Phillybonker
Well-Known Member
I'm wondering if any outdoor growers have had to deal with bud rot due to heavy rains?, or do you outdoor growers harvest early when there is a heavy rain to avoid bud rot?
Have any outdoor growers had problems with bud rot due to heavy rains?
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A good question and a concern for growing outdoors especially with some of the strains that have been bred for fat dense colas.
A grow buddy grew a GSC which had lovely fat colas and unfortunately the fattest ones got bud rot after about 10 days of straight rain and he lost most of the plant. I was growing in the same rain but on a balcony where perhaps the humidity was a bit less and perhaps there was more wind or perhaps it was because I was growing a WW which had slimmer colas than his, but mine didn't get any bud rot. He is now in the habit of shaking the water off his plants after it's rained, and he still shakes his head bitterly about the loss even though it was several years ago!
I've had bud rot but not because its rained, the bud rot that I have experienced was quite localised and I think was the result of insect/caterpillar damage causing a bit of bud to die off and rot.
Otherwise if it was a real concern then you'd have to try and think up some way to put some protection over the plants - bloody tricky a lot of the time though!
A grow buddy grew a GSC which had lovely fat colas and unfortunately the fattest ones got bud rot after about 10 days of straight rain and he lost most of the plant. I was growing in the same rain but on a balcony where perhaps the humidity was a bit less and perhaps there was more wind or perhaps it was because I was growing a WW which had slimmer colas than his, but mine didn't get any bud rot. He is now in the habit of shaking the water off his plants after it's rained, and he still shakes his head bitterly about the loss even though it was several years ago!
I've had bud rot but not because its rained, the bud rot that I have experienced was quite localised and I think was the result of insect/caterpillar damage causing a bit of bud to die off and rot.
Otherwise if it was a real concern then you'd have to try and think up some way to put some protection over the plants - bloody tricky a lot of the time though!
When facing serious ongoing fall rain, it’s really the only option
What sort of trichome ratio do you like to harvest by Weasel? I've always aimed for cloudy with a bit of amber but only as many with a lot more experience were recommending that. Anyway, just out of interest. Cheers.
To be honest I do not look at trichomes. Or I do once in a blue moon but they never really tell me anything I don’t know already just by looking.
But that’s just the way I do things. I don’t know that it’s better than checking trichomes. Like a lot of stuff I do, it’s probably worse. I just look at the plants and judge the overall look, based on the appearance of the fan leaves and the sugar leaves. And also the bud -which gets more sticky and changes colour amd tone as it gets ripe.
It’s just kind of an overall feeling that I go by. There’s roughly a two week window usually in which might chop. Sometimes I feel like getting the early bud, and sometimes the late bud.
But that’s just the way I do things. I don’t know that it’s better than checking trichomes. Like a lot of stuff I do, it’s probably worse. I just look at the plants and judge the overall look, based on the appearance of the fan leaves and the sugar leaves. And also the bud -which gets more sticky and changes colour amd tone as it gets ripe.
It’s just kind of an overall feeling that I go by. There’s roughly a two week window usually in which might chop. Sometimes I feel like getting the early bud, and sometimes the late bud.
Thanks for that, that makes a lots sense that approach too, to be honest when I'm looking out for a bit of amber it can still give a pretty wide window of time on when to chop. I've heard some of the more experienced say similar to you too and it resonates with me. It's about time I stepped back from the trees and just checked on the condition of the forest for a change!
p.s. Another question, sorry. Do you feel mostly that there is solely an optimum window to harvest, where early bud is less 'optimum' and late bud is a bit past optimum, or do you find them all good to aim for.
Cheers
I’m usually inclined to leave it long just because (if things go well) the flower takes on a riper look and gets more resinous. I am a late-chopper compared to lots of people.
There are a few processes that happen towards the end of flowering, to use as gauges. The fan and sugar leaves are one side of it. They wind down, get depleted, and die off. When they’re mostly finished, bud is getting into a nice window and you’ll usually see the flower jump into gear at the same time as the leaves finish.
When those leaves are to the point that they’re dying back into the bud making it hard to trim and risking mould, you’re really pushing the ‘late’ side of the window. Dead sugar leaf is often a deciding factor for me with when to trim.
The bud itself depending on the strain usually changes tone in the last couple weeks. Ideally (for me) it starts to get into the stage where it turns from green into a blue or gray/blue colour.(Or purple/whatever) Here’s an example of a Malawi that‘s done with its fans and started to turn blue
I could maybe leave it a few more days to see if it will get stickier. But the fans will start to be trouble as they wilt.
Lots of buds will start to dry out (get less resinous) or get discoloured patches when left too long. Sometimes the main top buds will be getting past their prime like that while the lower buds are just reaching perfection. if left too long then the top buds at harvest will be a little bit lower quality than some of the bud level buds.
Late buds eventually do seem to lose a little bit when they get past their prime. Like maybe the high isn’t quite as strong and vibrant. But in reality it’s pretty hard to flower a plant very far past its prime because they make it pretty obvious that they’re done.
Some strains will be so kind as to get very nice and sticky a little bit early, and give you a chance to chop them before that the sugar leaf dies back. Not all strains give you that opportunity. Some of them just aren’t ready until the last minute, in my opinion
Not all strains act the same way obviously, and grower-torture also changes the outcome.
Not sure I answered your question but it is five in the morning and I’m stoned lol
There are a few processes that happen towards the end of flowering, to use as gauges. The fan and sugar leaves are one side of it. They wind down, get depleted, and die off. When they’re mostly finished, bud is getting into a nice window and you’ll usually see the flower jump into gear at the same time as the leaves finish.
When those leaves are to the point that they’re dying back into the bud making it hard to trim and risking mould, you’re really pushing the ‘late’ side of the window. Dead sugar leaf is often a deciding factor for me with when to trim.
The bud itself depending on the strain usually changes tone in the last couple weeks. Ideally (for me) it starts to get into the stage where it turns from green into a blue or gray/blue colour.(Or purple/whatever) Here’s an example of a Malawi that‘s done with its fans and started to turn blue
Lots of buds will start to dry out (get less resinous) or get discoloured patches when left too long. Sometimes the main top buds will be getting past their prime like that while the lower buds are just reaching perfection. if left too long then the top buds at harvest will be a little bit lower quality than some of the bud level buds.
Late buds eventually do seem to lose a little bit when they get past their prime. Like maybe the high isn’t quite as strong and vibrant. But in reality it’s pretty hard to flower a plant very far past its prime because they make it pretty obvious that they’re done.
Some strains will be so kind as to get very nice and sticky a little bit early, and give you a chance to chop them before that the sugar leaf dies back. Not all strains give you that opportunity. Some of them just aren’t ready until the last minute, in my opinion
Not all strains act the same way obviously, and grower-torture also changes the outcome.
Not sure I answered your question but it is five in the morning and I’m stoned lol
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Phillybonker
Well-Known Member
A good question and a concern for growing outdoors especially with some of the strains that have been bred for fat dense colas.
A grow buddy grew a GSC which had lovely fat colas and unfortunately the fattest ones got bud rot after about 10 days of straight rain and he lost most of the plant. I was growing in the same rain but on a balcony where perhaps the humidity was a bit less and perhaps there was more wind or perhaps it was because I was growing a WW which had slimmer colas than his, but mine didn't get any bud rot. He is now in the habit of shaking the water off his plants after it's rained, and he still shakes his head bitterly about the loss even though it was several years ago!
I've had bud rot but not because its rained, the bud rot that I have experienced was quite localised and I think was the result of insect/caterpillar damage causing a bit of bud to die off and rot.
Otherwise if it was a real concern then you'd have to try and think up some way to put some protection over the plants - bloody tricky a lot of the time though!
10 days of straight rain!!! What ruthless weather. I'll shake the water off the plants after it rains.
Does your balcony have a roof or is it open?
It is a really great answer and thanks for that, and lovely bud pic to show!
I guess as far as harvesting time goes, you are pretty much doing so when an individual plant has reached what you sense is its optimum 'expression' of readiness, and you're placing less importance on targeting early or late stage.
It has a roof but is open on one side. So rain can giving them a soaking when it comes from the open side direction but it affords some protection otherwise.
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