novicebutkeen

its just rained for a few days and when i went out to my plants today, they had mold in about 6 different places. they are ready to harvest. what should i do? are they spoilt? it was sunny today so they are quite dry now. should i harvest tonight? how do i make sure they don't get worse while i'm drying? this is my first crop so even the most obvious help will be very appreciated! thanks.

Observer

If it's ready to harvest, then harvest. When they're dry in the sunny part of the day, as you mentioned, is the best time to harvest them. You should definitely remove the moldy bud and keep it separate from the rest of the bud. If the bud isn't moldy enough to throw away, then just quick dry it to stop the mold. Try washing the mold from the bud first, then put it under a spot light to dry it, and it won't be a total loss. It'll be a bit harsh to smoke due to the quick dry, but it's better than nothing. Keep a close eye on you other buds, just in case some mold starts up while drying. Just remove it as it looks suspicious, and quick dry it. The rest of the bud should get plenty of air flow while drying since it already has the molding tendency.

Peace, Observer

[This message has been edited by Observer (edited April 07, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by Observer (edited April 07, 2000).]

Highguy

Sorry to here about the mold. Once you get mold on the bud you can never eliminate it. If you have mold (or mildew) on the buds it's never going to go away. My advice is to harvest ASAP. If you have a dehumidfier or access to one I suggest that you use it to help dry the bud. Try and harvest the bud when it is dry, don't pick it when the dew is on or after a rain. If you can get to a store you can get some "Damp Rid" and put a container of that into the drying area if it's conatined enough. Don't use heat to dry the bud.

lilbuddie

Just curiuos as to why you would not use heat to dry out a partially moldy bud?

LB

Highguy

You never want to use heat to dry bud. THC is a compound that vaporizes at very low temps. Will you remove all the THC if you use heat to dry, probably not. However the heat is very detrimental to the end result. I have read many opinions about just how much heat it takes to change the structure of the canabbinols in THC. And most think it aint much. If you use a dehumidifier you move cool dry air over the buds and the drying process is done without heat. You want to keep the everything from drying out too fast. If you have moldy bud there is not much you can do about it. You have to live with it. Once you dry the plant out the mold (or mildew) will still be there but it can't grow w/o moisture.