Drying the cannabis takes a while, so most of the time, growers will not water or feed the plants before harvest just to avoid long waiting times for drying periods. Washing buds mean you have to spend more time drying your product. 2. Moisture of bud washing might cause molds/mildew.
While not mandatory, it's definitely a good idea to wash cannabis flower buds that were grown outside. The process reduces outdoor air pollutants that may have accumulated on the buds such as dirt, dust, pollen, toxic wildfire ash, caterpillar poop, insects, bird debris, and other particulate matter.
While these are understandable concerns, washing your weed won't impact its flavour and effects. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD are fat-soluble and hydrophobic, meaning you won't lose them when you bathe your bud in water. Plus, those fruity and floral terpenes are locked up in a sticky resin.
As a matter of fact—no. Those crystals—known as trichomes—are extremely sticky after harvest, so even a drench with water isn't going to dislodge them from the bud itself. That said, anything else holding on for the ride, such as unwanted critters and dirt/dust, will get washed off with no trouble.
Moreover, it would help if you didn't think your plants are safe from bud rot after harvesting your buds. They can still catch the spores and become moldy. Therefore, you need to be extra careful and ensure your buds don't come in contact with the fungal spores.
Areas between the branches and buds require good ventilation to dry properly. If the plants are dried too closely together, the resulting moisture can cause the rot to spread.
Make sure the humidity in the grow room is high enough for your crops to thrive, but not high enough for bud mold to survive. Humidity of 44–55 percent is your ideal range. Another key to preventing bud mold in the grow room is having a properly ventilated space where air can easily circulate.
Clear Trichomes
The translucent appearance signals that the trichome glands are beginning to produce resin and THC is at its highest concentration. However, other cannabinoids have yet to form, so it's not time to harvest.
Powdery mildew on buds after harvest is a serious concern for cannabis growers, and for good reason. This severe blight is one of the top causes of cannabis plant destruction. The key to beating this threat is to keep it from getting anywhere near your plants in the first place.
If the smoke is particularly harsh and chemical, it may indicate the presence of contaminants. As well as sprayed contaminants, it may also indicate mould or excessive, unflushed nutrients. Either way, if your bud tastes particularly bad or harsh, it may very well contain chemicals harmful to your health.
Lack of light is perhaps the most common reason that cannabis produces fluffy, light buds. You may have noticed the lower, puny 'popcorn' bud sites that form below the main canopy. Often these buds are discarded by growers allowing the plant to focus biochemical energy on the main blooms.
Buds get less dense when it's too hot. Look at the loose structure of this bud grown in extreme heat. Another thing about temperature: cannabis plants in the flowering stage like it to be a little warm in the day, but cool at night. Warm nights are also associated with airy buds.
In contrast, fluffy buds yield disappointment and less plant matter. These airy flowers are often the result of suboptimal growing conditions, a lack of light, or nutrient deficiency.
Is dry weed okay to smoke? Though overly dry cannabis is not ideal, it can still be smoked. Anything beneath 10% moisture could be harsh, and the lower the moisture content below that, the harsher and less potent the cannabis will be.
High quality buds will be dense and thick, having grown to a heavy weight during the flowering period of the plant's life cycle. These dense buds signal that the plant received adequate nutrients and light throughout its lifecycle, resulting in a flower rich in cannabinoids and terpenes.
Once powdery mildew has infected a plant's leaves, it can easily spread to other parts of the plant - including buds making them unusable.
The moisture simply sits on the flower, and moisture invites bacteria. Mold can form in as little as 24 hours, and it only takes a few drops of water to get the process started. If you keep your cannabis in a damp area of your home in a container that will allow air in or out, mold is essentially a guarantee.
When the plant approaches maturity, the pistils change color and take on a brown or orange hue. This is a sign that the biological functions of the plant have slowed and it is no longer seeking pollen for seed production. Guideline #2: Harvest marijuana when 70% of the pistils have turned brown or orange.
In fact, you'll see some of the best bud development in the flushing period, as your plant uses up the rest of the nutrients within it. It thinks it's starving, and senses the end of its life is near. The buds will fatten up the most in the final few weeks of flower, and you'll also notice more trichome production.
Timing is crucial here, as the ideal moment to harvest is when approximately 50-70% of the pistils have changed color. If a significant number of white pistils are still visible, it's too early to harvest. Keep in mind that the higher the percentage of color-changed pistils, the more potent the high is likely to be.
Overwatering and high humidity can both contribute to bud rot. Soggy soil adds more moisture to the air as the excess water evaporates. Dense foliage can also trap too much moisture near the buds and stems of your plants, so trimming away some of the leaves during growth can help prevent gray mold.
Because bud formation starts after 7 hours of dark period, it is also wise to always maintain a minimum day length of 17 to 18 hours during the vegetative period. A dark period of 12 hours is used as a standard in cannabis to ensure a smooth flowering process.
If you over-dry your cannabis, it'll be more likely to go moldy, so it's important to monitor the drying process closely. If your buds are too dry, they'll be more likely to crumble when you try to break them up for smoking, so it's important to take them out of the drying chamber before they become too dry.