Rain in Late Flower: How to Keep Bud Rot From Wrecking Your Harvest

Outdoor grows: why rain in late flower is so dangerous and how to avoid disaster 🌦

Rain during flowering is dangerous for outdoor cannabis because water gets trapped inside dense buds, weighing down and snapping branches and, worse, setting the stage for mold and bud rot. The fix is to keep plants under cover when it rains (or on dewy nights), stake the branches and shake the water off the buds afterward. It's one of the biggest threats as the outdoor season winds down, right when your plants are at their peak and that long-awaited harvest is getting close. Misting your plants with water is fine at other stages, but not now that the buds are dense and trapped water has no way to evaporate. Rain in flower brings two dangers. The first is that the flowers soak up a ton of water and the weight makes them bend, which can snap a branch. That one isn't so bad, and you can prevent it by tying the branches up. The second danger is the worst: all that trapped water, combined with temperatures swinging between hot and cold, can lead to mold. Of all strains, sativas handle downpours better than indicas, since they come from tropical regions and evolved over the years in those conditions. Their long, flexible branches and airier buds let them ride out heavier rain. Indicas, with their tighter and usually bigger buds, are the most prone to mold and broken branches. The only real way to avoid these problems is to move your plants under a roof if they're in containers you can move, or to build them a cover where they can shelter. Do that when it rains, and on the dewy nights that start showing up this time of year, and you've pretty much solved the problem. Building a rain cover is simple, but it does take a bit more than a sheet of plastic tied down with string. Keep in mind that one decent gust of wind can send it flying straight to who-knows-where.

If you can't, or don't want to, at least prevent broken branches with stakes, and after the rain, shake the plant branch by branch to get rid of as much of the water trapped inside the buds as you can. Some growers also use a preventive foliar fungicide spray, but that can ruin the flavor if it isn't carefully chosen, organic and tested. In this case the cure is often worse than the disease, so you're better off with other solutions, like covering your plants. If you've made it this far, you're probably already daydreaming about all the good times you'll have smoking those amazing buds. Don't get ahead of yourself: one heavy rain can throw it all away. Follow the remaining steps until your buds are chopped and ready for drying and curing.

Does growing indoors protect your plants?

Growing cannabis indoors, whether in a home grow space or a professional facility, can offer some real advantages when it comes to protecting your plants from pests and other environmental factors. Indoors, you can carefully control and regulate environmental conditions like temperature, humidity, lighting and ventilation. That helps you create an optimal growing environment and lowers the chances of a pest infestation, since bugs and other harmful organisms have a much harder time getting in. Indoor grows also let you use air filtration and odor control systems, which help keep your grow under the radar and keep pests out. You can also set up physical barriers, like screens and sticky traps, to keep insects and other critters away from your plants. It's worth stressing that while indoor growing can give you better pest protection, it doesn't guarantee you'll be problem-free. Keep a close eye on your plants and take preventive steps, like cleaning your grow space regularly and inspecting your plants carefully for signs of pests. Bottom line: growing indoors gives you more control over the environment, which can help protect your cannabis plants from pests and other harsh environmental factors. Still, you need good management and monitoring habits to keep your plants healthy in any grow setup.

Common pests on cannabis plants

Cannabis plants can be hit by a range of pests that damage their growth and health. Some of the most common pests that attack cannabis plants include:

1. Mites: Mites, like spider mites, are tiny arachnids that feed on plant sap and damage the leaves. They can leave a kind of webbing on the plant.
2. Thrips: Thrips are small, slender insects that damage leaves and shoots by feeding on them. Their damage can show up as silvery or bronze spots on the leaves.
3. Aphids: Aphids are small, soft-bodied insects that feed on plant sap. They can form colonies on leaves and shoots, weakening the plant.
4. Whiteflies: Whiteflies are tiny flying insects that feed on plant sap. They can cause leaves to yellow and wilt.
5. Caterpillars: Caterpillars are the larvae of butterflies or moths that can feed on the leaves and flowers of cannabis plants, causing serious damage.
6. Snails and slugs: These mollusks can chew the edges of leaves and leave bite marks behind. They're usually most active at night.

Don't let impatience, slacking off or one bad storm wreck all your hard work…