I am getting some brown on plants (see pictures). I’m sure lots of folks will say “mold” or “bud rot”. I’d say it myself. That’s certainly a possibility that I’m not dismissing, but I saw that last year. This year, I’m watering considerably less (and using a water meter to verify) AND this brown seems different. If you touch it, it crumbles off and the bud does not seem soaked like with bud rot. I’m wondering if they are getting too much sun and/or heat and if so, what to do. Or perhaps not enough water and/or nutrients. It’s happening towards harvest time. I don’t think they are quite ready for harvest based on my daughter examining trichomes (I’m quite color blind and have asked for help here with photos of trichomes before). These are outdoor plants in southern california. We have had a heat wave recently. Maybe max of 85 F (29C). I realize that’s not incredibly hot for some of you.
Any ideas as to what is going on and what to do? Bummer to have this happen towards the end. It’s been a relatively uneventful growing season. No bugs, tropical rains, overwatering, etc.
If you have an opinion on state of trichomes, I’d welcome that too. My daughter feels they are still clear, with some milky areas. No amber.
Thanks!
Sorry my friend, apparently you have a mold problem. Looks Like Budrot
Cliff
Could the Bud.rot have dried out due to the high temperatures? But, personally, I wouldn’t smoke it anymore even though it’s very annoying because of all the work.
Cliff
I agree with Cliff that it’s bud rot. It could be crumbly for many reasons, mostly bc it dried out.
@Cliff_36 and @Demonrage75 a couple of follow up questions… Do you use black lights to look for mold? They are cheap on Amazon. What did you think of the trichomes in my pictures? I’m wondering if I’m leaving my pot too long before harvesting. Like I said, I have a hard time seeing clear vs. milky vs. amber. I’m wondering if mold will just naturally set in if you wait too long to harvest. It’s amazing to me I have mold. I made sure no direct water is hitting them, the humidity has not been high, no rains, and I’ve let them dry out between waterings.
Thanks!
I’ve never heard of using a backlight to look for mold. I just googled it and yes you can use a backlight to see mold. Be careful you don’t confuse good bud for mold. It’s hard to see the trichomes in your photos, not enough magnification. All it takes is one spore to set it off. The bud will provide the moisture needed to reproduce.
The plant also produces water or releases it over the surface. If the buds are very dense or the leaves are very thick, this can lead to a lack of ventilation, which can then lead to mold. You don’t have to do much wrong and sometimes you’re unlucky. Especially if you’re growing outdoors, you run the risk of catching something that will ruin your harvest.
Cliff
@Demonrage75 and @Cliff_36 Here’s some other plants (hopefully w/o mold). Are these pictures good enough to see the trichomes?
The ladies look healthy. Mold always forms from the inside out. Try to look inside the buds from time to time, without breaking them of course. But I would chill with them for now.
Your buds still seem to be growing. New pistils are still coming out, wait another week or two before harvesting. I can’t say much about the trichomes, unfortunately they’re blurry.
Cliff
You need something like this
A hand held microscope. I think I paid less than 40 for it. Try temu or ali express.
Bud worms will cause it to look exactly like that. They can be a really bad problem out here in VA!
Thanks for all the replies folks. They are appreciated! Because I thought this was deviating too much from the original question, I posted a separate topic where I ask about black lights:
It was only ~$10 so I figured I’d play with one. By the way, @Jamon8 , I do have a jewlers loop with 30x and 60x magnification. I still have trouble seeing when trichomes are ready because I have color problems (which might also be a problem in using a black light!).