First-Time Growers Guide: How to Trim Cannabis Like a Pro

Trimming is often a love-hate relationship between growers and plants. Some look forward to harvesting the plants and having a hands-on connection, while others prefer to employ trimming staff. Regardless, proper cannabis trimming is essential for achieving high-quality buds. This guide for first-time growers will cover everything you need to know to master the art of cannabis trimming, from understanding the best techniques to the required tools. 

Why Trimming Cannabis Plants is Important

Understanding the importance of trimming involves recognizing the difference between fan leaves and sugar leaves. Sugar leaves are smaller, covered in trichomes, and contain a higher concentration of cannabinoids. 

Sugar leaf trim works well for edibles, concentrates, and joints. On the other hand, fan leaves are larger, broader leaves that emerge directly from the plant’s stem.

Trimming your buds significantly improves their appearance, increasing market value and making them more desirable among consumers. Additionally, trimming is crucial in removing excess fan leaves, improving the potency and aroma of the cannabis buds. As a result, adequately trimmed cannabis provides a more enjoyable smoking experience characterized by reduced harshness and a smoother burn, ultimately leading to greater overall satisfaction for users.

Wet Trimming vs. Dry Trimming

Dry trimming involves trimming buds after they have been dried. This technique is good for home growers who prefer to hand-trim their smaller quantities of weed with precision and care. By removing unwanted “chicken feet” and excess foliage, such as fan leaves, home growers can produce high-quality buds with a more professional appearance, enhancing potency and flavor, leading to a smoother smoking experience.

Pros: Results in nicer buds. Creates less mess. Trim can be used for pre-rolls or hashmaking

Cons: More time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Wet trimming entails trimming your buds immediately after harvest and removing them directly from the branches, streamlining the process and ultimately saving space. This method is good for large-scale cultivation operations as it saves time and labor, especially when dealing with a large number of weed plants. Wet trimming can also speed up the drying process and maintain the buds’ shape and appearance, resulting in a more visually appealing final product.

Pros: Less labor intensive. Leads to faster dry times.

Cons: May decrease potency of buds.

Step-by-Step Guide to Trimming Cannabis

Here’s a list of all the essential equipment you will need to start trimming:

• Trimming scissors
• Pruning shears
•  Disposable gloves
•  Trim bin
•  Trimming tray
•  Isopropyl alcohol
•  Storage containers (Mason jars)

Step 1: Preparing the workspace

Before you can trim cannabis buds, it’s important to create a clean and organized work area. Begin by thoroughly cleaning your workspace to ensure a hygienic environment. Arrange all your tools and equipment neatly to facilitate easy access during the trimming process. Sterilize all tools and equipment using rubbing alcohol to eliminate any potential contaminants that could affect the quality of the trimming process and the final product.

Step 2: Harvesting the plant

When performing a wet trim or trimming fresh plants, it’s recommended to wear gloves while harvesting your plant. After harvest, take the time to remove each bud individually with your pruning shears into your trim bin. On the other hand, if you’ve chosen to do a dry trim, start by carefully taking your plant out of the drying area and then begin removing the dried buds into your trim bin. This method allows a more hands-on approach to preparing your buds for further processing and curing.

Step 3: Removing fan leaves

Start by locating the large fan leaves protruding from an individual bud. Follow the stem down to the center and use your trimming scissors to clip the fan leaves as close to the center part of the plant as possible without harming any plant matter. To preserve the delicate trichomes, avoid touching the buds. Use the stem as a handle to maneuver around each side and clip off any remaining small leaves.

Step 5: Collecting trimmed buds

Once your buds are trimmed, you can put them into separate containers. If you’re trimming wet, you must place your finished buds on a drying rack for a few days. On the other hand, if you choose dry trimming, you’ll want to jar up your buds for curing. 

Separate larger buds into smaller pieces and place them loosely in an airtight mason jar, leaving some room at the top for air. This will allow for proper airflow while maintaining a controlled environment for the curing process.

Step 6: Curing or drying

Once your dried, cured buds are in the airtight container, the curing process can last up to 6 months—like a fine wine, the longer the cure, the better. For the first week, burp the jar daily for an hour as the buds dry and release chlorophyll. Other industry-specific solutions like Grove Bags are engineered to eliminate the burping process.

During the second and third weeks, you want to burp the jars every few days for about one hour at a time. After the third week, expose the buds to open air for about an hour at a time weekly. Monitoring moisture content is crucial for the desired quality and potency.

For more details, read our helpful guide on how to dry and cure cannabis buds.

Tips for Trimming Marijuana Efficiently

Here are three expert tips for trimming your weed effectively and efficiently.

Sharp trimming scissors

Using sharp trimming scissors helps achieve clean cuts without damaging the buds. They allow you to trim more efficiently and maintain the integrity of the buds, resulting in some beautiful-looking buds. Blunt scissors can leave behind jagged edges, impacting the overall appearance and potentially removing large proportions of delicate trichomes.

Staying comfortable

When trimming, it’s always important to prioritize comfortable seating. Choose a cozy spot, play some of your favorite tunes, and ensure all your supplies are easily accessible. Comfortable seating promotes good posture, reduces physical discomfort, and allows you to concentrate. Regular breaks during trimming are also advisable to prevent fatigue and stay focused throughout the process.

Save your trim

Collect and store the trim for future use, as it can be used to produce various infused products such as edibles or concentrates. This practice helps maximize the potential of the cannabis plant and ensures that no part goes to waste. If you’re interested in techniques for utilizing cannabis trim in infused products, check out our cannabis sugar recipe to infuse sweet food products or beverages. 

Storing Cannabis

Light exposure and oxidation can diminish the terpene profile and cannabinoid content, while improper storage may lead to mold growth or dryness. Moldy cannabis is unsafe to consume, and dry cannabis loses flavor and potency. 

To maintain quality, proper storage and curing are essential. This involves storing trimmed buds in a controlled environment to enhance flavor, potency, and quality. Here are three key points to remember

Relative Humidity

Relative humidity is paramount to preserving the quality of your cannabis. Aim for levels of approximately 60 to 65% to ensure its optimal moisture content without becoming overly damp or dry. To achieve this, consider using humidity sachets, which can help maintain consistent humidity levels throughout the curing process.

Airtight Containers

Airtight containers help maintain the freshness of your weed by minimizing its exposure to air and light, reducing oxidation, and helping to preserve its potency and flavor. Sealing the cannabis in airtight containers creates an environment that protects the buds from external elements like oxidation and contributes to the preservation of their quality.

Dark Place

Exposure to light can degrade the quality of cannabis over time, so keeping your cured cannabis in airtight containers in the dark helps to maintain its desired characteristics. A garage, closet, or cupboard would be ideal, as long as there is no direct contact with any sunlight for more extended periods, to preserve the terpene profile and potency of the cannabis.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Trimming

Let’s review some common mistakes to avoid to achieve top-quality buds:

Avoid being too harsh and removing too much plant matter. Trim closely but carefully, ensuring you trim off the excess leaves as near as possible without harming the buds. Removing excessive plant material can adversely affect the overall quality, so take your time and pay close attention to preserving the buds’ integrity.

Using pruning shears instead of trimming scissors is a common mistake among beginners. Large pruning shears can often remove too much necessary plant material if you’re not cautious. Trimming scissors allow for more detailed trimming by offering the agility to reach the intricate parts of the buds.

If you have any questions about trimming, drying, or curing, don’t hesitate to contact us on Instagram.