Wet vs Dry Trim

[latitude54]

In my first “season” growing, I’ve tried both wet & dry trimming, as well as something in between.

 

I’m leaning towards wet trimming with a tidy up when dry as I can do the bulk of the work whilst the plant is still in the pot & supporting it’s own weight.. However, as a complete newbie to growing, I wondered what other people’s preferences are, and why? Am I missing a trick? 
 

[Military Grade]

Normally I cut off all the big main fan leaves, then cut the plant at the base and hang whole to dry, once dry then dry trim. This method allows you to slow the drying down a lot.

 

 

But my last grow I used a scrog net for the first time so I did the same above apart from the hanging whole bit, this time I did individual branches, then Dry trimmed after.

 

 

My mate grows commercially and therfore wet trims with a spin pro, while it still comes out decent you can tell it had dried out a little faster than weed grown by someone for themselves with more time to dry trim. I did suggest he try a trim bag for dry trimming but not sure he's convinced yet, It took me a long time to get him to switch to LED's

Edited October 14, 2022 by Military Grade

[monkeypig]

dry trim for every possible reason I can think of. Chop and hang for 2 weeks minimum. 

Makes trimming far easier, quicker, far less smell and a much better quality final product. 

You won't catch me spending over 3 months growing flowers to ruin it at the end. Just don't get tempted to trim it before it is bone dry either or you won't get the benefit of a proper dry trim, and end up wrongly believing that wet trimming is best.

[Guest]

I'm at the stage where I'm drying it at 55 th 60 rh steadily at around 17 to 19 c and its very crispy on the outer stems almost snapping on the larger stems .

 

The meter says 68rh after a few hours in the tub this is after around a week .

 

I think I might speed up the dry putting the D/H on high the first day for 4 to 6 hours as the buds are wet but I truly worry about bud rot whilst drying .

 

I dnt know if I should just put the wet weed into the box and not run the D/H so hard?

[Pepe Ramon]

Mine are hanging up and I haven't cut a single leaf off yet. The conditions are a bit drier here so I am leaning towards leaving more leaves on to protect the buds from drying out too quickly.

[chilled artist]

@Military Grade, when drying in a cardboard box, like I am just about to do.... do you worry about air flow for rot etc. 

[Larry Badgeley]

@chilled artist

 

I assume that @Military Grade is drying in a sperate box because his tent is still in use? I am using a cardboard box currently for this exact reason. I attach my intake ducting to the bottom of the box going into the tent and use the "handle" which is punched out at the side to allow air flow. If it works correctly, then when you start drying in the box, when you open your tent, you should have the "hay" smell of your plants drying in the box. You can see the ducting from the box into the tent bottom left. It works well. However, just remember that cardboard is a notorious attractor of moisture. Whilst you can keep the RH relatively low, the plants may dry more quickly but only I suppose if you just hang single manicured buds as opposed to whole plants

 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Larry Badgeley
To add "going into the tent"

[chilled artist]

cheers @Larry Badgeley, fingers crossed for this stage, as you know  whichever stage your in is the most important stage.... but dont want to fuck it up at this stage!!!!!!

[Military Grade]

@chilled artist

@Larry Badgeley

Yes I still had a plant in the tent that needed finishing, and I had ducting connected to the box to the tent

Hole in bottom left before ducting was attached

 

Edit to add: I do this as I'm more worried about smell than I am about rot, drying weed has a distinct aroma.

Edited October 14, 2022 by Military Grade

[MidgeSmith]

I always preferred a wet trim for ease of access to the leaves / stems and have had similar results for wet and dry trimming.  I switched to dry as I feel like I must be missing a trick with so many dry trimmers. If I am honest though I have seen little difference. My next harvest I will dry trim after a low temperature dry and I will add the evidence from that, to the stack.

[badbillybob]

wet trim, allday long, much quicker and easier.

[bill cooper]

I wet trimmed for years until recently when I tried dry trimming and dry trimming is so much easier and quicker, can't say I noticed any difference in quality, but dry trimming is far less work. I certainly will never wet trim again, that's for sure.

[DeltaMelter]

Dry trim - use a trim brush and its done in no time

[OldFord]

Wet trimmer here        I remove all fans & larger leaf material ,  then slow dry and then final trim and use that sugar leaf trim for cooking purposes.

 

I too use the cardboard box method ,   i extract from the highest face  via  4!" fan  &  passive intake from the lowest point to try keep  temps as low as poss.

 

 

[MidgeSmith]

The best thing about wet trimming is that you absolutely know when you have time to trim, because you harvest at that point.  When  you dry trim, the exact right time for each plant can come at a point when you have no time to deal with it and then it goes over and grrr.  I guess the best thing I have found about dry trimming is that the little leaves slow down the dry.

@DeltaMelter have you found no drop in quality after using the brush?  I didn't when I rubbed the leaves off, but obviously it must knock a lot of trichs off by reason of how it works, dragging across the surfaces no? Also £30 seems a bit steep - though no doubt it will last forever.  I am wondering if a silicon brush like you use to put an egg glaze on pastry would do the same thing, despite having round bristles rather than flat ones..?

Edited October 14, 2022 by MidgeSmith