A Growers Choice: Wet vs Dry Trimming 2020 Updated
Trimming is one of the least appreciated aspects of cannabis; it’s also one of the least understood. The average person may think of trimming as a simple snip job that removes the buds from the stems — but there’s a lot more that goes into it.
There are two typical methods of trimming: wet and dry. If you ask growers which is better, you’ll find a roughly 50/50 split in responses. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and you’ll need to decide for yourself which one works best for your business.
Dry trimming
Dry trimming takes at least twice as much time as wet trimming, plus the 10–15 extra days of the drying process. Once dry, you will have to remove the curled leaves surrounding the buds, which can be done with trimming scissors. The process, though, might prove a bit too strenuous.
Accordingly, large-scale producers who dry trim their buds generally invest in professional trimmers. These are electric machines specifically designed for dry trimming that allow growers to get done with their trimming in a matter of hours, instead of days. The only downside here is the price.
Wet trimming
Wet trimming is the normal way to harvest your cannabis plants. You either cut the whole plant down and start removing as much leaf material as possible with fingers/scissors, or trim one branch at a time. This method is preferred by the vast majority of cannabis cultivators worldwide.
The disadvantage of wet trimming is the time it takes. For commercial growers, hired hands will be required for post-harvest processing. This can be costly and a security risk. Home growers may need to wet trim in stages for larger harvests, especially if you favour the ScrOG method. 2–3 days of trimming solo by hand is hard graft.
Dry Trim Vs. Wet Trim: Final Verdict
- You should dry trim if…
- the quality of the bud is more important than anything else
- you are not able to get through all the trimming in one day
- you need to move your harvest off-site as quickly as possible
You should wet trim if…
- you want to get trimming done quickly (to save on labor costs, for example)
- you have limited drying space
- you are in an especially humid climate
Cheap Bowl Bud Trimmer Machines
The leaf bowl trimmer is a good non-electric bud trimming machine, at an affordable price that can save you 80% of trimming time. This manual operation unit comes with two adjustable blades, the wire blade is for dry buds and the flat blade is better for wet buds.
How it trims buds: The rubber fingers tumble buds while the blade trims the bud leaf that passes through the metal grate. Simply remove the top, place untrimmed buds on the grate, close it and rotate the handle clockwise for about 15–30 seconds. Remove the top again to reveal the trimmed buds. Leaf is caught in the lower section of the machine. Simple & easy to clean.
The Trimpro Unplugged is a hand-operated bud trimmer machine. The machine is designed for instances where noisy power tools are not applicable. You might want to tend to the flowers in your apartment. The Trimpro Unplugged is a great option so that you do not inconvenience other residents of the apartment with noise.
Risentek Bud Leaf Trimmer Machine
This cannabis trimmer can be used for both dry and wet trimming. Ti quickly gets rid of excess twigs and leaves from multiple types of plants and flowers — it can be used for making essential oils and potpourris, too. A 16-inch trimmer, it is long lasting with a metal gearbox and center grate with a 5/16” slot for all sizes of flowers.