Screwnuts33
Member of the Month 3rd Place Winner (Dec 09')
Tasty looking buds. Good work!
Let's grow some Weed!
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- #82
Retired Three
New Member
I picked some Diatomaceous Earth today and already spread it over the little fungus gnat bastards I hope they die a horrible death... LOL! I got a 25lb. bag for $30 at a local pool/spa supply house.
l
Here's the definition from Wikipedia.com:
Pest control
Diatomite is also used as an insecticide, due to its physico-sorptive properties. The fine powder absorbs lipids from the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate. Arthropods die as a result of the water pressure deficiency, based on Fick's law of diffusion. This also works against gastropods and is commonly employed in gardening to defeat slugs. However, since slugs inhabit humid environments, efficacy is very low. It is sometimes mixed with an attractant or other additives to increase its effectiveness. Medical-grade diatomite is sometimes used to de-worm both animals and humans. It is most commonly used in lieu of boric acid, and can be used to help control and eventually eliminate a cockroach infestation. This material has wide application for insect control in grain storage.[2]
Stealthy1
New Member
really? I liked my glass in a swiming pool better lol
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- #84
Retired Three
New Member
I saw one of those fungus gnat larvae's sunning himself this morning on the surface... After seeing the little bugger do it's happy dance when I was watering the plant I was convinced I was not coming home tonight without a bag of Diatomaceous Earth. I just hate creepy crawlers....
OldMedUser
Formerly Known as LabRat
That's how I found them the first time. I had some plants in 4" pots that weren't growing worth s**t and when I watered one time it took a while to soak in and I saw some ripples on the surface of the water. I got a magnifying glass and saw the little buggers. I went and bought one of those 30x microscopes from Radio Shack to find out what they were and got the info from google. If you take a sample of the soil, put it in a shot glass of water to let the dirt sink and pour the liquid through a piece of white paper towel you can get a real good look at anything that's living in the soil.
The info I got from google led me to water from the bottom and the DE.
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- #86
Retired Three
New Member
9 months ago when our first grow plant sprouted from the ground I NEVER EVER thought that growing cannabis would be any more involved than tossing a seed into the pot and hanging a 100 watt bulb over the plant to help it grow.
I joked with my wife about how hard could it be to grow a cannabis plant.. lol!
I said to my wife "For God's sake the plant is a WEED it can't be that hard!"
WoW! I was sooooooo wrong! Thanks to all of the friendly folks here
with there sound advice I am still learning something new every day to make me a more successful grower and I am absolutely loving it!
This has become a real fun hobby for my wife and I and we get kicks out of going down the basement to check the progress on the "children" and to see how well the buds are growing.
Oh yeah! The great smoke we get out of this is a real plus!
There's no doubt in my mind that down the road I will certainly be switching over to hydro from soil and be buying a microscope to analyze the soil and the plants.
It just cracks me up that I am actually thinking about buying a microscope....
This has been an amazing 9 months hanging out here....
I joked with my wife about how hard could it be to grow a cannabis plant.. lol!
I said to my wife "For God's sake the plant is a WEED it can't be that hard!"
WoW! I was sooooooo wrong! Thanks to all of the friendly folks here
with there sound advice I am still learning something new every day to make me a more successful grower and I am absolutely loving it!
This has become a real fun hobby for my wife and I and we get kicks out of going down the basement to check the progress on the "children" and to see how well the buds are growing.
Oh yeah! The great smoke we get out of this is a real plus!
There's no doubt in my mind that down the road I will certainly be switching over to hydro from soil and be buying a microscope to analyze the soil and the plants.
It just cracks me up that I am actually thinking about buying a microscope....
This has been an amazing 9 months hanging out here....
yah some of these digi cameras are weird Mine take awesome outdoor pics... but wont even focus close up 90% of the time.
Now that's what I call a grow room!...lol.
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- #88
Retired Three
New Member
Today is the first day that I have NOT seen a single fungus gnat flying around my plants! I may be premature here on the use of Diatomaceous Earth but I saw ZERO live larvae this morning after watering!!! I hope this beats the problem! I think it will!!!!!!!!!! weeeeeeeeeee! I'm so happy!
Joe, it is habit forming to say the least...lol. Ummm..btw, microscopes at radio shack for $13. I just bought one a week ago. ^5 brother grower. Seasons best to you and your wife.
Stealthy1
New Member
Lol yah hydro with fog!
Stoned Redneck
Well-Known Member
hey Joe,nice blog(if thats the right term) very good.i too thought that growing some would be just a push over!! i had some grow in my parents driveway.(from sweeping out my car) many years ago.but its like now that we really want it to grow it will take some work.and that ok.its just taking the time and enegery to do it.i can't wait to see how the new lights change things.did your plants #1, #2 get over the mirical grow poisining? i tried it once and was using it weak and it still burned,so later i tried again even weaker and it still burned them , worst than the first time. like i said i had a friend who swore by it ,but he grew outside. so anyway i won't be using MG again.i found a place near here to get the fox farm stuff. so like the rest have said,what a great place to learn the art of "hemping". well happy trails and God Bless America,todd:amen : ps to keep your farm area in your garage warm try this. we had to do some work on a vw bug (clutch?) anyway, super cold out.we "walled off"a area in his 2+ car garage.we screwed and stapled old sleeping bags and wool blankets to the celing and got it nice n workable warm with just a small electric heater. worked in a pinch!! and i guess your girls made it through the cold snap anyway right? c ya
OldSkoool
New Member
Great tip from LabRat on the diatomaceous earth. Last time I used it was for the filter on my marine aquarium years ago. I wonder how many kazillion little Diatom's gave their all for our benefit.
Looks like your clones are doing ok, any updates?
Looks like your clones are doing ok, any updates?
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- #93
Retired Three
New Member
I am embarrassed to say but I killed a few plants by feeding them with the Miracle grow. My first grow plant which is in it's 2nd. budding cycle took quite a while before the yellow tips finally disappeared.
My grow is in the basement so "Thank God" I don't have to deal with extreme temperatures like so many of you have to.
I mix the fox farms for daily feeding which is a couple of tablespoons per gallon.
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- #94
Retired Three
New Member
I think I have solved the fungus gnat problem! Yeah!!!!!!!!! My 2nd. grow plant seems to be suffering from some stress (some leaves are droopy) and I really am not sure what is causing it. The only thing I can think of is that she is going into full bloom and perhaps she is sucking all the nutrients up????
I will try to take some newer pics today... This is from a week ago...
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- #95
Retired Three
New Member
My war on fungus gnats continues... Those Dam buggers...
This is supposed to be the stuff that REALLY works....
I'm mixing it in to the soil real good and keeping it dry
My 2nd. grow is suffering from stress from this whole ordeal I think it may be the combination of the fungus gnats and the plant is going into full bloom.
This is supposed to be the stuff that REALLY works....
I'm mixing it in to the soil real good and keeping it dry
My 2nd. grow is suffering from stress from this whole ordeal I think it may be the combination of the fungus gnats and the plant is going into full bloom.
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- #97
Retired Three
New Member
Thanks for the advice!
I will add some more to the top ....
I have it mixed in several inches deep..
I will add some more to the top ....
I have it mixed in several inches deep..
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- #98
Retired Three
New Member
Bud Porn! Bud Porn!
Here's some Bud Pics of my 2nd. Grow plant....
I think she is gonna produce some killer buds on this grow!
Here's some Bud Pics of my 2nd. Grow plant....
I think she is gonna produce some killer buds on this grow!
OldMedUser
Formerly Known as LabRat
GMT1975A is right Joe. Spread a layer on top of the soil. I won't hurt that you mixed it in but won't be as effective against those little buggers. DE is a good source of calcium and trace elements. Make sure that there are NO open bags of soil or other pots with exposed dirt or the gnats will breed there and you'll never get rid of them. As a last resort you could buy some fungus gnat killer dust. You just sprinkle a little on top of the soil it doesn't get absorbed by the plant but kills their sorry asses fast.
It may take a few days to work but the DE will get rid of them. Then the roots have to recover which will take a few more days before your plants start looking good again. Just don't be spraying shit on the leaves to get rid of them as they don't feed on the leaves like mites or thrips do as part of their life cycle and you'll stress the plants more. Some foliar feeding with dilute flowering nutes may help tho as the plants are probably having a hard time getting nutes from the damaged roots.
Lots of luck with this frustrating problem.
It may take a few days to work but the DE will get rid of them. Then the roots have to recover which will take a few more days before your plants start looking good again. Just don't be spraying shit on the leaves to get rid of them as they don't feed on the leaves like mites or thrips do as part of their life cycle and you'll stress the plants more. Some foliar feeding with dilute flowering nutes may help tho as the plants are probably having a hard time getting nutes from the damaged roots.
Lots of luck with this frustrating problem.
Sorry to hear about the troubles Joe but hey you are learning and we cannot really learn unless we overcome difficulties. Glad you and your wife are enjoying the hobby. May of us have lost our agrarian "roots" in this modern society. By growing Cannabis, I know I have become more in tune with plants and plant care in general.
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