How to trim your cannabis plants

With the legalization of cannabis in Canada in 2018, Canadians are now able to grow up to four plants of Cannabis Sativa L per household. This is great news for all the Dr. Greenthumbs out there who want to have full control over the product they consume and have the satisfaction of knowing the weed they smoke came from their hard labour. The best part is that you not only get your own personal supply of weed but you end up with enough plant materials to produce your own hash and butter to make edibles and tinctures.

It’s harvest time and now comes the time to trim your plants before the drying and curing process can begin. Here are a few tips on how and when to properly trim your cannabis plant to ensure the best quality buds and maximum yield out of your harvest.

Wet Trim vs Dry trim

Let me state first that there are no right or wrong answers for this. Different growers will prefer one method over the other and it basically comes down to the type of strains used, the humidity level at the time of harvest and your own personal preference. A wet trim refers to trimming leaves right after harvest, before the drying process and a dry trim is done while or after the drying process.

Typically you will want to remove the large fan leaves by hand first as those won’t contain much THC. The smaller sugar leaves though, are covered in terpenes and resins but can be trimmed to create a better-looking bud, more uniform and flush, smooth appearance. It is important to note to not leave too many leaves on your bud as it will significantly impact the taste of weed if you smoke or vape it. Too many leaves on your bud will usually result in a harsher smoke and can be a bit tough on the throat. Remember to save all the plant matter from those small sugar leaves as this will make the perfect material for your edibles and ice hash.

Untrimmed buds

Trimmed buds

Advantages of properly trimming your buds

• Your buds will smell better
  If you decide to not trim your plant at all, you might end up with a “hay-smelling” weed. This happens when untrimmed buds stay in storage for a bit and your weed ends up with an unpleasant planty smell and ruins the terpenes profile a good plant should have.  
• Better quality appearance
  The look associated with a top-quality quality is usually a picture of a well-groomed and uniform bud. Not only will you have a better satisfaction at looking at your own weed you’ve grown yourself but you might impress your friends with your gardening skills.
• THC Concentration
  A well-trimmed bud will usually result in a higher THC level per gram when you compare it to an untrimmed bud. While sugar leaves can be covered in trichomes, the THC levels in those are usually far less than in flowers.

Useful tools for trimming

An important part of the trimming process is setting up yourself with a clean, and well-laid out working station to make your work more efficient and cleaner. Cooking trays are a great surface to work on so you can separate your large fan leaves you might discard and your smaller sugar leaves and trim you will want to save up to produce your own butter, hash and tincture.

Latex gloves are a must to not get your fingers sticky for days and you can easily scrape off the trichomes off the gloves to spice up your bowl. Fiskars snip is the best pruning snip one can use to trim small leaves. Use larger garden pruning shears to cut off branches and keep your smaller snip sharp.

Too much work? or Don't grow your own plants? - Check out your local Weed Delivery companies in Niagara Falls or your city Also your local Cannabis Dispensaries in our directory.