopropyl alcohol in a dish
• Patience

How to trim cannabis: trimming cannabis techniques

Topping 

When topping cannabis, you should chop off your plant’s developing node to instantly reduce its height. This is useful if you have allowed your plant to grow too tall. Topping also increases the volume of colas, which means you will get more bud when it comes to harvest.

Lollipopping

Lollipopping is a high-yield trim technique favored by indoor cannabis cultivators. When the lower bud sites on a cannabis plant are removed, all of the plant’s energy is concentrated on the larger, fatter buds up top. Apart from the Fimming method, lollipopping goes well with the Schwazzing, SCROG method, and the others.

Defoliation 

Defoliation is selectively removing leaves from cannabis plants to concentrate resin production and increase harvest yields. Defoliation includes even tidying up yellow or withered leaves.

Cut lower branches

This is one of the most common actions employed by cannabis growers worldwide, and it allows plants to focus solely on producing superior blooms. Essentially, the plant gets improved light access, which increases yield and the presence of active substances.

Wet trim vs. dry trim

Your plants will be full of moisture and nutrients they absorb during the growing phase when you harvest them. You can either trim them right away or wait until they have dried before trimming them.

Wet cannabis trimming pros and cons

Pros

Your buds will dry faster if your grow environment requires it, sugar leaves will be easier to remove, and you won’t have to locate a place to hang the plants. Also, if you are limited on space, wet trimming removes a large portion of the plant from the start, eliminating the need to hang entire plants to dry.

Cons

It is sticky, and you will get to leave the trimming procedure covered in greasy cannabis oils.

Dry cannabis trimming pros and cons

Pros

The ability to dry your plant for more extended periods in the correct atmosphere, as well as the fact that the plants are much less sticky once they’ve dried and the sticky resin glands known as trichomes have solidified.

Cons

The need to be more gentle with the buds to protect the hardened, volatile terpenes.

Which type of cannabis trimming you choose is entirely a matter of personal taste and necessity. There is no correct or incorrect response.

Pro tips for trimming cannabis

If you are trimming cannabis, make sure you are wearing gloves. It will shield your hands from the resin on the buds, but more importantly, it will protect your valuable cannabis blossoms. Grab your scissors after you’ve finished with those. It’s time to play. You’ll need the bowl and alcohol to wipe your hands and scissors while cutting because you’ll have oily trichomes popping all over the place. The clean surface ensures that nothing taints your buds like the clean receptacle. Place your buds in the receptacle once you have finished cutting them.

Trim in stages

You can easily combine numerous strategies to attain maximum yield if you plan to go for it and try a few pruning procedures. Just don’t attempt to take on too much at once. Trim plants at least once a week and keep a close eye on their behavior. Trimming the lower branches and removing some fan leaves is an excellent place to start and maybe all you need to do.

Trimming lower cannabis branches is a good idea and a technique that every cannabis grower should follow during flowering. You may give your cannabis plants a fresh new look by pruning them earlier, and you can help them directly available nutrients to the proper branches.

Be hygienic

If you are a tidy grower, your grow op, and cutting instruments should always be clean. This is no exception. As the saying goes, cleanliness is second to Godliness.

Trim during veg and flower

Trimming lower branches during a plant’s vegetative stage may appear to some as robbing the plant of the energy it needs at this vulnerable stage. While this may apply to some plants, it does not apply to cannabis. If you’re serious about your cannabis and the harvest you will obtain, you will chop off the low branches and weak leaves as soon as possible.

Use the best tools

If you don’t want to trim your cannabis by hand, trimming devices are available. Trimming machines are convenient and quick, but they can agitate your plant more than you want. This could lead to lower trichome density in your finished buds than using your hands, gloves, and scissors. Machines, though, may be of interest if you’re trimming a considerable amount of cannabis.

Practice and repeat

Trimming cannabis is a skill that you can learn with time and effort. It is better to start by trimming from the ground up, at least until you have had some experience growing and trimming. Doing this repeatedly will make you better at trimming in the long run.

What to do after trimming cannabis plants?

You should remove fan leaves and leave sugar leaves on the plant. After trimming cannabis plants, some growers keep the sugar leaves on. The tiny leaves that surround the buds are known as sugar leaves. The microscopic trichomes on the surface of the leaves give them a white sheen.

Final points about cannabis trimming

Once you have harvested your cannabis plants, you might assume you’ve finished the hard part. In truth, it’s only the beginning! Trimming your cannabis plants after harvest is an essential aspect of the process. While it is difficult, it is well worth the effort. You gain access to cosmetically attractive cannabis that appears to have been purchased from a dispensary. Trimming cannabis helps with the curing process as well.