Animal Mints — Legends of the Frozen North Part 2 — Drying, Trimming & Preserving the Harvest Before we begin, once again, we want to apologize for dividing this harvest into multiple reports. We know it can feel like a long journey to follow week after week, but honestly, this is the only way we can properly document everything in the level of detail that these plants deserve. Harvesting, drying, trimming, curing, resin collection, storage methods, smoke reviews… all of these stages are part of the final medicine. And instead of rushing through it in one giant post, we prefer to slow down and share every step in the most educational and transparent way possible. So welcome back to the frozen north. This is Part 2. ⸻ Ten days later, the room had completely changed. The giant living plants we harvested in the previous report had now transformed into hanging medicine. Slowly drying in darkness, at around 18–20°C and roughly 60% humidity, allowing the moisture to leave the flowers gradually instead of forcing them dry too quickly. For the first couple of days, humidity was brought slightly lower to help remove excess external moisture, but after that, conditions stabilized again for the slow dry we love so much. And then came that moment every grower knows. That little click. That beautiful snap in the branches that tells you the plant is finally ready. Not too wet. Not too dry. Just right. And honestly… after seeing these girls hanging there for days, fully intact, massive branches swinging slowly in the dark, it was finally time to begin the next ritual. Trimming day. ⸻ Gloves on. Scissors ready. Trim bin prepared. Medicine beside us. Mr. Baggy supervising operations as always. One branch at a time, we carefully broke the plants down by hand, slowly removing each flower from the stems before shaping every nug individually. No rush. No machine trimming. No shortcuts. Just patience, resin, and respect for the plant. And these Animal Mints girls absolutely covered everything in trichomes. The moment trimming started, the gloves became sticky almost immediately. Thick resin building layer after layer until eventually it rolled naturally into small dark hash balls directly from the fingers and gloves themselves. This is one of those little moments we genuinely love about harvest season. That sticky resin coating the gloves is essentially concentrated trichome resin — cannabinoids, terpenes, waxes, oils, and all the aromatic compounds that make the plant what it is. With a little warmth from the hands and gentle pressure, it naturally rolls together into traditional finger hash. Simple. Ancient. Beautiful. And of course… we also continued our little Moroccan-style “drums” with the trim. By gently agitating the dried trim across the screens, we collected an absolutely beautiful amount of dry sift. Bright golden-yellow resin, soft and sandy, full of aroma and life. No exact scale numbers this time — this was more about enjoying the process than chasing statistics — but the quality spoke for itself immediately. Honestly, this type of hash is one of our favorite ways to enjoy the plant. A little inside a joint, slowly melting together with the flower, enhancing both flavor and depth without overpowering the experience. Pure magic. ⸻ Now let’s talk numbers. And honestly… these girls performed beautifully. Plant A gave us: 127g Plant B gave us: 247.8g Plant C gave us: 287.9g For dense, compact, heavily resinous flowers grown 12/12 from seed, this is an outstanding result in our eyes. Especially considering the morphology of these plants. This style of growing continues to impress us more and more every single run. The plants remain relatively compact vertically, but the flower production becomes incredibly efficient. Tight node spacing. Massive bud stacking. Heavy trichome production. Strong support structure. Dense flowers without absurd plant height. The frozen north delivered once again. And standing there in the studio holding entire branches in both hands… honestly, it was impossible not to smile. Happy grower moment. ⸻ Once trimming was complete, the next mission began: Preserving the terpenes. Because harvest means nothing if the cure is bad. So this time we decided to test multiple storage methods side by side. Some flowers went into traditional glass jars — still one of our absolute favorite methods for long-term curing. Stable, simple, reliable, and something we continue to trust deeply. Some flowers went into vacuum-style Zamnesia metal containers, where air can be partially removed while maintaining stable conditions inside. Others went into vacuum plastic containers with pressure-sealed lids. And finally, part of the harvest also went into Grove Bags, since the yield was simply too large not to use multiple preservation systems. Inside several containers we also added 62% humidity control packs. These packs are not “magic terpene creators” or anything like that — they simply help stabilize relative humidity inside the container, preventing flowers from becoming either too dry or too moist during curing. The flowers themselves were already dried correctly before storage. That part is important. Humidity packs are not there to fix bad drying. They are there to help maintain stability afterward. And honestly, one of the most exciting things now will be revisiting these exact same flowers months later to compare how each storage method affected aroma, texture, smoothness, and terpene expression over time. Because curing is alive. Medicine changes. Terpenes evolve. And that journey is part of the magic too. ⸻ One thing we also want to mention is how much easier trimming became with the curved point Zamnesia scissors. It might sound like a tiny detail, but those curved tips genuinely help reach deep into dense flowers without damaging structure, allowing cleaner trimming while preserving the natural shape of the buds. Small tools. Big difference. ⸻ By the end of this session, trays were full, jars were packed, hash was collected, gloves were destroyed by resin, and the studio smelled absolutely unreal. pine, diesel and earthy. Animal Mints is looking amazing. And honestly… looking at those giant trimmed branches in the studio lights, it was one of those moments where you simply stop for a second and appreciate the entire journey from seed to harvest. Because this is more than growing plants. This is preservation of flavor. Preservation of resin. Preservation of time, patience, and intention. ⸻ But we are still not done. Not even close. The next report will be the final chapter of this frozen journey: the smoke review, terpene breakdown, curing evolution, flavor analysis, effects, and our complete final thoughts on Animal Mints from seed to harvest. And trust us… This girl still has a lot to say. ⸻ Huge thanks once again to everyone following this journey: Zamnesia for the genetics, Plagron,FOG Lighting, the gear sponsors, the community, GrowDiaries, the growers supporting from day one, the silent followers, the commenters, the critics, the legends, the OGs… And of course, thank you to everyone taking the time to read these reports week after week. The frozen north continues. 📡 DELETED @ 1K Please stay tuned.we never quit https://www.youtube.com/@TheDogDoctorOfficial NEW 🙏 Thank you for your patience and continued support. FOR DISCOUNT CODES AND MORE JUST FOLLOW THE LINK https://website.beacons.ai/dogdoctorofficial 📲 Don’t forget to Subscribe and follow me on Instagram and YouTube @DogDoctorOfficial for exclusive content, real-time updates, and behind-the-scenes magic. We’ve got so much more coming, including transplanting and all the amazing techniques that go along with it. You won’t want to miss it. GrowDiaries Journal: https://growdiaries.com/grower/dogdoctorofficial Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogdoctorofficial/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@dogdoctorofficial Deleted by Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@TheDogDoctorOfficial NEW Vimeo : https://vimeo.com/dogdoctorofficial Under construction stay tuned ⸻ Explore the Gear that Powers My Grow If you’re curious about the tech I’m using, check out these links: 🔆 Lighting & Environmental Control • Future of Grow — Advanced LED lighting technology https://www.futureofgrow.com/ DISCOUNT CODE: DOG20 • Lumiflora — Under-canopy LED lighting https://lumiflorade.com/ • TrollMaster — Environmental controllers and automation gear (past collaboration) ⸻ Genetics • Zamnesia Seeds — Genetics used in this project https://www.zamnesia.com/ ⸻ 🌱 Soil, Substrates, Boosters & Root Support • Plagron — Substrates, bio mixes, and supportive products https://plagron.com/en/ ⸻ 🎒 Storage, Curing & Preservation • Grove Bags — Curing and storage solutions https://grovebags.com/ ⸻ 📸 Photography Equipment & Tools (Not sponsors, but part of my creative toolkit) • Sony A6700 • Sony full-frame macro lens + few more • Stacking photography workflow - learning • iPhone (for behind-the-scenes shots) As always, this is shared for educational purposes, aiming to spread understanding and appreciation for this plant. Let’s celebrate it responsibly and continue to learn and grow together. With true love comes happiness. Always believe in yourself, and always do things expecting nothing and with an open heart. Be a giver, and the universe will give back in ways you could never imagine. 💚 Growers love to all 💚 📸 P.S. – The Eye Behind the Lens All photos in this diary (for now — except for the ones showing the camera, which I took with an iPhone) are taken with a Sony A6700 paired with a Sony full-frame macro lens and a few more. Photography is part of the story — it’s how we share the fine textures, the glow, and the quiet details that words can’t always capture. I’ve also started experimenting with photo stacking — a technique where multiple images, each taken at a slightly different focus point, are layered together to create one perfectly sharp image from front to back. It’s not digital enhancement or AI; it’s pure photography — a way to reveal the plant’s beauty in microscopic depth, from trichome to petal. You’ll even see a few shots of "ghost me" capturing the shots — camera, lens, setup — because every grow deserves not just to be cultivated, but documented like art. FOR DISCOUNT CODES AND MORE JUST FOLLOW THE LINK https://website.beacons.ai/dogdoctorofficial NEW DISCORD - Official Server Invite Link : https://discord.gg/ksjAkA5T74