Grow Q&A: Harvesting Properly

Dear Dan, I’ve heard you explain many times about the harvesting process, and cutting the branches off and hanging them. Everyone seems to condemn the method of cutting the bud off of the stem and letting it dry in hanging baskets. This is the method I use and it has worked very well for me. Am I losing anything like aroma, terpenes, potency or taste? This method is very efficient and it allows me to manicure my buds while they are still wet which makes them more presentable in the end. What are your thoughts on this? I’ve never heard you talk about this method but many others condemn it like I said. – Corey B.

Dear Corey,
I prefer the method where you manicure your buds wet on whole branches and hand the branches to dry. This way, the moisture leaves the plant more slowly and the process takes a bit more time but the results are a cleaner smoke and tastier buds. Buds that are taken off the branches often dry out too quickly leaving a “green” chlorophyll taste that never really goes away. The aroma is also better with slower dried nugs. Once the branches snap instead of bending, then you can remove the buds from the branches and jar them up to cure.

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