No mites in sight!

[Woodyweedpecker]

I have battled spider mites in the past and figured it just happens no matter what . I was wrong ! I recently stopped buying bags of soil to use in large pots every year . I changed up my game by building in ground planter boxes in my greenhouse . Boxes measure 3x3 x3 deep and 4x3 x3 deep . I built my own organic loamy soil and filled the boxes . I planted 1 @ 2’ clone in each box and started growing . Keeping a watchful eye on things and prepared for battle with mites ,,, I watched and waited .. weekly wet downs using peppermint oil & ph water ( 6 drops per gallon ) still no mites.
Plants took hold and started vegging out . When I began LST I noticed tiny bugs in the soil . Darting and dashing everywhere ! Looking closer with magnifying lenses I can clearly see these bugs aren’t on the stalk or leaves of my plants ,, they are guardians of the stash !
Soil mites !! These guys guard the gates and pulverize brown mites ! Out of curiosity I poked around and found a fungus gnat larva and dropped it on top of soil . It was devoured by the microscopic world ! Very cool stuff !
No more paint gun and air compressor blasting neem & essentials on my lady’s ! Mother Nature will keep things in check if I don’t kill the wrong bugs

 

[Bill284]

I have battled spider mites in the past and figured it just happens no matter what . I was wrong ! I recently stopped buying bags of soil to use in large pots every year . I changed up my game by building in ground planter boxes in my greenhouse . Boxes measure 3x3 x3 deep and 4x3 x3 deep . I built my own organic loamy soil and filled the boxes . I planted 1 @ 2’ clone in each box and started growing . Keeping a watchful eye on things and prepared for battle with mites ,,, I watched and waited .. weekly wet downs using peppermint oil & ph water ( 6 drops per gallon ) still no mites.
Plants took hold and started vegging out . When I began LST I noticed tiny bugs in the soil . Darting and dashing everywhere ! Looking closer with magnifying lenses I can clearly see these bugs aren’t on the stalk or leaves of my plants ,, they are guardians of the stash !
Soil mites !! These guys guard the gates and pulverize brown mites ! Out of curiosity I poked around and found a fungus gnat larva and dropped it on top of soil . It was devoured by the microscopic world ! Very cool stuff !
No more paint gun and air compressor blasting neem & essentials on my lady’s ! Mother Nature will keep things in check if I don’t kill the wrong bugs

Hey Woody that's great, but if you ever do need anything for bugs?
@Sierra Natural Science makes great all organic products.
Give a little to your girls in their water and the bugs hate the taste.
No spraying.
Roots absorb it and bugs don't bite your plants anymore, easy peezy
Take care Amigo.




Stay safe
Bill284

 

[SmokingWings]

Mother Nature will keep things in check if I don’t kill the wrong bugs

True.

People see a single bug and start spraying under the belief that it is best to "kill them all and let God sort it out later". Then they wonder why they keep getting insect problems and often it is because they have been killing predator insects and not the insect that eats the plant.

 

[Woodyweedpecker]

.

People see a single bug and start spraying under the belief that it is best to "kill them all and let God sort it out later". Then they wonder why they keep getting insect problems and often it is because they have been killing predator insects and not the insect that eats the plant .

So true ! There’s no easy button or magic elixir ! I have horses , dog , cat , I work in the woods . I can’t be clandestine and if my dog wants to bed down and chill with me while I bend branches & putter in the greenery he doesn’t ask .. although he’s respectful and lays on his spot there’s mites on hm , probably on me from horse hay or the brush I been in all day . I hose the plants down 1 time a week with a strong mist and I keep healthy living soil not soggy , not bone dry , & basically my plants eat what I have for breakfast ! Banana peel goes in the blender along with coffee grounds , eggshell calcium / magnesium vitamin 1 down the hatch & 1 in the blender , orange peel , touch of molasses , leftover oatmeal ,
I dump that into a bucket with some hay sweepings / alfalfa , scrape a dab of horse piss dirt cake toss it in , 1/4 handful of fire ash and fill with water . Strain 1 gallon pours , add 4 gallons well water and feed . The tailings go into compost pile ( where the predatory mites live ! Rite next to the greenery below a window that draws in the co2 emitted by compost with a small fan . Live worms in my planter box’s get fed with soil toppings . There’s a western toad that chills in a planter pot at night , a small noisy tree frogs 3 big spiders that I know of and a small hornets nest in the south east corner of roof .. everybody is working for a living in here and nobody is overpopulating we are balanced !

 

[Woodyweedpecker]

 

[Bill284]

Looking good Amigo.
Hope your having a nice day.




Stay safe
Bill284