How to Keep Bud Rot Away From Cannabis Plants?

Ensuring the health of cannabis buds is important for both maximizing final yield and improving the taste. However, there might be some unpleasant accidents happening to your buds, like bud rot.

Cannabis bud rot is also known as botrytis and grey mold. Bud rot occurs when a particular fungus infects the plant, robbing nutrients from the buds. No matter whether experts or novice, it could occur sometimes, and spread quickly indoors and outdoors. Luckily, we could keep weed away from the annoying bud rot easily by knowing how to prevent, spot and stop it.

What Does Bud Rot Look Like?

Very First Time

Bud rot is quite hard to notice at the very first time, as mold could hide in stems, fan leaves, buds and everywhere we forget to detect. If we carefully observe the cannabis plants every day, sometimes we notice unhealthy grey and squishy spots in the stem. After this silent invasion, there could be some yellow/burning leaves and brown/gray patches. These symptoms are easy to ignore. However, after that, this bud rot will start with a horrible speed.

The Development Stage

When the grey mold grows, there are a few obvious symptoms that could be noticed in cannabis buds and leaves:

Greyish brown buds
Fluffy white fungus on buds
White spots on the leaves
Deformed and abnormal bud leaves
Spores (small black spots)

As the spores are released into the air, they can infect other plants, leading to a more widespread bud rot issue. The unpleasant smell accompanying the rot is hard to ignore, akin to the sensation of dampening a sweaty cloth and leaving it in a dark, musty place. It's certainly not a scent anyone would enjoy.

The Unlucky End

After several days of bud rot, the situation can escalate to a critical point that becomes irreparable. The mold not only affects the cannabis buds but also permeates every corner of the plant. The detrimental effects include:

Gray mush covering the plant
Rotten brown buds
Spores fill in weed buds
Very fragile appearance

It's advisable to avoid inhaling spores released into the air, as they can potentially cause respiratory issues when breathed into the lungs.

Key Factors Behind Bud Rot Development

Environment

We now understand what bud rot looks like, but the question remains: why does it occur? Several factors contribute to the emergence of this unsightly grey mold in ourbeautiful cannabis plants:

High humidity
Insufficient ventilation
Mild temperatures
Dense plants
Plants with larger buds

Outdoor grown cannabis plants are highly susceptible to bud rot, because it's almost impossible to control the environment completely. Morning dew exacerbates the issue, posing a significant threat during these early hours as no plant can escape the moisture-laden conditions.

If you're searching for healthy cannabis seeds with more resilience to the uncertain environment, explore the following reputable selection. Seed Supreme is chosen by many Hey abby growers for its reliability and expansive array of strains.

Cannabis Growth Stages

Image via I Love Growing Marijuana

And is bud rot connected to cannabis growing stages? Yes, and no. First, the risk of bud rot will increase when the density of leaves and buds increases, due to the reduced airflow and improved humidity. However, bud rot can potentially occur at any stage — be it seedling, vegetative, flowering, or during the drying and curing process. So in fact, growers have to fight with the cannabis bud rot every moment.

How to Prevent & Cure Cannabis Bud Rot?

With this knowledge, we could get some tips to treat bud rot to prevent the irreversible unlucky end.

Adjusting the Growth Evironment

The first thing we could do is to control the environment. By setting suitable condition, including plant density, humidity, light, and temperature, we could potentially prevent bud rot.

For indoor growers, these steps can be followed as your precautionary actions:

Improve the air circulation, like by adding a USB fan to your ventilation system;
Control the humidity level timely;
Use advanced LED grow lights such as the Samsung LM301H LED integrated into Hey abby grow cabinets, for high light intensity with minimal heat;
Control the temperature;
Regularly train cannabis plants through techniques like trimming, LST and lollipopping

For outdoor growers, although it could be a bit harder, there are still actions that can be taken:

Control the plant density;
Remove excess water and plant;
Shake the plant if needed;
Train your plants on a regular basis.

Detecting Issues Frequently

Regular monitoring is also essential to combat bud rot. We recommene you inspect your cannabis plants every day, as the mold spreads really fast, and any oversight may lead to undesirable consequences. One excellent addition to your grow system is Hey abby's smart WIFI camera, which helps you monitor the plant's status through smartphones, no matter where you are. Moreover, a powerful magnifying device will come in handy for capturing intricate details over the leaves and stems.

If infection occurs eventually, growers could take the following actions to stop grey mold spread and reduce bud rot damage:

Isolate and remove the infected crop;
Use a vacuum instead of a broom;
Lower the temperature;
Ensure clean water and food, especially those containing sugar;
Use fungicide if necessary.

Removing the Infected Crop

If infection occurs eventually, growers could take the following actions to stop grey mold spread and reduce bud rot damage:

Isolate and remove the infected crop;
Use a vacuum instead of a broom;
Lower the temperature;
Ensure clean water and food, especially those containing sugar;
Use fungicide if necessary.

Letting Hey abby Manage Your Garden

Thanks to its smart climate control and seamless integration with the app, Hey abby allows growers to enjoy an optimal growth environment with minimal effort. No more guesswork or countless tedious tasks required.

Long-term monitoring of your plant's growth can be challenging, but with a hydroponic cannabis grow system like Hey abby, you can focus on more crucial matters. Additionally, with 1-on-1 support provided by Hey abby's cannabis experts, rest assured, your plants will thrive in a safe environment.

FAQs

1. Should I harvest my cannabis plants if there's bud rot?

It's better to harvest cannabis after fixing the environment and removing rotten leaves and buds. Otherwise, the fungus can envelop the entire cannabis plant, making it unsuitable for harvest.

2. Can I smoke weed with bud rot?

We advise NO as the rotten bud and leaves might have spores and other irritating stuff. It tastes unpleasant, and might do harm to your health.

Conclusion

Cannabis bud rot is a serious concern that can affect any grower at any time. However, with vigilant detection and proper environmental controls, bud rot can be prevented. Even if in the event of an outbreak, timely actions can also help contain its spread.

So, no need to panic if you encounter it. Enjoy your growing journey!