Two pot plants, both alike in dignity,
In fair Overgrow, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where uncivil Fungus makes grower hands unclean.
From forth the fatal spores of this hated foe
A pair of star-cross’d lovers lose their lives
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their death bury their growers’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love,
And the continuance of their growers’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now this posting’s traffic of our stage;
(with apologies to The Bard)
After a successful harvest last May I ended up with two aging mother plants that I transplanted to large pots of supersoil and moved outside to ride out their last months.
They flourished despite my neglect and by early September were nearing harvest. Then the invisible but pervasive silent bringer of CannaDeath spewed its evil poison in the winds. Botrytis cinerea is a fungal pathogen with a passion for murdering cannabis.
Before The Storm ( Left: Frankenstein Clone, Right: Frankie’s Daughter Hilda)
Here’s how Botrytis (Bud Rod) announces its arrival. The light tan discoloration is emerging from deep in the bud where the fungus is already well established.
The next stage is pretty grisly. Here’s a slideshow you never want to own!
“Botrytis Blossom”
The Counter Attack
I thought I was well equipped to at least hold the line against this stealthy foe, but my best efforts ultimately failed. The colored plant tags in the pics below indicate different Botrytis “Vaccines” that I applied to infected sites seeking salvation.
I was too bummed to keep good notes on everything I tried, but here’s a summary:
- Hypochlorus Acid (fogger saturation daily, multiple dilutions, 25% was best)
- Alcohol, 50/50% Isopropyl
- Hydrogen Peroxide (multiple dilutions)
- Safers Garden Fungicide (elemental sulfur)
- Southern Ag Garden Friendly Fungicide (bacillus)
This group all seemed to kill Botrytis infestations, but nothing stopped new attacks wafting in on the next breeze. At concentrations that quickly killed the fungus the top three on the list also burned healthy foliage in the sprayed area.
And, in hopeless desperation, the Hail Marys:
- BT
- Permethrin
- MTA One-n-Done
These three ensured that the plants were at least De-bugged. When the plants finally died, there wasn’t a living pest in the vicinity.
The bitter End
It came down to a daily struggle with an inevitable ending. I saw what was coming but kept at it out of curiosity, sort of a stoner Science Fair Project. Lol.
Here’s a ragged victim on Judgement Day.
See, what a scourge is laid upon your garden,
That heaven finds means to kill your joys with spores.
And I for winking at these discords too
Have lost a brace of pot plants: all are punish’d.
Respectfully Submitted,
-Grouchy 
