How to Stop ‘Bud Rot’ Before It Starts

Dealing With Bud Rot, and Powdery Mildew…Just Cannabis Seed

Jerry here. There is no worse feeling for a grower than getting within a week or two of harvest, looking at a massive, sticky cola, and noticing a single, tiny grey leaf poking out of the side. You pull on it, and the whole center of the bud comes out as a mushy, grey, moldy mess. I have had to simply discard huge fully flowered 15 ft tall giants!

That’s Botrytis, better known as bud rot. It’s the silent thief that thrives in high humidity and stagnant air. Once it starts, it spreads like wildfire through your bulk crop. In my fifty years of growing, I’ve learned that you don’t “fix” bud rot—you prevent it.

Don’t Let Mold Steal Your Harvest! Tactical Prevention…The Ghost

By the time you see it, it’s often too late for that branch. Prevention is about controlling the environment around your ladies, even when they’re hidden deep in the “nasty” brush.

The Ghost’s Mold-Defense Strategy:

• Airflow is Everything: When you’re hollowing out a “nest” in a blackberry thicket, don’t just clear a spot for the pot. Clear a “wind tunnel.” You need air moving through the bottom of the plant.
• The Sun: When growing in an humid environment…if the sun is shining you want it shining on your plants….always. That and good air flow are your best friends!
• The Morning Shake: If you’re at your site early after a heavy dew or a rainstorm, give your plants a gentle shake. Getting that standing water out of the tight crevices of the buds can be the difference between a clean harvest and a total loss.
• Defoliation: As the plants begin to mature I like to strip away some of the larger fan leaves in the center of the plant. This opens up the canopy and keeps the air flowing ‘through’ your plants.
• Caterpillar Control: This is the “overlooked gem.” Caterpillars bite into the bud, and their waste (frass) creates the perfect breeding ground for rot. If you see butterflies fluttering around your plants, you’ve got a problem. I have seen this online, and feel for you guys…I have never had one instance where I had a problem with this in WA state.

Op-Sec Tip: If you do find rot, don’t just toss the infected bud on the ground. The spores are airborne. Carefully cut it out, put it in a bag, and pack it out of the woods with you. Or at least well away from your plants.

Keep them dry, keep the air moving, and you’ll be bringing in those heavy, rot-free colas come harvest time.