When you grow cannabis there are a lot of things that can happen unexpectedly. During the vegetative stage, your plants are susceptible to pests and during the flowering stage, they’re susceptible to mold and mildew. To avoid pests and molds, most growers opt for chemical-based products. After harvest growers also “wash” their buds. In this article, we’re talking about the complete guidance of bud washing along with some simple techniques that we can do to make bud washing safer and more efficient.
What is Bud Washing?
Bud washing is a controversial practice in the cannabis cultivation community that involves rinsing harvested cannabis buds with water or a water-based solution to remove contaminants and improve the overall cleanliness of the buds.
The process typically involves submerging or gently rinsing the buds in water, sometimes supplemented with mild cleaning agents such as hydrogen peroxide or baking soda, followed by thorough drying.
Pros and Cons of Bud Washing
4 Advantages of Bud Washing
1. Bud washing gets rid of pesticides.
Pesticides are gross, whatever they are. If you use too much over time they can seep into the soil (especially outdoors) and then can be taken back up into the plant. But indoors, that’s not so much a problem because you’ll just be using the soil once. Neem, for example, is a natural and strong pesticide oil that will kill pests. But it also has terrible effects on the buds, the color, taste, smell, and flavor of the buds will be changed. A quick bud wash will remove the remaining pesticide, to make them taste better for smokers that said, you should probably remove pesticides before you smoke, and washing your buds is perfect for that.
2. Bud washing will remove dust and dirt.
Even if we grow our plants indoors, dust and dirt are still unavoidable. Shaking buds does not remove dirt completely so we will have to wash the buds.
3. Bud washing can help remove pests.
If, for some reason, you still have some pests on your plants, washing your buds will help you remove eggs, body parts, or insects or pests so you can still use your buds.
4. Bud washing will remove all the useless stuff.
Apart from dirt and dust, during growing, the plants and buds will accumulate a lot of undesirable things on it such as pollen, animal hair, or dander. You do not want these to affect the taste of your weed, so washing your buds can really help if you have not had a clean growing environment.
4 Disadvantages of Bud Washing(Cons of Bud Washing)
1. Bud washing will postpone the drying period.
Drying the cannabis takes a while, so most of the time, growers will not water or feed the plants before harvest just to avoid long waiting times for drying periods. Washing buds mean you have to spend more time drying your product.
2. Moisture of bud washing might cause molds/mildew.
Your buds will end up getting wet obviously, and this means you are creating the perfect environment for mold so you’ll need to be extra careful when drying to make sure that no side of the bud is collecting excess moisture.
3. Bud washing can destroy THC structures and the form of the bud itself.
The structure of buds is fragile and if you swirl and touch them a lot, and dunk the buds repeatedly, they might end up losing trichomes.
4. Bud washing will influence the quality of your buds.
No matter what, bud washing will affect the quality and appearance of our buds, this is certain. This is the major trade-off of washing them at all.
Why is Buding Washing Important？
| Reasons | Description |
| Contaminant Removal | Since cannabis plants can accumulate various contaminants during growth, including dust, dirt, insects, pesticides, and environmental pollutants, washing buds can help remove these contaminants, potentially improving the safety and purity of the final product. |
| Mold and Mildew Prevention | Since mold and mildew can develop on cannabis buds, especially in outdoor cultivation or when environmental conditions are humid, washing buds can help remove spores and reduce the risk of mold and mildew formation, thereby safeguarding the health and quality of the harvested cannabis. |
| Enhanced Appearance | Washing buds can improve their visual appeal by removing surface debris, giving them a cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing appearance. |
Bud Washing Guide and Tips
If we must wash our buds here is a guide and a few tips. We have to prepare some things first: cold water, large strainers, bud trimmers or cutters, paper towels, clothes hangers, clothespins, and two large vats of clean, RO water.
| Steps | Instruction |
Step 1: Trim or manicure the buds | Harvest the buds gently and separate the buds from the plant. Put the buds on a basket or a tray. Do not use newspapers or newsprint; the ink on it will affect the taste and smell of your buds. |
Step 2: Physically check your buds, and remove visible dirt and pests | Use strong lighting or a magnifier to check the buds you just trimmed. If there are any large chunks of dirt and dust stuck on the buds, remove them with tweezers. |
Step 3: Pour cold water into 2 large vats | After making sure the buds are completely clean, soak them in cold water. The first vat is for the first wash and the second vat is for the final wash. |
Step 4: Dunk the buds into cold water in the first vat | Cold water will protect the trichomes. Dunk your buds in the vat. |
Step 5: Swirl the buds around | Swirl the buds gently to get rid of dirt and dust. Keep them in the water for a few seconds. Repeat this action one more time in the second vat. |
| Step 6: Get the buds out of the cold water and hang-dry them | Get the buds out of the water and hang them with clothespins. |
| Step7: Drying period | Dry your buds like usual. After the drying period, cure your buds. |
Now we know all the pros and cons of bud washing. Before doing it yourself, read this guide carefully and decide if you would like to wash your buds at all. Happy growing!
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
And be sure to check out our other blog posts for useful tips on becoming a great grower!
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Vee is an indoor cultivation expert specializing in tropical plants and cannabis cultivation. With extensive experience in various indoor growing setups, she excels in optimizing growth environments to maximize plant health and yield. Through hands-on experience with a variety of cultivation equipment, Vee has developed a deep understanding of indoor growing techniques. Passionate about sharing her knowledge, she empowers enthusiasts through articles, workshops, and online forums. Vee is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of indoor cultivation, whether assisting commercial operations or hobbyists, with practical and effective strategies.
