Thanks @nube. I actually have a decent scope that plugs into the computer, and Ive used it to diagnose broads before. Im pretty familiar with their damage. Also I can diagnose the 3 remaining plants in the “other” tent at my buddys place. As I mentioned they are effected but still look pretty heathy. Those bent blades, along with the new growth looking super deficient is a pretty obvious sign. I am not planning on throwing all those things at them consecutively, I just want to have all the weapons in place.
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OG Biowar is GREAT. The two or three grows I didn’t use it (I used BioAg Vam instead), the differences in plant health, vigor and yield were pretty noticeable. Coulda just been the genetics I was running at the time, I dunno. But I will never not grow without Biowar again. Just ordered another pack of their Roots and Foliar, actually. I always use all three, the Nute, Root and Foliar, sometimes watered in and also when I transplant from the starter pots into the half-gallon veg pots and again when I move the plants into their flowering containers, I always add them directly to the roots each transplant. Great stuff.
What nube said is right (again haha). Don’t throw everything and the kitchen sink at it. Or is the saying,”Everything BUT the kitchen sink”? I dunno, but I agree with him. A simple IPM consisting of neem oil and essential oils (if you want, I don’t think their necessary) oughta do the trick. I don’t even have an IPM regimen, but I will always foliar my plants at least once at some point during veg. I just use neem and potassium silicate and maybe add some aloe to it, as well. Always works for me.
Also, what’s your “growing style” or whatever? I do think (and there’s plenty of evidence to back this up) that if your soil is healthy and full of life, your plants tend to be healthier, too. And much better at fighting off diseases and pests. No different than humans, really. I’ve read that bagged soils like Fox Farm etc typically come with all kinds of nasty pests and shit. And force-feeding plants nutrients and shit tends to stress them out. So maybe take a look at your soil, too. A well-balanced, healthy soil mix that doesn’t require any kind of watered-in nutrients seems to work best for me.
Anyway, you’ll handle it, I’m sure.
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I’m not sure healthy soils can kill a spider mite, I would have to see the evidence of that.
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Yeah, I dunno if soil can kill a spider mite. But I do know that I’ve never seen a spider mite in my tent and my soil seems pretty good. Six of one, half-dozen of the other. Or whatever.
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heh heh yah, but here’s the problem. You are linking 2 things that can’t be linked as cause and effect. I know that only by bringing the mites into my room, can my plants get infected. So it would be incorrect of me to claim my water culture keep spider mites at bay because I don’t have them.
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Healthy soil may not kill mites but it certainly helps keep plants strong and less susceptible to them.
Obviously the key is to not have mite or other things get in , but shit happens and when it does a healthy soil and plants will help .Just like as a human it is best to have a healthy immune system. Yes you can still catch shit , but you won’t as much as those who don’t have a strong immune system and the damage will not be a severe.
Goodluck with the bugs man.
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I’ve heard happy frog can be a little hot for some strains when starting out…
I’ve also heard that droplets of water burning leaves is a misconception…I read an article on it somewhere, I’ll see if I can dig it up so people don’t assume I’m talking out if my a$$…chuckle
Cheers
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I have first hand experience with water droplets leaving burn spots on my plants. Its a magnifying glass effect.
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Hi there I fine the happy frog to be quite mild now there ocean forest is quite hot and have killed many a seedling sadly 
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I’ve had this happen I learned the hard way and sprayed with the light on 
oh well
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Hey G
I thought the same myself Re light burn…then I read the article from a respected journal…must be based on light intensity.
I poked around and couldnt find it again…so nothing here to substantiate my point…
I’ll take a look again later when I have some Time…
Cheers
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You got like…evidence of that? I’m not here to piss on people or something, my demand for evidence of this claim is legit. Keep this in mind: I grow both chemical in a clean room and organic outside. My observation is predatory bugs kill other bugs, in a normal organic grow.
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The evidence is in the fact that it is a widely known part of biology . Maybe you could go educate yourself instead of acting like a dick in someones thread? Just a thought …
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facepalm oh man.
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Thats pretty much the definition of living soil. It should have fungi, bacteria, nematodes, arthropods, etc. These things, generally, keep each other in balance.
I can’t remember the source, perhaps it was “what a plant knows” but unhealthy plants are more attractive to insects. They produce specific smells that can warn other plants of insects feeding in the area.
Adding chitin to the soil, such as crab or shrimp meal, can promote chitinase enzymes that break this down. That can make the soil inhabitable for some insects.
The addition of silica can deter insects by making cell walls thicker and more difficult to pierce. Aloe can promote health by triggering the Systemic Acquired Resistance in the plant. Both excellent additions to an IPM.
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See…@ReikoX knows how to keep the conversation going. Doesn’t assume my questions are some kind of attack.
I can only go on observations about mite behavior in “controlled” environments. The greenhouse and the lab. In the mite studies in the lab I got some living soil plants infested with mites, they actually came from there. They seemed to rip through all the plants equally with nothing to oppose them. Same thing in the greenhouse, except for one part. Other bugs are definitely attracted to the plants that are under attack. They are looking for a snack!
Here’s the other thing. In the lab I had placed 2 plants that were immune to spider mites. The pineapple and the native clematis vine. Their leaves were definitely way more hardy than cannabis. Shiny…waxy… smooth to the touch. So the bottom line I found, was: It’s about germ theory, if you don’t bring the mites around, the mites never attack. Also, plants immune to mites, never get mites no matter what happens.
Outside in the real world, I never see mite infestations take over, the environment is hazardous.
So… you think they are talking about cannabis in particular developing a response in particular to keep the mites at bay? Or are they referring to plants that can develop a TOUGH outer coating that definitely rebuffs the mites?
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Okay, but all things being equal, don’t you think that a plant being grown in a healthy soil mix would do better than a plant being grown in a shit soil mix? I mean, referring to the pineapple and clematis vine you used as examples, those are plants that already had a natural resistance to pests (or that’s how I understood it, anyway). But if you took a plant that DIDN’T have a natural pest-resistance and grew one in a shit soil mix and one in a great soil mix, doesn’t it stand to reason that the one being grown in healthy soil would have a better chance? It’s like saying that a diet that consist of McDonalds is no different than a diet that consists of fruits and vegetables and whole grains. And we all know that that isn’t true.
I dunno. Just asking…
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I’ve heard people say that about Happy Frog, the same about Ocean Forest, too, but I’ve never experienced that. I’ve never had a seedling burn from commercial soil, though I don’t move them into soil until after a week or two in plugs, but regardless. If I use either of those two for any project, I usually won’t feed for the first month.
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I think that’s what he’s getting at…
I mean obviously the plant in the healthy soil is going to handle it better or have less mites on it, but to say having healthy soil ONLY(no predators) would do anything for or against the mites themselves is the tough part. If you introduce mites, it doesn’t matter how good your soil is, your plants will have mites. Any evidence to the contrary is what he’s after. Would be interesting if it did have an affect of some sort, but I don’t see the two being related…
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Great banter ! I love it. I mentioned earlier in the thread that I am using FF Happy Frog for both growth stages. I used rockwool for the clones this time. Not sure why, just wanted to replicate what I was doing when I had successful harvests before. @minitiger- I would presume you dont have any pest problems because of the og biowar killing them all !
I am planning a trip out of the valley tomorrow. First time since before lockdown heading to the city. Go boating to lakes about the same distance away every weekend, just havent been to a large metropolitan area in quite some time. Planning on buying them oils in @nubes recipe. Not sure about the best place to look, since I rarely get to the city, maybe Vitamin Cottage ? Also will begetting a few other modes of attack at the grow store. I think DE would help act as a preventative also. Gonna try to find some of that wettable sulphur too. Still gotta get the most recent pics up. Going to go check on the other tent in a few. Ill get a current pic. Thank again boys !
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