is rain a problem for buds?

[sunbiz1]

A strong, driving rain (like what seems to happen in norcal every october) can and will knock some trichomes off the buds. It depends on wind, amount of rain and how long it lasts. If the weather clears up soon after(like 3 days is usually about it if you're close to harvest) and has a nice breeze to dry things out and you shake the water off them immediately after the rain stops, then you should be fine. This is the primetime when mold will take a foothold. Light rain for a couple hours followed by clear, dry and breezy will not be a problem. The rain does worry me though. All strains react differently to rain and some are much more suseptable to mold than others.

Hail is always bad news.

BTW I know THC is not water soluable. The force of the rain hitting the trichomes will likely cause some of them to fall off. It probably won't make much of a difference with potency. Mold is the big issue with rain.

Hi,

I'm in the Midwest US, a mold problem might actually be a blessing here after spending 3 hours today hauling water. We don't have mold issues here.
:rasta:

[stormin94]

Hi,

I'm in the Midwest US, a mold problem might actually be a blessing here after spending 3 hours today hauling water. We don't have mold issues here.
:rasta:

Climate is different in northern California. It stops raining usually around may and doesn't start again until around October. The Midwest probably has a different kinds or levels of spores in the air than here. A plant might develop more tolerance to mold if it's exposed to moisture more often.

I just know it's a pain in the ass when the first storm blows in off the coast and the plants aren't quite ready. Nothing good comes from that.

[sunbiz1]

Climate is different in northern California. It stops raining usually around may and doesn't start again until around October. The Midwest probably has a different kinds or levels of spores in the air than here. A plant might develop more tolerance to mold if it's exposed to moisture more often.

I just know it's a pain in the ass when the first storm blows in off the coast and the plants aren't quite ready. Nothing good comes from that.

Now I understand, was unaware of your general location. Last Fall we had a few posters here with the same issue, only worse b/c they were much further north in Canada. Plants don't really care for cold rain and temps in the 40's!. Last year we had an unusually heavy rainfall, as in over a foot within 24 hours. I had a few plants in the ground on a small hillside which was flooded by a temporary stream. The plants survived, and actually got huge but the stress of that flood ruined the maturation cycle somehow. They never produced anything but pollen.

[airdawg13]

Rain can ruin a crop. It can create mold problems and the weight of the water can break branches. I would also watch out for wind too. I like to put cages around my plants. When the plants start to flower then it is a good idea to support the bigger branches with bamboo sticks. I have about 10 sticks per plant. I will probably pick up some more soon.

Maybe make a plastic tipi for the plants if your really worried about a big storm. I don't know if it would be worth the effort to make one for each plant though. I have no idea if rain can wash off the trichomes either. I hope not because after spraying my plants with neem oil. I like to come back later and rinse them down with the hose. Sometimes I spray the plants with the hose during the veg cycle. I like to think it helps make the plant stronger. During the flower/bud cycle I try to keep the colas as dry as possible.