Wet trimming means removing fan and sugar leaves from buds right after the plant is cut, while everything is still turgid and full of water. Buds are then dried on racks or hung by trimmed branches.
In practice
GenetixBay presents wet versus dry trim as grower preference. Both work when done well.
Reasons growers wet trim: - leaves stand out from the bud and are easy to snip; - less mass to dry, which helps in humid rooms or with limited drying space; - faster overall dry, sometimes useful when mould risk is high; - tidy, sculpted appearance.
The costs: - sticky, slow work, with resin gumming scissors; - buds can dry too fast, especially in a warm, dry room; - more handling of fragile fresh trichomes.
If you wet trim, slow the dry down to compensate: aim for roughly 15-21 °C (60-70 °F) and 55-62% RH, with gentle indirect airflow, so the dry still takes around 7-14 days.
Don't confuse with
- Dry trim: trimming after the buds have dried.
- Bucking: removing buds from branches, a separate step.
- Defoliation: leaf removal during the grow, not at harvest.
Myth check
Neither method is "superior" in GenetixBay's view (house ruling). The founder, who has trimmed hundreds of pounds, prefers brushing dry buds over scissoring wet ones. See drying.
