Trimming for Growillas

Trimming is the bane of every grower’s existence… meticulous work that just doesn’t come with any shortcuts.  Although there are a number of automatic trimmers on the market, most growers (understandably) just aren’t willing to trust their valuable harvest to a machine.  Many gardeners and farmers believe that properly manicured flowers require a human touch.  This doesn’t mean however that you’ll be spending the next 45 days in solitary confinement until your thumb is cramped into a ball… it just requires some planning and a one-step-at-a-time approach.

Planning

The first step is to plan your attack.  Depending on what you are growing and how much of it you grew, you might need more than one person for a successful trim.  Break down your quantity into managable numbers and approximate.  If you have 4 lbs of freshly cut fruit or flowers, and it takes one person 8 hours to properly manicure 1 lb of your flowers, then you’ll need 4 people to get the job done in one day. If you have 8lbs, you would need 8 people, and so on.  If your produce requires 1 person half a day to prepare 1 lb, then you can get 4 lbs. a day from 2 people. The point during this step isn’t to magically guess the numbers perfectly, but to avoid overwhelm and plan a quantified attack.  For large outdoor harvests of leafy varieties, you will need a large team to get things done in a timely fashion.  For personal indoor gardens, usually 1 or 2 two people is enough to finish the job in 1 or 2 days.  Once you have a clear idea of how much work you have, you can then coordinate with workers and plan a schedule.

Preperation

Most gardeners that have worked with a few trimmers before will keep a roster of their favorite workers.  Approx 1 or 2 weeks before harvest you will want to start calling your crew and organizing work days that fit everyone’s schedule.  It’s best to just work during normal business hours in order to accomodate the most people and to avoid undesirable traffic in your neighborhood after hours.  Once you assembled a team and schedule, make sure you have all the supplies you’ll need.  You’ll need scissors; the fiskars snips for fine detail, regular short and long blade scissors for rough material, and the big clippers for cutting larger stocks.  You’ll also need turkey bags, approx. 1 bag per pound of flowers.  For large harvest food-grade storage totes will work as well. Most workers will prefer gloves, make sure to use the powder-free, and the most ecological variety you can find.  Rubbing alcohol, olive oil, paper towells, lighters, snacks and beverages (something with caffiene), plenty of light, fans, and good tunes will be everything else you need.  Comfortable seating and tables are also necessary as the work will continue for long hours.

The Real Work

For trimming wet material, you’ll want to take it directly to your workers as you harvest.  We prefer to just take enough down to give everyone something to do for one hour.  This avoids the wilting that will slow down your trimming work. Start by breaking down your material, if necessary, into 7-10 inch stalks. This will make your material into easy-to-manage individual units.  Proceed by removing the fan leaves, usually the largest, outer-lying leaves that contain little or no medicine. Be careful not to leave stem bases or torn leaves, which dry up into unappealing “crow’s feet” on your finished produce.  As well, be careful not to try to remove too much during this phase; getting over-zealous can result in accidentally tearing buds from the stem or otherwise damaging your flower material.

First use your fiskars snips to go in after the largest remaining leaves, where the leaf stem attaches to the larger branch. After removing all fan leaf material, place in plastic trash bags or containers for disposal.  Next, using your hands to rotate the flowers and your short-blade scissors, you’ll want to look across the bud, pick a plane to cut along (almost as if trimming hedges) and then choose a cut, attempting to cut as many leaves along that plane as you can.  Rotate the flowers in your hand as you cut, to keep the plane close to the material, “wrapping” your cut around the flowers as you go. Repeat this method on the smaller leaf material until the flower has an even, uniform appearance with no protruding or scraggly-looking leaves.  Lastly, use your fiskars snips again to target any remaining leaves or unwanted material that remains.  Do this trimming work over a tray or a table to collect the trim.  This finer level of trim is useful for making concentrates.

For wet trimming, the finished manicured flowers will go onto wire hangers, hung from the last bud or branch on the stem.  Pack the hangers loosely so the buds are barely touching and hang the hangers to dry, approx. 4 inches apart from each other, to allow for at least an inch of airflow between buds

For dry trimming, you’ll want to use the above method, except for you won’t be taking wet flowers directly to your workers.  Instead, you’ll be bringing in your hangers full of almost dry branches, and the workers will work directly into your turkey bags or food-grade totes.  Usually, for dry trimming, you’ll want your workers to remove the flowers from the stem directly into bags. Be careful not to let your material get too dry before trimming, or it will be too delicate to handle effectively.

Clean Up

While you are working, and especially after you are finished, you might have quite a sticky mess.  Our preferred method for cleaning is to use olive oil and table salt.  Approx 1 tablespoon of olive oil, when mixed with one teaspoon of coarsely ground salt, when rubbed between the hands, will emulsify the resin and it will easily rinse away with hot soapy water.  For larger jobs, even your carpet may require cleaning, so consider who you will call or where you will rent your favorite scrubber.

For more information and more tips, make sure to keep reading RootsandHarmony.com and check out our 2010, 2009, and 2008 medical gardening calendars. If you have any questions or tips on trimming, please post comments here and keep the discussion rolling!

Posted Monday, December 7th, 2009 | In Guerilla Speeks.
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