Mold is a real threat to the growth of your cannabis. Though it’s popular to use pesticides to kill insects and rodents that are eating your plants, you need to have measures to curb mold. This enemy poses a threat to outdoor and indoor plants. It can gain a foothold in your garden, ruin flowers post-harvest, and reduce yields. Worst of all, it can affect the quality of the product.
But before you know how to prevent mold or identify it in a recreational dispensary, it’s vital to know what it is, its common types, and when it appears.
What’s Mold?
When the term mold is mentioned, images of decay and rotting come up to one’s mind. This enemy is a fungus that forms multicellular networks, enabling it to feed on plants. Though they don’t have a digestive system, they have powerful enzymes that easily break down substances like wood and plant matter. The main role in nature is to decompose waste, dead animals, and plant matter into smaller particles.
Types Of Cannabis Mold
- Bud Rot/Gray Mold
This mold is dangerous, though easy to spot. When it attacks your plants, some of its parts will become discolored or darkened. It’s a unique mold type that destroys buds from within. The only way of knowing they’ve attacked your plants is to open and check some buds. Also, if you notice that some leaves are drying or yellowing, chances are they’re attacked.
The best way of getting rid of this mold is to throw away affected plants. It thrives mostly in warm and humid conditions with less airflow. If you don’t spot it in time, it may destroy your entire harvest.
- Regular Mold
This mold is one of the most common ones, and it’s easy to spot it. It normally has a fuzzy greyish and wispy color and stands out against cannabis. Interestingly, it has a stake, musty, and sweet odor. To control this mold, you need to remove and discard the contaminated plant parts. Also, ensure that you check the remaining plants to prevent a wider outbreak.
- White Powdery Mildew
This mold almost resembles flour. If you’re a novice grower, you may easily mistake it for a young trichome. However, it grows rapidly, and you can only identify it through a magnifying glass. It’s mostly caused by poor ventilation and high humidity. Ensuring that the room that houses your plants is properly ventilated may prevent it from spreading and multiplying.
How To Prevent Mold
There are many steps you can take to reduce mold infestation, including:
* Planting Strain-resistant plant
When you visit a cannabis dispensary near me, ensure that you pick a strain that’s less likely to be infested by mold when fed and watered appropriately.
* Invest In Quality Ventilation System
You should have fans in the room that houses your plants and ensure that they circulate under and over your plants. Trimming will allow all the plants to get enough air.
* Set Up A Humidity And Temperature Monitor
If you notice that mold is developing in your plants, invest in a dehumidifier or temperature equipment that can monitor heat levels.
Wrapping Up
Mold may seem to be a small enemy, but it can cause huge damage to your plants. The only way to ensure your plants are safe is to know its types and how to prevent it.
