After a summer of drought, we just received a day of heavy rain. My colas are large but not engorged to harvest state yet. The rain broke about 1/3 of my branches. Some are bent/kinked but still attached while others have a clean break. Any advice? Should I dry them? Stick them in water? The trichomes are still clear. These are predominately Girl Scout Cookies.
Curious what some of the more knowledgeable growmies say but my two cents would be to tie up and stake the bent branches. They’ll keep going for sure. As far as the ones with a clean break, you can try to tape them up with some Teflon tape. Rub aloe at the break to help heal and then tape the sh!t outta it and then tie and/or stake it up. Cannabis is a tough mother and can handle a lot. The breaks might still grow???
If you have some pics I’d recommend uploading them so folks can give a better diagnosis.
I started staking and it started getting dark. I may be going hiking tomorrow but if not I will tie everything up and send pics.
Support them however you can. If you wrap in any tape make sure it’s stretchy in nature.
Like @dbrn32 said, if they’re still attached, used some stretchy tape and even splinters if needed, to support all the branches that got damaged.
You’ll be surprised how much damage these plants can take. ![]()
Timing is important here. The faster you fix them, the better your chances of saving the branches.
The good news, folks, is that I only lost two branches. The bad news is a few colas or buds have mold on them from a week of rain. I cut them off but I make candy out of my crop and the boiling process supposedly kills most everything so . . . IDK. I have them hanging in the shed for now. Thank you everyone for your suggestions and support. Every year I learn something new. I already bought some tomato cages for next year and will prop up my plants on day one. Who knew about gravity? Nobody knew this before. I don’t know if Girl Scout Cookies have weak branches or if it is just mine. I’ll try something different next year.
First: Congratulations on your harvest! ![]()
If you don’t want to trash the moldy buds, make sure to put them far away from the clean ones so you don’t cross contaminate your clean harvest.
If you have enough clean buds, I feel it’s not worth the risk of using moldy buds.
Second: If you find that your stalk are too flimsy, try having stronger ventilation in your grow room. The back and forth movement of swaying branches tends to help solidify them. Also, you could introduce some silica in your feedings to help build sturdier branches.
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<<< it’s not worth the risk of using moldy buds.
Even if the mold is destroyed in the boiling process?
introduce some silica in your feedings to help build sturdier branches.
Thank you. I have seen this in Tractor Supply but it was never on my radar.
If you boil your cannabis, you’ll lose tons of trichomes… Than it will hardly have any effects… imo… And:
AI Overview
No, boiling cannabis does not effectively get rid of mold and can actually spread harmful mold toxins through the steam. Mold can spread microscopically, so visible removal is insufficient, and some mold species are heat-resistant. The best approach is to avoid consuming moldy cannabis due to the health risks of inhaling spores or the mycotoxins they produce, and instead safely dispose of it.
Why boiling doesn’t work:
Mycotoxins
Some molds produce mycotoxins, which are harmful compounds that are not destroyed by boiling or other heat treatments.
- Invisible Spores:
Mold spreads through microscopic spores that are often not visible to the naked eye and can be present throughout the entire bud, not just the visible moldy areas.
- Harmful Steam:
The steam from boiling moldy cannabis can spread these harmful spores and toxins into the air, posing an inhalation risk.
Health risks of consuming moldy cannabis:
- Respiratory Issues:
Inhaling mold spores can lead to symptoms like coughing, difficulty breathing, sinus pain, or more serious lung infections.
- Systemic Illnesses:
Certain molds, like Aspergillus, can cause severe health problems, including lung infections and other systemic issues.
What to do with moldy cannabis:
- Do not consume: Do not smoke, ingest, or otherwise use moldy cannabis.
- Dispose of it safely: The safest option is to properly dispose of the contaminated cannabis to prevent health risks.
Here are pics from my five plants. I am concerned about plant (photo) three. I presumed this was mold. Is it? None of the others have it and only three cola on the whole plant look like this. Under a microscope my trichomes are clear to cloudy. You can see my pistils have mostly darkened.
It certainly looks like it. Just get rid of the affected colas and the rest should be safe. To be safe, I would recommend doing a thorough bud wash on the remaining of your harvest. ![]()
As @kaptain3d has state get rid of that/them moldy buds as far away from the healthy plants, bud rot is a no play game it will get you sick if inhaled or ingested, your health is worth WAAAAAY more than a few grams, ozs, of smoke ![]()




