Harvesting cannabis is fun if you use the right tools. The right tools also maintain the quality of cannabis flowers, ensuring maximum benefits.

The cannabis industry is fast-growing, thanks to the non-stop invention of seed varieties and harvesting tools. Sure, the improved cannabis growing culture is something growers and cannabis enthusiasts worldwide should celebrate. Countries that have legalized cannabis are always taking major steps to ensure the cannabis growing culture gets something new, whether harvesting tools or seed varieties that add flavor to consumer's stoning life. Similarly, these countries do not delay informing the cannabis community about better ways of curing and using this healthy natural herb. The continuous invention of harvesting tools and ways of curing cannabis positively affects the quality of the crop. Maintaining quality makes it easy to meet the needs of everyone in the cannabis community. Is your cannabis production satisfying? If the answer is no, chances are you are missing the following harvesting tools.

Drying Rack

Drying racks are the best way to prepare commercial cannabis. These tools ensure psychoactive substances in the cannabis, including delta-8 THC, maintain their flavor and potency. What's more, drying racks improve the condition of the Cannabis after harvesting, reducing the risks of contamination or mold. Growers usually prepare cannabis using drying racks for seven days. In most cases, they twist the branches of the plant. If the branches make a sharp and crispy sound, the crop is ready for curing and storage.

Some cannabis growers use hang-drying to save on cost. Although this method of drying cannabis is time and cost-efficient, it requires more space. A quick refresher? Hang-dry involves hanging the harvested cannabis upside down in the open air. This form of drying cannabis requires maximum attention to avoid compromising the quality of the herb. Hang-drying mostly happens in a dark and dry room. Growers who choose this method should ensure the harvested cannabis are well-spaced for proper airflow to reduce risks of mold growth.

Since hang-drying consumes more space, other growers opt for drying racks. The right drying rack makes drying cannabis easy. However, choosing this method means you have accepted the costs attached to it. In other words, drying racks are expensive, making this method costlier than hang-drying.

Drying racks work better with cannabis cut into smaller pieces. Smaller cannabis pieces take a short time to dry on the racks. What's more, their quality is not compromised, giving the end-users something that positively affects their lives. Choose the right size and shape of a drying rack to give the cannabis community the best quality.

Dehumidifier

Dehumidifiers are among the tools that make the cannabis industry grow and thrive. Generally, these tools help first-time and experienced cannabis growers to keep humidity in check throughout. With humid conditions under control, the growers easily reduce the risks of mold and mildew. Dehumidifiers come in refrigeration and desiccant varieties. The former uses a refrigerated coil to draw air from the environment, while the latter uses a wheel covered by a desiccant to achieve its objective. Regardless of the type you choose, you can easily control the humidity levels when drying the harvested cannabis plant.

Dehumidifiers work better in wet climatic regions, including Pacific Northwest. With these tools at your disposal, you can keep the humidity levels in your cannabis drying room in check, avoiding mold that can tamper with the flavor and potency of the harvest. The prices of dehumidifiers, whether for commercial or residential applications, range from $ 100 and $ 1,500. That said, consider your budget before ordering this cannabis harvesting equipment.

Pruning Shears

Pruning shears are must-have tools for serious cannabis growers. These tools make trimming easier than using hands or scissors. Pruning shears are sharp, allowing you to slice off stems and leaves from the cannabis plant easily. This gives the plant a better shape, making processing and storage easy. Well-stored cannabis plants are also free from mold and mildew.

Trimming involves removing the large branches at the bottom of the cannabis plant. Due to their location, these branches don't get enough sunlight; hence may start dying. This process also involves removing unhealthy leaves and buds due to insufficient sunlight. With your pruning shears, start with large branches to create space for easy pruning. After large branches at the bottom of the cannabis plant, some middle branches that receive less sunlight should go. Finish the process with small unhealthy branches and leaves to make the crops presentable.

Nitrile Gloves

Nitrile gloves are made with latex and lubricant-free materials. With these gloves on, you reduce the risks of contaminating the crops. Tending to crops with bare hands may compromise the quality of the Cannabis, making them less effective when used. Most nitrile gloves are disposable, implying you need new ones each time you tend to the cannabis plants.

Heavy Duty Pruning Lopper

Pruning loppers are among the heavy-duty tools a cannabis grower needs for quality production. These tools are mostly used to trim branches that pruning shears may not slice through, specifically those with more than 1-inch diameter. Loppers usually come with long handles that allow you to easily reach and trim thick branches. Some factors to consider when choosing pruning loppers include the blade quality and handle length. Go for loppers made with hardened carbon steel because they have a long lifespan. Blades made with other materials may make complex pruning more challenging, increasing the risks of damaging the cannabis flowers. Similarly, choose loopers measuring 32" and above for smooth pruning. If working with loppers with longer handles will be challenging, choose the length that will give you more comfort.

Pocket Microscope

Although overlooked, pocket microscopes are among the essential tools for cannabis growers. They are used for trichome tests, which helps growers know if the cannabis plants are ready for harvesting. Typically, these tools assess the THC and CBD levels before harvesting happens. Also, growers use pocket microscopes to check for insects, pests, and other impurities in the buds that negatively affect the crop.

Types of marijuana microscopes include handheld magnifiers, jeweler's loupe, digital microscopes, and regular microscopes. These tools come at different prices. That said, you should assess your budget before getting one, whether cannabis growing is your business or hobby. Most pocket microscopes come with up to 120x magnification and LED illumination to help you get clear images of trichomes.

Alcohol

One of the reasons for wearing nitrile is to avoid trichomes and sticky resins. However, wearing gloves does not mean you won't need to clean your tools after pruning the cannabis plants. Alcohol, especially the high-proof variety, removes sticky, resinous layers from your marijuana harvesting tools. High-proof varieties have a 90 % alcohol content that does the cleaning better. Some have a higher alcohol content for effective cleaning. For this reason, choose the high-proof alcohol that falls within your budget for clean marijuana harvesting tools.

Curing and Storage Containers

After harvesting and cleaning your tools or hands, prepare for the next phase, drying, curing, and storing your crops. Depending on the drying method used, this phase can come early or delay a little after harvesting. Remember the drying methods discussed above? Hang-drying takes a short time, while drying racks can take a week to get the job done.

Curing happens after the cannabis flowers are fully dry and trimmed. Typically, in this process, the flowers get a sufficient supply of moisture to discourage mold growth. Sufficient moisture supply also gives the flowers a rich aroma that adds flavor to the end-users stoning life. For better curing, most cannabis growers opt for burping. In this curing technique, cannabis flowers are dried, trimmed then set in mason jars or turkey bags. Once in, growers tightly seal the containers and leave the crop untouched for 12 hours. After closing the storage containers for the specified time, growers open the lids for 12 hours before closing them for more time, like 13 or 14 hours, until the cannabis flowers are well-cured.

The Bottom Line

Growing Cannabis, whether as a hobby or business, is a joy when you have the best harvesting tools at your disposal. The best harvesting tools make operations easy and maintain the quality of the crop. Of course, the excitement starts when the cannabis plants germinate. However, it can fade when the crop is not properly harvested, dried, trimmed, cured, and stored. That explains why you need the above eight tools to maintain your excitement from germination to storage of your cannabis flowers.