If you have tried to cultivate weed plants, you know how moldy cannabis plants can be devastating. To many people, this is the worst experience that will make them lose hundreds if not thousands of dollars. Nonetheless,you can learn how to deal with mold on cannabis plants,which will give you some peace of mind. To deal with the problem, you must know what mold on cannabis plants looks like. After knowing what mold on cannabis plants looks like, you will be able to deal with it.

First, we will identify the different types of mold. Followed by a thorough list of what to do if that happens to your beloved plant. And also how to prevent it.

Different types of marijuana mold

Growing cannabis comes with many obstacles, none of which are more common or irritating than mold. Mold is as harmful as it is annoying, as well as being a bit tricky to treat. So here’s a little advice on how to identify and prevent it from happening to you:

There are a couple of different types of mold that could potentially invade your cannabis garden. However, there are two common ones: powdery mildew and botrytis, the latter being essentially bud rot.

Botrytis is pretty hard to identify because it is only visible at the base of the stem. However, eventually, some small leaves will begin to wither and dry out, which is a surefire sign that your bud is suffering.

If you see some of your plant’s leaves drying up, look a little closer, and you might find some slightly furry details. Fluff can potentially begin to grow on the leaves of your treasured plant that is blue or white, which is pretty harmless if treated straight away. However, if you allow botrytis to advance, you might notice tiny black dots appearing in the mold. These are spores, and they spread like crazy, so don’t breathe them in!

Powdery mildew is another prevalent type of plant mold and can be observed to look exactly as its name suggests. Powdery mildew is a white, dusty substance that lies on the surface of plant leaves and inhibits photosynthesis, which is your plant’s way of making food using light. Eventually, if your plants are suffering from this condition, their leaves will shrivel up and die, so it is best to prevent powdery mildew from occurring in the first place.But how do you do that?

How to deal with mold on weed plants

As mentioned in the beginning, the worst part of cannabis plant cultivation is a mold invasion, which does not seem to go away easily when it settles on the plant. But here are simple and ingenious ways to deal with mold:

1. Pull aside withered plant buds

Whenever you spot a withering cannabis bud, it is a sign that mold has invaded the plant. Instead of wasting time, gently pull off the bud. If you get rid of that, chances are high that you’ll save the rest of the planet.

2. Chop off the affected leaves

Just as you would do to the affected bud if you suspect that a part of the cannabis leaf has been affected, it’s better to chop it off. It is advisableto remove all the affected leaves and buds of the infected plant instead of waiting for the mold to spread to all the other cannabis plants.

3. Ensure there is proper airflow

One of the most significant contributors and facilitators of mold on marijuana plants is the lack of proper airflow to the plant. To ensure mold does not invade your plants, ensure adequate airflow to the crops.

4. Inspect the humidity

The amount of heat and air in your land is crucial to taming mold on cannabis plants. Although this might be difficult for those who grow cannabis outside, it is still essential to check the humidity levels.

5. Ensure consistent climate on plants

The issue of ensuring a consistent climate for marijuana plants is complicated, especially if you grow your plants in an open field. For those who cultivate cannabis from an enclosed area, it is more comfortable. You can use dehumidifiers and fans to regulate the internal climate around your crops.

6. Control the temperature

Like any other crop, the cannabis plant and environment temperature are key to preventing mold on cannabis plants. To keep the temperature around your crops consistent, use available temperature control devices that will keep it at normal ranges while ensuring high airflow but keeping humidity at bay.

7. Water and feed your plants well

You may think that watering and feeding your crops do not have any relationship with preventing or dealing with mold on cannabis plants, but it certainly does. A healthy cannabis plant can more easily resist mold invasion than an unhealthy and poorly watered and fed plant.

8. Space your cannabis plants

As it were, mold can invade your plants when congested. Again, it boils down to a lack of sufficient airflow. You need to ensure adequate space among your plants to prevent congestion, where mold thrives.

9. Prune your cannabis plants

Again, the aim of pruning your cannabis plants is to ensure your plants have enough airflow, which in time will drive mold away from your cannabis plants.

How to get rid of mold on buds 

To begin with, never smoke moldy buds. It’s hazardous! If mold appears on your buds, it can ruin months of total dedication and hard work. Unfortunately, preventing mold spores from moving into the buds is challenging. That’s because these spores are found literary everywhere, even in the air that we breathe! 

But that doesn’t mean mold spores can survive in all conditions. Hence, you can manipulate the conditions in your curing area to address this issue and keep off mold on the buds.

1. Drying the buds properly

Once you have harvested your mature buds, you must dry them thoroughly. Properly dried buds should be firm when touched. They should not crumble or feel moist or soft on the touch. This means that they haven’t dried well and can potentially develop mold. There’s only one solution to this issue, and that is drying the buds completely!

2. Burping the jars during the curing phase 

Drying involves putting your dry buds in an airtight jar and storing them in a dark location. Moisture can be released from the buds and stems and eventually seep into the air and other buds. This moisture puts the buds at risk of mold formation during curing. The one way to address this issue is to ‘burp out the excess moisture. 

Typically, you should burp out curing buds 2-4 times per day at the beginning of the curing process and less frequently as the humidity drops. To keep off mold, you must pay keen attention to details daily. Should there be any signs of mold on your buds, you must remove the moldy buds immediately and discard them!

3. Using a hygrometer and a dehumidifier

When curing your buds, you should ensure a humidity level of between 55%-62%. You will use the hygrometer to measure the relative humidity in your curing jars, and should it exceed the said limits, you’ll use the dehumidifier to lower it.

What to do in the case of botrytis

The best measures to prevent both types of mold – as mentioned at the beginning of the article – are to check your plants regularly and ensure they receive everything they need to grow correctly. However, preventative measures won’t help people who are struggling with mold issues at the moment. So what to do?

In the case of botrytis, the only option you have is to use chemical sprays to combat the mold’s effects. You can purchase sprays to rid you grow of bud rot at pretty much any garden store. Another thing you can try is moving your infected plants to a warmer area with low humidity. This will stop the disease from spreading.

What to do with powdery mildew?

With powdery mildew, some natural remedies have been tried and tested. To combat this mold, add two teaspoons of cider vinegar to one liter of water and spray it over your plants. This should do the trick. Another method is to mix 60% milk and 40% water and spray them on them, which should also work some magic.

Overall, mold is a nasty, plant-killing culprit that has to be stopped, though luckily, there are plenty of ways to get rid of it before it damages your plants too much. Preventative measures are the best course of action to take, but it is nice to know that more can be done if conditions worsen.

Good luck!

Position your container

The immediate step of using the jiffy pellets is putting the pellets in a container. In addition, you can acquire the jiffy pellet tray in the market instead of a container. Make sure that the pellets do not overlap, and that you leave room for water retention.

Water the pellets

You then water the pellets by either using distilled or tap water. When using tap water, remember it may have chlorine which is toxic to the well-being of your cannabis plant since it can cause it to dry. To save on the cost of buying distilled water, you can disperse the chlorine by pouring tap water and giving it time to dissolve.

Plant the cannabis seedlings 

Place the cannabis seeds in the middle of the pellets that have enlarged. Note that you should not put the seeds too deep since they might not germinate.

Cover the seeds

Covering the cannabis seeds is meant to ensure that no moisture is lost. The jiffy pellets come with a plastic cover that offers the best covering features. In case you do not have the jiffy pellet cover, go for plastic wrap.
After planting and covering the cannabis seeds, you will need to water them for at least seven days. Also, avoid dropping water from the top of the plant, or else you will interfere with the germination process.

Transplant

When the cannabis seeds have already germinated, it is time to transplant them into another growth medium where you want them to grow into mature plants for harvest. At this stage, you should be extremely careful not to interfere with the plant’s delicate roots.

To avoid risking your cannabis seedlings, you can opt to use tweezers to handle the seeds. This will also help prevent you from touching any form of oil that may damage your fingers. Make a hole in the growing medium about one to two centimeters deep.

Ensure that the soil remains moist, and the seeds are also in the correct temperature range. This is an essential factor that you should remember to prevent the seedling from using too much energy to develop the stem and the fast leaves

Note that during the transplant stage, the seed requires a lot of light. There are different types of lights you can acquire for your cannabis seedlings. With the development of technology, there are numerous artificial lights that you can use.

The best lights for seedlings are fluorescent lights and LED light bars. According to the cannabis cultivators, the veg/clone bars, courtesy of Secret Jardin are the most ideal, unless you want to use them to cover a huge space.

If you have a large area to cover, then the plant LED grow light is the best option that can cater to your needs. Let’s shed some light on different types of LED lights.

The LED grow for cannabis seedlings

The AIS-led GROW LIGHT has proven to be the best light for cannabis seedlings. This type of light was explicitly designed for cannabis seedlings. However, it also has drawbacks since it is meant to cover an approximate area of about two by four feet. Note that if you have relatively few seedlings, this type of light will be overkill for them.

On the other hand, the LED bars are said to be the best when it comes to starting seeds, and you don’t have many seeds that cover an area of two by four feet. The bars are relatively cheap, and they produce enough light that benefits the cannabis seedlings.

MH/HPS for cannbis seedlings

If you have the MH or HPS light, then you have an excellent opportunity of placing your cannabis seedlings under it. Note that these types of lights are relatively expensive; if you cannot access them, you do better to go for fluorescent lights or LED.

These lights are extremely important, especially for cannabis cultivators who place their cannabis seeds in the same place from germination to harvest. According to cannabis cultivators, the Metal halide light works better for seedlings compared to the HPS light because the seedlings require a cool blue light more so than red.

When do you put the cannabis seedlings under the HPS/MH light? You are advised to turn on the lights after the cannabis seeds have germinated and they are already in a growing medium or soil. Note that even when the cannabis seeds are still in the soil, the light’s heat will enable the plant to make its way out.

To wrap up

The germination of cannabis seeds depends on a wide variety of factors and conditions. How your marijuana seeds germinate can significantly influence what you will harvest when the plants reach maturity. This is why as a cannabis grower you need to observe how your marijuana seeds germinate. For easy-to-germinate seeds, visit our seed table.

By: Juan Sebastian Chaves Gil

In Russia, it is prohibited to possess, sell, or cultivate cannabis, and the country holds the highest number of people incarcerated for drug-related offenses in Europe on a per capita basis, primarily under Article 228. Despite this strict stance, there are signs of potential legal modifications, as the importation of cannabis for medical research is being considered. Russian legislation on cannabis prohibits both possession and consumption under Article 228 of the national Penal Code, with penalties including fines and imprisonment.

Although sentences may have been deferred since 2012 for those deemed to have drug problems, possession of more than six grams is considered a criminal offense. Authorities have often been accused of exaggerating the quantities of seized cannabis to justify arrests.

Penalties may include significant fines, forced labor, corrective labor, and deprivation of liberty. However, there is the possibility of avoiding punishment if the individual cooperates with authorities in combating drug trafficking.

Although possession and consumption of cannabis are common in Russia, the legal consequences are severe, with a minimal acquittal rate and most convicted individuals facing long prison sentences. Despite this, the estimated number of drug users in the country is considerably high.

Cannabis Commercialization in Russia:

In Russia, the commercialization of cannabis is prohibited and constitutes a serious offense, with severe legal consequences. Individuals caught selling this substance or any other drug face prison sentences ranging from four to eight years, with possible additional restrictions on liberty for up to one year.

Penalties are even more severe for large-scale sales or involvement in a criminal network, with sentences ranging from five to twelve years, usually accompanied by considerable fines, which could reach 500,000 rubles or the equivalent of three years’ salary.

In cases of distribution on a very large scale, in collaboration with criminal organizations, or if sales are conducted through an official position, sentences can be even longer, up to twenty years in prison. Additionally, there is the possibility of losing the right to certain jobs or activities, along with fines of up to one million rubles or five years’ salary.

Despite these punitive measures, drug trafficking remains a challenge in Russia, with estimates suggesting significant annual profits for the drug trafficking industry. Lack of employment sometimes forces Russian citizens to resort to drug selling as a means of livelihood, as mentioned by a trafficker in an interview with the Moscow Times.

Regarding the cultivation of cannabis, it is also prohibited in Russia, with penalties similar to those for sales. Even those cultivating small amounts of plants face the risk of being sentenced to long prison terms.

However, in June 2019, a bill was introduced that could relax this regulation by allowing the cultivation of cannabis for pharmaceutical purposes, but it is still pending approval by the Federation Council and the signature of President Vladimir Putin to take effect. If approved, state-owned companies could obtain special licenses for the sale of cannabis for medicinal purposes.