7 Essential Supplies for a Successful Harvest
A harvest is the culmination of all the hard work that you, as a grower, have put into caring for your plants. However, harvesting a cannabis crop can be hard, monotonous work. Therefore, you must approach it with the right tools and a bit of planning.
Below we have gathered the tools you’ll need for a complete harvest session. Regardless of whether you are growing the cannabis plants outdoors or inside in greenhouses, our tips will work in each case.
You’ll need:
Trimmers/Scissors
Do NOT attempt harvesting your cannabis crop with cheap, low-quality Bud Trimming Scissors! If you are growing the plants to make some money, you cannot afford to invest in a pair that is anything but the best.
So, get the best quality tool you can find — that much is clear. But also get at least two pairs per trimmer because one will soon become covered with the resinous residue. While they sit and dry up, you can slip your digits into the handles of the other pair and keep snipping!
For larger-scale growing operations, you may need to get a Bud Trimming Machine.
Rubbing Alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol, or iso for short, is a powerful cleaning agent and disinfectant. By composition to other solutions, it may have anywhere between 91–99 percent isopropyl. Why do you need it, though? To soak your gunky shears, so you may rub off the resinous buildup when you switch later. Pour some in a bowl and alternate between cannabis trimming scissors. The resin should wipe off easily after just a few minutes of bathing in the bowl of alcohol.
Paper Towels
An errant elbow may cause the bowl of alcohol to fall. You may need to pick up your ringing phone while your hands drip with resin. You’ll need paper towels close at hand for numerous reasons.
Orange
So, this is an alternative way to using synthetic chemicals to clean your gunky bud trimming scissors. Growers in Hawaii grind their shears in citrusy skin.
Alternatively, you can use specialized products, like Scissor Fix, to keep your trimming tools clean and free of buildup throughout the harvest.
Mylar heat seal bags
Mylar bags have several advantages over other types. For one, they are smell proof. So, when at the end of the day, you store the buds in these bags, the characteristic weed-like smell won’t get out. It is crucial that your bags stay sealed and secure until they reach their final destination. Make sure that you have removed any sharp edges from the stems and seal the bags properly. Doing so will reduce the chances of any of your product falling out or a stem poking a hole in the bags.
Trim Bin Tray
The whole marijuana plant will contain the cannabinoids that make it so valuable. However, the part specifically responsible for the storage of those chemicals and others, like the terpenes, are call kief glands.
A tray that has high walls on all sides will keep the marijuana leaf from falling out. Moreover, look for one that has a 150-micron screen that can be replaced with a 220-micron one that won’t let even the finer kief escape. We’d also recommend that you defoliate before harvest to speed up the process.
Nitrile-Free Gloves
Nitrile Gloves for trimming will keep the finger hash from sticking and make it easier for you to collect them. Choose a sturdy pair that won’t get holes and can keep your hands dry even hours after you’ve put them on.
Now that you know what you need, it’s time to gather your harvest supplies and start trimming. You should be able to find most of these items at your local hydro or garden supply store, however, as the demand for quality cannabis harvest supplies increases, there are now more options than ever before. Online retailers, like the MainStem Marketplace, are a great option for ordering everything your cannabis business needs at wholesale prices.
Learn more about Cannabis Growing and Harvesting Seasons here.
