From my perspective as a plant, the most common reason my buds decide to let go is a sudden change in my surroundings. I developed these buds in a specific location with stable light, temperature, and humidity. If you, my caretaker, bring me home from a nursery or simply move me to a different spot in the house after I've set buds, it is a tremendous shock. The change in light intensity or direction, or even a draft from a heater or an open window, signals danger to me. My survival instinct tells me that conditions are unstable and that reproducing (flowering) is too energetically costly. Therefore, I abort the mission to conserve energy, causing the buds to drop. This is what you call "bud blast."
My roots are incredibly sensitive during the budding and flowering phase. If you allow my soil to become completely bone dry, I become severely dehydrated. The buds, being the most delicate and needy parts of my structure, are the first to suffer. Without a consistent water supply, they wither and fall. Conversely, if you are too generous and my pot sits in water, my roots begin to suffocate and rot. A damaged root system cannot uptake water or nutrients, effectively starving me from the bottom up. Again, the buds are the first casualty, as I cannot support them without a functional root network. This root stress is a silent scream for help that manifests as dropped buds.
I am a creature of habit, deeply attuned to the rhythms of light and darkness. I set my buds based on specific photoperiods—long nights and short days. If my dark period is interrupted by artificial indoor lighting, such as a bright lamp in the evening, it confuses my internal clock. I may interpret this as the days getting longer and the flowering season ending, prompting me to drop my buds. Furthermore, I prefer cool, stable temperatures between 55-65°F (13-18°C) during my bud-setting period. Excessive heat from a radiator, fireplace, or even a heating vent directed at me creates an environment that is the opposite of my ideal, forcing me to jettison my precious buds.
I am highly susceptible to atmospheric changes. A sudden cold draft from an frequently opened door or a hot, dry blast from a heating duct feels like a violent storm to my sensitive tissues. This drastic temperature fluctuation is a direct threat, and my response is to protect my core by sacrificing my buds. Additionally, I am extremely sensitive to ethylene gas, an odorless, invisible plant hormone that accelerates aging and ripening. Common sources in your home include ripening fruit in a nearby bowl (like apples or bananas), vehicle exhaust from an attached garage, or cigarette smoke. Exposure to this gas forces my buds to mature too rapidly and drop before they ever have a chance to open.
