New Grower from Michigan!

Chessa

420 Member
Hey fellow growers! This year was my first outdoor organic grow! I started with white widow and OG kush short summer plants! Everything was perfect. My plants all thrived and were absolutely perfect. I started having issues when I started my cure process. I've had some problems with Mold and/or PM. I do have a microscope which is just for general bud inspection. Nothing fancy. When I look at my buds they seem pretty normal. All the trichomes just look spikey to me. I'm having a really hard time distinguishing between what is safe to smoke vs stuff that actually has PM. My big issue here is that it just smells odd
Off. I didn't know what to expect the final product to smell like but It's definitely different. Can't wait to go into my 2nd season in the summer but I'd be very disappointed if I had to lose my entire harvest. I got A LOT of bud from my plants. Any advice or thoughts? I'm including pics!

Thank you!

Chelsea

1673465542419677150312308103954.jpg


16734655817634488567543745809920.jpg
 
Hello @Chessa welcome to 420 Magazine. you say you had no problems when it was growing outdoors
In the closeup shot I can see a human hair bend the buds open to the stem molds will start there If you see fuzzy cotton like stuff, you have mold
I don't see any mold on the bud you are holding
 
Hey fellow growers! This year was my first outdoor organic grow! I started with white widow and OG kush short summer plants! Everything was perfect. My plants all thrived and were absolutely perfect. I started having issues when I started my cure process. I've had some problems with Mold and/or PM. I do have a microscope which is just for general bud inspection. Nothing fancy. When I look at my buds they seem pretty normal. All the trichomes just look spikey to me. I'm having a really hard time distinguishing between what is safe to smoke vs stuff that actually has PM. My big issue here is that it just smells odd
Off. I didn't know what to expect the final product to smell like but It's definitely different. Can't wait to go into my 2nd season in the summer but I'd be very disappointed if I had to lose my entire harvest. I got A LOT of bud from my plants. Any advice or thoughts? I'm including pics!

Thank you!

Chelsea

1673465542419677150312308103954.jpg


16734655817634488567543745809920.jpg
I’m by no means anything near experienced but they look fine to me. Welcome to the @420 Magazine family. CL🍀
 
Welcome to the community from a fellow Michigan grower. Outdoors has been tough here the last couple years. Our rain patterns and fall weather have made it difficult to finish off for a lot of people. So many new growers are popping up that quite a few issues have started spreading in the backyard grows namely PM and bud rot (PM can be contracted, bud rot is on you for lack of airflow if it strikes). Ensure you’ve got them growing somewhere with excellent air flow is the best piece of advice.

As far as smell goes. That could be a few things.. the most common is the drying process was done incorrectly and they’re too dry. This one is extremely difficult to come back from. It’s much easier to dry them slightly then slowly remove the excess moisture than it is to recover a bud that’s already too dry. If they haven’t dried out too much a nice cure will help really bring out the smells and flavors you’re looking for.

The drying and curing is just as critical as the entire grow itself. Make sure you’ve got those processes locked in and understood just as much as the growing itself. A good dry and cure is the difference between a quality product and worm food.
 
I've had some problems with Mold and/or PM. I do have a microscope which is just for general bud inspection. Nothing fancy. When I look at my buds they seem pretty normal. All the trichomes just look spikey to me. I'm having a really hard time distinguishing between what is safe to smoke vs stuff that actually has PM. My big issue here is that it just smells odd
Off. I didn't know what to expect the final product to smell like but It's definitely different.
Welcome to the group. There are several of us from Michigan here; some growing inside, some outside and some both.

I have not noticed that Powdery Mildew causes a smell. Even if you start to get it, the stuff can be killed off with several simple sprays that are inexpensive and easy to mix up yourself. Best to start spraying before the problem just to reduce the chance of it starting. Do not wait until you see the problem because by the time it shows it has already been on the plant for 3 to 4 weeks. It will have a head start so work out a spray program by early summer.

Molds are a bit different. They can get into the buds and not show for several weeks. Then one day the grower notices that the buds have brown or black areas that increase in size every couple of days. And, people have reported that they can notice a change in the smell of the buds once their buds become infected.

You might be interested in this thread from the Michigan sub-forum:
https://www.420magazine.com/community/threads/michigan-growers-unite.461373/post-4348214

If you click on my avatar you will see that I am from southeast corner of the state. You can add the county or corner of the state that you are from the next time you log on. No need for the city, etc. The place to do it is somewhere in your profile area.
 
Hey fellow growers! This year was my first outdoor organic grow! I started with white widow and OG kush short summer plants! Everything was perfect. My plants all thrived and were absolutely perfect. I started having issues when I started my cure process. I've had some problems with Mold and/or PM. I do have a microscope which is just for general bud inspection. Nothing fancy. When I look at my buds they seem pretty normal. All the trichomes just look spikey to me. I'm having a really hard time distinguishing between what is safe to smoke vs stuff that actually has PM. My big issue here is that it just smells odd
Off. I didn't know what to expect the final product to smell like but It's definitely different. Can't wait to go into my 2nd season in the summer but I'd be very disappointed if I had to lose my entire harvest. I got A LOT of bud from my plants. Any advice or thoughts? I'm including pics!

Thank you!

Chelsea

1673465542419677150312308103954.jpg


16734655817634488567543745809920.jpg
Beautiful bud, great work on your harvest. Tight , solid & dank hehe.
Welcome to 420Magazine :welcome:
When you dry them you need to get down to the 60's rh before you jar them.
Or they can go moldy.
Do you have little hygrometers? For your jars.




#Vivosun #Love What You Grow
Bill284 :cool:
 
@Chessa welcome to 420.
I'll refrain from providing my opinion of your buds, well I will say that they are nice looking.
Also, your finger-nail polish is unique, how did you get the flower scenery?
Take care Chessa and I hope that grow and your future grows are affluent.
 
Welcome to the group. There are several of us from Michigan here; some growing inside, some outside and some both.

I have not noticed that Powdery Mildew causes a smell. Even if you start to get it, the stuff can be killed off with several simple sprays that are inexpensive and easy to mix up yourself. Best to start spraying before the problem just to reduce the chance of it starting.

Man oh man have I dealt with PM 🤣 and I agree, I’ve never noticed a scent to it and I’m pretty attuned to smells. Also agree with prevention. If you’ve gotten PM once you should just assume you’re going to keep battling it. You can’t really throwaway your yard like you can a tent so if this struck in a yard it’s around you and you’ll likely not ever find the source.

If I remember correctly Coots says you can use neem meal in your soil to raise resistances. You’re gonna want to be proactive whatever you do. This plant does best when you’re planning instead of reacting.
 
:welcome: to the forum @Chessa :passitleft:...If you're going to grow outside, you better learn to "wash" your buds...this is an important step, when you grow outside, otherwise you'll have all the symptoms you were just mentioning :thumb: EDIT: Forgot to mention, all pertinent information is a highlighted link, for easy access... :goodluck:

What you'll need to wash buds:​

  • Three buckets (ideally 20-litre but smaller is fine)
  • Clean water (filtered or reverse osmosis)
  • Lemon juice & Sodium Bicarbonate (for general cleaning)
    or
  • Hydrogen Peroxide 3% (for powdery mildew)
  • A drying line to hang the wet buds

Bud-washing, a step-by-step guide​

  1. Set up the three buckets in a suitable area for working, somewhere it won't matter if a bit of water gets spilt on the floor.
  2. Fill the first bucket with water and add the cleaning agent of your choice.
    1. If you're using hydrogen peroxide, which is particularly good for removing powdery mildew spores, you should add between 10ml and 12.5ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide to each litre of clean water.
    2. If, on the other hand, you want to use lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda for general cleaning, add a teaspoon (5ml) of each for every litre of water in the first bucket.
  3. Fill the remaining two buckets with pure, clean water.
  4. Prepare your plant by removing all the fan leaves and smaller leaves without resin. There's no need to wash the big leaves unless you plan to make raw cannabis juice with them or want to use them to make your own cannagars. If the bucket is too small to wash an entire plant, cut off individual branches that will fit comfortably so you can wash them one at a time.
  5. Dip the flower in the first bucket, Take the branch and, holding the end furthest from the tip, gently swirl and swish the branch from side to side to aid in cleaning. Around 30 seconds should be long enough. Remove it from the cleaning solution and allow the excess liquid to drip back into the same bucket.
  6. Dip it in the second bucket holding clean water. Gently move the branch around in the water for about half a minute, just like you did in the first bucket. Remove and allow the excess to drain.
  7. Plunge the branch into the third bucket, agitating gently once again so that the clean water can remove any remaining residue or cleaning solution. Remove the branch from the water after 30 seconds, drip dry and shake gently to shed most of the moisture.
  8. Hang the wet buds on a drying line in a well-ventilated space and follow the correct drying and curing procedure as detailed in our post on drying and curing marijuana buds. Because the flowers will be holding more moisture than usual, it's important to keep a close eye on them as they dry, particularly during the first few days. It's a good idea to use an extra fan or two to ensure good air movement within the drying space, and if your budget allows for it, a dehumidifier can make all the difference to the drying process, especially in humid climates.
 
Man oh man have I dealt with PM 🤣 and I agree, I’ve never noticed a scent to it and I’m pretty attuned to smells. Also agree with prevention. If you’ve gotten PM once you should just assume you’re going to keep battling it. You can’t really throwaway your yard like you can a tent so if this struck in a yard it’s around you and you’ll likely not ever find the source.

If I remember correctly Coots says you can use neem meal in your soil to raise resistances. You’re gonna want to be proactive whatever you do. This plant does best when you’re planning instead of reacting.
@InTheShed has a citric acid recipe that works great for pm maybe he can hook you up. CL🍀
 
Thanks for the tag Captain!

Here's the recipe (scale up as necessary...I mix a gallon at time!):
5g food grade citric acid
500ml distilled water
10 pipette drops dish soap

(For the record, 10 pipette drops of dish soap works out to a little less than 1ml in 1500ml of water, or 0.3ml per 500ml. I have since switched to yucca powder which is around 1/8 tsp/gallon.)

Mix well and spray, and make sure you get the whole plant as in flower PM can hide between the buds and the branch.

You can tell live PM from dead because live PM will wipe off with your finger (wash your hands after!). Dead PM looks similar but won't wipe off.

Just a note, this kills PM but doesn't prevent it so repeat as needed. The only thing that tends to prevent PM are oil sprays which I don't use in flower. In veg I usually just use neem to keep the PM down.
 
:welcome: to the forum @Chessa :passitleft:...If you're going to grow outside, you better learn to "wash" your buds...this is an important step, when you grow outside, otherwise you'll have all the symptoms you were just mentioning :thumb: EDIT: Forgot to mention, all pertinent information is a highlighted link, for easy access... :goodluck:

What you'll need to wash buds:​

  • Three buckets (ideally 20-litre but smaller is fine)
  • Clean water (filtered or reverse osmosis)
  • Lemon juice & Sodium Bicarbonate (for general cleaning)
    or
  • Hydrogen Peroxide 3% (for powdery mildew)
  • A drying line to hang the wet buds

Bud-washing, a step-by-step guide​

  1. Set up the three buckets in a suitable area for working, somewhere it won't matter if a bit of water gets spilt on the floor.
  2. Fill the first bucket with water and add the cleaning agent of your choice.
    1. If you're using hydrogen peroxide, which is particularly good for removing powdery mildew spores, you should add between 10ml and 12.5ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide to each litre of clean water.
    2. If, on the other hand, you want to use lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda for general cleaning, add a teaspoon (5ml) of each for every litre of water in the first bucket.
  3. Fill the remaining two buckets with pure, clean water.
  4. Prepare your plant by removing all the fan leaves and smaller leaves without resin. There's no need to wash the big leaves unless you plan to make raw cannabis juice with them or want to use them to make your own cannagars. If the bucket is too small to wash an entire plant, cut off individual branches that will fit comfortably so you can wash them one at a time.
  5. Dip the flower in the first bucket, Take the branch and, holding the end furthest from the tip, gently swirl and swish the branch from side to side to aid in cleaning. Around 30 seconds should be long enough. Remove it from the cleaning solution and allow the excess liquid to drip back into the same bucket.
  6. Dip it in the second bucket holding clean water. Gently move the branch around in the water for about half a minute, just like you did in the first bucket. Remove and allow the excess to drain.
  7. Plunge the branch into the third bucket, agitating gently once again so that the clean water can remove any remaining residue or cleaning solution. Remove the branch from the water after 30 seconds, drip dry and shake gently to shed most of the moisture.
  8. Hang the wet buds on a drying line in a well-ventilated space and follow the correct drying and curing procedure as detailed in our post on drying and curing marijuana buds. Because the flowers will be holding more moisture than usual, it's important to keep a close eye on them as they dry, particularly during the first few days. It's a good idea to use an extra fan or two to ensure good air movement within the drying space, and if your budget allows for it, a dehumidifier can make all the difference to the drying process, especially in humid climates.
This is so great! Thank you so much!
 
Welcome to the group. There are several of us from Michigan here; some growing inside, some outside and some both.

I have not noticed that Powdery Mildew causes a smell. Even if you start to get it, the stuff can be killed off with several simple sprays that are inexpensive and easy to mix up yourself. Best to start spraying before the problem just to reduce the chance of it starting. Do not wait until you see the problem because by the time it shows it has already been on the plant for 3 to 4 weeks. It will have a head start so work out a spray program by early summer.

Molds are a bit different. They can get into the buds and not show for several weeks. Then one day the grower notices that the buds have brown or black areas that increase in size every couple of days. And, people have reported that they can notice a change in the smell of the buds once their buds become infected.

You might be interested in this thread from the Michigan sub-forum:
https://www.420magazine.com/community/threads/michigan-growers-unite.461373/post-4348214

If you click on my avatar you will see that I am from southeast corner of the state. You can add the county or corner of the state that you are from the next time you log on. No need for the city, etc. The place to do it is somewhere in your profile area.
Awesome tysm 😊 💗
 
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