What Causes Bud Rot on Cannabis

Cannabis bud rot is caused by a type of fungus known as Botrytis Cinerea.

In cannabis plants, Botrytis causes buds to rot out from the inside, hence the name “bud rot.” If you crack open an infected bud, the inside will be a moldy dark gray or brown.

Bud rot can show up in many ways. For example, this cola here responded to bud rot by turning purple and mushy. with leaves that becoming crispy and dying. This is what the grower came back to find after a few days of rain.

Did you know? In addition to cannabis bud rot, Botrytis causes problems for many different types of plants, including wine grapes, strawberries and peonies.

Botrytis the fungus is sometimes referred to as "botrytis bunch rot," “botrytis blight,” “bud rot,” “grey mould” or “gray mold.”

When it comes to cannabis, it is often only called “Bud Rot” since that’s the main symptom cannabis growers are worried about.

Any part of the cannabis plant affected by bud rot should be discarded immediately! This helps prevent further infection and all buds touched by this toxic fungus should never be smoked or used.

This is What Bud Rot Looks Like Ground Up

There are different stages of Botrytis as it matures and tries to release spores. An infection starts as fluffy white mold, and then spreads throughout the inside of vulnerable buds. The inside of those parts of the colas darken to gray or brown. Once that has settled in, the mold tries to reproduce. The insides become filled with dark speckled dust that easily floats and spreads if the bud is cracked open. These are the spores of the fungus, so be careful to avoid breathing in letting this speckled dust ever touch other parts of your plants.

Luckily, healthy cannabis plants will not develop bud rot unless exposed to stagnant air and cold, wet conditions for an extended period of time.