Cannabis Pest Control for Home Growers
Home growers must practice organic pest control methods to maintain safe, healthy cannabis. If you are going to grow organic, craft, boutique cannabis at home, you must be vigilant at preventing, controlling, and killing off cannabis plant bugs and diseases. We recommend you start your home grow off with organic biological pest control (good bugs for bad bugs) like predatory mites californicus, percimillis, and andersoni. If you get a friend to order with you, you can share your predators with each other to diversify your army of good bugs. We also recommend using beneficial nematodes and the spider mite destroyer stethorus punctillum. Shop Arbico for all your beneficial insects. We recommended additional cannabis pest control products to use in your garden below.
Grow Tips: Spider Mites
Spider mites are bad bugs. Spider Mites are one of the worst cannabis pests to deal with. There are many varieties of spider mites, and they can build up a resistance to your pest control products. So to stay on top of spider mite prevention, it’s important to alternate pest control products like Neem Oil (in VEG), Bug Buster O, Zero Tolerance, and Plant Therapy. An infestation of spider mites will result in weak plant health, deficiencies, and ultimately gnarly spider mite webbing enveloping your flowers. To avoid this crop-ruining disaster, rotate and apply spider mite preventatives regularly. If you ever see just a few spider mites, do not ignore your problem. If you see just one spider mite, you have problem! As a routine, look under your leaves with a jewelers scope to inspect for mites or eggs at least 1x or 2x a week. Remove any leaves that have mites or eggs and put them in plastic bag and get them out into the garbage far, far away from your garden. Depending on your eyesight, you may be able to see spider mites wiggling around or spider mite eggs without a scope. Lastly, you can release the “black ladybug” spider mite destroyer stethorus punctillum to work in your garden. Predatory mites like californicus, percimillis, or andersoni are also reliable spider mite killers.
Powdery Mildew (PM) Grow Tips:
Powdery Mildew (PM) is a very common home grow challenge whether you grow cannabis indoors or outdoors.PM is very easy to spot. You’ll see a fuzzy white film coating on the leaf. Remove infected leafs as soon as possible and treat your plants with Serenade or Green Cleaner. PM shows up first on lower leafs, but always inspect the entire plant, starting from the bottom up as a rule of thumb. You are more likely to find traces of PM towards the bottom of the plant.
Septoria Leaf Spot Grow Tips:
Septoria Leaf Spot is a common home grow challenge whether you grow cannabis indoors or outdoors. It’s a fungus that shows up during humid conditions and warm rainy seasons. You’ll be able to see yellow, brown and black discolorations. Remove infected leafs as soon as possible and treat your plants with Serenade Fungicide and a hydrogen peroxide foliage spray, as well as a hydrogen peroxide 1:1 root drench. You can also treat plants with other fungicide foliar sprays that contain other ingredients like with sulfur, essential oils, neem oil, etc.
Keep your humidity down by using a dehumidifier to prevent Septoria and use the foliar spray Serenade.
Fungus Gnats Grow Tips:
Fungus Gnats are a frustrating cannabis pest to control. Fungus Gnats are a nuisance and they can eat your plant’s roots, replicate extremely quickly, and ultimately hinder your plant’s health and yield. Because they thrive in wet, moist conditions, pay careful attention to let your soil dry out completely if you’re battling fungus gnats. To prevent fungus gnats from breeding, do not over-water. You should also alternate applications of Mosquito Bits (ingredient: BTI). You can also utilize and release predatory mites and beneficial nematodes. If you’re using Organocide to prevent powdery mildew or thrips, aphids and spider mites, you should know it also kills fungus gnats. Lastly, some growers like to use diatomaceous earth on the top soil to kill fungus gnats.
Pest Control for Home Growers
Green Carpet Growing helps home growers prevent and control cannabis pests and diseases with safe pest control products. Dealing with pests in cannabis is frustrating and expensive, but you don’t have to do it alone with Green Carpet Growing. Contact us for on-site consulting, video chat appointments, and more. We take pest and disease control for cannabis seriously, and so should you!