Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification

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mashy

mashy

188
63
Hi growers and enthusiasts, I just harvested an outdoor crop that had a few issues with budrot. I thought I would try to find the silver lining and share my experience and photos in the hope it might help others in the future.

First, to set the scene:
- first grow ever, outdoors in pots, 70% potting mix, 30% perlite.
- Blueberry and Gelat.OG strains from fem seeds
- growing in southern Australia during a very wet autumn

I thought that budrot would be an issue for me, so I covered my plants from rain once flowering started. However, a freak storm ripped all my rain covers and soaked my plants, and budrot set in a few days later 😩. Based upon reading, most advice indicated that I could salvage my crop if I could fix my wet/humid environment. As it was too early to harvest I tried to keep the budrot at bay until the plants were ready.

Overall I got most of my crop through to harvest. I estimate that I lost 15-20% yield, but I figure that's a lot better than having to harvest way too early. The two elements that I think we're key to success were:

1. Keeping the buds completely dry from the time that I first found the rot. I even covered every night to stop dew.

2. Early identification and removal of rotting buds.

I tried not to spread any spores when removing the rot, but I don't think it was a major factor. There were clearly already plenty of rot spores on my plants so my strategy was reliant on fixing the environment, not eliminating spores.

So, the hardest (and most time consuming) part of my strategy was to find and remove the budrot as early as possible. Here is a cola where I missed a rotting bud - this is what early detection can avoid!

Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification


Most advice that I found online suggested looking for brown leaves coming out from the buds as an indication of budrot. This is an example of where a brown sugar leaf can indicate rot.

Brown/grey sugar leaf found during inspection:
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 5


Budrot at the site of the brown sugar leaf:
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 6


Site from which the budrot was removed. Note there are no signs of rot in the adjacent buds:
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 7


A lot of my inspections showed that budrot was quite advanced by the time leaves started browning. Earlier signs of budrot were mainly a localised brown/grey colouration of the buds. Here are some pictures of early budrot that might help with identification.

Grey bud:
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 8

Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 9


Confirmed to be budrot:
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 10


Bud and leaf grey/brown:
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 2
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 3


And a picture of the bud after the sugar leaf has been removed, confirming budrot:
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 4


A grey/brown bud, with budrot at the tip:
Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 11

Budrot tips and pictures to aid identification 12


Hopefully this can help someone who is struggling with budrot one day.

Remember that budrot is not a death sentence for your crop IF you can fix your moisture levels. You just might need to give a little extra TLC 🤗.

Thanks for reading ✌️☮️
 
LexLuthor

LexLuthor

2,972
263
That was a very informative illustration on budrot. Thank you! It was very helpful!!
 
Sofi

Sofi

14
3
😔 how do u fix 4 days of continuous rain plus 80% humidity lol I think I will just need to wait til spring is done here. Same thing happened last yr, I would start my babies indoor n wait til the last freeze is clear. Put them in the ground, they'll grow big buds but 2-3wks b4 harvest time there's always rot everywhere 😭 I just tossed out a lb or 2 worth
 
mashy

mashy

188
63
😔 how do u fix 4 days of continuous rain plus 80% humidity lol I think I will just need to wait til spring is done here. Same thing happened last yr, I would start my babies indoor n wait til the last freeze is clear. Put them in the ground, they'll grow big buds but 2-3wks b4 harvest time there's always rot everywhere 😭 I just tossed out a lb or 2 worth
I'm no expert but it sounds like an ongoing problem in your climate. Probably best to hunt some resistant genetics if you can't keep them dry.
 
starfieldsb

starfieldsb

5
3
Hi growers and enthusiasts, I just harvested an outdoor crop that had a few issues with budrot. I thought I would try to find the silver lining and share my experience and photos in the hope it might help others in the future.

First, to set the scene:
- first grow ever, outdoors in pots, 70% potting mix, 30% perlite.
- Blueberry and Gelat.OG strains from fem seeds
- growing in southern Australia during a very wet autumn

I thought that budrot would be an issue for me, so I covered my plants from rain once flowering started. However, a freak storm ripped all my rain covers and soaked my plants, and budrot set in a few days later 😩. Based upon reading, most advice indicated that I could salvage my crop if I could fix my wet/humid environment. As it was too early to harvest I tried to keep the budrot at bay until the plants were ready.

Overall I got most of my crop through to harvest. I estimate that I lost 15-20% yield, but I figure that's a lot better than having to harvest way too early. The two elements that I think we're key to success were:

1. Keeping the buds completely dry from the time that I first found the rot. I even covered every night to stop dew.

2. Early identification and removal of rotting buds.

I tried not to spread any spores when removing the rot, but I don't think it was a major factor. There were clearly already plenty of rot spores on my plants so my strategy was reliant on fixing the environment, not eliminating spores.

So, the hardest (and most time consuming) part of my strategy was to find and remove the budrot as early as possible. Here is a cola where I missed a rotting bud - this is what early detection can avoid!

View attachment 1114330

Most advice that I found online suggested looking for brown leaves coming out from the buds as an indication of budrot. This is an example of where a brown sugar leaf can indicate rot.

Brown/grey sugar leaf found during inspection:
View attachment 1114344

Budrot at the site of the brown sugar leaf:
View attachment 1114345

Site from which the budrot was removed. Note there are no signs of rot in the adjacent buds:
View attachment 1114346

A lot of my inspections showed that budrot was quite advanced by the time leaves started browning. Earlier signs of budrot were mainly a localised brown/grey colouration of the buds. Here are some pictures of early budrot that might help with identification.

Grey bud:
View attachment 1114353
View attachment 1114354

Confirmed to be budrot:
View attachment 1114355

Bud and leaf grey/brown:
View attachment 1114331View attachment 1114332

And a picture of the bud after the sugar leaf has been removed, confirming budrot:
View attachment 1114333

A grey/brown bud, with budrot at the tip:
View attachment 1114360
View attachment 1114361

Hopefully this can help someone who is struggling with budrot one day.

Remember that budrot is not a death sentence for your crop IF you can fix your moisture levels. You just might need to give a little extra TLC 🤗.

Thanks for reading ✌️☮️
Hello, Thank you for this information and your pictures. Do you mind looking at this one and offering an opinion? I am new at this as well and would love some feedback...Thanks,
Bud rot maybe
 
Pandude

Pandude

33
8
If I may throw in my 2 cents worth of advise in for outdoor growers; As the colas are forming, wearing rubber gloves, spread apart each bud from its adjacent bud so air can flow through this space as much as possible, this also lets your Neem oil get into tight places. You must do this every couple days or so until harvest. I know some of you farmers have a large crop and finding time can be rough or impossible.
Also, about a month before harvest I put a 48" fan on the girls which is blows 24/7. After all this I still loss 20% of my crop this year due to natural causes and rot, bummer but was expecting this.
Spark up
 
ComfortablyNumb

ComfortablyNumb

6,099
313
Hi growers and enthusiasts, I just harvested an outdoor crop that had a few issues with budrot. I thought I would try to find the silver lining and share my experience and photos in the hope it might help others in the future.

First, to set the scene:
- first grow ever, outdoors in pots, 70% potting mix, 30% perlite.
See, right there I see something.
You planted with potting soil and pearlite.
Neither of those is a living soil, which you need anytime you are growing in soil.
There is food hidden in the potting soil, but it takes MBE's to get at it and free it up for the plants.
Otherwise, just feed like it's coco and cut your feed numbers in half.
I think you have a root issue and it contributed to the rot by the plants weakened immune system.
 
Justlovetogrow

Justlovetogrow

1,635
263
I haven’t had a lot of budrot in my shortish time growing indoors but the time I did I found my sugar leaves actually turned upside down on the plant before any browning so I take that as a sign something not quite right to anyone else had this?
 
mashy

mashy

188
63
See, right there I see something.
You planted with potting soil and pearlite.
Neither of those is a living soil, which you need anytime you are growing in soil.
There is food hidden in the potting soil, but it takes MBE's to get at it and free it up for the plants.
Otherwise, just feed like it's coco and cut your feed numbers in half.
I think you have a root issue and it contributed to the rot by the plants weakened immune system.
Hey @ComfortablyNumb. Thanks for the feedback. I hear what you are saying about the potting mix, however I also top dressed with homemade compost and gave a fortnightly feed with worm juice.
Plants were super healthy throughout the grow and roots were healthy and white when I inspected after harvest. Here's a photo.
IMG20210415111311

I'm pretty sure it was primarily due to getting a good soaking.
 
ComfortablyNumb

ComfortablyNumb

6,099
313
Hey @ComfortablyNumb. Thanks for the feedback. I hear what you are saying about the potting mix, however I also top dressed with homemade compost and gave a fortnightly feed with worm juice.
Plants were super healthy throughout the grow and roots were healthy and white when I inspected after harvest. Here's a photo.
View attachment 1169677
I'm pretty sure it was primarily due to getting a good soaking.
Most likely. You might think about adding some drain holes to that can.
 
Bigpoplt

Bigpoplt

4
3
What is the general consensus on removing moldy bits from the buds? Can you still smoke what's left after curing?... I know this is a question most people wonder
 
shortjohnson

shortjohnson

12
3
hit your plants with a leaf blower after storms. This can do wonders to prevent rot. Cheap greenhouses and lots of moving/ fresh air
 
TSD

TSD

2,795
263
Just fyi, but rot is a fungus and it's systemic, meaning once you see it, it's already throughout the plant and it WILL keep comingback, it just lies dormant waiting for any decaying matter to feast on then it blows up and spores out. Eradicating it is nearly impossible. Covering from rain is great as long as you also have air circulation, because without air you've basically just made something to trap the moisture around the plant, thus increasing your chances of rot spreading. Once I see rot, I amputate that branch, if it pops back up, it's done, plant comes down. That's just my personal preference.
 

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