Anybody have experience with companion planting for pest deterrent?

  • Thread starter jonnynobody
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jonnynobody

jonnynobody

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I've acquired the black plague of death super specie of mite I can't get rid of. Every commercial pesticide / miticide recommended for mites I own and all have failed to kill these things or even provide meaningful control. I don't want to get into the weeds here because the purpose of this post is to hear from other growers that can tell me what they're experience was like using companion planting as a pest deterrent. However I will offer just a sliver of background. I can't identify what specie of mite I have and I've spent over a year trying. The eggs are round and white like a standard mite eggs. They start on the leaf edges in clusters of eggs and they eat their way into the leaf until it's yellow and crispy. I can't identify a single adult at 120x magnification. Nothing moves.

What I think the adults are appear about 1/2 to 3/4 the size of the eggs, are creamy white and smooth, and have an oval shape. They never move though. I did have some success with control using a canola oil and soap mix (not detergent). It actually performs better than any of the commercial miticides I've used. I think the populations were too high by the time I began using it though. The physical mode of action seems to be the only thing that is effective.

Now you've got some background and an idea of why I'm pursuing this companion planting project. I've ordered some lavendar, dill, and basil to cultivate as companion plants in my garden space. I'm even going to attempt planting the basil and dill in the same container as my cannabis plants as an experiment. The regular fertilizer input may be too strong for them, but it'll be a cool experiment to try. The rest of them will be in their own containers. The goal is to keep these companion plants going for as long as I can growing them as large as I can cutting them back as needed.

I desperately would like some input from other growers experienced with companion planting. Thanks for any advice y'all can throw at me.
 
mysticepipedon

mysticepipedon

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Chrysanthemums and marigolds seem to be abhorrent to bugs. But marigolds won't work well out indoors if they are under the canopy of the cannabis -- powdery mildew magnets.
 
Heywood

Heywood

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Maybe consider a proactive approach with something like SNS209. It's organic and provides your plants with small amounts of Rosemary that they will uptake. Bugs don't like it. Use it as directed on the container to be effective.
 
MacroLogos

MacroLogos

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You try ladybugs yet? Cover vents with window screen, and keep your fans on low. Grab a bag of 1.5k of em for $6 bucks on Amazon and set them loose in the tent... might try praying mantis too, but they are more expensive.
 
Deadstill

Deadstill

I'm from the government, and I'm here to help.
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This year I planted Lavender with my hemp crops - works wonders for keeping insects away. Not nearly as much loss from grasshoppers this year - and it's perennial so no need to replant next year.
 
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