Nutrients Pesticides - WTF are you Spraying?

[Waira]

.... good stuff my peeps! ...keep it coming

>>> Some things to consider:

- prevention vs. cure -- I'd say it's about 10x more ass pain to wage bio/chem-war on invaders than it is to head it off before it happens, in so far as reasonably possible. True, that on a sliding scale for folks, but you get the gist! Do your best to not make things easier/better for the vermin to get their party going...
Example: mites LOVE dry, stressed plants; low RH% is nobody's friend... Be mindful of what you bring into your grow space, especially "foreign" plants (clones, other kinds of plants, etc.)... And what may travel on your person as well. Not wise to muck about in the garden outside, or a hike, or a visit to a nursery, and then go visit your ladies -

- bio agents like predatory mites, nematodes, etc. are not going to solve a major infestation problem... That's going to require treatment that takes down the vast majority of the pest population first! And be mindful of what you use for this if you plan to employ bio-killers afterwards, and how long that product works after treatment; you don't want to torch your little helpers...

- know the basics of the life cycle of the vermin you're trying to torch! Many have life stages that take them into the soil itself.
For instance- thrips pupate in soil, though not feeding then; you can lay waste to everything on the plant, only to have the next generation emerge and start the cycle all over again.
Soil gnat larvae are the actual destructive phase; the adults are just basically flying gonads...
Point is, more than one treatment is wise, along with due vigilance!

- on that note, consider treating an infestation with more than one type of product. Modes of killing action are different product to product, and coming at the fuckers with 1-2 punch combo can be more effective than either alone... just be mindful to read labels carefully and make sure they are compatible (no bad cross reactions)... not a common issue, but still...
Stagger the applications too, never combine at once unless you are very certain that they will play together nicely at the same time.

>> Stuff I use (outside mainly):

- SNS 209 (sierra natural science) systemic; derived from rosemary oil, makes the sap taste like ass to the sap suckers, so they FO elsewhere...
only caveat is you have to stop using a couple weeks before harvest for it to metabolize out...

- insect frass top dress offer nutrition and anti-vermin effects

- rice hulls worked nicely for me, helped restrict ease of access into the soil plus helped retain moisture a bit longer... Easy to redistribute after watering- --- unlike DE (diatomaceous earth) which is useless after it gets wet, and after a couple waterings it's no longer really effective anyway... DE is a mechanical killer, dry state only. It's like micro-shards of glass that get into the bug's tender parts (joints) and cuts them up, makes'm bleed out... Once wet, that's it, no longer able to get into those places... tends to crust up after wetting/drying too...

- I use spinosad product ( an neurotoxin made from a bacterium), but it's not very effective on aphids I found, even though they are otherwise an easy kill. Keep in mind it isn't an on-contact killing product either; they sicken and go off feed quickly, then croak a day or so later. Otherwise it's great stuff! Low odor, residues, and breaks down pretty fast...

- yes, Lost Coast therapy is good stuff! ...broad application uses too

- Pure Crop1 is also a butt kicker

>>> foliar spraying:
- use a wetting agent always; many bugs are kinda water repellant and this stuff cuts through that! more contact with the product = more effective results. It also helps cover and coat the plant surfaces way better instead of just beading up...
...good technique is everything too! Have you ever spray painted something with complex surfaces shapes? Then you know how easy it is to miss spots... Same deal when doing foliars; leave patches untreated and it leaves the door open to make a come back! Undersides are tough I know, so ease the pain by using something with a wand that you can easily maneuver around... fine mist adjustment is key too...

 

[Cannaficionado]

I rarely have bug problems, couple gnats here or there but it seems like they just die off after I let the pot dry out too much. I always see them shortly after germ, and once again during flower but never again. Great thread though, now I know what to try if I do run into a problem

 

[tobe]

Hi friends
I started to grow in living soil (Flo organic) I don't use any pesticides. I only use predators like lady bugs nematodes.... , I hope to get the Bio Mirco environment running perfectly to adopt it to the larger rooms. In the lager rooms I take stuff like orange oil, or neem oil.

The most of the stuff has to be used 3 weeks before harvest to get clean end product.

 

[N/A-Greengo]

My weapons of choice on hand are:

Diatomaceous Earth, Environmental Factor Nematodes, Neem Pellets, Mosquito Dunks, and of course Sticky Traps.

 

[Rick Dirte']

I compost my soil batches for 9 months between grows in a compost tumbler. After each grow I amend the batch with neem pellets and insect frass. Last year I bought some crab meal and added it for the chitin.

 

[Frankthetank]

I almost never have pest problems. I try to keep a clean grow room, shoes never enter the grow area. I also am able to sufficiently let pots dry between watering, since I’m in promix.

That being said, I always have a spinosad product on hand just in case….. Usually it’s Monterey Garden Spray, or Captain Jack’s Dead Bug if I can’t get Monterey.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

i dont spray anything on my plants. Ever.