Wet & Cold: Cut down ahead of mold?

[lalstalls]

I'm in Zone 5, where it's raining or cloudy for the week, and on average down into the 40s ºF/ 4-5ºC and up around 60ºF/16ºC now.

I removed mold in a couple places a couple hours ago. I shook my plants (removing some water), but they're still holding a lot:




Should I be cutting it down while I'm somewhat ahead of mold? Or pushing it for a few more amber trichs?

Thanks!

 

[CannaRed]

I'd probably cut it. Bird in the hand type deal.
I've seen plants be fine one day and completely covered the next.
You could try Doctor Zymes if have some but itl probably take a few days for you to order it. A few days you might not have. I'd cut it and order doctor Zymes.
It can be used as a after harvest dip that will kill any mildew mold or botrytis. The botrytis will turn black and then you can see it well enough to cut out all the bad spots.

 

[lalstalls]

Thanks! I should listen to your "north of the border" knowledge! How quickly will the mold spread? Should I harvest TONIGHT? Or monitor vigilantly?

They don't look ready, do they?:


I just this evening found mold in a bud on the branch I brought inside two days ago (accidental break):


Given the germination, I'll have a warm, dry environment with good circulation ready.

 

[Great outdoors]

Cut it.
If you just remove the fans and hang whole plants/ large branches in a cool dark place with lots of airflow and low humidity they will continue to mature for a week or so anyways.
Once you start seeing mold there is typically more that you don't see and if the forecast is continued cold and wet you could lose it all in a few days.

 

[lalstalls]

Thanks, Great outdoors.

I didn't realize maturing continues, though that makes sense, given the momentum!

For the last few hours, I've had box fans blowing on a couple larger plants (via extension cord, as they're still outside):



(They bent way over when pummeled by rain.)

Surprise: The sun's out for at least a bit! Maybe I'll let them soak it in while it last and chop and hang by tonight.

Thoughts? and thanks!

 

[Great outdoors]

Shake every last drop of water you can off them and then let them soak in the sun all day. I usually cut an hour after the sun goes off them before the next forecast rain.
For proper drying with no heat like I described you want them dry going in. If that's not possible and they are wet when cut then you will definitely have to run a dehumidifier.

 

[lalstalls]

I appreciate this feedback, Great outdoors! A ton.

Unfortunately, the chance of rain today peaks (55%) at 4pm. It's almost 2pm now. Then it's going down to 36ºF/2-3ºC tonight.

Sun's still out for the moment, and the buds are dryer than they've been for a few days. So:

Maybe I should chop NOW? ​

Once I chop and move them inside, I've got a heat pump I can run to keep the humidity around 50%-60%, maybe lower.

 

[Great outdoors]

No worry's

Yes I would chop before it rains. If they are dry now then a couple hours isn't going to make a difference.
That sounds decent for humidity. Dried this way it will take 3 to 4 weeks hanging. I then nug the buds off the stalk and give it a trim when the leaves are bone dry but the buds are still spongy. Stalks will still not snap. Then buds into a cardboard box for a few days until stalks snap. Ready for jar no need for sweat. Just the usual burping of jars if you worry about that but my smoking takes care of that for me.
Bud will be completely chorophyll free with max terpenes.

 

[Chunkypigs]

i'd support well and leave them to finish, light frost will improve quality on some genetics, even if it killed them you could still harvest and dry them tomorrow.

all these plants took 4 nights in a row of temps in the 20's 2 weeks ago and are still getting ripe.

the worst case looks like this but most took it on the nose. Wedding Cake.

 

[lalstalls]

Thanks, Chunkypigs! (And congrats on awesome grows - IC Cup!)

i'd support well and leave them to finish

Optimal or not, I took these down in the last hour, in part for peace of mind. I have a couple smaller plants, though, that I might leave out or a few days.

These were monsters falling over each other (tie-ups and bungees notwithstanding!), not great airflow, and the forecasts are at best "partly to mostly cloudy" ("partly to mostly moldy"?), with a 10-day high of 65ºF/18ºC (and lows of ~33ºF/0ºC).

I was concerned about them not drying during the day, then sitting cold and wet all night.

Curious, for reference: Would you have been concerned in this circumstance?

 

[Great outdoors]

i'd support well and leave them to finish, light frost will improve quality on some genetics, even if it killed them you could still harvest and dry them tomorrow.

all these plants took 4 nights in a row of temps in the 20's 2 weeks ago and are still getting ripe.
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the worst case looks like this but most took it on the nose. Wedding Cake.
View Image

But he is talking about wet, not cold.
Two completely different animals.

 

[Rico Swazi]

you don't have to take the whole plant down tho I see you said you chopped



take the most mature flowers and leave the rest to mature a bit more

 

[lalstalls]

Thanks, Great outdoors: I thought that might be the case . . . I've lost a decent amount in circumstances like this a few years ago, so I'm glad for your assistance in breaking my mind's gridlock!

Good point, Rico Swazi: I might do that for the plants still in the ground. Removing some colas will thin and reduce the weight pulling the branches down - both of which could help with air flow. But I'm still concerned about the daily wet + cold (without a good drying in sight).

 

[Great outdoors]

Thanks, Great outdoors: I thought that might be the case . . . I've lost a decent amount in circumstances like this a few years ago, so I'm glad for your assistance in breaking my mind's gridlock!

Good point, Rico Swazi: I might do that for the plants still in the ground. Removing some colas will thin and reduce the weight pulling the branches down - both of which could help with air flow. But I'm still concerned about the daily wet + cold (without a good drying in sight).

I've seen too many pounds go to waste over the years looking for that little bit more.
Gain 10 percent but in the end lose like 40.
Once the colas are fat and they get wet and can't dry out for a decent amount of time, you are on the road to bud mold.
If you are really a fanatic for IMO over ripe weed with a high cbn content and less thc, couch lock weed, then it might be worth it to you to take the loss for the super ripe weed.
Personally I like up weed so it's an easy choice. Once all calyxes are fully swelled and frost and smell has reached a peak I will cut just before the next heavy rain. I'm happy if half the trichomes are cloudy and I never want to see amber.
Heavy rain washes away more trichomes than most people realize.

 

[prune]

I've seen too many pounds go to waste over the years looking for that little bit more.
Gain 10 percent but in the end lose like 40.
Once the colas are fat and they get wet and can't dry out for a decent amount of time, you are on the road to bud mold.
If you are really a fanatic for IMO over ripe weed with a high cbn content and less thc, couch lock weed, then it might be worth it to you to take the loss for the super ripe weed.
Personally I like up weed so it's an easy choice. Once all calyxes are fully swelled and frost and smell has reached a peak I will cut just before the next heavy rain. I'm happy if half the trichomes are cloudy and I never want to see amber.
Heavy rain washes away more trichomes than most people realize.

Wow, give it a rest already, you made a point, now let it lie - you're not going to get a medal for winning the thread...

 

[lalstalls]

Wow, give it a rest already, you made a point, now let it lie - you're not going to get a medal for winning the thread...

FWIW, I appreciated the elaboration.

 

[Great outdoors]

Wow, give it a rest already, you made a point, now let it lie - you're not going to get a medal for winning the thread...

This is a weed site but I have to ask....
Are you high???

 

[Great outdoors]

FWIW, I appreciated the elaboration.

That's what I thought. This was a place to pass on and seek knowledge.

 

[Skatter Brayne]

If I'm unfamiliar with a strains mold resistance I take the tops early and keep a close eye as the rest of the lowers mature. Mold sets in hard and fast so unless you're confident in your plants having exceptional mold resistance it's better to be safe than sorry in my experience

 

[lalstalls]

Thanks, Skatter Brayne, helpful to hear!