Welcome to the Fungal, it gets worse here everyday - Fusarium Solani

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silverhaze

silverhaze

178
28
Hey Farmers,

Sharing my story.. For over a year in my current location, I have battled against a wicked unknown enemy. No matter what I changed, no matter what strains I tried, I got the same result time, and time again. I refused to believe that I could be fighting something that could not be overcome so I have spent the whole year reading, researching, and trying to understand what, if anything, I have been doing wrong. First of all, I am not an expert grower. Some of you guys here on the farm have such an unbelievable understanding of this subject it amazes me time and time again. So, I have quietly been asking questions, reading and talking with guys I know who have been growing for decades. Unfortunately, no one was ever able to identify this problem for me until now. For those growers on here who have helped me along this path, thank you so very much for your help!

My set up is a sealed environment. I have two adjoining rooms, one for veg, one for flower. I run 4k, co2 from tanks with meter, mini split 2 ton, 6" rockwool cubes and I top feed with Veg+Bloom nutes (currently V+B but have used many other nutrient line ups). Veg always looks great. Once the plants move to the flower room, it takes about a week (sometimes less) before the Fusarium begins to take hold. Let me add here that yes, I know for certain that it is Fusarium Solani as I had three parts of my plants lab tested last month; sample of the stem at the soil level (rockwool level), multiple leaves and sections of roots from various plants. Leaves were clear of everything, stem was clear, roots were positive for FS. These plants showed the exact same characteristics as all of my previous crops (in this location).

Once in flower, the Fusarium begins to choke the roots inhibiting nutrient uptake almost completely. Then the slow death begins. New growth comes in bright green if not yellow and during the night hours of this first week or two, the plants do what I call the "death wilt" where they look like they haven't been fed in a week. Next, the fan leaves begin to yellow and die though they stay attached unlike a Nitrogen deficiency where the leaves will fall off. Along the way, the leaves show every deficiency in the book; and I've chased them all from Calcium to Zinc. I keep these rooms extremely clean and take every precaution; but nothing, I mean nothing I've tried will change the result.

In this last run I introduced Cap's Bennies in a last ditch effort to beat this thing before total tear down and move. While I love Cap's Bennie's and they made my plants look better in veg than they ever have, they did not have any effect on the Fusarium. I flipped this last crop 5 days ago and I'm already convinced they are ALL infected and I will have to kill yet another crop.

What I hope to find is someone out there who has successfully beaten, or at least managed Fusarium and can give me some advice about what worked for them. This has been one of the most painful exercises of my life. I have never worked so hard for no reward. In more than a year, I haven't seen one healthy plant make it through to flower in this room. When rooms are empty, I clean everything, every time with Bleach, H202 and Physan 20. The Pathologist who discovered the Fusarium thinks that it is NOT airborne and is only spread by water, tools and insects. Does anyone know differently? The new fear is that even if I can ante up and go at it again in a new spot, I might well bring the plague with me catching a ride in or on my equipment. How about strains that are resistant to Fusarium? Do they exist?

I've read everything I can find online about Fusarium and there isn't much. Many growers call bullshit when someone says they have Fusarium and I suspect that is just because it is very rare and they themselves don't know anything about it. Fusarium in cannabis is all too real and maybe my painful experience can save another grower some time and resources in identifying the fungus. No matter what the symptoms though, I believe this is something that can only truly be identified by lab tests.

I will leave you with four photos. Two of the current crop while in Veg and then two more of the same plants a week into flower. Please let me know if you know anything about this awful disease!

Thanks all.

Horrified...

A_veg.jpg
B_veg.jpg
Deathwilt
yellow tops.jpg
 
Kcar

Kcar

62
18
Have you tried running a sterile rez? Either utilizing H2O2 or Bleach?
 
silverhaze

silverhaze

178
28
Thanks Kcar,

Two crops ago I used H202 at 5ml p gall in flower and it did not change the outcome. I'll look into Rootshield WP, have you used this? Thanks again.
 
sky_blue

sky_blue

201
28
Hey Farmers,

Sharing my story.. For over a year in my current location, I have battled against a wicked unknown enemy. No matter what I changed, no matter what strains I tried, I got the same result time, and time again. I refused to believe that I could be fighting something that could not be overcome so I have spent the whole year reading, researching, and trying to understand what, if anything, I have been doing wrong. First of all, I am not an expert grower. Some of you guys here on the farm have such an unbelievable understanding of this subject it amazes me time and time again. So, I have quietly been asking questions, reading and talking with guys I know who have been growing for decades. Unfortunately, no one was ever able to identify this problem for me until now. For those growers on here who have helped me along this path, thank you so very much for your help!

My set up is a sealed environment. I have two adjoining rooms, one for veg, one for flower. I run 4k, co2 from tanks with meter, mini split 2 ton, 6" rockwool cubes and I top feed with Veg+Bloom nutes (currently V+B but have used many other nutrient line ups). Veg always looks great. Once the plants move to the flower room, it takes about a week (sometimes less) before the Fusarium begins to take hold. Let me add here that yes, I know for certain that it is Fusarium Solani as I had three parts of my plants lab tested last month; sample of the stem at the soil level (rockwool level), multiple leaves and sections of roots from various plants. Leaves were clear of everything, stem was clear, roots were positive for FS. These plants showed the exact same characteristics as all of my previous crops (in this location).

Once in flower, the Fusarium begins to choke the roots inhibiting nutrient uptake almost completely. Then the slow death begins. New growth comes in bright green if not yellow and during the night hours of this first week or two, the plants do what I call the "death wilt" where they look like they haven't been fed in a week. Next, the fan leaves begin to yellow and die though they stay attached unlike a Nitrogen deficiency where the leaves will fall off. Along the way, the leaves show every deficiency in the book; and I've chased them all from Calcium to Zinc. I keep these rooms extremely clean and take every precaution; but nothing, I mean nothing I've tried will change the result.

In this last run I introduced Cap's Bennies in a last ditch effort to beat this thing before total tear down and move. While I love Cap's Bennie's and they made my plants look better in veg than they ever have, they did not have any effect on the Fusarium. I flipped this last crop 5 days ago and I'm already convinced they are ALL infected and I will have to kill yet another crop.

What I hope to find is someone out there who has successfully beaten, or at least managed Fusarium and can give me some advice about what worked for them. This has been one of the most painful exercises of my life. I have never worked so hard for no reward. In more than a year, I haven't seen one healthy plant make it through to flower in this room. When rooms are empty, I clean everything, every time with Bleach, H202 and Physan 20. The Pathologist who discovered the Fusarium thinks that it is NOT airborne and is only spread by water, tools and insects. Does anyone know differently? The new fear is that even if I can ante up and go at it again in a new spot, I might well bring the plague with me catching a ride in or on my equipment. How about strains that are resistant to Fusarium? Do they exist?

I've read everything I can find online about Fusarium and there isn't much. Many growers call bullshit when someone says they have Fusarium and I suspect that is just because it is very rare and they themselves don't know anything about it. Fusarium in cannabis is all too real and maybe my painful experience can save another grower some time and resources in identifying the fungus. No matter what the symptoms though, I believe this is something that can only truly be identified by lab tests.

I will leave you with four photos. Two of the current crop while in Veg and then two more of the same plants a week into flower. Please let me know if you know anything about this awful disease!

Thanks all.

Horrified...

View attachment 265053View attachment 265054View attachment 265055View attachment 265056
Those pics are so sad. Sorry you're dealing with that...
 
leadsled

leadsled

GrowRU
2,145
263
Sorry to hear that. I have seen this wipe out entire grows. Some did not listen to my advice and kept losing everything...

Another grower had to move to get rid of the problem. Was an old house and he could not beat it. failed for about 6 months before moving. All in rockwool. Plants in soil made it, but were not the optimum in health.

Another farmer locked out his plants with overfeeding the salts and then the fusarium kicked in. The plant cant transpire and drink water so it sits in the chemical soup of death while the fusarium takes over and kills.
Maybe not as rare as you think. I say test the water find where it is coming from and stop it at the source.

Did you get your water tested??? If you are adding it back via your water source then all is moot.
 
silverhaze

silverhaze

178
28
Sorry to hear that. I have seen this wipe out entire grows. Some did not listen to my advice and kept losing everything...

Another grower had to move to get rid of the problem. Was an old house and he could not beat it. failed for about 6 months before moving. All in rockwool. Plants in soil made it, but were not the optimum in health.

Another farmer locked out his plants with overfeeding the salts and then the fusarium kicked in. The plant cant transpire and drink water so it sits in the chemical soup of death while the fusarium takes over and kills.
Maybe not as rare as you think. I say test the water find where it is coming from and stop it at the source.

Did you get your water tested??? If you are adding it back via your water source then all is moot.

Thanks Leadsled,

I hear you on all this man. My room is in a very old structure and regardless of my precautions, I feel these spores exist in the walls and have been there from the beginning - though I can't confirm that. In this fight, I have probably been guilty of both underfeeding and overfeeding and without a doubt, overfeeding is going to light the fire if it is there to be lit; agreed. I run them pretty light these days for this very reason.

Water: This is a very good point. I've run both tap water and RO water. Currently RO and at the beginning of this run, new filters in the RO unit. Test the water for Fusarium; no. A guy I know close by grows with the same (city) water and he has no issues but it is important to rule out. Will get it tested. I spoke to my lab just now about the water and while they highly doubt it since I filter the water, I will check. Thanks again.
 
fishwhistle

fishwhistle

4,686
263
Lead,is this the same type of fusarium that ive heard talk of the DEA spraying?Fusarium wilt?

Silver,you have great patience brother,i do not know if i could hang in their after a year of heartbreak,hope you get rid of this shit ASAP.
 
leadsled

leadsled

GrowRU
2,145
263
Thanks Leadsled,

I hear you on all this man. My room is in a very old structure and regardless of my precautions, I feel these spores exist in the walls and have been there from the beginning - though I can't confirm that. In this fight, I have probably been guilty of both underfeeding and overfeeding and without a doubt, overfeeding is going to light the fire if it is there to be lit; agreed. I run them pretty light these days for this very reason.

Water: This is a very good point. I've run both tap water and RO water. Currently RO and at the beginning of this run, new filters in the RO unit. Test the water for Fusarium; no. A guy I know close by grows with the same (city) water and he has no issues but it is important to rule out. Will get it tested. I spoke to my lab just now about the water and while they highly doubt it since I filter the water, I will check. Thanks again.

Same places I describe with the same problems were old structures. One was a victorian, others older homes. Odds are it is in the place. Testing the water will at least make sure that is not the link that is screwing up the chain.

You are welcome. I wish you the best of luck. I have had the best results with Actinovate. Good as a foliar and root drench to protect, sometimes it can save em. But usually by the time it hits is too late. It might be worth a shot. Only 20 bucks and patent proven/ lab verified.
 
Seamaiden

Seamaiden

Living dead girl
23,596
638
I believe Blaze has successfully beaten this bastard of a fungus. If/when I start growing again, I'll be getting Actinovate just to have on hand.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

6,892
313
I had a similar fight with russet mites; they're so small you don't see them as individuals, just the nutrient 'burn' or 'deficiency' like the plants is being badly misfed. Took me a year to figure out wtf was going on, and they're still not completely gone yet. By the way, for those who want to know; pyrethrins and sulphur burned (less effective if sprayed) are the two effective pesticides for russet mites.

If you think it's due to the old house you live in, try painting the entire grow area with Kilz and then a topcoat of bathroom.kitchen paint. This will seal the walls, and Kilz usually has antibacterial/antimold components in it to help stop mold from blooming through the new paint job. Do the whole grow area, not just the bloom room; from the way you describe it, it sounds like the plants are infected early, then show the symptoms only when they make it into flower.

Keep up the good fight, and let us know what you do that finally beats it!
 
Blaze

Blaze

2,006
263
Sea - you might be thinking of the phylloxera issues I had at one site a while back. Fusarium I have dealt with but it has never been a major problem so far. I've not had to deal with it inside, at least not yet, just outdoors or in pots. It is a fairly common issues with many different crops especially in the central California coast. Once a plant has been infected there is not much you can do about it other than try to limp it along to the finish line and make sure future crops do not get infected. It can even spread via seeds - I don;t think you mentioned what genetics you are running and if they were seeds or clones, but if they all came from the same batch of seeds they could be suspect.

Fusarium can remain in the soil for a very, very long time. When dealing with it, treat it like an infectious disease. No tools or equipment should leave the garden w/o being sterilized. Do not go from an infected garden to a non-infected site or you can spread it around. It can catch a ride on just about anything so keep that in mind. I always bleach all my pots, tools, etc when I transplant new seedlings and clones, and since I stared doing that I have not had many issues with it.

If you are having issues with it you should try to sterilize everything in the room, and I mean EVERYTHING. All surfaces, equipment, tools, pots, etc, but it sounds like you have already tried that. Excess water can also encourage it so make sure that isn't the issue. Warm temps also can contribute to it's spread so you might want to make sure your room is not getting too hot. One of the best management strategies IMO is to simply make sure the plants do not suffer form nutrient or water stress as this will make them more prone to the disease. Hope you figure it out, fungal diseases are the worst...
 
silverhaze

silverhaze

178
28
Same places I describe with the same problems were old structures. One was a victorian, others older homes. Odds are it is in the place. Testing the water will at least make sure that is not the link that is screwing up the chain.

You are welcome. I wish you the best of luck. I have had the best results with Actinovate. Good as a foliar and root drench to protect, sometimes it can save em. But usually by the time it hits is too late. It might be worth a shot. Only 20 bucks and patent proven/ lab verified.

Cool Leads,

I'm sending samples of the tap water, the RO water and while I'm at it, I'm going to have them test the filter from the RO unit as well.

I will add Actinovate to the arsenal as well and I'll be in touch once samples are tested. Continued thanks...
 
silverhaze

silverhaze

178
28
Sea - you might be thinking of the phylloxera issues I had at one site a while back. Fusarium I have dealt with but it has never been a major problem so far. I've not had to deal with it inside, at least not yet, just outdoors or in pots. It is a fairly common issues with many different crops especially in the central California coast. Once a plant has been infected there is not much you can do about it other than try to limp it along to the finish line and make sure future crops do not get infected. It can even spread via seeds - I don;t think you mentioned what genetics you are running and if they were seeds or clones, but if they all came from the same batch of seeds they could be suspect.

Fusarium can remain in the soil for a very, very long time. When dealing with it, treat it like an infectious disease. No tools or equipment should leave the garden w/o being sterilized. Do not go from an infected garden to a non-infected site or you can spread it around. It can catch a ride on just about anything so keep that in mind. I always bleach all my pots, tools, etc when I transplant new seedlings and clones, and since I stared doing that I have not had many issues with it.

If you are having issues with it you should try to sterilize everything in the room, and I mean EVERYTHING. All surfaces, equipment, tools, pots, etc, but it sounds like you have already tried that. Excess water can also encourage it so make sure that isn't the issue. Warm temps also can contribute to it's spread so you might want to make sure your room is not getting too hot. One of the best management strategies IMO is to simply make sure the plants do not suffer form nutrient or water stress as this will make them more prone to the disease. Hope you figure it out, fungal diseases are the worst...

Thanks Blaze,

"Once a plant has been infected there is not much you can do about it other than try to limp it along to the finish". You're so right! I've been liming crops to the finish line too many times this year and it is the most horrible thing to watch your beautiful plants slowly being choked to death.

I'm with you completely on your cleanliness standards. Before this last run, veg room was scrubbed clean with Physan 20 and bleach. Before the veg plants were moved to flower, that room was scrubbed clean with Physan 20 and Bleach (wiped every light, every surface, sprayed Pysan on the floors and walls and air dried) Clean! I top feed the plants from 55g drums. When cleaning these systems, everything goes in the drum which is filled with a strong dose of Physan 20. Every tool, every hose, pump, even plastic pitchers I use to move water back and forth, all in the 55g drum full of Physan. Turn all pumps on and let them run for an hour. Drain, fill with clean water with all tools, pumps etc. still in the drum. Run all pumps with clean water for an hour then drain. Fill it up again with water and Bleach, run pumps, drain. Fresh water again, drain, fresh water again drain. Wipe and clean each piece as it comes out and then air dry for the rest of that day. I also change my gloves between steps.

Temps: Temps should be in range though I suppose they could be run lower - Flower room never goes over 79d. Veg room 85-86d.

Genetics: The plants at this location have always come from clones. The first time the clones were from another grower (Banana og) and infected - then clones from a dispensary, infected. More clones from a different place, infected. Then got a clone from a friend that I grew to a mom, cloned her, those are infected. At least four different sources. Could be that the fungus came with the original clones to this location but no way to tell at this point. What that leaves us with are the two constants; 1. The room itself, or, 2. Water supply (leadsled's suggestion). I can find out for certain about the water easy enough but my money is on number 1. No doubt I need better genetics and perhaps a more resistant strain.

Let me know if any of this points you to something else..

Thanks again Blaze,
 
silverhaze

silverhaze

178
28
I had a similar fight with russet mites; they're so small you don't see them as individuals, just the nutrient 'burn' or 'deficiency' like the plants is being badly misfed. Took me a year to figure out wtf was going on, and they're still not completely gone yet. By the way, for those who want to know; pyrethrins and sulphur burned (less effective if sprayed) are the two effective pesticides for russet mites.

If you think it's due to the old house you live in, try painting the entire grow area with Kilz and then a topcoat of bathroom.kitchen paint. This will seal the walls, and Kilz usually has antibacterial/antimold components in it to help stop mold from blooming through the new paint job. Do the whole grow area, not just the bloom room; from the way you describe it, it sounds like the plants are infected early, then show the symptoms only when they make it into flower.

Keep up the good fight, and let us know what you do that finally beats it!


Hey man,

Great suggestion on the Kilz, I love that stuff. I'll PM you later on with a diagram of how this room exists and why I cannot get to all the places this shit could be hiding. Room within a room kind of thing. Maybe you can help me redesign part of it. The area was in terrible shape when I started. I have friends who grow in the nastiest dirtiest places I've ever seen. Amazing that my clean room is actually so far from it.

"it sounds like the plants are infected early, then show the symptoms only when they make it into flower."

Yesterday I had to kill this crop. In doing so, I was able to take an interesting picture. Follow me here:

In the above picture of the healthy plants in veg, I took all but one of those into flower. The other I left in Veg hoping this strain was not carrying the fungus. I moved all the others over and in 5 days, I knew they were all infected and shut down both rooms. I left the plants there for a few days (no lights) to dry out before cutting them all down. Yesterday I cut them all including the one plant left in Veg. In the photo below, you will see two un-potted plants from the bottom. The one on the left is the veg plant with a large system of white healthy roots. The one on the right is one from the flower room. The roots look this way on EVERY plant in flower, brown and dead in less than a week! One more photo shows the dramatic yellowing effect.

Still not sure what to do next but I haven't given up hope. I am seriously considering moving to a new location though.

Keep your thoughts coming, they are so very helpful.

SH

Roots good bad
Yellowtops
 
silverhaze

silverhaze

178
28
Lead,is this the same type of fusarium that ive heard talk of the DEA spraying?Fusarium wilt?

Silver,you have great patience brother,i do not know if i could hang in their after a year of heartbreak,hope you get rid of this shit ASAP.

Thanks for the positive vibes FW. Fusarium is definitely a fungus that has, at least, been implicated in government funded research for the eradication of drug crops. It has been suggested that this stuff has been sprayed in Colombia and possibly here in NA. Fusarium has a lot of variations. The one I have identified is Fusarium Solani. The one talked about below as the "pot eating fungus" is Fusarium Oxysporum and I don't know how different they are. The topic of Fusarium hasn't really been in the news for a while so most of the info is old. All this stuff is hard to be sure about so one needs to take it all with a grain of salt:


1999, Last year, state and federal law enforcement agents hand-plucked 55,311 marijuana plants from Florida soil.
And that's just the beginning, says Jim McDonough, the state's law-enforcement czar in the war on drugs.
In July, McDonough announced he wanted to release a pot-eating fungus to finish off the state's domestic crop of marijuana.
"If science says this is a safe way to effectively eradicate drug crops, then that's a good discovery," he says. "It's science."
But scientists who regularly work in agriculture have serious reservations.
"It's a manifestly bad idea to go ahead with large-scale use of untested pesticides," say Margaret Mellon, director of agriculture and biological technology at the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C.
She says law enforcement's attempt to eradicate cannabis sometimes borders on reefer madness.
The fungus, Fusarium oxysporum, developed by a Montana biotechnology firm to target cannabis, infects the plant with a deadly root-eating canker, literally choking the life out of it.

http://www.biotech-info.net/cannabis.html
 
Boylobster

Boylobster

267
18
Thanks for the positive vibes FW.
Yo, silverhaze. Thanks for pointing me to your thread, and like everyone else, I'm very sorry for what sounds like a nightmare experience on your end. :( I don't know for Fusarium, but your initial description of symptoms is spot on, and I mean an absolutely exact description of what's happened to my most recent run:

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...wer-crop-threatened-any-advice-welcome.52135/

I'm in a land far, far away from the Central Cali coast, and I'm in a fairly new building as well. However, in the roughly two years I've been running my UC system, shamefully, I have several times allowed the thing to stagnate heavily between runs. Of course, I cleaned at thoroughly as I could *afterward*, but... I think over time, a bad-ass population of microbes may have taken control. I've now decided to replace as much of the system as possible, and totally sterilize everything else. The next run will be all-sterile with the addition of Dutch Master Zone, a persistent hydro chlorinating agent.

It may be drastic, but have you considered switching to another system entirely? Maybe something like RDWC, where you could have a sterilization agent constantly in circulation, would prove beneficial? From what I've read around the webs, Zone has a solid reputation, and I'll definitely keep you informed as to my results.

Best wishes, and keep your chin up.
BL
 
silverhaze

silverhaze

178
28
Yo, silverhaze. Thanks for pointing me to your thread, and like everyone else, I'm very sorry for what sounds like a nightmare experience on your end. :( I don't know for Fusarium, but your initial description of symptoms is spot on, and I mean an absolutely exact description of what's happened to my most recent run:

https://www.thcfarmer.com/community...wer-crop-threatened-any-advice-welcome.52135/

I'm in a land far, far away from the Central Cali coast, and I'm in a fairly new building as well. However, in the roughly two years I've been running my UC system, shamefully, I have several times allowed the thing to stagnate heavily between runs. Of course, I cleaned at thoroughly as I could *afterward*, but... I think over time, a bad-ass population of microbes may have taken control. I've now decided to replace as much of the system as possible, and totally sterilize everything else. The next run will be all-sterile with the addition of Dutch Master Zone, a persistent hydro chlorinating agent.

It may be drastic, but have you considered switching to another system entirely? Maybe something like RDWC, where you could have a sterilization agent constantly in circulation, would prove beneficial? From what I've read around the webs, Zone has a solid reputation, and I'll definitely keep you informed as to my results.

Best wishes, and keep your chin up.
BL

What's up BL,

Thanks for your message. If you have it too, I'm glad for you that you caught it early. During my run with Hydro Herpes, it took me the whole year to come to find the word Fusarium. Even then I was doubtful as I had been offered every disease in the book and lots of them were really close. In the end, I was actually relieved to get a positive lab test to tell me exactly what was causing all the phantom deficiencies. Once infected, all of the known deficiency symptoms show up so everyone suggesting these is correct. Problem is it can't be fixed by treating the symptom, only the root cause - if you have it!

Thank you very much your suggestion and at this point, I've been through it all and nothing seems that drastic anymore. Fusarium is a waterborne pathogen and will actually thrive in a recycling environment if the fungus exists in your grow area as it does in mine. That said, I'm with you. My answer in the end is that the structure I have had these problems in is useless for this endeavor. I'm moving! I'm a builder so I Just have to suck up all the lost hours and effort in this last build and head off to build a new system in an entirely new location and changing out virtually everything. Sounds like your building is fine which would mean that you brought the fungus in somehow on plant matter, clones, your shoes, maybe even carried in by insects.

Flat, hard surfaces like trays are easy enough to sterilize but you're right, change every pipe, hose, pump all the water stuff. I still believe in Caps Bennies and will keep on using those as well. All we can do is try not to encourage the fungus to thrive. Keep an eye on your water temps, warmer temps into the 70's will encourage. Keep your res away from any light source and keep it really clean. You can limp these along to the end and they will finish but your yield will likely suffer some. Sounds like you're on to re-doing your uc set up which sounds like the very best place to start. Good luck my man and thanks again for your positivity!

If you need a Lab to test your plants pm me and I'll hook you up.

SH
 

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