How to Manicure your Cannabis Flowers?

The value of CBD flower manicures

CBD flower manicuring is a cannabis processing step that aims to get rid of unwanted excess leaves and branches that would ruin the taste and effect for various reasons.

It is much more relevant to hemp plant growers, as for consumers it is very common for them to buy the finished products of CBD flowers and therefore they are unaware of the work involved in these.

If you have heads to cut and are unsure of what to do, the tips we are going to give you on manicure techniques specific to CBD flowers will be most helpful.

Materials needed to perform a CBD manicure

Before venturing into a CBD manicure, you must be well prepared and equipped with the right materials. The tools needed for a CBD flower manicure are:

• A pair of clean, sharp scissors or shears
• An ideally plastic tub to collect the plant leaves and trichomes
• A good pair of latex or powder-free rubber gloves to handle the plants and protect your hands from the cannabis resin which is well known to stick to the skin
• A clothesline or string for spreading cannabis branches

CBD manicure techniques

First of all, you will need to decide what you want to do when manicuring as there are two choices. Either right after harvesting them or once all the buds have dried. Therefore we distinguish between wet and dry manicure techniques.

The wet manicure

Wet manicuring consists of cutting the heads just after separating them from the plant. Hence the term Wet Cutting because obviously the heads are still wet.

Dry manicuring: this option involves waiting until the flowers are completely dry and then starting to cut.

In order to clarify your choice on which CBD flower manicure technique will work best for you, it would be wise for you to know the pros and cons of both techniques.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of the manicure techniques?

Now that you know a little more, let's move on to comparing these two practices to identify which one is more suitable.

Advantages and disadvantages of the wet manicure

One of the advantages of manicuring just after cutting the plants (wet manicure) is that the drying process is made faster by the fact that there are no excess leaves that continue to release moisture to the heads.

The absence of leaves also helps to promote aeration of the heads. They are therefore less likely to be destroyed by mould which is very likely in such a humid environment.

However, this manicure technique also has its drawbacks. The disadvantage of doing your manicure directly after cutting is that you risk damaging the trichomes (rich in cannabinoids) on the tops, and leaving sticky leaves stuck to the tops. Some people also argue that an accelerated drying process damages the quality and taste of the product compared to natural drying.

Analysis of dry manicure

The dry manicure technique does indeed have many benefits as many consumers say that the flower should be given time to dry in order to obtain a better quality product. Indeed, the longer the flower takes to dry, the less chlorophyll that is very unpleasant in the mouth for many smokers. It also leaves a very unpleasant bitterness to the product.

Another advantage of the dry manicure process is that you have time to be more attentive to the cut. You will have time to look at each head and study it in order to cut it properly. You can also make the choice to leave the sugar leaves which are sometimes covered with trichomes.

Recovering the leaves for making derivatives

By removing the coated sugar leaves, you can recover them in a container to save for later. You can then transform them into hashish, butter or oil for example to get all the benefits.

Dry cutting does have some disadvantages, however. The risk of mould is high, and it is necessary to store the buds in a well-ventilated place that does not allow time for moisture to settle in. Indeed, heads exposed to a high level of moisture can develop mould, the product is then completely unusable and loses all its properties, leading to the total destruction of the crop.

How to manicure CBD flowers

From the above, we can see that both CBD manicuring techniques have their pros and cons, what we recommend is that you take advantage of both solutions. Once your stem is cut, you can pluck the large leaves that would prevent proper airflow between the buds. The aim of course is to combat the moisture that will be released during the drying period.

Once the plants have dried, feel free to repeat the operation, removing all the leaves this time. When cutting, it is important to wear gloves to minimise trichome loss and sticky hands. You can use two containers to separate the trimmings from the flowers as only the flowers are nice to eat, the rest can be processed to make various products.

What are the other parameters to consider for a successful manicure?

Manicuring is one of the most important steps in the cultivation of cannabis plants. To this end, it is important to focus on the chosen manicure technique and to have the right equipment for the job.

Besides the manicure tools, the place also has its importance, you are recommended to be in a well prepared working environment with a temperature between 18 and 24°C and a relative humidity of 45-55%. The use of filters is also highly recommended as this is when the smell of cannabis is most noticeable.

You now have all the information you need to understand why and how to manicure your CBD flowers. Don't forget that humidity will be your worst enemy in this step, so it must be managed with great care.