Hydro
PICK YOUR OWN
Thought I'd post some useful info I've picked up over the years to combat some of the most common issues that may occour in our gardens (indoor and outdoor).
First, I'd like to add that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
-CLEANLINESS
Keep your garden area free of dead plant material. This is like fine dining to many bugs in the garden and a nice breeding ground for mold spores etc. Be sure to clean up any water and nutrient spills.
-QUARANTINE
Before introducing outside sourced cuts/clones to your garden, try to keep them in a space away from your garden in a quarantine so you can observe the cuts for pests or PM etc for a couple days. I know this can be a hassle, but no more of a hassle than trying to rid your garden of a newly introduced pest or mildew.
-SPIDER MITES/RUSSET MITES
These require a bit more tenacity to totally eradicate from your garden. Spinosad will not work on Spider mites or Russet Mites. For these critters you will need to break out the big guns and hit the garden with some Pyrethrum. This will come in one of 2 forms: concentrated liquid and foggers/bombs.
I wont get into details, but be cautious of your use of Pyrethrum as it can be harmful to humans and animals if used carelessly or improperly. Be sure to follow all manufacturers instructions and suggestions.
-THRIPS/SPRINGTAILS/LEAF MINERS
Monterey Brand "Spinosad" is the perfect solution for these critters. When mixed at 2oz per Gallon, this will be lights out for the listed critters within a few days usually. Be sure to spray the topsides and the undersides of the foliage sure to fully saturate the entire plant. Follow up with re-sprays as recommended by the manufacturer.
-GNATS/FRUIT FLIES
Though fungus gnats are more damaging to your plants than fruit flies, you likely dont want either hanging around in your garden. For this, you want to attack where they are laying their eggs and feeding. The eggs will be hatched in the medium (coco/hydroton/soil/vermiculite etc). I suggest using "Microbe-Lift BMC" a.k.a Bacillus Thuringiensis in any hydroponics system as it has worked wonders for me in hydro. As for the soil guys, you can always put a dusting of Diatomaceous Earth and/or a layer of sand on the top of the soil.
-POWDERY MILDEW
The absolute best remedy for PM I have found to date is a product called "Green Cure" which is Potassium Bicabonate. Chances are if you have recurring PM issues indoors, theres likely another issue looming in your garden like poor air exchange or too high of relative humidity etc. Taking steps like avoiding having pets in your grow room, not visiting an outdoor garden & then going into your indoor garden, or putting outside sourced cuts/clones in quarantine will also help keep PM (and bugs) at bay. Simply mix as recommended by the manufacturer and saturate the plants from top to bottom sure to get both topside and undersides of all foliage. If used during flower, you can expect some of the pistols on buds to go brown within 24 hrs.
These are probably going to be the most common issues to arise in your garden, but if you have a remedy for something I didn't touch on, please feel free to add to this thread.
First, I'd like to add that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
-CLEANLINESS
Keep your garden area free of dead plant material. This is like fine dining to many bugs in the garden and a nice breeding ground for mold spores etc. Be sure to clean up any water and nutrient spills.
-QUARANTINE
Before introducing outside sourced cuts/clones to your garden, try to keep them in a space away from your garden in a quarantine so you can observe the cuts for pests or PM etc for a couple days. I know this can be a hassle, but no more of a hassle than trying to rid your garden of a newly introduced pest or mildew.
-SPIDER MITES/RUSSET MITES
These require a bit more tenacity to totally eradicate from your garden. Spinosad will not work on Spider mites or Russet Mites. For these critters you will need to break out the big guns and hit the garden with some Pyrethrum. This will come in one of 2 forms: concentrated liquid and foggers/bombs.
I wont get into details, but be cautious of your use of Pyrethrum as it can be harmful to humans and animals if used carelessly or improperly. Be sure to follow all manufacturers instructions and suggestions.
-THRIPS/SPRINGTAILS/LEAF MINERS
Monterey Brand "Spinosad" is the perfect solution for these critters. When mixed at 2oz per Gallon, this will be lights out for the listed critters within a few days usually. Be sure to spray the topsides and the undersides of the foliage sure to fully saturate the entire plant. Follow up with re-sprays as recommended by the manufacturer.
-GNATS/FRUIT FLIES
Though fungus gnats are more damaging to your plants than fruit flies, you likely dont want either hanging around in your garden. For this, you want to attack where they are laying their eggs and feeding. The eggs will be hatched in the medium (coco/hydroton/soil/vermiculite etc). I suggest using "Microbe-Lift BMC" a.k.a Bacillus Thuringiensis in any hydroponics system as it has worked wonders for me in hydro. As for the soil guys, you can always put a dusting of Diatomaceous Earth and/or a layer of sand on the top of the soil.
-POWDERY MILDEW
The absolute best remedy for PM I have found to date is a product called "Green Cure" which is Potassium Bicabonate. Chances are if you have recurring PM issues indoors, theres likely another issue looming in your garden like poor air exchange or too high of relative humidity etc. Taking steps like avoiding having pets in your grow room, not visiting an outdoor garden & then going into your indoor garden, or putting outside sourced cuts/clones in quarantine will also help keep PM (and bugs) at bay. Simply mix as recommended by the manufacturer and saturate the plants from top to bottom sure to get both topside and undersides of all foliage. If used during flower, you can expect some of the pistols on buds to go brown within 24 hrs.
These are probably going to be the most common issues to arise in your garden, but if you have a remedy for something I didn't touch on, please feel free to add to this thread.
