Hemp russet mites are tiny bugs that attack cannabis plants. In fact, they are so small you can only see them with a magnifier unless there are thousands of them infesting your marijuana plant. They live the crevices of leaves, stems, or buds, and the initial symptoms are not that serious. Many cannabis growers may not realize they have a bug infestation of hemp russet mites, and it’s common for growers to confuse the symptoms for other problems such as mold, fusarium, pollen, tobacco mosaic virus, overwatering, a nutrient deficiency or heat damage.

Hemp russet mites often cause curling on the edges of cannabis leaves. Another symptom of hemp russet mites is buds start dying. (Hemp russet mite leaf damage picture by thehumboldtlocal)

Hemp russet mites are tiny. You often won’t see them until you have a full infestation. They may appear as a beige or yellow mass (typically towards the tops of the plant). This yellow fuzz is sometimes confused for yellow mold, but it’s not mold. The yellow stuff is actually a result of the hemp russet mites. This cannabis hemp russet mites picture is by grow.nation.

This picture by Whitney Cranshaw shows the distortions you may see on cannabis buds and new leaves as a result of hemp russet mites. Click for closeup!

Here’s another picture of hemp russet mite damage on cannabis plants by Whitney Cranshaw. Note: The black and yellow bug in the picture is a ladybug nymph. It’s likely there trying to eat all the hemp russet mites!

If you see ladybug babies like the nymph in the above picture, don’t kill them! Ladybugs eat cannabis pests like hemp russet mites.

The following two pictures of Hemp Russet Mites (Aculops cannabicola) were taken in Bloomington, Indiana by Karl Hillig. This picture shows hundreds of microscopic hemp russet mites on the petiole of a cannabis leaf.

These microscopic four-legged mites infested cannabis hemp plants in a greenhouse at Indiana University. This picture shows hemp russet mites on a leaf petiole that was about 2 mm wide. By Karl Hillig.

Hemp russet mite damage on left leaf, healthy cannabis leaf on right (picture by Whitney Cranshaw of Colorado State University) – Click for closeup!

Symptoms of hemp russet mites on cannabis include:

• Symptoms often worst towards the tops of the plant
• Bugs are pale, typically either tan or yellow. In big enough numbers they can cause parts of the cannabis plant to look beige or yellow.
• Can spread through the wind
• Sometimes mistaken for fungus, mold, or pollen.
• Tops of plants droop, especially where there is a big infestation
• Curling of the leaf edges (on some plants)
• Dull-colored leaves or stems that may become brittle. These affected areas are where bugs are living inside the plant tissue.
• Brown or yellow spots (from leaf stress, not visible bites)

An intense hemp russet mite infestation on cannabis plants can be difficult to diagnose because it’s hard to see the individual bugs and is often confused for mold, underwatering, root problems, or other environmental cause.

The yellow mass of the tops of this cannabis plant isn’t mold or pollen. It’s actually an infestation of hemp russet mites.

About hemp russet mites

• Can reproduce and attack cannabis plants all year round
• Most harmful in the flowering stage when buds get infested
• Indoors, fans can spread mites

Unfortunately, hemp russet mites are one of the toughest cannabis pests to get rid of. They lay their eggs inside the plant which makes it very difficult to kill their eggs.

Prevention

• Grow from seeds (hemp mites and eggs cannot survive on seeds). If you start from seeds, your plants will not get hemp russet mites unless they get infected by some other source
• Treat and quarantine all new plants (even if they seem healthy) to ensure they don’t have hemp russet mites (or spider mites)

Time to get rid of hemp russet mites for good.

Solution: How to Get Rid of Hemp Russet Mites On Cannabis

Once you’ve actually identified that the bugs you have on your cannabis are hemp russet mites, it’s time to get rid of them! When it comes to hemp russet mites, a lot of the “standard” miticides are not as effective and you’ll notice these particular mites aren’t listed on the labels.

Hemp russet mites can be one of the toughest marijuana pests to get rid of, but it can be done if you stay vigilant!

• Consider tossing your plants – I know it can be a hard pill to swallow, but if you have an intense infestation, sometimes the easiest thing to do is to get rid of the plants, treat the room thoroughly, and start over. However, make sure you know where you got the mites in the first place or you may end up infected again!
• Treat often – You may have to treat several times a week or even daily if you have a terrible infestation that won’t go away. This can be very difficult on your plants.
• Spray Before Lights Go Out – Whenever treating plants with a spray, do it before the lights go off so that your plant is less likely to get burned!
• Read Instructions – Make sure to read the full instructions of each bottle and follow them when treating your plants. You will save yourself a lot of big headaches!
• Repeat treatments weekly for 5 more weeks after mites are gone – After you think hemp russet mites are completely gone, don’t stop! Treat your plant with a different treatment at least once a week for 5 additional weeks. If you don’t completely eradicate them they’ll come back with a vengeance and be even more resistant to whatever you throw at them.

1.) Neem Oil

Neem Oil will leave an unpleasant taste/smell on buds when used to treat flowering plants, so again, don’t let this stuff get near your buds! There’s also some evidence Neem oil may be harmful to humans so use with care! That being said, Neem oil is an all-natural remedy that is very effective against many different types of bugs and mold, including hemp russet mites.

Neem oil can be rough on your plants so you don’t want to use it more often than you have to because your plants will suffer. However, if you get desperate, treating plants daily with Neem oil is very effective at killing hemp russet mites when nothing seems to be working.

You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly since neem oil and water can separate easily. A mister helps you get full and even coverage on all parts of the plant.

2.) Insecticidal soaps

Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps can be a good choice against hemp russet mites. They weaken the outer shell of hemp russet mites but are safe to use on your plants and they don’t leave much of a residue which could kill beneficial bugs in your garden.

With soaps, just like horticultural oils, coverage is very important as it does not stay on your plant for long, so follow-up applications may be necessary. Although this is considered safe, avoid getting any on your buds!

This will not get rid of hemp russet mites on its own, but it is less harsh on your plants than some of the other options and so it can be a great way to supplement the other treatments you’re doing.

Natria Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer

3.) Mighty Wash 

Mighty Wash may help rid your grow room of hemp russet mites. Spray plants 15 minutes before lights out, making sure to drench the foliage under the leaves as well as the top of your soil. You want to use a spray bottle or mister. Use a fan to blow on your leaves to help things dry. Treat your room more than once, even if you believe the hemp russet mites are gone.

Use Mighty Wash with a One-Handed Power Sprayer for the best results!

4.) Avid

Avid miticide is strong stuff with harsh chemicals, and is incredibly expensive, but it can sometimes do the job when nothing else is working. This is a systemic insecticide, which means it works by infiltrating the inside of plant tissue and killing bugs that way. Because of that it should NOT be using in the flowering stage (you don’t want this stuff inside your buds). However, many growers report that this is the only thing that consistently works for them. Always use Avid as directed and only as a last resort! You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

Don’t use this product more than once or twice in a row or your mites may become resistant. This should stay in your plant’s system for several weeks. If you’re going to be using systemic insecticides, switch back and forth between this and another one like Forbid. Make sure to follow the instructions!

5.) Forbid

Forbid miticide is sort of like Avid in that it is made of strong stuff with harsh chemicals and is even more expensive. This is a systemic insecticide, which means it works by infiltrating the inside of plant tissue and killing bugs that way. Because of that it should NOT be using in the flowering stage (you don’t want this stuff inside your buds). However, many growers report that this can be the only thing that consistently works for them. Always use Forbid as directed and only as a last resort! You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

Don’t use this product more than once or twice in a row or your mites may become resistant. This should stay in your plant’s system for several weeks. If you’re going to be using systemic insecticides, switch back and forth between this and another one like Avid. Make sure to follow the instructions!

6.) Diatomaceous Earth 

Diatomaceous Earth is basically fossil dust which you mix in with the top of your soil, and anywhere else in your room (window sills, doorways, etc). This powder-like substance is harmless to mammals and plants, but is incredibly sharp at the microscopic level. Therefore it will tear and dehydrate hemp russet mites on physical contact. This will not get rid of an infestation, but can help prevent, control and slow things down when used effectively! When it comes to hemp russet mites, you want to use every tool you can!

7.) Heat

Hemp russet mites don’t like the heat. Some growers will try to get rid of them by on small plants or clones by dunking the plants in hot water (105°F / 40°C) for 10-20 minutes. I’ve also heard of growers try to reduce their number by overheating the grow space to 115°F (46°F) for an hour. Be careful as this can be dangerous if you don’t take safety precautions, and any heat method strong enough to kill the mites will likely hurt your plants.

8.) Predatory Mites

Some types of predatory mites, like Amblysieus andersoni mites, may target hemp russet mites. Supplementing your garden with extra predators can help bring down hemp russet mite numbers. However, it’s not enough to fix the problem on their own and unfortunately a lot of the other remedies on this page may also kill predatory mites.

If you don’t want to use any pesticides, get predatory mites to help eat all your hemp russet mites!

9.) AgroMagen GrowSafe (Organic)

GrowSafe by AgroMagen is a natural miticide that claims to be effective against hemp russet mites. I am not very familiar with this product, but have heard good things about it. Given how tough this pest can be to get rid of, I wanted to make sure I included every possible option. From what I understand you will need to spray more than once and this is best combined with at least one other treatment. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

GrowSafe (plus a mister) kills hemp russet mites and almost any mite (including broad mites and spider mites)

More Cannabis Pests, Bugs & Viruses

The post Hemp Russet Mites appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

What Makes Cannabis Plants Grow Smooth Leaves? Re-vegging.

What does it mean to accidentally “re-veg” a cannabis plant? “Re-veg” is short for “re-vegetation” and refers to what happens if a plant that has started flowering re-enters the vegetative stage. The majority of cannabis plants are photoperiod strains, which need long nights in order to make flowers/buds (indoor growers typically give 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness a day). If the plant starts getting light during its night time it responds by re-vegging.

Sometimes even just a little light like a blinking LED in your grow tent, or checking on plants during lights-off is all it takes to interrupt your plant’s beauty sleep. For outdoor growers, the light from a street lamp or window can be the culprit.

Re-vegging happens when flowering plants get light during their 12-hour dark period. A few interrupted nights or even a small light leak can start a re-veg!

Re-vegging cannabis plants show odd leaf symptoms such as:

• smooth leaf edges
• buds stop developing
• long leaves or new stems grow out of bud sites
• main stem sprouts 1-point leaves (just one “finger” per leaf instead of the typical 7 or 9 for adult cannabis leaves)
• curling leaves (may look like heat stress)
• wrinkled, twisted, or unusual growth

This plant was put outside too early in the Spring season, which caused it to start flowering due to the short nights. As Spring progressed the nights grew shorter and it began revegging, growing these oddly smooth leaves directly out of the center stem.

Unusual single-point leaves started growing out of the developing buds of this plant in the middle of the flowering stage. The grower didn’t realize that turning the light on for a few moments during the dark period could cause a problem. If the plant is getting light at night, it only takes a few days to “flip the switch” and initiate the re-vegging process!

Some revegging symptoms include wrinkling, curling, or twisted leaves. These symptoms may be confused for watering, heat problems, or even broad mites, when they’re actually a sign the plant is going through major internal changes. Notice the wrinkled leaves in this picture are more smooth around the edges than typical leaves. That’s a key sign this plant is re-vegging.

This plant was already flowering indoors, but when it was brought outside in the spring, the short nights caused it to start re-vegging almost immediately.

These clones were recently taken from a flowering plant and have started re-vegging, causing odd growth and some smooth-edged leaves. Like many of the other cases of re-vegging, you can also see several single-point leaves among the new growth.

This outdoor cannabis plant started re-vegging, resulting in odd, twisted growth as well as smooth single-point leaves with long stems. It started revegging because it was growing near a window in the house that was shining light on the plant.

This plant was given a 12/12 light schedule after germination and buds (white hairs) started to form. The grower realized he wanted a bigger plant so he switched to a 20/4 light schedule so the plant would re-veg. Buds stopped developing and single-point leaves started growing out of the buds. Although you can still see a few white hairs, it is almost fully back into the vegetative stage at this point.

The leaves of a re-vegging plant may look different depending on the environment and particular strain. Ultimately, you know it’s the symptoms of re-vegging when the leaves appear more smooth than typical leaves. There really aren’t any other cannabis problems that cause that particular symptom.

Each cannabis plant expresses re-vegging a little differently!

Sometimes marijuana growers choose to re-veg their plants purposely, for example monstercropping (taking a marijuana clone from a plant in the flowering phase in order to change the clone’s initial growth patterns) or to harvest a plant for a second time (put it back into the vegetative stage and grow the whole plant out again after harvest, sometimes used by outdoor growers in warm climates to get a second harvest in a year).

Unfortunately, most of the time a grower sees the tell-tale leaves of a re-vegging plant, it’s an unwelcome sight!

What to Do About Accidental Re-Vegging

When a plant is revegging, you basically only have two choices.

1. Let it re-vegetate completely if you actually want the plant to be in the vegetative stage, or…
2. Correct the light periods by getting rid of any possible light leaks and giving plants 12 hours of interrupted darkness a day (to get them to go back into the flowering stage).

Plants that are far in the flowering stage can take a month or more to re-veg, while a plant that has only just started flowering re-vegs much faster. That goes both ways. If a plant has been re-vegging for a long time, it may take a few weeks to get the plant back to flowering and developing buds.

Luckily, a little time and proper care will get your plant growing normally again!

This cutting was taken off a flowering marijuana plant and put in a cloning device so it would re-develop roots and grow into a new plant. After a few days of growing, it started producing the typical rounded leaves of a re-veg.

About two weeks later, the plant is growing (mostly) normal leaves. Cannabis plants tend to grow a lot of stems and get bushy immediately after a re-veg, which can be seen heree. Although the growth patterns were odd at first, from this point on, the plant usually has relatively typical growing patterns.

Re-vegging cannabis pictures by Don B

If you see your cannabis plant re-vegging, don’t panic! Figure out whether you want your plant to be in the vegetative or flowering stage and act accordingly. A little time is all it takes after that to get your plant in tip-top shape again.

The post Accidental Re-Vegging appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Root Rot (With Tons of Pictures!)

What Triggers Root Rot?

Solution: Get Rid of Root Rot Forever!

Cannabis Root Rot – Slimy, brown, twisted or unhealthy roots are caused by unwanted pathogens in your hydroponic tank!

The marijuana plant on the left is healthy, and the plant on the right has root rot. The curled, drooping, unhealthy leaves are the result of the plant not being able to get enough oxygen through the roots. Root rot symptoms often look like a soil plant that has been severely over or under-watered.

Go Straight to the Solutions for Root Rot!

An example of what cannabis root rot can look like “under the hood”. Every infection looks a little different, but brown roots are usually the main symptom. It may affect all or just parts of the roots, and the sick sections usually become slimy or mushy and start twisting together.

Healthy Cannabis Roots Are White or Cream Colored!

Check out a quick Youtube video showing what a cannabis seedling with root rot looks like.

Root rot can be caused by several different organisms including types of bacteria, fungi, algae and parasitic oomycotes. Although the symptoms are similar between different types, they don’t always look exactly the same. However, growers generally refer to all types of unhealthy root browning as just “root rot.”

Root Rot causes droopiness and other symptoms similar to over or under-watering

Common Triggers for Root Rot: Light Leaks, Heat, & Lack of Oxygen in the Water

Because cannabis root rot can be caused by different pathogens, a solution that solves the symptoms of root rot for one grower may not necessarily work for another grower. What’s attacking your roots in California might be completely different from what’s attacking the roots of a grower in Australia. That being said, there are tools to fight against root rot no matter what kind you have!

The first sign of root root is usually a brown tinge on the roots.

Some varieties of root rot mostly affect the roots below the surface of the water while the roots located above the waterline stay white and healthy. This phenomenon is part of why it’s often recommended that hydro growers maintain at least a small amount of air gap under the net pots. Oxygen-rich moist environments (including that misty air gap) make it very difficult for root pathogens to grow.

Sometimes even the roots above the waterline appear brown. The white strands you see in this picture are actually new roots coming out of the old unhealthy stuff. When new white roots are growing, it’s a sign the plant may be getting better! Even after roots have recovered, you may see the brown for a while until it’s completely covered by new white roots again.

Brown, infected cannabis roots often appear twisted. In fact, sometimes them getting twisted up after being moved around by the grower is what triggers root rot in the first place.

If cannabis roots get twisted due to handling, it can trigger the roots below the “twist” to die.

Sometimes the twisting/bunching together is actually the result of the infection. Healthy roots have individual “strands” that tend to stay separated even when they’re all floating together in a reservoir.

Sometimes the infection hits first, and roots start twisting as a result of the root rot.

A mass of root rot. The grower believes the main cause was that the water level in the reservoir was too high.

Depending on what pathogen in particular is attacking your marijuana roots, the symptoms may look different.

Cannabis roots with root rot sometimes look mushy or slimy and can almost look like they’re covered in snot 🙁

This case of root rot was caused by a brown algae bloom. Brown or green algae is especially common in hot temperatures or when there are light leaks!

Algae started growing from light getting into the reservoir.

Important: The Following Roots Are Stained from Nutrients – They Are NOT Brown from Root Rot

Nutrient-stained roots are not slimy or smelly and all the roots are evenly dyed the same color. You’ll be able to see each individual “strand” on healthy cannabis roots, as they won’t be twisted together. You also won’t see leaf symptoms or wilting on the plant itself.

The first sign of root rot is usually wilting or drooping, though sometimes you won’t have any symptoms at first. Root rot often strikes immediately after disturbing the roots or completing a reservoir change, especially with young plants. It’s a good idea to avoid disturbing young seedling roots when possible! This gives roots time to build up a biofilm that protects them against root rot.

Learn how to care for hydroponic cannabis seedlings!

This cannabis plant was completely healthy the day before, but started looking weak after being transferred from one hydroponic reservoir to a different one. The thin, light colored plastic of the reservoir may have been letting light through, making the reservoir a haven for root rot. Additionally, the temperature was about 85°F (30°C) in the grow space!

Cannabis root rot can cause leaf symptoms that can look like almost anything: cannabis leaves get burnt edges or tips; yellow / bronze / brown spots or stripes; nutrient deficiencies; clawing and curled edges; and other unusual leaf symptoms.

Typical signs of root problems, like unhealthy leaves, yellowing, or nutrient deficiencies, are often present.

Root rot can cause curling leaves and brown or burnt patches.

Sometimes you’ll have a plant with root rot that looks completely healthy other than the roots. Don’t ignore this problem as you will likely start getting symptoms!

What Causes Root Rot in the First Place?

The plant ailment we think of as ‘Root Rot’ is actually a bunch of similar symptoms caused by many different types of organisms. Since these organisms all cause the same problem – gross, brown roots – we group them together. In addition to these harmful organisms all causing similar symptoms, they also show up for the same reasons.

So what causes root rot? If you’re growing in soil or coco coir, there’s one main cause: stagnant water at the roots. If your plants are sitting in old water that’s getting light (from the sun or otherwise), their roots are connected to a breeding ground for unwelcome organisms.

Root rot is a major problem to look out for in DWC many factors can cause it to show up. The most common are:

• Heat – A warm reservoir makes it easier for bacteria to reproduce. In fact, keeping a cool reservoir makes for an environment in which harmful bacteria/fungi/etc. just can’t survive.
• Light leaks – Light in your reservoir equates to a population boom for some of the smaller, unwanted populations living.
• No air space – There should be a space with air between the bottom of the net pots and the top of the water reservoir, about the width of a few fingers. If the water is touching the net pot, that can increase the chance of root rot.
• Lack of oxygen in the water – When you remove the air and agitation from your reservoir water, it’s party time! A gross, smelly, sad party. Hydroponic roots need lots of bubbles full of oxygen-filled air.
• Moving young roots – Young roots need time to build up their defenses. Moving them around not only weakens them, but it potentially exposes them to new pathogens or getting twisted when put back in the water.
• Decaying matter in the reservoir – Old bits of dead leaves can be the start of something bad. Make sure you fish any plant matter out of your reservoir when you see it. Except for your roots…leave those in there.

Your cannabis plant has started drooping, leaves are getting sick, and roots are brown, twisted, smelly and/or slimy. These are all signs you have cannabis root rot 🙁

When a cannabis plant is wilting or drooping, whether it is in soil, coco or hydro, it is almost always a sign that’s something is going on at the roots.

The wilting is often soon followed by other symptoms to the leaves, especially burning, brown spots, nutrient deficiencies, spotting, and other unusual leaf symptoms.

Root rot can cause a wide range of symptoms, because without the roots the plant is shutting down!

Plants with root rot often start drinking less water. If you notice symptoms in your cannabis plant, make sure to take precautions to stop root rot from getting worse.

Some brown roots may eventually turn white again after the root rot is gone, but it’s important to note that damage is permanent on the leaves. Brown leaves will never turn green again. You need to watch the roots and the new leaf growth for signs of root rot recovery.

Root rot mostly affects marijuana plants in hydroponic systems, but roots can also get pathogens as a result of over watering your plants in soil or other medium. Basically, anytime the roots are sitting in wet conditions for too long without any oxygen, they are at risk of developing root rot.

Symptoms of Root Rot

• Droopy – Cannabis plants with root rot almost always appear overwatered or droopy (sometimes plants wilt overnight!)
• Roots seem unhealthy – Brown, slimy, or smelly roots.
• Leaf symptoms (deficiencies) – Plant leaves often start turning yellow/white or get brown patches. You may see what appears to be a random mix of nutrient deficiencies on the leaves. This is due to the fact that the plant can’t absorb nutrients properly at the roots even if they’re there
• Dying leaves – Leaves may start dying and falling off rapidly.
• Drink less – Plants may drink much less water than usual.

Now that you know what root rot looks like and how to get it, it’s time for cannabis root rot solutions!

Solution: What to Do About Marijuana Root Rot, Algae Growth & Slime in the Reservoir

It can be tough to get rid of root rot and many growers feel it’s easier to just scrap the plant and start over. However, if you’re growing in the same spot you’re likely to get it again unless you find a true solution, and there are proven techniques that will cure your plant of root rot problems!

In order to get rid of root rot successfully, you need to take a two-pronged approach. You will need to…

1. Treat the plant’s root directly with something that will help protect them against root rot
2. Change the plant’s environment so that root rot no longer has a good place to grow.

Go through the below list and make sure you’re covering all your bases to get rid of root rot permanently and prevent a re-occurrence. It’s also important to note that affected roots will likely never recover, just like how discolored leaves on the plant will never recover. What you’re looking for is new, healthy white root growth coming out of the old sick roots.

Learn how to prevent and treat cannabis root rot…

1.) Add Beneficial Root Bacteria – Crucial!

Some people (like me) add beneficial bacteria to their water to help prevent and treat root-related plant diseases and help make nutrients available to the plant. Some of the formulas available are Hydroguard, VooDoo Juice, or Great White. Most of these can be used with both hydro and soil grows.

Hydroguard (Recommended)

I personally recommend Hydroguard because I’ve used it successfully to treat root rot in hydro, and I’ve also seen it work for many other hydroponic cannabis growers, too! It’s pretty inexpensive, and concentrated enough that a single small bottle can last throughout your grow.

The “secret sauce” in Hydroguard is a specific type of bacteria called Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. It survives in hydroponic reservoirs better than other types of Bacillus bacteria and fights many root ailments including different types of fungi, bacteria, and oomycotes. It not only gets rid of and prevents root rot, but there’s some evidence Bacillus a. may actually help lower salt concentration in the plant tissue itself.

For my hydro plants, Hydroguard has proven to be the most effective root rot prevention supplement.

Great White Root Powder (If Hydroguard Doesn’t Work)

Great White is another root supplement that works by giving your plant roots lots of good stuff to help it be more resistant to root rot. Some growers (myself included) have tried Great White without seeing any root rot recovery. However, other growers have had great results with this supplement! For example, in our growing forum, just like Hydroguard, some hydroponic growers have been able to cure their root rot simply by adding Great White to their reservoir.

It all depends on exactly which organism is growing in your tank! What was growing in mine might not be the same as what’s growing in yours, so when it comes to “good bacteria” supplements it can’t hurt to try more than one if the first one doesn’t work.

A small sample of Great White doesn’t cost much, so if you’re still struggling with root rot after trying everything else, it’s worth giving it a try to see if it works for you!

Some hydro growers also swear by VooDoo Juice but we haven’t tried it ourselves for preventing root rot.

SM-90

Note: SM-90 has been temporarily discontinued. See this article for more info.

2.) Lots of Bubbles

As I mentioned, it is incredibly beneficial to try to get as much oxygen as possible dissolved in your water. Therefore, it’s a good idea to buy a medium sized air pump and big air stones for your hydroponic system.

Up to a point, the more bubbles and surface agitation, the better, as this dissolves more oxygen into the water. As long as the roots are not being very disturbed, you can’t really go wrong with adding more oxygen.

Root rot cannot thrive in an oxygen-rich environment and your plants will grow faster with lots of oxygen. I use one EcoPlus 2 Air Pump w/ 2 Outlets for each 10-gallon container (which each holds 5 gallons of water), which I have connected to 2 large air stones per air pump since this one has 2 outlets; this helps make sure there’s plenty of oxygen in the water healthy roots and faster growth.

You need 3/16-inch standard aquarium tubing to hook everything together. Try to get tubing in black if possible, to ensure light can’t get through.

Air stones disperse the bubbles into the water.

3/16″ Flexible Airline Tubing for Aquariums is the standard size to connect an air stone to your air pump.

An air pump pumps air into your reservoir through the tubing where it gets turned into bubbles.

This has worked great for me. I haven’t had root rot since I started using this air pump/air stone combination with Hydroguard. But lots of different pumps and types of air stones will work great. The important thing is to make sure that you’re seeing lots of bubbles!

3.) No Light Leaks in the Reservoir!

Your roots don’t like light, which is reason enough, but the bad organisms that attack cannabis roots love the heat and light they receive from your grow lights!

Therefore, hydro growers want it to be completely pitch black in their DWC reservoirs. You should not be able to see even a tiny bit of light where your roots are!

You don’t need to worry as much about repairing light leaks when using a dark, thick and sturdy tub as your water reservoir

I love this idea from Farmerjim420. Help block light and heat from the reservoir with a simple towel!

In order to accomplish a totally dark reservoir for your marijuana plants, here are some things to keep in mind!

1. Consider the Material & Thickness of the Reservoir Tub – Darker and thicker material will let less light through to the reservoir.
2. Consider Reflectivity – Pale colors tend to reflect back more light and heat, but you can always increase the reflectivity later by covering the lid with a reflective material!
3. Check Thoroughly for Light Leaks! You may need to get down low and look up to see them!
4. Use Opaque Tape to Cover Any Light Leaks – Electrical tape and reflective tape are great options for covering up places where light is getting through.
5. Use Dark (Light-Proof) Tubing – Another way to protect the water from light exposure
6. Light-Proof Your Net Pots. Neoprene net pot inserts are great to fill in the net pot instead of using clay pebbles, and won’t let any light get through.

All the Hydroguard, Great White, H2O2, or other root supplements in the world often won’t solve a root rot problem if there’s a light leak!

Read the Complete Tutorial on Preventing Light Leaks in a DWC Reservoir!

4.) Keep Grow Room Cool

Lower the temperature of the grow space under 80°F, and even better under 75°F.  This also lowers the temperature of the water in your reservoir. Water can’t hold much dissolved oxygen at higher temperatures and your plants need oxygen to “breathe.”

Getting more oxygen to the roots not only helps fight root rot, it makes your plants grow much faster. If it’s too hot in the grow space, you’re much more likely to run into root rot as well as overall droopiness.

In an ideal world, the maximum recommended temperature for the water in your reservoir is around 72°F (22°C) and some growers will go to great lengths to keep their reservoirs very cool. However, when using a great supplement like Hydroguard that fights root pathogens directly, you can often keep the temperature quite a few degrees higher without as a problem.

Learn how to control the temperature in the grow room

Cannabis plants like about the same temperature as humans do!

5.) Avoid Disturbing Roots, Especially Young Plants

When it comes to nutrients and plant growth in a hydroponic setup, it’s important to watch over your roots and change your reservoir water regularly. This is especially important in the flowering stage when the plant is very sensitive to nutrients and pH. Regularly changing your water every 7-10 days will help your plants get better access to nutrients, and help prevent deficiencies and toxicities.

However, when your young seedling or clone is first getting established in your hydroponic system, it doesn’t have an established a colony of good bacteria around the roots, and has not yet grown a biofilm that protects the roots against pathogens.

During this initial period, a full reservoir change can throw everything off balance, and your roots have to sort of “start over” from the beginning.

That’s why if you historically struggle with root rot, it’s recommended for the first 3-4 weeks of your cannabis plant’s life to only top off the reservoir with additional nutrient water, and hold off on a full reservoir change until your plants have grown lots of roots with a healthy layer of biofilm over all the roots and sides/bottoms of the tank.

6.) Keep Everything Extremely Clean & Sterile

In a hydroponic system, make sure that any dead roots, dead leaves or other types of plant debris doesn’t get into the reservoir because they will provide a breeding ground for bad bacteria as they start rotting. If you do notice organic matter in the reservoir, fish it out as soon as possible.

You also want to keep your grow area as clean as possible at all times to stop bacteria before it starts. Before you begin your grow, it’s a great idea to clean all grow-related items to kill any bacteria or fungus.

Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) Is Only a Temporary Solution: Use alongside something else for more long-lasting prevention!

Some people recommend treating cannabis root rot with H2O2, also known as hydrogen peroxide. While adding hydrogen peroxide to your water will kill most bacteria and pathogens, including the ones that cause root rot, it is only effective in your system for a day or so or since the H2O2 is quickly converted to oxygen and water.

Therefore, if you use hydrogen peroxide as a treatment for root rot, you will need to treat your water daily to prevent re-occurrences until you actually fix the problem that is causing your root rot in the first place. I have used commercial grade H2O2 against root rot more than once, and I never saw any noticeable difference, so I would NOT RECOMMEND H202 as any type of long term cure!

Why Not Use Hydrogen Peroxide? H2O2 is only temporarily effective at best when it comes to getting rid of root rot. It makes me so sad when people tell growers to use H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide) to kill root rot because I know they will continue to struggle with it. Even the commercial grade stuff just doesn’t work most of the time (and I’ve tried)!

All H2O2 does is cause bubbling near the dead brown roots (or any organic matter), which is why I think people believe it’s helping. In my experience, it doesn’t help the plants themselves (they don’t look any better), and what’s worse, all the H2O2 will be completely gone from the water within 24 hours.

H2O2 kills most of the bacteria in the reservoir, including any good bacteria you’ve added, and does nothing to address the underlying problem. You can’t sterilize away root rot, it attacks people everywhere! Although H2O2 does kill bad organisms, it leaves enough of it there to repopulate your reservoir.

I personally recommend Botanicare Hydroguard (the newer, improved version of Botanicare’s popular “Aquashield” root supplement) for marijuana root problems because I’ve used it successfully to get rid of more than once case of Root Rot (and by ‘successful’ I mean new white roots exploded out of the old mushy brown ones and I was able to eventually harvest the buds – look at the pics below).

Hydroguard (and their old supplement Aquashield) are also much cheaper than most other similar root treatments, and in my experience more effective.

Take a look at what happens with the roots from using a supplement like Hydroguard.

What you are looking for is new healthy white roots growing out of the old brown roots. Eventually, as the root ball gets bigger, you will no longer be able to see the old brown roots. After you start noticing a recovery, some growers will snip off old dead roots, but I often don’t.

Before – Roots Just Got Root Rot

Roots are beginning to recover…

Notice the new white roots growing out of the old brown dead ones within just a day or two of receiving Hydroguard in the reservoir. By this point, the plant has stopped showing any new symptoms and appears to be growing normally.

Roots are now mostly recovered below…

Notice that you can barely see any signs of the old brown, and all the new roots generally appear white and healthy. The plants on top are lush, healthy, and fast-growing, though the old burnt leaves never recovered.

In addition to treating root rot, I like to use Hydroguard or as a preventative. It is surprisingly effective even in warm reservoirs. Hydroguard have definitely gotten me through a hot summer before.

Since I first started using Hydroguard in DWC, bubbleponics, and other hydroponics, it has successfully prevented me from getting root rot as long as I keep using it. I also use it when growing in soil if I suspect root problems.

Read a case study about how another grower was able to get rid of cannabis root rot

Jump to…

Case Study: Root Rot Recovery

Other Cannabis Root Problems

Over-watering Cannabis

How to Grow Hydroponic Cannabis

Yuck! Follow This Tutorial and Never Get Root Rot Again!

The post Root Rot appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

by Nebula Haze

Cannabis bud rot (aka “Big Bud Disease” or “The Curse of the Successful Grower”) attacks your fattest, biggest marijuana buds right as they start to approach harvest time.

Too cruel… Bud rot attacks and kills your biggest, thickest buds. Often the first sign of cannabis bud rot is the leaves on a big bud suddenly die or turn yellow often over the course of 1-2 days. The base of these discolored leaves is where the bud is rotting. If you investigate closer, you will often be able to see the mold.

by Nebula Haze

How to Prevent & Stop Cannabis Bud Rot (quick summary)

• Avoid wet buds & high humidity – Bud rot is a fungus, and like all fungi, its spores needs a wet, humid place to germinate and grow. About 40-50% RH is ideal for the cannabis flowering stage (both for dense buds and to prevent bud rot). A humidity above 60% RH puts you at major risk of bud rot and mold, especially if you have lot of thick buds. Don’t allow buds to sit in damp or overly humid conditions for long. Indoor growers can use a strong dehumidifier to reduce humidity in the grow space if necessary. Outdoor growers can cover plants when it rains and shake them off when they’re wet. Another strategy for outdoor growers is to get short-flowering (ex: Pineapple Express) or auto-flowering (ex: Purple Punch Auto) strains so their plants are ready to harvest before the start of the local rainy season.

• Great air circulation – Air should be moving over the buds and leaves as well as through the plant. Fans are a huge help indoors, especially if you set up an exhaust fan to vent hot humid air away from your plants. Oscillating fans can help prevent humid spots but only blow air around so they can’t lower the overall humidity. Outdoor growers can move potted plants to a breezier location but if plants are in the ground, unfortunately, there’s not much you can do to increase air circulation.

• Defoliate extremely bushy plants – Each leaf is constantly adding water vapor to the air. That means removing leaves can help lower the humidity through and around the plant, especially in a small growing space. If you decide to defoliate because plants are covered in tons of leaves and the humidity is high, remove leaves that aren’t getting much light (typically the middle and bottom of the plant) since they aren’t making food for the plant anyway. 

• Watch long, dense buds for signs of discoloration – Almost like a cruel joke, bud rot usually attacks your biggest and most impressive colas 🙁 That’s why cannabis bud rot is sometimes known as “The Curse of the Successful Grower”.

• Remove all buds affected by bud rot immediately – Carefully remove and discard all buds with bud rot, as well as nearby buds. This is a fungus that can spread quickly. Don’t let any of the dusty rot touch other parts of your plant to avoid spreading mold spores.

• Consider harvesting early – If you can’t fix the environmental conditions that caused the bud rot (for example if it’s wet or humid and you can’t do anything about it), sometimes the best option is to harvest plants a little early to avoid further losses.

“When I had to throw away most of my plant due to bud rot, I cried a little, on the inside.”
~ Cannabis Grower

Table of Contents

What Does Cannabis Bud Rot Look Like?

What Causes Bud Rot?

• How does the Botrytis fungus get to my plants?

How Do I Control Bud Rot?

• Prevention
• Treatment
• Mold-Resistant Strains

What Does Bud Rot Look Like?

Usually, a bud rot infection becomes visible on just certain parts of your cannabis plants. Indoors, it’s often the bigger and denser buds that get affected first. Outdoors you may get patches all over the plant, even on smaller buds, especially after a few rainy days.

With bud rot, certain areas on the colas (buds, hairs and/or attached leaves) start dying, in stark contrast to the rest of the buds. The changes happen quickly, within just a day or two. Affected buds may appear strangely colorful, yellow, or brown. Buds often appear dried up.

The deadened spots usually stand out and catch people’s attention, even if growers don’t know what’s wrong, they often instinctively know that something is wrong since the spots don’t look like the rest of the buds on the plant.

In addition to the rot itself, you may see white or gray fuzzy mold on the outside of the bud. With advanced bud rot, the bud will easily separate so you can see inside. When a bud with bud rot is inspected, it will be dark gray or brown on the inside, and possibly dusty (this “dust” is fungus spores).

Depending on the life stage or particular species of mold/fungi, bud rot can look…

• white and fluffy

• dark gray or brown (sometimes even dark purple)

• the buds can be full of dark speckled dust which easily blows away (fungus spores)

“I lost half my plants last year to bud rot…  After a couple of drizzly days, I noticed spots, and then I saw that it had spread to all my plants.”
~ Cannabis Grower

Sometimes you might see a few yellow leaves appear suddenly on some of your biggest colas. It can feel like it happens overnight. That could be a sign that there’s mold at the base of these leaves. Always investigate any cola with yellowing leaves ASAP. If there’s mold you will be able to see the leaves are basically falling out, with mold or brown spots being revealed in the middle 🙁

Usually, the bud easily splits at the base of the sick leaves to reveal the rot inside. At this point, there was still white mold inside, but within a day it would have darkened and the inside would look brown or gray.

Another example of marijuana bud rot from afar… (it’s that brown dead patch on the bottom half)

And here’s that same bud rot up close.

What Causes Bud Rot?

Cannabis bud rot is caused by a type of fungus known as Botrytis cinerea. Sometimes you may get another type of fungus or mold that attacks the buds, but the cause, symptoms, and effects are usually similar.

In cannabis plants, Botrytis causes buds to rot out from the inside, hence the name “bud rot.” If you crack open an infected bud, the inside will be a moldy dark gray or brown.

Bud rot can cause different symptoms on different plants. For example, this cola (big main bud) responded to bud rot by turning purple and mushy. The leaves became crispy and started dying alongside the buds. This is what the grower came back to find after a few days of rain.

Did you know? In addition to cannabis bud rot, Botrytis causes problems for many different types of plants, including wine grapes, strawberries, and peonies.

The Botrytis fungus is sometimes referred to as “botrytis bunch rot,” “botrytis blight,” “bud rot,” “grey mould” or “gray mold.” When it comes to cannabis, it is often only called “Bud Rot” since that’s the main symptom cannabis growers are worried about.

Any part of the cannabis plant affected by bud rot should be discarded immediately! This helps prevent further infection and all buds touched by this toxic fungus should never be smoked or used.

Throw Away All Buds with Any Sign of Bud Rot! (brown is not a healthy bud color)

This is bud rot after the buds are broken apart. Not safe to consume.

There are different stages of Botrytis as it matures and tries to release spores. An infection starts as fluffy white mold (or brown mold) and then spreads throughout the inside of vulnerable buds. The inside of those parts of the colas darken to gray or brown. Once that has settled in, the mold tries to reproduce. The insides become filled with dark speckled dust that easily floats and spreads if the bud is cracked open. These are the spores of the fungus, so be careful to avoid breathing in letting this speckled dust ever touch other parts of your plants.

Luckily, healthy cannabis plants will usually not develop bud rot unless exposed to stagnant air and wet conditions or high humidity for an extended period of time. Your plants are also more susceptible to bud rot, fungus, or mold when the temperature is hot or cold. Aim for a temperature of 75°F (24°C) in the late flowering stage if possible (this also helps produce the highest quality buds).

How does the Botrytis fungus get to my plants?

Bud rot is spread to plants by dusty gray spores, usually in wind or water. If your plants are never exposed to these spores, they will never get bud rot.

Unfortunately, the spores can easily be carried to your plant by a breeze, rain, from contact with animals, or even by clones from another grow room. Indoors they may be floating around the air. Dormant spores can survive in many conditions only to affect your crops another time. It’s much more effective to try to prevent the conditions that allow bud rot to grow than to try to protect your buds from any contact with spores. That being said, infected buds can spread millions of spores and must be immediately and carefully moved away from your plants.

If you see rot like this, toss carefully so the rot can’t spread millions of spores over your other buds.

The fungus will never germinate if you keep buds in great environmental conditions. The spores are also more likely to take residence in your buds if there is some sort of “wound” on the plant. Possible wounds that can let Bud Rot fungus in include cracks in the stem from wind or over-training, damage from caterpillars, snails, worms, white powdery mildew, other pests, and larva. Any injury or weak point can be a good point of entry for bud rot spores into the plant.

Bud Rot needs wet or humid conditions to thrive. Even if your plant gets exposed to spores, you can usually prevent a bud rot infection by providing your cannabis with a moderate, dry, breezy environment (much easier indoors than outdoors).

What triggers spores to grow into a full-blown case of bud rot?

Wetness or High Humidity <– MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR, DON’T IGNORE THIS!

This is the most important factor. If you’re suffering from bud rot or mold, even if you remove the affected buds, it will likely keep spreading until you fix the humidity and keep buds dry.

• High humidity (above 55-60% RH) is the biggest contributor to mold growth and bud rot
• Leaves should not be touching each other creating wet spots (defoliate plants that are too bushy)
• Any situation where buds remain wet or in humid air for several continuous hours can be a trigger for bud rot
• Great air circulation in the grow space helps prevent any mold or fungus from growing

Outdoor

• Bud rot is often triggered by rainy or humid weather, especially if it lasts for days in a row
• If outdoor plants collect dew during the night or get rained on, consider shaking plants to remove as much moisture as possible
• Frost can also trigger bud rot because it creates wet spots when it melts

Cool Air Below 60°F (15°C) Can Trigger Bud Rot

• The Botrytis fungus thrives in the 50-60°F (10-15°C) temperature range. So if you have a bunch of cool, rainy days, it creates the absolute perfect home for Botrytus to grow.

Freezing Temperatures Can Trigger Bud Rot Outdoors

• When temperatures fall, you may see frost on your leaves. The freezing temperatures are hard on your plants already, and then when the frost melts it creates an ideal environment for spore germination of the Botrytis fungus on outdoor plants. It’s common to get bud rot outdoors if it’s hitting freezing temperatures (or close to it), and causes freeze/melt cycles. Protect plants from frost in the flowering stage if at all possible. If you do get frost and it melts, make sure to shake the plants to get rid of excess moisture on the leaves or buds (just like you would after dew or rain). If the weather is not going to improve, it may be a good idea to harvest now.

Heat Triggers Mold and Fungi When Combined with High Humidity

• Many different types of mold can strike thick buds with symptoms similar to Botrytis, and warm temperatures are ideal for most other relevant species of mold that cause bud rot. Every degree above 75°F or 24°C tends to increase the chance of many kinds of mold especially in high humidity (mold typically won’t grow below those temperatures indoors). Since botrytis can strike at lower temperatures, it’s recommended to aim for a medium of about for 70-75°F or 20-24°C if possible if it’s humid and you’re worried about bud rot or mold in the late flowering stage.

Bad Air circulation

• Stagnant air invites bud mold. The lack of wind or air circulation over the top, underneath, and/or through the inside of the plant, helps provide fungus and mold a good place to grow

• Leafy plants tend to collect water in between leaves and create humid pockets of air. This can cause wet spots and prevent air circulation through the plant, which also makes a good environment for mold or fungus.

“My fan could not circulate the air behind those colas. I thought it would be okay, but then I noticed super white fuzzy areas. Next thing I knew, half the colas had dead spots.”
~  Cannabis Grower

Big Fat Buds

• Massive colas have moist conditions on the inside which don’t get exposed to air. This makes them a prime target for Botrytis bud rot or other types of mold.

• It’s a cruel irony that you usually only get attacked by bud rot after producing lots of big buds. Bud rot has earned the moniker “Curse of the Successful Grower”.

Sick Plants

• Many types of stress, including bud rot, are more likely to hit your cannabis plant if it’s sick or suffering from nutrient deficiencies.

Certain strains are more susceptible than others to bud rot

• Some strains are very mold-resistant, while others have little defense.

• Here’s a list of a few mold-resistant strains

How to Control Bud Rot (these are most important!)

Focus on keeping the humidity under 50-55% (most important!) and give plants plenty of air movement in a moderate environment.

How to Prevent Bud Rot

These are the most important points to remember…

• Keep humidity under 50-55% RH (Most important!) – This is the most important thing you can do to prevent bud rot from growing. It’s extremely rare to see Botrytis in dry conditions. Learn how to control the humidity. If you don’t fix high humidity, the bud rot will likely keep spreading even after you’ve removed all the affected buds.

• Good air movement – Create good air circulation and make sure there’s always plenty of air moving over all the buds and leaves. Make sure your plants are getting access to cool, fresh air.

• Protect plants from heat/cold or big temperature swings – Controlling temperature and keeping the grow space from experiencing big temperature changes can go a long way. Aim for 75°F or 24°C when you’re worried about bud rot, and avoid letting plants get overly hot or cool.

• Avoid letting buds get exposed to wetness – Don’t allow buds to sit in damp or overly humid conditions for long. Protect your plants from rain and shake them if you notice they’re wet from rain or covered with dew.

• Remove all affected buds immediately – Carefully remove and discard any and all buds that have possibly been affected by bud rot. Don’t let any rot touch other parts of your plant. This helps prevent bud rot from spreading, but it’s not enough if you don’t take care of the environment. Remember, the spores are always around, and it’s just a matter of whether they get the right conditions to grow.

Other tips to help prevent bud rot…

Avoid plant wounds. Avoid injuring your plants, especially in the flowering stage. Don’t leave open wounds to seep out water and nutrients. Instead, cover any open injuries with tape or some other “cast” until the injury closes up. Avoid pests like caterpillars or broad mites which burrow inside the plant, and overall try to keep plants healthy. A healthy plant is much less susceptible to all kinds of infections.

Keep some space between big buds. Cramming a bunch of plants with a lot of buds in a small space can increase the chance of bud rot. Buds should never be touching each other. Try to make sure every big bud has a little “breathing room” to itself.

Defoliate leafy plants. Remove some leaves on excessively leafy plants to help lower the humidity and overall moisture levels within the plant and around the buds. This is most effective indoors in a small space where the plant is greatly raising the humidity, but it can also be helpful outdoors. Remove any leaves are touching each other creating wet spots between them, or any big leaves that are covering or touching bud sites. Your plant won’t “mind” if you only remove leaves from leafy areas.

Watch out for symptoms of bud rot. Watch plants closely for signs of bud rot in the late flowering stage, especially on large or dense buds, and especially after humid or wet weather. If you notice leaves dying in patches on your plants, don’t wait. Investigate immediately.

When growing outdoors…

Get a strain meant for your local climate. If you live in a place with short summers and gets humid or rainy early in the fall, don’t get a strain that was developed near the equator.

There are fast-flowering, mold-resistant cannabis strains that are designed for growing outdoors in more rainy climates. For example, many auto-flowering strains have quick lives; perfect for a short summer before the Autumn rain or frost.

A good outdoor strain for those worrying about bud rot might be Pineapple Express, an award-winning, mold-resistant strain that performs well outdoors. This strain is fast-flowering and ready to harvest only 50 days after it starts flowering.

Purple Punch Auto is a great outdoor auto-flowering choice. Just plant seeds after the last frost in the Spring, then harvest about 2 months later (long before the rainy season in many climates).

Purple Punch Auto is resistant to fungus like bud rot. This strain is quick to harvest and will grow in any climate that has (at least) 2 warm summer months before it starts getting cold or raining.

Breezy location – Try to put your plants in a grow spot with a breeze, but not too much wind. This can be tricky, and it may mean visiting the grow spot a few times before planting.

Protect your buds from rain. If you know there will be drizzly conditions, cover your plants with a tarp to protect them from most of the rain. Don’t put tarp directly on plants or you’ll hurt your buds. Install the tarp up above the plants, and make sure it’s held up by the center part, that makes it so rain runs off the sides of the tarp instead of collecting in the middle.

Shake plants. Some growers shake their plants on dewy mornings or after rain, so any water drops that form on the leaves don’t become breeding grounds for spores.

Fungicides, Neem Oil & Burning Sulfur

In the flowering stage, never use fungicides, spray affected buds with anything including Neem oil, or burn sulfur.

These common tactics are not effective at stopping bud rot and will make your buds taste, smell, and look terrible.

Some growers use fungicides made specifically for Botrytis in the vegetative stage. But when it comes to cannabis, fungicides can only be used as a preventative before any buds have formed.

If you already have bud rot and can’t fix your environment (which is the best way to kill Botrytis), I highly recommend cutting your losses and taking down the plant.

• Most fungicides are not effective for bud rot. If you do plant to spray plants, it’s recommended to get one that’s specifically been developed to combat Botrytis.

• Any treatments for Bud Rot should be applied in the vegetative stage as a preventative.

• There’s nothing you can spray on your plants after bud rot has already formed. Unfortunately, there aren’t any effective fungicides or other treatments that are safe to use with cannabis in the flowering stage

How to Stop Bud Rot from Spreading

The inside of a dense bud provides a great place for Bud Rot spores to grow, and that’s the main place you’ll find developed Bud Rot on cannabis plants. Once you’ve spotted bud rot, it’s important to act immediately.

As soon as even one part of a single bud starts showing signs of grey mold, the rot can spread to the rest of the cola and then to other buds on the plant. If triggering conditions (lack of airflow, wetness) have not improved, a single point of infection can quickly ruin the harvest of an entire plant.

Never Spray Your Buds with Anything!

Bud Rot Removal

• Immediately remove all rotted parts and nearby areas. The only way to stop the spread is to remove all signs of mold from the plant, then move plants to a cool, dry area with a nice breeze.
• Be extremely careful not to let any rot touch any part of the rest of your plant.

What Happens Next?

You can either…

• harvest the cannabis plant now
• let it continue to ripen, but only if you fix the environment

If your plant has been affected by bud rot, it means they need less dampness and air that’s more dry. If you can improve the environment, you can allow the plant to continue ripening after you’ve removed the infected buds. However, if you don’t fix the environment it will usually come right back, sometimes even attacking other buds overnight.

Here’s how to fix the environment:

• add additional air circulation
• lower the humidity (50% RH or lower is optimal if you’ve already seen bud rot, otherwise 55% should be low enough to prevent it)
• defoliate leafy plants (remove leaves covering bud sites, through the middle of the plant, and any leaves that aren’t getting light anyway)
• prevent wet spots on plant

If you can’t fix the environment, I highly recommend you cut your losses and harvest plants early. If you know that it’s still going to be cool, humid, or wet for your plants, your goal is to prevent further buds from becoming infected. Buds harvested early are better than moldy buds.

Whenever you do harvest your healthy buds, be extremely careful during the drying process. Normally growers want to slow dry buds, but if you’re worried about mold it’s better to dry them with plenty of air circulation and movement.

Jump to…

Cannabis Temperature Tutorial

Controlling Humidity in the Grow Room

Air Circulation & Exhaust Tutorial

Other Cannabis Pests, Bugs & Viruses

The post Bud Rot or Mold appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.

Broad mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus) on your cannabis plants are so tiny they are practically impossible to spot with the naked eye. They are about 1/3 the size of a spider mite, and therefore broad mites are even difficult to see under a microscope. Most growers notice the symptoms of broad mites on their cannabis plants long before they ever see a broad mite or broad mite eggs.

With broad mites, the new growth may be twisted, blistered and “wet” looking. If your marijuana plant is flowering, the buds may turn brown and die.

These cannabis broad mite damage pics were taken by Hosttrevor (thank you!)

Dark-colored broad mite under 100x magnification by David B. Langston (University of Georgia)

Broad Mite Symptoms:

• Bugs are so small they are difficult to see without magnification
• Under a microscope, you can see that they have 6 legs when young (as larvae), and 8 legs as adults
• Symptoms are often confused for heat stress, overwatering, a pH imbalance, or root problems
• New growth may be twisted or drooping
• Leaves may be, blistered or “wet” looking
• Leaves may be turned up at the edges
• Broad mites don’t attack all parts of the plant evenly; symptoms are worse in certain spots where the infestation is concentrated
• In the flowering stage, buds may become sickly and die

One of the main symptoms of broad mites on cannabis is that the newest growth is coming in twisted.

Edges may turn up as if the plant is suffering from heat stress, but with broad the leaves take on a glossy, almost plastic-like appearance. Eventually affected leaves turn yellow or bronze and die.

The main way to spot an infestation is the damage they leave behind because usually the mites themselves are too small to see. They like to hang out inside inside your plants, where they can live and lay eggs without you seeing them.

Some broad mites appear white or yellow colored. Picture by Bruce Watt from the University of Maine.

Sometimes the symptoms can be confused for tobacco mosaic virus. Leaf symptoms from broad mites are also commonly misdiagnosed as overwatering, a nutrient deficiency or heat damage.

One of the biggest reasons broad mites can be so difficult to diagnose is you rarely see any signs of bugs, and you don’t see bites on the leaves. For many people, they don’t even realize a bug infestation is happening.

Sometimes top leaves droop. In this pic you can see that part of the droopy leaves are getting that blistered, wet appearance from broad mites.

The following marijuana plant has been treated for broad mites and is starting to recover. You can see the newest growth looks matte and healthy, while the damaged leaves from before still look glossy and blistered.

It’s great if your plant is starting to look healthy again, but even if your plant appears to be recovering, don’t stop on weekly treatments for at least a few weeks. The broad mites could still be there waiting to take over the plant again! They are the masters of hiding and waiting.

Unfortunately, broad mites are probably one of the hardest marijuana pests to get rid of. They lay their eggs inside the plant which makes it very difficult to kill their eggs!

Broad mite under 100x magnification, by Chazz Hesselein

Solution: How to Get Rid of Broad Mites On Cannabis

Once you’ve actually identified that you have broad mites, it’s time to get rid of them! When it comes to broad mites, a lot of the “standard” miticides are not as effective and you’ll notice these particular mites aren’t listed on the labels.

Broad mites can be one of the toughest marijuana pests to get rid of, but it can be done if you stay vigilant.

• Immediately and carefully remove infected parts of the plant – if there’s already an infestation in the tissue, you likely won’t be able to save those particular leaves/buds. Your main goal is to stop the infestation from spreading.
• Treat often – You may have to treat several times a week or even daily if you have a terrible infestation that won’t go away. This can be very difficult on your plants.
• Spray Before Lights Go Out – Whenever treating plants with a spray, do it before the lights go off so that your plant is less likely to get burned.
• Read Instructions – Make sure to read the full instructions of each bottle and follow them when treating your plants. You will save yourself a lot of big headaches.
• Repeat treatments weekly for 5 more weeks after mites are gone – After you think broad mites are completely gone, don’t stop. Treat your plant with a different treatment at least once a week for 5 additional weeks. If you don’t completely eradicate them they’ll come back with a vengeance and can be even more resistant to whatever you throw at them.

Here’s a Detailed Step-by-Step:

1.) Dispose of known infected plant matter

The parts of the plant that are already infested should be carefully removed and discarded of if possible. This will dramatically reduce the bug numbers, and help save the rest of your plant.

2.) Neem Oil

Neem Oil will leave an unpleasant taste/smell on buds when used to treat flowering plants, so don’t let this stuff get near your buds. There’s also some evidence Neem oil may be harmful to humans so use it with care. That being said, Neem oil is an all-natural remedy (it’s actually the most popular natural pesticide in the world) that is very effective against many different types of bugs and mold, including broad mites.

Neem oil can be rough on your plants so you don’t want to use it more often than you have to because your plants may suffer. However, if you get desperate treating plants daily with Neem oil can be effective at killing broad mites when nothing seems to be working.

You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly since neem oil and water can separate easily. A mister helps you get full and even coverage on all parts of the plant.

3.) Mite-B-Gone

Insecticidal soap-like products that contain fatty acid salts or sulfate esters weaken the outer shell of mites but are safe for humans and don’t leave much of a residue. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a sulfate ester that’s particularly good against mites.

With soaps and similar products, coverage is very important as it does not stay on your plant for long, so follow-up applications may be necessary. Although this is considered safe, avoid getting any on your buds so it doesn’t affect the taste/smell!

Recommended: Mite Killer Spray by Mite-B-Gone – In addition to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, this one also contains Citric Acid, and Sodium Chloride. These are all non-toxic and friendly to the environment, while being a menace to broad mites on your cannabis plants.

Mite Killer Spray by Mite-B-Gone

4.) Standard insecticidal soap

Fatty acid salts or insecticidal soaps can help against broad mites. They weaken the outer shell of broad mites but are safe to use on your plants and they don’t leave much of a residue which could kill beneficial bugs in your garden.

Follow the directions and avoid getting any on your buds because it can affect the taste or smell.

This probably won’t get rid of broad mites on its own, but it is less harsh on your plants than some of the other options and so it can be a great way to supplement the other treatments you’re doing by bringing down their numbers.

Natria Insecticidal Soap Insect Killer

5.) Earth’s Ally 3-in-1 Plant Spray (organic)

Earth’s Ally 3-in-1 Plant Spray is a mix of various horticultural oils which are organic and safe for humans. It is effective against many soft-bodied bugs, including broad mites to some extent, when the cannabis plants are treated regularly. Unfortunately, it only stays effective on the plant for about 24 hours so you will want to either apply this daily or (better idea) combine with other options and rotate between them. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

Earth’s Ally 3-in-1 Plant Spray + Mister

6.) Diatomaceous Earth 

Diatomaceous Earth is basically fossil dust that can be sprinkled on the top of your soil, and anywhere else in your room (window sills, doorways, etc). This powder-like substance is harmless to mammals and plants but is incredibly sharp at the microscopic level. Therefore it will tear and dehydrate broad mites on physical contact. This will not get rid of an infestation but can help prevent, control, and slow things down when used effectively. When it comes to broad mites, you want to use every tool you can.

7.) Heat

Broad mites don’t like the heat above 90°F (32°C). Some growers will try to get rid of them by on small plants or clones by dunking the plants in hot water (105°F / 40°C) for 10-20 minutes. I’ve also heard of growers try to reduce their number by overheating the grow space to 115°F (46°C) for an hour. Be careful as this can be dangerous if you don’t take safety precautions, and any heat method strong enough to kill the mites will likely hurt your plants.

8.) Predatory Mites

Some types of predatory mites, like Neoseiulus type mites, love to eat broad mites. Supplementing your garden with extra predators can help bring down broad mite numbers. However, it’s not enough to fix the problem on their own and unfortunately, a lot of the other remedies on this page will also kill predatory mites.

If you don’t want to use pesticides, or want some extra help, get predatory mites to help eat all your broad mites.

9.) AgroMagen GrowSafe (Organic)

GrowSafe by AgroMagen is a natural miticide that claims to be effective against broad mites. I am not very familiar with this product, but have heard good things about it. Given how tough this pest can be to get rid of, I wanted to make sure I included every possible option. From what I understand you will need to spray more than once and this is best combined with at least one other treatment. You will need a mister (also called a “One-Hand Pressure Sprayer”) to spray all the leaves evenly.

GrowSafe (plus a mister) kills broad mites and almost any mite (including hemp russet mites and spider mites)

More Cannabis Pests, Bugs & Viruses

The post Broad Mites appeared first on Grow Weed Easy.