Backcombing buds to increase air flow and reduce rot

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oill

Well-Known Member
Hi all

So whilst trimming I had this idea.

In week 4 or 5 work year way down the bids and pull them all down away from the stalk creating air gaps. Work down the cola so that all of them are sticking out the sides. This breaks up the large cola and creates better air flow in the buds to increase density and reduce the likelihood of bud rot.

What you think?
 
S

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
oill said:
Hi all

So whilst trimming I had this idea.

In week 4 or 5 work year way down the bids and pull them all down away from the stalk creating air gaps. Work down the cola so that all of them are sticking out the sides. This breaks up the large cola and creates better air flow in the buds to increase density and reduce the likelihood of bud rot.

What you think?
Click to expand...
Don’t really understand what you mean but if it is what I think you mean you may as well just grow dr grinspoon
 
cannabineer

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus
oill said:
Hi all

So whilst trimming I had this idea.

In week 4 or 5 work year way down the bids and pull them all down away from the stalk creating air gaps. Work down the cola so that all of them are sticking out the sides. This breaks up the large cola and creates better air flow in the buds to increase density and reduce the likelihood of bud rot.

What you think?
Click to expand...
I lie awake wondering if bad cats go to doggie heaven.
 
O

oill

Well-Known Member
SamWE19 said:
Don’t really understand what you mean but if it is what I think you mean you may as well just grow dr grinspoon
Click to expand...
What I mean is... within the cola each bud grows off a shoot... I'm talking about pulling those shots down so there are gaps in the buds to get better airflow.

Appreciate it might be a bit of a pie in the sky idea
 
S

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
oill said:
What I mean is... within the cola each bud grows off a shoot... I'm talking about pulling those shots down so there are gaps in the buds to get better airflow.

Appreciate it might be a bit of a pie in the sky idea
Click to expand...
Why would you want to do that? My buds stack up to size if fists and I don’t get mold
 
C

ComfortCreator

Well-Known Member
Your question is valid, how to better insure the buds dont rot, right?

But the answer is better airflow throughout flower and proper humidity levels. If the humidity level is kept low, say 40%, and you have fans blowing intermitently and air exchange is good, your problem does not exist.

More fans, lower humidity, more air exchange, you may need 1 or all 3. But this is the key and I learned it here from some of these folks.

The other alternative is to grow very branchy plants that dont stack so much.

I dont know this but assume you live in a high humidity environment...lower your humidity a lot and see the difference.
 
S

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
ComfortCreator said:
Your question is valid, how to better insure the buds dont rot, right?

But the answer is better airflow throughout flower and proper humidity levels. If the humidity level is kept low, say 40%, and you have fans blowing intermitently and air exchange is good, your problem does not exist.

More fans, lower humidity, more air exchange, you may need 1 or all 3. But this is the key and I learned it here from some of these folks.

The other alternative is to grow very branchy plants that dont stack so much.

I dont know this but assume you live in a high humidity environment...lower your humidity a lot and see the difference.
Click to expand...
I flower in humidity of 70% now and just use a commercial essential oil diffuser and use a blend of anti fungal and anti microbial oils in the sealed room and never had rot again
 
C

ComfortCreator

Well-Known Member
SamWE19 said:
I flower in humidity of 70% now and just use a commercial essential oil diffuser and use a blend of anti fungal and anti microbial oils in the sealed room and never had rot again
Click to expand...
I can appreciate there are a lot of ways to get to the finish. Why run with 70% though in the first place?
 
pulpoinspace

pulpoinspace

Well-Known Member
i had a pheno of kandy kush that grew colas so big that they would start to rot in 45%-50% humidity. randomblame was actually the one who suggested i do this same thing. he suggested using straws or chopsticks and sticking them into the main cola to break it up into smaller buds and get more air flow.

so you're not crazy! this has actually not only been suggested but has been done before! this just isn't a common thing because most strains a) dont form single colas that big, b) dont mold at proper humidity levels, and c) if a pheno molds easily its bad genetics stop growing them.
 
S

SamWE19

Well-Known Member
spek9 said:
No, it doesn't. It just creates a significantly better chance at mold.
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clearly a better VPD has many benefits such as faster growth rate, higher brix, more efficient use of water and I’d probably even say higher yield.

I had a 1000l resevoir before I sealed my room and in peak flower I was having to refill it every 5days and it was a pita.

since I sealed my room and my humidity is now 70% I’m refilling once every 15 days.

also something else I’ve noticed which I currently don’t have the science to explain how it works but my 36000 btu AC was struggling to cool my room with 7000w of light when plants were small and low humidity.
Now with 70% humidity and larger plants my ac units barely kick on and keep the room within range without an issue.

i can only assume it’s something based on the fact that water has a higher energy capacity and can hold a lot of energy in its molecules before the temp increases 1c. So lotsof water particles in the air gives you a safety net to evenly distribute the heat better around the room.
 
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