How do you minimize bud rot when the rain starts?

I've had no trouble growing big and beautiful outdoor plants here in the Pacific Northwest. The problem is about 3 weeks before harvest time it usually starts raining. My big beautiful buds seem to love to soak up the water, and hold it deep inside themselves even when it's not raining. It is typical that I have to choose a cut off point, wieghing bud decay against the prefered harvest time.

Well it started raining yesterday, and continues off and on. Here we go again. But this year I have this idea to drape clear plastic garbage bags over the plants to keep the rain off. Has anybody heard of this or done this? Can it be done? I don't see why not, but how often do you think one would have to remove the bags to let them breath, once every other day maybe? I imagine it would not look good from the air to have 8 clear garbage bags lined up in the middle of the forest. Crap, now I'm too parinoid perhaps to try it. Any thoughts?

If anyone has other ideas I certainly would appreciate input.

bump
please help

I've used an EZ up tent it's 10x10 and the height is adjustable when it rained and even went as far as putting a fan in my backyard when the rain stopped to help dry any spots that did get wet.I think covering your plants with a bag could cause condensation and make it worse so if you could build a tent to keep the falling rain from hitting your tops.

Man im up against the same problem right now and my idea is to just dab the buds with paper towel after the rains.. its the best idea i can come up with

Yeah I thought about a fan, but they are about 250 yards from my house accross a driveway. I think you are right about the bag making too much condensation. I like the tent idea, thanks. I'm thinking the tent would need clear plastic of some kind, otherwise how would the sun get to it. Hmm, what about a piece of clear plastic roofing held up with 4 stakes? Now were cooking with gas.

you gotta do what you gotta do 4 stakes and clear plastic sounds good just don't make it so obvious;)

Thanks Turtlez, that sounds like a good idea until I get some shelter up. And I think I may lay some branches here and there over it. I really don't want it questioned from the air.

If your growing outdoor plants perhaps putting up a tent will draw alot of attention. If you see a tent up in the middle of a field will make someone discover your buds and take what you got. A way ypu can deal with that. If you know the rain patterns in your area. For nest year. Start your plants a month or two befor it is warm enough for them to go out side. That way when the season starts to plant you will have plants big a ready to go. Thus making your plants will mature a month or two befor the rain starts, and you will have killer dry buds to work with. The answer is start early to beat the rain. but for now take the plants so you dont get bud rot. Nothing sux more then to see a perfect bud go to waste. Let me know how you go about solving your delema :rastasmoke:

I'm pretty sure that if hes growing out doors, therye always gonna flower at the same time, no matter how long they vegg. unless theyre Ruderalis.

but yeah dude, i wouldnt advise a tent.. it doesnt seem safe

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Originally Posted by Billy Bong Thorton

If your growing outdoor plants perhaps putting up a tent will draw alot of attention. If you see a tent up in the middle of a field will make someone discover your buds and take what you got. A way ypu can deal with that. If you know the rain patterns in your area. For nest year. Start your plants a month or two befor it is warm enough for them to go out side. That way when the season starts to plant you will have plants big a ready to go. Thus making your plants will mature a month or two befor the rain starts, and you will have killer dry buds to work with. The answer is start early to beat the rain. but for now take the plants so you dont get bud rot. Nothing sux more then to see a perfect bud go to waste. Let me know how you go about solving your delema :rastasmoke:

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not true.
hmmm MISINFORMATION?

i just made a shelter for my outdoor plants(balcony), and they work for protect the babies from cold and humidity and to give the 12 hours of complete darkness, this way i have plants in late flower with plants in early flowering at same time. but the shelter is indoor and they get sun outdoor(balcony). i just put the shelter in front of my window with the door open for the air to get in and for the smell go out. i have to do this for security reasons(some gipsys scum, want to rip off my plants) before i just leave the plants outdoor in my balcony and once i have two plants with rotten bud due to rain period and i have to cut off many buds, you have to be close eye to rot bud, especially in fat compact buds and top colas. good luck for you.

I think using any kind of covering is going to do two things. It will be visible from the air, and it will keep the plants from breathing.

As an alternative, try mixing a little hydrogen peroxide into a gallon of water and dump it on the plants, rain or shine. This will, at the very minimum, bring some O2 straight to the root ball.

besides attracting unwanted attention, I think any type of covering will make matters worse ... you want lots of airflow thru your buds, and a covering not only blocks airflow, but holds in humidity and condensation ... outside of hoping for warm, dry, breezes, not much you can do ... :smokin:

OP- you can do pre-emptive antifungal applications- sulfur, subtillus, etc.

I've had good luck w/ serenade, app. weekly, starting 9/1 ish and going straight thru harvest.

Rhizome....wont that stuff just wash off in the rain?

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Originally Posted by Weedhound

Rhizome....wont that stuff just wash off in the rain?

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pre-emptive.

No, she's right- particlized sulfur'll rinse right off. Hopefully, though, what remains will suffice to inhibit fungal growth.

Same thing w/ the subtillus ( Serenade) - most of yer subtillis will dislodge, but enough remains to have a colonization advantage through raw #s over whatever fungal pathogens show up. The same conditions that'll grow mold will grow subtillus- and if you've already introduced about a bazzilion individuals, you've stacked the deck pretty heavily.

With the subtillus, the reapplications are mostly to keep the colony alive when things dry out.

Outside, this time o' year- I'd be spraying serenade every time the weather said it was going to rain, if I had the access.

:D.

I have a canvas patio shade pop up thing.I used it last year worked good. Its a real pain to put over plants then remove when sun comes out lol. Another thing that helps are the patio table large umbrellas. Support them with a tall 2x4 or pole or something anchor down so dont blow away! Im licensed so I don't have to worry about looks, so much.
Man my plants are 2 weeks from harvest. We have had a down pour a few hours ago. I didnt see any prediction or indications of rain. My buds are soaked.
My question is " By shaking water out of buds is it hurting the trichs?" Rain seems to wash away the "sticky" feel.
Man i need a couple weeks for sure now to dry them out :(

Any bumping and moving will remove a couple trichs, but bud rot will remove alot more. You gotta harvest early, or just keep applying funguside and picking out rot.

my bud are soaked, how soon will bud rot occur? I'm just gonna do the same i read above some where take some bounty towels and try to soak up as much as possible, i have some in pots and thought about bringing them inside somewhere and use a dehumidifier. any ideas on already wet buds?

Id just shake water out and if u can bring inside then heck yeah! Do that and get some lights on them get em to dry,a circulating fan too. Mine got saoked 2 years ago and after 1 week of no rain they dried out just fine. No bud rot and they were huge and thick so were totally drenched.
I personally have yet to get bud rot as long as was able to shake out water, a week of sunshine (or lights) and keep them from getting wet again...
Good Luck

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Originally Posted by devilvenom

my bud are soaked, how soon will bud rot occur? I'm just gonna do the same i read above some where take some bounty towels and try to soak up as much as possible, i have some in pots and thought about bringing them inside somewhere and use a dehumidifier. any ideas on already wet buds?

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I've never thought about using a dehumidifier because mine are all outdoors, but I suppose it might help. Heck it is supposed to remove moisture from the environment. The problem is the water is deep inside the bud, and I'm not sure a dehimidifier would be able to get it all out, but it's worth a try.

My unconventional ass is gonna be twist tying Silica gel packets to my buds here pretty soon! FUCK THIS RAIN....(I've got a net over my shit which holds down leaves which holds IN moisture. Also a good cover though)

If I can find any reasonable solutions to this issue I'll be sure to post back.

How inventive! I'm afraid if a silica pack gets rained on it will quickly hold it's capacity of water, thus rendering it useless real fast. But what do I know? I (we) appreciate you posting back if you find a solution.

I guess putting a few patio umbrellas or a shade canopy too much work? Or maybe ya cant becuase of place they are in? If it keeps raining the quicker u get a canopy or umbrella over them, the quicker they will begin to dry out...mine are dried out pretty good after 3 days covered still raining on and off.

Well, like we mentioned before, it's not very stealthy from the air to have a canopy in the middle of the forest, and also that would shade the plants. I'm glad you are winning your rot battle.

Ok I lost track of who was originally having the problem my bad, sorry. I'm in cali. Mine are in my back yard, lol. I can see where putting up anything would'nt be a good idea in your situation. Good luck to you.

Shake the buds with a quick flicker motion making sure to hold the branch close enough to the tip is supported and doesn't wag back and forth. Do this whenever they get wet especially soaked and you will not get mold. You loose a few trychromes but they regenerate and the existing ones get fat because the buds are healthy.

No nets, tarps, whatever - this prevents important air flow (and is a huge hassle). They can take the rain if you are proactive in properly tying them to a pole and shake gently as needed.



Rasta

Serenade is the stuff- i have had bud rot this year- constant rain here - I lost over half my crop to rot in 3 days- got advice from a long time mountain grower- I cut all fan leaves to aid in air circulation- extreme you may think but not as much as BUD ROT- then sprayed with serenade- i was also able to drag 400 feet of power cord and put a fan on my plants-as it rains here there is no breeze- stagnant damp air a fungi paradise-I resprayed with serenade after each dowwnpour- I was remoning buckets of rotted bud each day and in 3 days of serenade treatment I had stopped the growth- Rhizome suggested serenade to me 3 yeras ago- It works

grab the plant shake it roughly but not to rough or it will snap...shake them at least once a day everyday that it is raining..and once the rain stops shake them more..