As the resinous, stinky colas begin to flop under their own weight, it’s clear that harvest season is upon us. Now all that’s left to do is chop, dry, trim, and cure your cannabis. While most of the harvest process is fairly painless, trimming is undoubtedly the most tedious step.
Trimming is a repetitive task that causes restlessness, severe boredom, back pain, fatigued hands, and mundane dreams of more trimming. Still, there’s something to be appreciated in seeing each nug of hard work take shape while breathing in the sweet smells. Work is what you make of it—and it helps to keep your mind busy with a few passive activities.
Here are a few suggestions that’ll help you skate through that pile of untrimmed buds. Do you have additional advice—or maybe a favorite show, album, or podcast—to help pass the time? Chime in with your recommendations in the comments section and your fellow trimmers will thank you!
Make Quality Conversation
Conversation is key to making the most out of a day of trimming. Come to the table with weird or interesting topics. Don’t be afraid of tangents and opinions—you’ll have plenty of time to cover every corner of every topic! Be curious, ask questions, and explore daunting or unexplored subjects that you haven’t found time for in your day-to-day life.
Explore talkative strains on Leafly.
Watch-but-Don’t-Watch TV Shows
Seinfeld, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and The Office—these are the types of TV shows you can watch without paying close attention. Shows like these are driven by entertaining dialogue, and are often easy to jump in and out of, especially if you’re already familiar with the characters and setting.
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Get Lost in a Podcast
Getting lost in podcasts for hours is one of the best ways to pass the time trimming. Need a suggestion? Try Snap Judgement, The Moth, This American Life, Serial, Case File, and How I Built This. (Of course, there’s always Leafly’s What Are You Smoking? and The Roll-Up, if trimming hasn’t already made you weary of cannabis talk.)
The best part about podcasts? There’s one for just about every interest imaginable. If you’re with a group, you can easily find a podcast that will entertain everyone and lead to a great discussion after and during the episode.
Sequence Your Setup
Sequencing your order of operations while trimming will help break up your tasks while increasing efficiency. Get all of your supplies ready so that when you sit down, you can get the job done as quickly as possible. This means have your scissors, tray, rubbing alcohol, drinks, snacks, and buds all within arm’s reach.
If you look anything like captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek, you’re doing it right.
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Bonus Trimming Tips
These trimming tips can help you stay efficient and comfortable throughout a long day of clipping.
Bonus Tip #1: Don’t Get Really High
This might sound counterintuitive and some readers will immediately scoff at this idea, but trimming while stoned can slow you down. You may find yourself getting hung up on small details, spending too much time looking at every stem and leaf. Some trimmers may have no problem staying on-track while stoned, but if you find yourself more distracted than focused, it’s not a bad idea to save the smoke for after.
Keep a clear head—try a high-CBD strain.
Bonus Tip #2: You Don’t Have to Sit
Being stuck in a chair the whole time can be uncomfortable, and there are tasks that are easier done while standing. Try getting up to remove buds from their branches. This step, known as “bucking down,” is best done at a standing desk with a large surface area to grab lanky branches and discard fan leaves. By bucking down while standing up, you can move around a bit and give your back a break from sitting.
