Plants Lost Smell and Stickiness

My plants lost smell and stickiness at around week seven of flower. It is my first grow and I'm disappointed with how my buds smell. It's a sickening hay smell. I started curing three days ago and the smell seems to be coming back. The smoke gives a decent high but even the smoke smells off. Why did the smell become weaker? Why did they lose the glue-like stickiness? I'm thinking one of the nutes I gave them caused the reductions. Are there any nutes that are known to reduce the smell of weed?

What were you giving them and what are you giving them now?

How did you dry?

the smell will probably come back a little during cure, but that hay smell could be signs of a fast/improper dry.

Altho you say they lost their luster back in week 7 while still in flower, no idea why that wouldve happened.
Nutes/ temps/ environment changes?

Were you following the idiots here and in the industry that dont know how to dry? Most do and if you have next time just hang dry for two weeks and jar when fully dry and smokable.


Easiest thing in the world overcomplicated by a lot of eneducated nexperienced folk who think they know best

I found out what it was. From the beginning of veg I fed the plants a tablespoon of unsulfured blackstrap molasses to every gallon every other watering. The plants were super sticky and each plant had it's own distinct powerful scent. This being my first grow and not knowing what I'm doing I stopped feeding the molasses because of an article I read. About two weeks later is when the smell and stickiness disappeared. I now have a sativa in flower and I started giving it molasses and it became sticky and the smell from it increased. Now I know for sure that molasses works no matter what all the naysayers say about using molasses.

Molasses has nothing to do with your drying techniques or if you cut too early . Hay smell is from the chlorophyll and it hasn’t fully begun to degrade. Molasses is a simple sugar for the microbial life in your medium . No amount of sweetners will CHANGE the genetics of your buds . Hay Smell is usually a sign of chopping too early. Also check for ammonia smell which May indicate mold forming.

With proper drying ( 7- 10 days or so ) the moisture inside moves outside ...

Did you cut them at week 7?

Most likely that is your biggest problem, you cut your plant too early. Harvesting early will negatively impact, yield, smell flavor, and overall quality.

Having good healthy soil with a well balanced mineral content along with lots of beneficial bacteria and fungi will absolutely help with terpenes (the smell). However all of that can only help so much if the genetics are shit. Some strains just plain and simple smells dank from start to finish and others if you dry too fast will lose their smell and end smelling like hay.

You can screw it all up tho like they said above so here are some tips... and obviously the most important is start with great genetics

1. LET THEM MATURE BEFORE YOU HARVEST... I'd say on average most strains go at least 10 weeks from the flip. Keep the scissors and loop put away until they are actually ripe.

2. Dont be in a rush to dry them. This is where you can really screw it up. Try to leave more stem and sugar leaves on to slow down the drying times. Wait til you hear the crack of the stem before cutting buds off. 10 days to 2 weeks (or more) should be a goal time.

Dont have fans blowing right on them either.

3. Rh of buds should be between 62 and 55%
Any more you risk mould and any less and the cure will stop.

4. Try leaving the sugar leaves on til you are ready to smoke or sell. This re-releases all of the wonderful smells you had when growing. Wet trimming and fast drying is the mAjor cause of the hay smell.

Just try to aim for those things and you will hit it out of the park next time.

Odin88 said:

I found out what it was. From the beginning of veg I fed the plants a tablespoon of unsulfured blackstrap molasses to every gallon every other watering. The plants were super sticky and each plant had it's own distinct powerful scent. This being my first grow and not knowing what I'm doing I stopped feeding the molasses because of an article I read. About two weeks later is when the smell and stickiness disappeared. I now have a sativa in flower and I started giving it molasses and it became sticky and the smell from it increased. Now I know for sure that molasses works no matter what all the naysayers say about using molasses.

Click to expand...

Naysayers? How about science? Cannabis does NOT absorb sugars through its roots. Plants manufacture sugars through a process called photosynthesis.


By taking in water (H2O) through the roots, carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, and light energy from the Sun, plants can perform photosynthesis to make glucose (sugars) and oxygen (O2)

xtsho said:

Naysayers? How about science? Cannabis does NOT absorb sugars through its roots. Plants manufacture sugars through a process called photosynthesis.


By taking in water (H2O) through the roots, carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, and light energy from the Sun, plants can perform photosynthesis to make glucose (sugars) and oxygen (O2)

Click to expand...

Even tho I do 100% agree with you.... the science behind why molasses works should be pointed out as well.
Feeds the benificial bacteria and fungus that help promote better terpene profiles
Also it contains a decent amount of potassium ...along with some minerals.
Healthier soils will make healthier plants and buds.

Do I think that is what happened here tho? No... I dont think that molasses had anything to do with what the op is writing about