According to author J. M. McPartland, there are at least 88 species of fungi that are known to grow on the Cannabis plant. The most significant and well known of these is the gray mold, caused by the fungus B. cinerea. Like most varieties of fungal infection, this one flourishes in humid conditions and moderate temperatures. The flowering tops of the plant are the most susceptible to the gray mold, and so the flowering stage of a grow is when this mold is most likely to make an appearance (see image below).
Many of the more commonly grown strains Cannabis evolved in the arid lowlands around Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountains. The low humidity in that geographical region meant that this strain of Cannabis never developed resistance to the gray mold because likely they never encountered it. If the name of those mountains sounds familiar at all, it’s because many of the more popular strains we know and love today, such as Kosher Kush, derive from the Afghan varieties that grew in the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountains for millennia before early growers domesticated them.
Get Rid of Mold In Your Cannabis
There are many household tips and general rules of thumb that will help to mitigate the risks of a mold taking hold in a weed grow. For example, High Times magazine recommends regulating the humidity in the air to between 50 and 60 percent. Some experts recommend keeping the humidity below 50 percent, but other maintain that this may cause the buds to dry out too much and have an undesirable consistency. A hygrometer can be a grower’s best friend in the battle to prevent mold. Pair this with a dehumidifier and proper ventilation and the risks of mold can be mostly minimized.
Many of the more commonly grown strains Cannabis evolved in the arid lowlands around Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountains
It is important to point out that many molds don’t start until the curing process. Herb magazine here offers some handy tips on how to prevent this. First, they recommend that the humidity be kept below 15 percent during this process, in contrast to the slightly higher levels allowed during the flowering stage. Second, they recommend packing silica packets amongst the curing buds to maintain the low humidity levels needed. Finally, they endorse a process of so-called “burping” the containers, where fresh air is recirculated in and the stale standing air that fungi love is removed.
When all else fails and you do end up with mold in your cannabis grow or on your nugs, Pathogen Zero is a safe and effective option for eliminating it. According to their website you can actually DUNK your nugs in their organic solution and you’ll effectively kill all the mold on your cannabis nugs. Nugs dunked in Pathogen Zero actually pass microbial tests! It’s that effective. Pathogen Zero can also be used during the grow process, making it an effective preventative treatment in addition to its potent elimination properties.
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