A Grower's Biggest Headaches

Seamaiden · Apr 7, 2011

I've got a few pairs of scissors around the house that need sharpening, I'm gonna try that.

mrbong73 said:
Seamaiden:
I think this might have been the study you where thinking of.

Yep, the fungus gnat paper was confused with another one about RAs that was talking about RAs of conifers. I saved the FG paper, didn't save the RA paper, got them confused and switched around and a whole mess.

Blaze, good on the PPE. I use a respirator similar to that one but it's not full-face, so I use goggles. I also make sure my head is well-covered, burqa-stylee.

Gartner · Apr 13, 2011

Seamaiden said:
This thread is meant to help folks be prepared for what can only be called A Grower's Biggest Headaches. So, what I would like is for those 'in the know' on any issue that you think is pertinent, that YOU maybe wish someone had given you the heads-up about, to put that here. A Medicine Chest/War Cabinet, if you will, these are things that you should have on-hand to wage battle at a moment's notice, or at the very least stave off damage until you can wage a proper war.

I'm going to begin with some stuff that's off the toppa my head. Good-to-haves & must-haves.

Horticultural oil (stylet or similar)

SM-90

Azamax/Azatrol

Spinosad

Any good Bt spray

Epsom salt (MgSO4)

Seaweed extract (ANY, really)

91% Isopropyl alcohol

H202 (I only ever get the stuff you can get at the pharmacy, myself)

Chlorine bleach

Liquid dishsoap

Greencure

Ok, that's what I'm coming up with while having an almost-three-year-old trying to get my attention. Please add to this list as you see fit! (The bullet option is up top, makes listing fun.)

Great work,, You have really experience, or researched in this,,
Thanks.

:harvest:

StoneyPufnstuff · May 27, 2011

Seems bugs and powdery mildew are dominating the list of growers headaches. Makes me realize most of the problems are imported into the garden.. Thinking I want to put in a UVC room for an entrance buffer and start seeds more often.

BCrocker · Jun 2, 2011

Seamaiden said:
This thread is meant to help folks be prepared for what can only be called A Grower's Biggest Headaches. So, what I would like is for those 'in the know' on any issue that you think is pertinent, that YOU maybe wish someone had given you the heads-up about, to put that here. A Medicine Chest/War Cabinet, if you will, these are things that you should have on-hand to wage battle at a moment's notice, or at the very least stave off damage until you can wage a proper war.

I'm going to begin with some stuff that's off the toppa my head. Good-to-haves & must-haves.

Horticultural oil (stylet or similar)

SM-90

Azamax/Azatrol

Spinosad

Any good Bt spray

Epsom salt (MgSO4)

Seaweed extract (ANY, really)

91% Isopropyl alcohol

H202 (I only ever get the stuff you can get at the pharmacy, myself)

Chlorine bleach

Liquid dishsoap

Greencure

Ok, that's what I'm coming up with while having an almost-three-year-old trying to get my attention. Please add to this list as you see fit! (The bullet option is up top, makes listing fun.)

Great thread! Can you recommend a good BT spray? Can you list uses of Epsom salts for me? And for seaweed extract. :)

Seamaiden · Jun 2, 2011

Safer's Caterpillar Spray is, I believe, most commonly found, but I had to purchase another product. As long as it contains Bacillus thuringiensis (usually subspecies... karsaki? I can't remember) then that's one of the good products. Another good subspecies, what's found in Mosquito Dunks, is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis.

Epsom provides magnesium and sulfur, needs to be used sparingly in my opinion (the box directions are outrageous to me) as either a foliar or root feed. Root feeding can usually safely go as high as 1tsp per gallon, but I really prefer to go low and slow, as one Ohsogreen has always reminded me, and typically start at 1/4tsp per gallon.

Seaweed extract is like a complete nutrition pie. Any time is a good time for pie, and any time is a good time for seaweed extracts. Meals, too, though you either need to make a tea with them or top-dress. Seaweed can offer many micronutrients that may not be found in other products you're using.

It *is* possible to go too strong with certain seaweed or kelp products, so watch the plants. Applied as foliar sprays it can help with disease resistance, though it needs to be applied on a very regular basis (weekly or possibly more often). When using as a foliar, I typically begin at quarter strength of the recommended dosage on the bottle, even if it has foliar strength directions IF those directions say to use it at the same strength as root feed.

In other words, it always pays to go easy and observe the plants before you make changes. I think that's the most difficult thing, learning to read the plants. Just like with every other organism, if you think about it.

BCrocker · Jun 2, 2011

Seamaiden said:
Safer's Caterpillar Spray is, I believe, most commonly found, but I had to purchase another product. As long as it contains Bacillus thuringiensis (usually subspecies... karsaki? I can't remember) then that's one of the good products. Another good subspecies, what's found in Mosquito Dunks, is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis.

Epsom provides magnesium and sulfur, needs to be used sparingly in my opinion (the box directions are outrageous to me) as either a foliar or root feed. Root feeding can usually safely go as high as 1tsp per gallon, but I really prefer to go low and slow, as one Ohsogreen has always reminded me, and typically start at 1/4tsp per gallon.

Seaweed extract is like a complete nutrition pie. Any time is a good time for pie, and any time is a good time for seaweed extracts. Meals, too, though you either need to make a tea with them or top-dress. Seaweed can offer many micronutrients that may not be found in other products you're using.

It *is* possible to go too strong with certain seaweed or kelp products, so watch the plants. Applied as foliar sprays it can help with disease resistance, though it needs to be applied on a very regular basis (weekly or possibly more often). When using as a foliar, I typically begin at quarter strength of the recommended dosage on the bottle, even if it has foliar strength directions IF those directions say to use it at the same strength as root feed.

In other words, it always pays to go easy and observe the plants before you make changes. I think that's the most difficult thing, learning to read the plants. Just like with every other organism, if you think about it.

Awesome info, thanks for this.

NaturalyGreen · Jun 3, 2011

Pure Neem oil has worked against mites for me a number of times.

Thanks for info!

NaturalTherapy · Jun 12, 2011

I was surprised no one mentioned Neem oil, until the last & most recent post.

It's great as a natural pesticide that can be used foliar or in the roots. Works to stunt growth of anything that eats it. Since I began to use it as a preventative measure, I've hardly encountered a thing during the whole process.

I find a product called "Organocide" also works very well for me with the added bonus of being able to spray even ripe flowers.

It seems to me however, that the most important thing regarding long-term insect eradication, rather than simply maintaining control, is doing the research necessary to figure out the biological modus operandi and reproductive cycles so you can apply your pesticides according to those cycles.

In the case of spider mites it works for me to kill the living bugs with a healthy application of sprayed or fogged organocide, followed by a foliar application and soil drench using neem oil. Three days later, all the eggs should be hatching- and the neem should be there for them to eat, keeping them from developing into adults and reproducing- at which point another application of organocide is applied. it takes 3 to 7 days for them to develop into adults, so even if preventative measures are also taken (neem oil), I'll still hit them again with both neem oil and organocide. The Reproductive cycle, if I remember correctly, is like 11 days from hatched to ready to reproduce- so understanding their vulnerabilities associated with each growth stage was instrumental for me in effectively combatting these little fuckers.

If that doesn't work, or they are particularly aggressive, azamax/azatrol applied at the same intervals (during veg only in my garden) will usually do the trick.

cannabeans · Jun 12, 2011

here are couple of mine!

Both of these i bought at my local hardware store.

Wagner Power Home Paint Sprayer:

This has been the MOST EFFECTIVE spraying tool for me. easy to clean, inexpensive.

i use hot water from the tap mixed with neem, or your favorite horticultue oil (no spreader sticker or soaps), sprays evenly distributed, and cool to the touch!!!!! you can even dial in the volume being sprayed!

DeWalt IR Temp Reader

This too is key for testing the temp of the leaves or flowers!
it also will read water temp, and soil suface temp!!!!

I LOVE THIS THERMOMETER!!!!!

Seamaiden · Jun 12, 2011

OooooOOOooo! Gadgets. What's the capacity of that sprayer? Or does it hook up to a larger "reservoir"? (I need to spray gallons outside at the moment, use a 2gal pump sprayer, pain in my ass, it is.)

NaturalTherapy said:
I was surprised no one mentioned Neem oil, until the last & most recent post.

I forgot about Neem! And here I'd been looking at this thread wondering, Could all the bases really have been covered. I'm still in such a new/learning stage. Thank you.

NaturalTherapy said:
It's great as a natural pesticide that can be used foliar or in the roots. Works to stunt growth of anything that eats it. Since I began to use it as a preventative measure, I've hardly encountered a thing during the whole process.

I need to get reacquainted with Neem. Maybe a better Neem.

NaturalTherapy said:
I find a product called "Organocide" also works very well for me with the added bonus of being able to spray even ripe flowers.

Name rings a bell, I haven't seen or used it (yet!).

NaturalTherapy said:
It seems to me however, that the most important thing regarding long-term insect eradication, rather than simply maintaining control, is doing the research necessary to figure out the biological modus operandi and reproductive cycles so you can apply your pesticides according to those cycles.

Very true, and again, an area where I personally am still too inexperienced and have too little knowledge. There is also, speaking as a fish, the issue of total environment and nutrition--with aquatic organisms you are really fighting a hard battle if you can't get prevention down, and that starts with environment and nutrition, hand-in-hand.

NaturalTherapy said:
In the case of spider mites it works for me to kill the living bugs with a healthy application of sprayed or fogged organocide, followed by a foliar application and soil drench using neem oil. Three days later, all the eggs should be hatching- and the neem should be there for them to eat, keeping them from developing into adults and reproducing- at which point another application of organocide is applied. it takes 3 to 7 days for them to develop into adults, so even if preventative measures are also taken (neem oil), I'll still hit them again with both neem oil and organocide. The Reproductive cycle, if I remember correctly, is like 11 days from hatched to ready to reproduce- so understanding their vulnerabilities associated with each growth stage was instrumental for me in effectively combatting these little fuckers.

If that doesn't work, or they are particularly aggressive, azamax/azatrol applied at the same intervals (during veg only in my garden) will usually do the trick.

:harvest:

Ok, now that we've got the back portion of the property terraced I've been using our little lawn tractor for a whole buncha stuff. Wheels with a cart large enough to carry a good amount of dirt, materials, whatever, has been added to my list of ways to prevent headaches.

I love this thing. The Little Lawn Tractor That Could. I'mma go ride it right now!

jyip · Jun 12, 2011

Makes me realize most of the problems are imported into the garden..

stoneypufnstuf,,,u here ya there

GREAT THREAD!!!

i use Exclude 1600 for S. mites , works great n easy to use,,, i use as a preventative and it good stuff,,,its an aerosol spray,, which i like, makes it easier to use

TortureKill · Jun 12, 2011

500lbs Guerilla said:
Gorilla tape has worked for me to plug holes in tray. No leaks yet. I guess we should add some good duct tape to the list.

Always gotta have some gorilla tape on hand :) Im also going to double note Hygrozyme, Misting spray bottles, and a good compost :harvest:
Also an additional grow spot/house just incase of a surprise visit, or whatever other reason you may need to clean house real quick

cannabeans · Jun 12, 2011

sprayer volume and Organicide

The sprayer CAN be hooked up to a larger reservoir, i would suggest putting a submersible pump in large reservoir to keep horticulture oil mixed well. the small bottle that screws on to sprayer hold 32oz and i shake as i spray....

organicide is fish oil based and i wouldnt spray on ripe flowers... but when you open the bottle, you would know that!

NaturalTherapy · Jun 18, 2011

cannabeans said:
organicide is fish oil based and i wouldnt spray on ripe flowers... but when you open the bottle, you would know that!

Good call. Of course with aromatic herbs and flowers, one may think twice about using it, but for the few who have to deal with pests late stage, using a pesticide may be an inevitability, and this is one that does not leave any harsh toxins or carcinogens on the plant. three weeks out is as far along as I've had to go, at which point the fish oil residue had dissipated by the time I took the plant.

jyip · Jun 18, 2011

a large chunk of cash for bail money is always nice to have around, for those that don't have a med state to hide their grow in

Growster · Jul 20, 2011

Thanks, this should be of a great help to me. :)

Chronic Monster · Jul 20, 2011

lots of great info in here :)

that little lawn tractor looks like hoot to ride.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95qZtwJNjxk[/YOUTUBE]

:giggle :giggle :D

Seamaiden · Jul 20, 2011

But... my lawn tractor has headlights... why can't I ride it on the road? I know how to use my hand signals. Awww... man! I'm just goin' down tuh the oyshter shack, man. C'mon.

green punk · Jul 20, 2011

An ozone generator,(Living Air, makes a good one) for placing near front door of house to knock down odors in that vicinity. A can of ozium, spray down self when done trimming,working in bud room.
A good pair of pruning shears, I like Felco. Also, a good set of loppers for large stems and stocks. Maybe a baseball bat. An extra propane tank for co2 genee's/ heaters.
For outdoor/gorilla garden; motion sensing cameras used for trail monitoring while hunting. A bit spendy, there are newer ones that will email you and call your cell.

Coffee, Club rolling papers, lighter.

Great thread!

Good Luck, Grow hard

Special K · Oct 11, 2011

Great thread, takin' notes from those who know!

-K-

A Grower's Biggest Headaches

A Grower's Biggest Headaches

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Gartner

StoneyPufnstuff

BCrocker

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

BCrocker

NaturalyGreen

NaturalTherapy

Lighthouse

cannabeans

Attachments

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

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jyip

TortureKill

cannabeans

NaturalTherapy

Lighthouse

jyip

Growster

Chronic Monster

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

green punk

Special K

A Grower's Biggest Headaches

A Grower's Biggest Headaches

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Gartner

StoneyPufnstuff

BCrocker

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

BCrocker

NaturalyGreen

NaturalTherapy

Lighthouse

cannabeans

Attachments

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

Attachments

jyip

TortureKill

cannabeans

NaturalTherapy

Lighthouse

jyip

Growster

Chronic Monster

Seamaiden

Living dead girl

green punk

Special K

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