Do you wash your bounty from your food garden or grocery? I wash it all! This includes my outdoor cannabis harvest.
Last summer’s thick forest fire smoke had me legitimately concerned for my outdoor ladies, so thick they flowered early. So if I needed a respirator to be outside, I was also aware of what nastiness was in that particulate we shouldn’t be breathing, yet was being deposited on my outdoor ladies. I also use Diatomaceous earth for pest control (always apply with a respirator) that I didn’t want to come along in the harvest. And so my journey with bud washing began with some admitted disbelief that I was living in a place that resembled blade runner skies with respirators required!!!
I’m not talking washing them off with the garden hose, I’m talking a full 3 stage bath!!!
That said, I was sold when I saw what washed off!!!
This is the process I followed:
Many have asked what the wash water looked like. Last year was all about the forest fire scum and less bugs, this year was the year of hidden aphids and early spring forest fire smoke scum! UGH! So glad I did this!!!
FAQ:
Trichomes are not water soluble, however they can melt or freeze! Use luke warm water, never hot nor freezing (unless you’re making bubble hash purposefully using ice water to knock them off). The idea is to wash off only the icky.
No – Gentle agitation doesn’t harm the trichomes! Yes, I’ve scoped before and after to prove it.
I let them drip dry, it doesn’t take long as the trichomes aren’t water soluble so it’s kind of like water off a ducks back.
No – this has not impacted cure time.
I’ve seen growers trying to “rescue” moldy bud using a similar bud wash- don’t be that grower. Mold will make you sick.
Happy harvesting!
You are the storm 