# Drying and Curing: Leaving the leaves on?????????????



## OBMF (Jan 6, 2012)

So I've read many drying and curing journals but they all tell you to cut off the foliage before you began drying the bud. I've heard and been told that if I leave the leaves on during drying I improve the quality of the bud because even after the limbs have been cut off the leaves keep producing sugars for the bud. The only draw back is that drying takes longer. Is this true? Any experts out there who are willing to chime in?


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## svsuv (Jan 7, 2012)

Another drawback is mold. I take off all leaves before drying. I don't know about producing sugar, but I doubt it would be enough difference with leaving them on.


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## k0ijn (Jan 7, 2012)

OBMF said:


> So I've read many drying and curing journals but they all tell you to cut off the foliage before you began drying the bud. I've heard and been told that if I leave the leaves on during drying I improve the quality of the bud because even after the limbs have been cut off the leaves keep producing sugars for the bud. The only draw back is that drying takes longer. Is this true? Any experts out there who are willing to chime in?


All fan leaves and larger leaves should be taken off the plant before drying.
I sometimes leave the sugar leaves (smaller leaves around the calyxes) on the bud, depends what the bud looks like, how large it is etc.
Leaving some sugar leaves on the bud will extend drying time for smaller buds, and thus give a more uniform drying time for the overall harvest.
You want a ~7 day drying period, not too long, not too short.


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## Dislexicmidget2021 (Jan 7, 2012)

Large fan leaves get cutoff almost indefinetely but the sugar leaves should be cut off as well but u could leave some on there depending on bud size and preference.


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## karr (Jan 7, 2012)

IMO its a pain in the ass to trim dry buds, the flakes get everywhere and the leaves don't bend to your will, the finished product looks worse.

If you are in a dry climate, leaving leaves on can help prolong the drying process, which makes for a better end result.


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## FarmerJJ (Jan 8, 2012)

Trimming is all personal preference thing. If your buds dry too fast and you get that chlorophyll taste then leave the leaves on for a slower dry(that is, if you don't mind trimming dry leaves). If your buds dry too slowly and mold could be an issue then trim them right after harvest. It's all about knowing your environment and seeing what works for you.

PS. Once you cut the stem the plant no longer produces anything, resin production has ceased. Moisture may still move through the stems but your potency will not increase.


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## raggyb (Aug 19, 2019)

Don't know but I'm going to try it. If it's in the plant's interest is to be extremely attractive to humans, then maybe it knows what it's doing better than we do. It doesn't cut it's own leaves off before they're dry. 
However, I'm never going to know if this made it better or not.


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## LinguaPeel (Aug 20, 2019)

FarmerJJ said:


> PS. Once you cut the stem the plant no longer produces anything, resin production has ceased. Moisture may still move through the stems but your potency will not increase.


Bullshit. Thats like saying smoking is as potent as edibles. Even though enzymes have converted the stupid fucking delta 9 into 11 hydroxy..

American internet growers, still rating bud by a stupid fucking d 9 thca number.. Gonna be funny when science admits you cant even get high off d 9 thc


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## Herb & Suds (Aug 20, 2019)

Wet trim reduces flavor and smell
Hanging the whole plant and trimming afterwards brings out the loud but is a pain to trim


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## f series (Aug 20, 2019)

I'll never trim plants that haven't been dried. I defoliate in flower so I have very few fans. After I cut whole plant, I cut no more til manicure


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## kingromano (Aug 20, 2019)

yes of course you must leave these precious leaves on your plants ..
. it seems that chorophyll in the bud continue to work during drying ..
and they protect buds against wind/light during the drying


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## Thundercat (Aug 20, 2019)

The decision can be dependant on the drying environment. If your environment is to dry you might want to keep the leaves on to hold in some moisture to ensure they buds don't dry too fast. 

I've found when I've got my environment correct that I get my best results by removing all the leaves without atleast 50% trichome coverage. So all the fan leaves, and any smaller leaves that don't really have many trichs on them. That all goes into the compost, or it can be juiced if the leaves are healthy. 

Then the whole plant or branch sections depending on how I"m cutting it get hung to dry for usually about 7-10 days. When the outside is just slightly crispy but the center is still soft I break them off the stems and put them in a paper bag to equalize the moisture. I'll give them a stir every day and leave them in the bag until they are perfect to smoke(usually 3-5 days). Once they are perfect to smoke, they also smell and taste outstanding, and it goes in jars to preserve that!


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