How to Manicure Your Cannabis Flowers?

What is CBD flower manicure?

CBD flower trimming 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. In other words, it involves carefully and meticulously trimming the weed flower in order to keep only the best part . The goal is to obtain a beautiful weed flower and therefore a final product of optimal quality .

It is much more relevant to hemp plant growers, as consumers often buy the finished CBD flower products. Therefore, they are unaware of the work that goes into making them.

If you have some buds to trim and are unsure of what to do, the tips we're about to give you on CBD flower trimming techniques will be very helpful.

What equipment is needed to perform a CBD manicure?

Before you venture into a CBD manicure, you need to be well prepared and equipped with the right equipment. The tools needed for a CBD flower manicure are:

• a pair of clean, sharp scissors or shears;
• a tank, ideally made of plastic, to collect the plant leaves and trichomes;
• a good pair of powder-free latex or rubber gloves for handling plants and protecting your hands from cannabis resin which is notorious for sticking to skin;
• a clothesline or string to hang the cannabis branches.

What are the different CBD manicure techniques?

First, you will need to decide what you want to do during the manicure, as you have two options. Either right after harvesting them, or once all the buds have dried. Therefore, there are two manicure techniques: wet manicure and dry manicure .

Wet trimming involves cutting the buds immediately after separating them from the plant. Hence the term "wet trimming," as the buds are still wet.

Dry manicure involves waiting until the flowers are completely dry and then starting to cut. Note that the drying time is approximately 15 days.

To help you decide which CBD flower trimming technique will work best for you, it would be wise to know the pros and cons of both techniques.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of manicure techniques?

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

Advantages and disadvantages of wet manicure

One of the advantages of manicuring immediately after cutting the plants (wet manicuring) is that the drying process is made faster by the fact that there are no excess leaves continuing to release moisture for the buds.

The absence of leaves also allows for more ventilation of the buds. They are therefore less likely to be destroyed by mold, which is very likely in a humid environment.

However, this trimming technique also has its drawbacks. The downside of trimming directly after trimming is that you risk damaging the trichomes (rich in cannabinoids) on the buds and leaving sticky leaves stuck to the buds. Some people also argue that an accelerated drying process detracts from the quality and taste of the product compared to natural drying.

Dry Manicure Analysis

The dry manicure technique actually has many benefits , as many consumers claim that it's important to allow time for the flower to dry in order to obtain a better-quality product. Indeed, the longer the flower takes to dry, the less chlorophyll, which is very unpleasant in the mouth for many smokers, will be lost. It also leaves a very unpleasant bitterness in the product.

Another advantage of the dry manicure process is that you have time to be more attentive to the trimming process. You'll have time to examine each bud and study it in order to trim it properly. You can also choose to leave the sugar leaves, which are sometimes covered in trichomes.

To check that the grass is completely dry before trimming, you can check by bending a branch. If it snaps cleanly, it's dry. If it bends without breaking, it's still wet.

Recycling leaves for the production of derivative products

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

Dry cutting does, however, have some drawbacks. There is a significant risk of mold, and it is necessary to store the buds in a well-ventilated area that does not allow time for moisture to set in. Indeed, buds exposed to high levels of humidity can develop mold, making the product completely unusable and losing all its properties, leading to the total destruction of the harvest.

Which method should you choose to do a CBD flower manicure?

Given the above, we can see that both CBD trimming techniques have their pros and cons. What we recommend is taking advantage of both solutions. Once your stem is cut, you can pick off any large leaves that might be blocking proper airflow between the buds. The goal, of course, is to combat the humidity that will be released during the drying period.

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

This method is also called partial trimming or double trimming . While it takes more time to do a wet trim and then a dry trim to fine-tune the flower, the result will ultimately be more precise and the weed flowers will be much tastier.

What other parameters should be taken into account to achieve a successful manicure?

Trimming is one of the most important steps in growing cannabis plants. Therefore, it's important to focus on the chosen trimming technique and equip yourself with the right equipment for the job.

Besides the manicure tools, the location is also important. It is recommended that you are 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 because this is when the smell of cannabis is most noticeable.

You now have all the information you need to understand why and how to trim your CBD flowers. Remember that humidity will be your worst enemy during this step, so it must be managed with great care.

Curing

If you want to optimize the result, you can also proceed with what is called "curing." This drying step consists of placing your flowers in a closed box, opening it for a few minutes a day and stirring it to prevent moisture from developing.

At the end of this curing process, the weed is dry, crispy, and fragrant. The aroma it releases is particularly pleasant.

In conclusion

At harvest time, you must choose a curing method to make the CBD flowers suitable for consumption. This depends on the desired results and the drying environment available.

For optimal results, there's nothing like a double trim—a wet trim and a dry trim. This method produces flowers that are as beautiful as they are delicious.