New to growing, growing for medicinal purposes

  • Thread starter medicinalmama
  • Start date
  • Tagged users None
M

medicinalmama

3
3
Hi All,

I'm a newbie grower. I have chronic health issues, and CBD heavy bud has really helped me but I'm finding it extremely difficult to come by in my state now as they are all pretty much focused on profit and not actually using it for medicinal purposes, unfortunately. So, that has led me to start growing my own, outdoors, and organically. Wicked excited to do so, but also a little nervous about all the bugs we have around here. As is, it looks like we might have some spider mites on our blueberry bushes (we are also growing our own fruits and veggies), and I just found a big black grub/caterpillar crawling towards our veggie beds. So, that's what led me here, I'm wondering what everyone uses on their outdoor grows, to organically control pests (I am extremely sensitive to chemicals), and I don't want to kill the good bugs, especially bees! Do you make your own? I read about spinosad, but is that really ok, is there a better alternative? Any ideas would be appreciated, thank you!
 
cannafarmer420

cannafarmer420

🐼 Fu
Supporter
2,439
263
What I do outdoors with all my plants is maybe a little recharge or a compost tea to get the soil healthy and then if you can get the plant as healthy as possible, as long as you don't already have an infestations, then they will tend to either move on or it won't bother your plant the minor damage they do. Bugs love unhealthy plants with weak cell walls and low brix. Also I grow mint(gotta be cautious it spreads) and marigolds to help with pest control in the yard as well. Healthy soil, strong cell walls, attracting predatory insects like with the marigolds that call lady bugs. Neem oil is good in a pinch but I usually try to focus on the plants and soil more so than he bugs if that makes sense. I have crohns disease so i totally get the medical cannabis usage. I also grow my own vegtables and fruit bushes/flowers. Anyways thats just from my experience in my area. I wish you the best of luck!
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

1,379
263
Diatomaceous earth spread on the soil deters many crawling critters. (It also adds silica to the soil, which can be helpful.)

Coffee grounds keep away slugs and snails. They love marigolds and like cannabis. I lost a crop to them once.

Spider mites love cannabis. They are at their worst when the weather is hot and dry. Watch for white spots on the leaves. Also watch for webs. I tend to see the white spots first, though. If you do see those on your plants, it might be worth a thread of its own. They're hard to kill and can quickly evolve to resist some treatments. I think predatory mites are the best deterrent.
 
M

medicinalmama

3
3
What I do outdoors with all my plants is maybe a little recharge or a compost tea to get the soil healthy and then if you can get the plant as healthy as possible, as long as you don't already have an infestations, then they will tend to either move on or it won't bother your plant the minor damage they do. Bugs love unhealthy plants with weak cell walls and low brix. Also I grow mint(gotta be cautious it spreads) and marigolds to help with pest control in the yard as well. Healthy soil, strong cell walls, attracting predatory insects like with the marigolds that call lady bugs. Neem oil is good in a pinch but I usually try to focus on the plants and soil more so than he bugs if that makes sense. I have crohns disease so i totally get the medical cannabis usage. I also grow my own vegtables and fruit bushes/flowers. Anyways thats just from my experience in my area. I wish you the best of luck!
Thank you for the reply! Having chronic issues sucks dude, I have Lyme Disease that is presenting like MS, and it's just getting worse. I'm also starting to grow my own herbs to make my own tinctures for medicine also. I have 4 plants growing now, but the stalks on 3 of them are wispy and already it's like they can't support the 4 leaves on them (they're tiny, just starting to grow). they are actually falling onto the cup I planted them in, I'm not sure if they will ever grow straight up, if this is normal or what?! One of them I planted in screened loam, and that one is short and stubby, but growing straight. I have a feeling that one is going to be strong and healthy, not sure about the other 3.
 
M

medicinalmama

3
3
Diatomaceous earth spread on the soil deters many crawling critters. (It also adds silica to the soil, which can be helpful.)

Coffee grounds keep away slugs and snails. They love marigolds and like cannabis. I lost a crop to them once.

Spider mites love cannabis. They are at their worst when the weather is hot and dry. Watch for white spots on the leaves. Also watch for webs. I tend to see the white spots first, though. If you do see those on your plants, it might be worth a thread of its own. They're hard to kill and can quickly evolve to resist some treatments. I think predatory mites are the best deterrent.
oh no, not spider mites. I think we have those on our blueberry bushes, arg!!! I'll keep DE in mind, thank you! And predatory mites? Do you mean predatory bugs like lady bugs?
 
Oldchucky

Oldchucky

Supporter
4,494
263
Welcome. Post some pictures of your little ones. What strains are you growing? And what part of the country are you trying to grow in?
 
BigBlonde

BigBlonde

1,379
263
And predatory mites? Do you mean predatory bugs like lady bugs?
No. Lady bugs are predatory, but people who have tried them haven't reported complete success. There are real mites that prey on spider mites. Just search Amazon for predator mites. There are several varieties. Here's an example:

1685835441100
 
Kanashiihawk63

Kanashiihawk63

Supporter
83
33
Hi All,

I'm a newbie grower. I have chronic health issues, and CBD heavy bud has really helped me but I'm finding it extremely difficult to come by in my state now as they are all pretty much focused on profit and not actually using it for medicinal purposes, unfortunately. So, that has led me to start growing my own, outdoors, and organically. Wicked excited to do so, but also a little nervous about all the bugs we have around here. As is, it looks like we might have some spider mites on our blueberry bushes (we are also growing our own fruits and veggies), and I just found a big black grub/caterpillar crawling towards our veggie beds. So, that's what led me here, I'm wondering what everyone uses on their outdoor grows, to organically control pests (I am extremely sensitive to chemicals), and I don't want to kill the good bugs, especially bees! Do you make your own? I read about spinosad, but is that really ok, is there a better alternative? Any ideas would be appreciated, thank you!
Welcome fellow Mama!
I was in the same boat as you. Several years ago I was in a coma in hospital with severe epilepsy and brain trauma. Long story short, CANNABIS saved my life, and I literally grow my own medicine! (allowing me to go from 20 different Prescriptions Rx's down to only 4!!!!!!!!!!) However, I am on insane amounts of THC/CBD daily (about 500 mg THC via capsule or concentrate 3 times a day) CBD 1000 MG 3 x a day this control a lot of the seizures etc...

The GROWING was the "physical Therapy" and got me MOVING, out of bed and able to go from 98 lbs and DEAD to now at 60 a Healthy Grandma who is a veteran and enjoys helping her fellow veterans and sisters. Growing and gardening is fun and GREAT! I purposely learned to grow INDOOR... it is MY medicine and I need it to be dialed in and "PERFECT" (Do you want any bugs in your medicine tablets?) and I don't want anything that I personally haven't put in there. In the grow room I can be "God/Goddess" I control the light, the height the potency ALL of it. It is heady and it us freeing and liberating and it makes me feel GREAT. Love the plant and never stop growing or learning!
 
20220814 105905
Harpua88

Harpua88

Supporter
2,043
263
That's awesome, and yeah just the growing itself is good and good for us.......unless I breathe in Diureteekamouse Earth, then mot so much. ;)

But yeah between the physical moving around, carrying and moving things, the calming effects of just working with plants.....it's all very good.
 
B

BillyBanchan

408
93
Welcome fellow Mama!
I was in the same boat as you. Several years ago I was in a coma in hospital with severe epilepsy and brain trauma. Long story short, CANNABIS saved my life, and I literally grow my own medicine! (allowing me to go from 20 different Prescriptions Rx's down to only 4!!!!!!!!!!) However, I am on insane amounts of THC/CBD daily (about 500 mg THC via capsule or concentrate 3 times a day) CBD 1000 MG 3 x a day this control a lot of the seizures etc...

The GROWING was the "physical Therapy" and got me MOVING, out of bed and able to go from 98 lbs and DEAD to now at 60 a Healthy Grandma who is a veteran and enjoys helping her fellow veterans and sisters. Growing and gardening is fun and GREAT! I purposely learned to grow INDOOR... it is MY medicine and I need it to be dialed in and "PERFECT" (Do you want any bugs in your medicine tablets?) and I don't want anything that I personally haven't put in there. In the grow room I can be "God/Goddess" I control the light, the height the potency ALL of it. It is heady and it us freeing and liberating and it makes me feel GREAT. Love the plant and never stop growing or learning!

🤗 and thank you for your service! Very inspiring!

 
Top Bottom