1st Time Outdoors

[SunGrown]

Here is a photo of the problem I have found on a few of my tops new growth. It appears something is eating the new growth. If you look closely or zoom in you can see where it is turning a dark dirty color.

I was planning on a few leaves getting munched on being outdoors but not this. I think it spread to a few other bud sites since yesterday. I want to identify it and stop it. Maybe it won't get serious but maybe it will.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

If you have a good scope, 100x or better check slowly and very carefully the top for any bugs moving around. I am not sure what your issue is but that is my first advice right now.

 

[canadaseed]

seeing as ur plants are potted and u dont have a lot... u could bring them in a night in the garage or a shed... or if u can convince your wife to let you bring them in the house during ur sleeping hours. just an out there thought. Um the bugs munching... not sure do u have ear wigs?? aphids?? ime becasue of an earwigs size it's hard for them to work on leafs (walk under/on) so instead they grip plat stems and chew on the new growth areas. but they also eat leafs. if it's earwig my suggestion would be to get a cedar plank and soak it in water till fully absorbed then lay on the ground near your plants. they'll go under the cedar plank instead of onto your plants. it's the moisture they're after. nice grow btw sounds like some good strains

 

[canadaseed]

I take water and mix with banana. I scrape the peel with a knife and mix the banana zest into my water spray bottle. i also use some fresh banana. spray my plants with it under the leafs and on top during peak sun hours so it gets absorbed quick into the leaks. Aphids and some other bugs cant stand banana. I guess oil extract form would be good too, i just dont like putting oils on my plants. I also put banana peels on top of the soil... keeps some bugs away and gives plants a boost of potassium.

 

[caregiverken]

Here is a photo of the problem I have found on a few of my tops new growth. It appears something is eating the new growth. If you look closely or zoom in you can see where it is turning a dark dirty color.

I was planning on a few leaves getting munched on being outdoors but not this. I think it spread to a few other bud sites since yesterday. I want to identify it and stop it. Maybe it won't get serious but maybe it will.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

the dark color of the new growth, sounds like russet mites :(
this is a pic from the web

and here is a pic i took of my russet damage

get a scope!

 

[SunGrown]

the dark color of the new growth, sounds like russet mites :(
this is a pic from the web
View attachment 430294
and here is a pic i took of my russet damage
View attachment 430297
get a scope!

I didn't wanna say it out loud yet, but yeah, I am thinking the same thing, unfortunately. If you are in CO I hear it is worse there than here

 

[Freshies]

Well I went and picked up a 60-100x scope and had a look. The good news is I couldn't find anything. The bad news still not sure what is causing it. Sure is tough trying to stand still bent over looking through a tiny hole. I guess it is possible I just didn't see any and they are there. I'll try again later, hope I don't see any!

The last few mornings I have seen little fenches flyinf around my plants, probably eating bugs. I wonder if the land on my top growth, pinch with their claws and cause damage?

So I went to the grow store and ol' boy said he thought it was mites too. He didn't want to look at my pictures though so he based his assumptions on a half assed explanation. Anyways he said to spray with two different organic insecticides since they get immune to just one. I bought AzaMax and Monterey Garden Insect Spray. Should I go ahead and spray them for a few weeks or wait until I actually see some?

 

[SunGrown]

Well I went and picked up a 60-100x scope and had a look. The good news is I couldn't find anything. The bad news still not sure what is causing it. Sure is tough trying to stand still bent over looking through a tiny hole. I guess it is possible I just didn't see any and they are there. I'll try again later, hope I don't see any!

The last few mornings I have seen little fenches flyinf around my plants, probably eating bugs. I wonder if the land on my top growth, pinch with their claws and cause damage?

So I went to the grow store and ol' boy said he thought it was mites too. He didn't want to look at my pictures though so he based his assumptions on a half assed explanation. Anyways he said to spray with two different organic insecticides since they get immune to just one. I bought AzaMax and Monterey Garden Insect Spray. Should I go ahead and spray them for a few weeks or wait until I actually see some?

Takedown, which I assume you got is safe for beneficials and safe even into flower. I recommend to use it at 40-60 ml p/g and yeas go ahead and spray.

3 days later do the aza

As far as seeing these little shits, I don't know if that scope would do it...if you take a look at my thread you will see my videos I took with my digi microscope at 400x, even at 400x they are TINY

The birds are a good guess, or the birds are carrying mites...I suspect deer may be my culprit, I have no clue how to prove that though

 

[Freshies]

Still haven't been able to identiy any mites but after thorough thread reviews it seems that russet mites are quite a problem in Colorado and the problems I have fit the discriptions. I applied AzaMax today, tomorrow evening I will spray with water only, then a day later apply the organic insect spray, then again spray with water then apply mighty wash (just ordered and people say good things). I plan to repeat this for at least 2 -3 weeks.

Mostly stole this idea from a youtube video that seemed convincing.

 

[SunGrown]

Still haven't been able to identiy any mites but after thorough thread reviews it seems that russet mites are quite a problem in Colorado and the problems I have fit the discriptions. I applied AzaMax today, tomorrow evening I will spray with water only, then a day later apply the organic insect spray, then again spray with water then apply mighty wash (just ordered and people say good things). I plan to repeat this for at least 2 -3 weeks.

Mostly stole this idea from a youtube video that seemed convincing.

That all sounds about right to me.

The Mighty Wash is good stuff for mites for sure, but I am not sure if it is effective on the russets, but possibly.

Mighty wash is a hard one to figure out. It is not simply charged water, or whatever their scam is to sell it. It has a petroleum based product in it. I had a thread on here or maybe on IC a year or so ago trying to figure it out, but I never officially did.

But it wont hurt to use it I know that.

If you do have the russets I wish you good luck, I have cut down two plants now, the worst two, and I think I may not cut any more down, I will make a decision on that Saturday I think.

 

[Freshies]

I have spotted eggs. Not freaking out, I'm going to beat this.

I have found the majority of the eggs on the back side of the leaves and found one on the top close to the stem intersection. I have not seen any movement but have found what I believe may be spider mites that were still or dead. The were dark brown in color and about the same size as the eggs...I could not make out any legs or two spots or anything other than that they are different than the other surroundings. I have not seen anything resembling a little white slug "russet mites". Currently my hope is now spider mites although I have not seen any webbing to speak of. Maybe a little strand a week ago that I thought was just from a regular old spider. I have heard they are easier to beat than russets and do not do as well outdoors. Time will tell and I hope my findings help others in my same position.

Hope I don't have both!!!!

 

[SunGrown]

spider mites don't scare me at all any more. Mighty wash, take down, etc can beat those. If you get into a regular spray pattern of takedown once or twice a week you will probably never get spider mites.

As far as eggs go, I have seen nearly all of my eggs (and mites) on the top sides of the leaves...

Keep us updated! I am sure you will win!

 

[Freshies]

I don't know what I did here, smartphones.....

But here is a picture of a damaged bud site....probably my worst so far. Sorry it's sideways. Seems to be quite a few sad looking bud sites, some look okay though. Hoping for new healthy growth soon. Does this resemble spider mite or russet mite damage to anyone?

I can't really tell if it's spreading or the sad looking areas I see now are from mites a few days ago. Looking under the scope I still see eggs but haven't yet identified movement. The eggs are either clear or milky white.

I gave them a good cold water spray last night and can still smell the azamax this morning. I hope that smell goes away after I complete they spray cycle. Weird smelling stuff, does not smell like the dankity dank.

The last pic is of my healthiest plant. Bud sites look only okay, you can still see some wilting of the leaves. The RH here is only like 30 or so, probably adds to the wilting. What a learning experience. I'm coming out guns blazing next season these bastards won't be a problem. I'll now know not to chalk up little bite marks and spotting all over my leaves early In veg as just regular outdoor pests. Grrrrrr!

 

[SunGrown]

That looks pretty healthy except for the deformity, Did you pinch the top in the first pic?

Also do you have nice white pistils in the calyx ?

Does not look like the damage I had at all really

@kolah , does this look like what your problem is?

 

[kolah]

Yeah SG, quite similar... as to the new growths looking spindle- like and corkscrew-ish. But I also have some perforated leaves as well. No webs, no signs of mites or eggs and what little pistels are there they are still intact with healthy white fuzziness.

I think I'll break out my 100x scope again and take another look. After reading the posts here maybe I need a higher magnification.

 

[Freshies]

I didn't pinch that top at least not on purpose. I pulled a leaf off or two for microscope inspection. The pistils look like they are wilting in effected bud sites...half white and then brown at the tips, not as healthy looking as the other less effected areas. The pistils on the lower and inner sections of the plant are pretty much all white. The leaves are saggy like in the picture on almost all bud sites on my pineapple express while fan leaves still stick up healthy like.

 

[kolah]

Yeah Freshies ...when I scope stuff at high mag I always pluck leaves or buds off the plant as it makes it easier to view.

 

[SunGrown]

The top pinch wasn't a concern, just curious. I am pinching tips all the time to sit with at my computer to scope. No other way to do it for me.

I hope you and kolah can work together to figure this one out, I really want an answer for this so that if (when) it happens to me I will know what to do!

 

[caregiverken]

Yeah, I agree. if you have nice white hairs..its probably not russets
Russets kill the pistols first

 

[DismalDude]

I'm no expert by any means but I had an outdoor plant that had these symptoms.As time went by the yellowing and wilted new growth only got worse.On the advice of a grower I respected on another forum I started dosing with epsom salts in water at 2 tbsp. per 5 gal. once a week for 3 weeks and it fixed the problem.You can also get magnesium sulfate from a garden center.I had been suggested several different things wrong with the plant but the epsom salts were a winner.Your problem looks exactly like what was going on with mine so I guess it's a possibility.Good luck man! ;)

 

[Freshies]

I have noticed some sediment build up at the bottom of the pots and could be from hard water. Going to pick up a ph kit and will do a flush once I make sure my tap water is good. I think the well water I have been using is very hard....dooh. I might have mites and nute lock out both. Jumping on things early I hope will help, not as good as doing correct it the first place though.