Growing a hemp plant is no walk in the park. Most amateur growers find it hard to control their hemp plants; especially, with bud rot. For those who don’t know, bud rot is a type of fungus that assaults your flowers and can potentially destroy your entire harvest overnight. However, before you panic about this dreaded fungus, you should learn about it beforehand. Experts believe that to prevent bud rot from ever happening, you must identify its root cause. In other words, detecting bud rot at the earliest can make or break your entire harvest. You must also learn the causes of bud rot and prevention methods to stop them from ever occurring in the first place

Identifying Bud Rot

Bud rot are pesky when it comes to causing havoc to your hemp plants. The worst part is that they take on different appearances, depending on the stage of the plant. Onwards, they tend to develop in your biggest or even the densest buds before spreading throughout the plant. The difference is quite visible on the plants; since they look just sick. However, the concerning part is that most home growers don’t know what the culprit is. But there are a few key indicators that can help you identify that its bud rot, visually, through the leaves' yellowing, usually these change color in a very short time span.

Look out for darkening color on your plan's different features, such as leaves, pistils, flowers, etc. Then, you’ll be able to easily identify the distinct nature of the part which is affected by bud rot. While you’re looking for different indicators, don’t forget to look for white mold spots on your flowers or leaves. After inspecting those spots further, you might realize that those leaves or flowers break apart quite easily as if they are dried up. The most advanced bud rot stage is when you notice that dust poofs out when you move it. This is a clear indication that your plant has mold spores, and it's time to go into high alert. Now you will notice that more of the fungus spores are spreading around the grow. At this stage, as a last resort, you must remove all your infected flowers or leaves to save your plant.

Causes of Bud Rot

The biological name for bud rot is Botrytis Cinerea, which is a specific type of fungus. This disastrous fungus for hemp plants causes the buds to rot from inside out. Of course, the spores of the fungus are carried out from a different source to your plant.

You wouldn’t find this kind of fungus in indoor plants; since the spores are transferred through rainwater or wind. This is a problem since plants mostly start to grow flowers after a rainy season. In other words, the million-dollar question is, can you stop your plants from the wrath of bud rot? Or do you leave it to chance?

Precautionary Measures to Avoid Bud Rot

Usually, poor environmental conditions result in increasing moisture in your grow space. Therefore, a finely tuned ventilation system with air circulation can help in preventing bud rot significantly. However, if you’re indoors, these remedial steps can help you stay away from bud rot.

• Make sure that humidity stays less than 50% at all times. The excess of humidity is one of the major causes of bud rot. However, if you’re struggling to keep tabs on the humidity, then a dehumidifier can help you prevent mold and mildew in the grow room.
• Keep a circulation fan to keep the air moving between the foliage and the plants. It’s another way to keep the moisture to stay settled in one spot. You can also use a big pedestal fan if you have enough space indoors. However, if you’re growing plants under a grow tent, you can also use a clip-on fan.
• Don’t forget to prevent high-temperature swings between lights on and off and stay focused on 75 degrees Fahrenheit's temperature. Remember, a growing environment, extreme temperatures (both high and low), can induce mold development.

Avoiding Bud Rots on Hemp Plants

Do you know that rainwater is bud rot’s best friend? If not, then outdoor plant growers, beware and follow the steps below to avoid a plant disaster.
• Remember to tarp your plants, with the help of stakes for support. Don’t just throw a tarp, blanket, or towel on your plants, which can end up breaking branches and damage buds as well.
• The best possible course of action is to stay tuned to the weather updates, to stay up-to-date on your region’s weather. However, if you weren’t aware of a slight overnight shower, don’t worry, just shake your plant off in the morning. You can also use a leaf blower to blow the water off your plants.
• You should always remember to tie your branches to protect them from the wind. A broken stem is an easy point of access for bud rot.

Defoliation

There are other methods to avoid bud rot as well, such as Defoliation. If you adequately train and defoliate plants, you can effectively grow plants, both indoors and outdoors. Plants which are extremely bushy within the foliage have a higher chance of bud rot. So, defoliating fan leaves from below your plants can create more airflow; thus, decreasing the moisture in your grow space.

Your plant’s fan leaves are like escape points for moisture, and the more escape points you have, the more moisture you’ll put in the environment. Keep in mind that there are several other benefits of Defoliation, but this alone is a good enough reason to do so!

Stopping Bud Rot in its Track

None of us have access to a genie in a lamp who can solve all our plant problems; even, in the form of fungicides. Of course, you can use preventative spray until your plants begin to bloom flowers. However, when your plants start to grow flowers, then stop right there! Nonetheless, if you do encounter this chaotic fungus, you must do everything in your power to stop it from spreading any further! One of the most obvious methods is to remove the parts of the plant, which start to get affected by the fungus. And even if you can’t move your plants away, be careful when you’re planting.

Saving Your Plants from Complete Disasters

Most plant growers are unaware of how they can save plants infected with bud rot. If you are not completely sure that you have eradicated all contaminated flowers, it’s best to remove the plant entirely. In other words, manage this fungal disaster before things go south! If you want to learn more about protecting your plants' growth, check out our post on the most common pests and diseases! Happy growing!