Here in the Northeast, there’s been a localized common issue of random cannabis plants dealing with “black death”. Typically the issue appears in July/August with no precursors and most growers assuming its a nutrient deficiency ( most commonly assumed to be phosphorus ).
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Have any of you Northeast growers experienced this?
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Leaf hoppers are definitely disease vectors on Cannabis.
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Ha!!! Weve been battling it, here in NE Kentucky for at least 15 years. My buddy, who is now passed, and his buddy, have both been growing since 1972.
NEVER, until 2010, did we ever have any problems with this Plague. They have lost literally 1000s of plants.
Ive been on several other forums, since at least 2018, talking about this, and also responding to those who started threads, with this problem.
Sometimes the plants grow out of it ( Dont Count On It ), and most of the time, they dont, and ends up either being fatal, or completely trashed.
My guess is?? That it is a Phytoplasma. Possibly Purple Top Disease, Witches Broom.
Japanese scientists first identified it in 1967, I believe in IRAN/HEMP…
There is no cure for it, and it is extremely contagious. Whether one should trash them at first notice, is up to the grower, but, beware, that it is highly contagious. General consensus is to kill infected plants.
I believe the Phytoplasma lurks in trees, Elms in particular, but not limited to, and when the Bugs/Leafhoppers are exposed to the Phytoplasma, when the nest ect, in trees. They get infected, and when they attack your plants, they infect them. Its also likely, the Leafhopper really doesnt have to chew/suck on the plant, as, remember, it is extremely contagious, upon physical contact. So, even if the LH, only lands on the plant(s), transmission, is possible.
It also can happen to any strain, and does so from clones that never ever get this, when grown inside. It can happen in native soil. Container-Promix-Happy Frog ect. It is not nutrient, nor Cold Related.
Im am 100% convinced, it is a Phytoplasma. .
It usually starts at the beginning of flowering, in the growing tips, and spreads/mutates and eventually either kills the plant, or greatly fucks it up.
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I agree. One thing i have done with success is to cut the sites off that show signs of the purple curling, and that can limit the spread. Unfortunately if you dont catch it early enough, you may be facing significant losses.
Last year i eradicated red ants which I thought were the culprit. This year my focus is on the leaf hoppers. Ive already started treating all of the surrounding vegetation to limit leaf hoppers in the area, while attempting to stay off my plants.
They seem to love the weed plants. This year I am spraying Monterey Garden Insect early and after every rain. They fly off the leaves when I spray. So far, I’ve grown through that black stuff but the plants that made it were not robust.
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Surround WP is a surprising recommendation. I have it here and I can say that there is no way I’d be using it on weed plants.
For those that never used it, what it does is coat the plant in white kaolin clay. The stuff is hard to work with imo, to the point of being more hassle than advantage.
Anybody here ever used Surround WP on your cannabis plants? How’d it go?
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It is very effective at controlling June bugs on peach trees. How are you applying the Surround? A light misting of leaf surfaces is all that is required. Leafhoppers are usually gone by flowering time.
I’m not using it. I don’t really like the product.
Are you using it on your cannbis plants?
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No I do not have an outdoor grow. I would use it without hesitation on Cannabis if leafhoppers were chewing on them. Nearly non-toxic and it is effective.