Pest Control: Can traditional gardening methods be applied to cannabis?

[multiVortex]

Aphids. We hate those little bastages. Everything is fine, then seemingly overnight the garden has turned into nothing short of an aphid spring break free for all party.

We use neem oil, insecticidal soap, and other methods to send them to their demise. Yet we are left with residual issues which may or may not be an issue. ("Smoke buds, not bugs!", they chant...)

I was reading a topic in FAQ last night, discussing this very thing. It got me to thinking about growing in general; specifically: companion plantings for pest control.

Now some folks may grow other things and be familiar with the topic. Some may not, so I'll try to explain the simple concept. Some plants naturally repel pests, thus adding those along with your other plants can be a powerful prevention tool.

The discussion lead me to think about certain things I do with some of the veggies outside. Like how I plant dill and marigolds amongst my tomatoes and peppers, or how I have small pots of mint spread around. Why? Insect control. Specifically aphids, stink bugs, and japanese beetles. It works pretty well for that, so why wouldn't companion planting work with cannabis?

I've read so many journals, yet never see mention of this. Surely I cannot be the only one that has thought of this?

The only drawback I see from this is that a companion plant would take canopy space, and I completely agree with that aspect. I would estimate about 15% of the canopy space could be reduced, maybe more depending on the companion and quantity.

I keep thinking back to the wise word of Mr. Benjamin Franklin, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Sure he was talking about fire safety, but it applies to just about everything. I also think it applies to gardening. If I can prevent pests as best I can from the beginning, then I'm not needing to spray anything. If the outbreak were in flower, now I'm not risking bud rot or mold by spraying.

So lets think of a simple 4x4 tent setup, and what can be done with this concept. I can see it working in three ways, with the third being a combination of the first two.

Thankfully neither dill nor mint need a ton of space. That's good. Let's say we take the outer 6 inches of the space for our other herb(s). Using about a 4 in wide pots/boxes, that's about 2 inches from the tent wall and placing our companions there. I'll spare the details on setup/watering/growing for now. But the end result is mostly a ring of companions around the main garden, so that at any point no bud is more than 2ft away from a companion.

Another variation on this would be 1sqft in the very middle for companions, or putting one in each corner. Me personally, I would prefer the companions out to the edge, as that's where light coverage is typically its weakest point anyway. So why not use the disadvantages of our light(s) to our advantage? I would think that a small plant in each corner would suffice.


The second option would be to place companions around the outside of the tent, but then you're also going to need to expand some type of lighting there (they're standard herbs, nothing fancy fancy required) as well as timing it to match your main grow.

The third option mentioned would be combining the two above, and having strategically placed plants around the tent, as well as a few inside.

The only real question I can think of, which may be a non issue really, is whether or not the companions receive too much light. Should be a factor, but you never know.


I think this could be of use in grows/area/situations where someone is having repeated aphid issues. It isn't going to hurt, that's for sure.

Next post below this: those dang "fruit flies" and their stupid love for soil/coco... I've got your back with a simple trick that works a damn fine treat.

 

[multiVortex]

So what is the deal with those stupid fruit fly gnat bastards? OMG they are absolutely annoying, buzzing around all the time. What can we do about them, without having to spray for control?

The simple, quick answer is: sand.


That's right. Good old sand.


Wait, wut????


Those pesky gnats love dirt/soil/coco, especially when it's nice and moist. They bury their eggs in there, and breed worse than mice or rabbits. Once they start, they are hard to get rid of. You spray and spray, but they keep coming back. The most simple and effective solution is to break the cycle. You do that with sand.


This simple sand is nothing more than what you would see on a beach or in a playground sandbox, and is readily available at the big box home hardware stores (the orange one, blue one, yellow and green one, etc.) for about $3-$4 per bag. Each bag should cover about 5 or 6 pots. If you have extra, save it for next time, no big thing.

So now you've bought your sand, but what exactly are your going to do with the stuff?


Take the sand and add it to the top of your pot. You want a layer that is about an inch thick. Now, no more gnats. Why? They hate sand with a passion. It actually cuts them to pieces like glass, so they avoid it at all cost. Doing this takes away their breeding ground, and now the cycle is broken. No place to reproduce, so bye bye, no more baby gnats to replace the adults. Done. Game over, moonpie.


When I first discovered this many years ago, I was at my wits end with these pesky bugs. Then a wise old man told me about it, and needless to say I was very skeptical. However, I gave it a shot and by gum it worked. I've never looked back or had a problem since. Another positive aspect is it also acts like a mulch, and helps prevent evaporation through the top of the soil. Not a bad deal whatsoever. I've never had a gnat issue since.


Now the drawback to this is watering. I switched to watering from the bottom up, and then eventually to sub-irrigation. You can still water from the top, but extreme caution must be taken to keep the top layer of sand intact. This is why I switched to watering from below, which is another topic, but has worked well for me in many aspects. Have you ever read about the (brand name) Earth Box planters? Same concept, but DIY for much less. Love it.

So if you're prone to gnat issues in your garden, or even with your house plants, give it a shot.

 

[multiVortex]

What is another way to help seal up your tent from pests?


Cheap-ass furnace filters.


That's right, the $1 each (or less) furnace filters. The holes are small enough to keep bugs out, but hardly restrict airflow into your tent. Cheap enough you can get plenty and cover every active intake vent on both the in and out side of each, and even the ones that are closed if you want.

Or for those duct vents that are pulled up tight and not in use, wad up a small towel or something similar and put it inside before cinching it up. Anything to seal those up helps.

 

[Dankman_420]

Have you had to deal with spider mites

 

[multiVortex]

Indoors I have not.

 

[multiVortex]

Protecting your intakes from bugs and junk:


For a little more prevention, and I may have mentioned this before, but protecting your intakes can go a long way in helping to curb bugs and gunk.

Needed supplies, available from Mr Bezos' website:

- a roll or two of `stainless steel wire mesh, 120 mesh, 33% open`
- a big roll of reflective silver tape (I use gorilla, but whatever. just make sure it is silver and highly reflective)


Now working on the inside of the tent, cut out pieces of mesh which overlap your intakes by about an inch. You want the overlap because you need a part of the screen to stick the tape to, and you don't want to take away space from your intakes. Tape it up, and now you have even finer mesh covering your intakes.

You're not done quite yet, though. What about those duct ports you don't use? Square up a piece of mesh, overlap needed (so an 11" duct would take a 12"x12" cut of mesh) and go to town on those, too. Why? Because even with the cords drawn, they still allow some air to be sucked in.

What about the ducts you're using? Get creative, and try to stuff it up so that what takes up space inside the port can be drawn down nicely when you snug it up. BE CAREFUL with materials for this. IF you have warm cords that pull a lot of power, don't go stuffing it with paper towels. Look for something made of silicone, etc. A small silicone mat, ball, coaster, etc can work well for example.

You can also use more screen inside the ducts, too.


But wait, one more thing to be aware of. That mesh is going to cut your incoming flow rate, and you may need to open some more incoming air vents. That's alright though, because you've protected them too.

But what about light and my 12/12 flowering cycle!????@!!!!


That depends. If you're in a room where the lights are off unless you're in there, then you probably don't need to worry about it.

If not, then build a little light trap! How can you do that for cheap, you ask?

Easy!


What else are you going to do with all those damn boxes from Mr Bezos when you've take your product out? Put them in the trash? Heck naw! Build things with them! For one, build a light trap! It doesn't have to be fancy, just allow air in without allowing light. A knife or scissors, a little tape, and voila.

Having trouble keeping your seedling dome warm, even with a mat? Put a box over it. Even if it's in your tent! (Check regularly, and you may have to put it on and take if off with the light cycle.)


Cut the tape on the bottom and fold the box down flat, then use under the tent or under the spill tray to insulate your tent floor from cold concrete! Or put them on top of your tent to help insulate the top a bit. Lots of uses for those boxes besides sending them off with the trash.


Now back to the intakes. Be sure that when the lights are on, you take a vacuum to the outside of them now and then. Dust and stuff will collect there and reduce your flow. Do you have any pets? Yeah, be more vigilant with the timing of your clean. For some it may be daily. Note that it's only the active air intakes that need it on the regular. On closed ones it won't matter, but if you need to open one then don't forget to give it a suck first!

Another option, if you can't be bothered and want to save some time: get a cheap furnace filter and sit it on the outside in front of the intake. The air getting sucked in will keep it there, and the cheap ones won't block much air flow. They're not supposed to. We're talking like the ones that are less than $1, 1" thick, and low MERV rating (like a 2 or 4.) They'll stop dust and pet hair, and that's good enough. You can then change those once every 3-6 weeks, give or take. You can also probably vacuum them real good and get a second use out of them. Your call.


Yes, I've mentioned the cheap filters previously. It's worth repeating.



REMEMBER to turn down (or off) that exhaust when you open your tent. Why? Because you just opened a big ass hole that has no screen or filter, of course! With that exhaust running full blast it's going to suck a lot in through that open tent door, and it will not discriminate as to what.



Now is this going to be 100% guaranteed effective? Um, no. I make no claims that you will never ever have a bug or gunk. However it can help significantly increase your chances of sucking something unwanted into your tent. It's merely one layer of a good overall prevention plan, and shouldn't be the only line of defense.

Think of it like the swiss cheese model:

While each layer may have holes, you want another layer to block it. The goal is to not have a hole that goes all the way through, and which isn't blocked at some level. That's why multiple levels of protection add up.


Even then, opening the main doors of the tent will still be your biggest weakness, so be quick about it and keep those fans low or off. (Which I agree can create an issue with smell, so it's a lot of give and take.)

 

[Virgin Ground]

SweetSue and Angrybird did companion planting. If you use the search function, there are threads on the subject.

 

[jimfro]

I bought three electronic bug deterrents. Put two in my cabinet and I have never seen any type of creepy crawly. Not one. Worth the money for added piece of mind. Good Grow