Re using LOS

[gazmufc]

Hey folks

I want to re use LOS, but atm it's infested with gants and thrips, what is best way to wipe the slate clean before I re amend?
I want to make sure all eggs are dead.

 

[SmokingWings]

The one thing that caught my attention is that if you have a true Living Organic Soil there should be enough predators in either the soil itself or living on your green manure crop to keep the pest numbers under control. How many gallons or liters of LOS do you have in the pot? There might not be enough soil or somewhere along the line something happened to kill off predators.

The Fungus Gnats should be easy to get rid of. Sprinkle some Mosquito Bits over the surface of your soil. Then break a Mosquito Dunk into quarters and put one piece into a 5 gallon bucket of water. Use that water to keep the soil moist.

As for the Thrips my suggestion is to read up on ways to get rid of them. It won't matter if the articles you find are for general gardening or Marijuana, the methods are the same. And the products you would use can be found at any decent grow or hydroponic store and even some general gardening shops.

And while all that is happening start to follow @Nunyabiz and read what he has to say about any and all LOS grows. It will not be long before you can get a better idea of what is happening with your pest situation and be able to ask specific questions.

 

[gazmufc]

The one thing that caught my attention is that if you have a true Living Organic Soil there should be enough predators in either the soil itself or living on your green manure crop to keep the pest numbers under control. How many gallons or liters of LOS do you have in the pot? There might not be enough soil or somewhere along the line something happened to kill off predators.

The Fungus Gnats should be easy to get rid of. Sprinkle some Mosquito Bits over the surface of your soil. Then break a Mosquito Dunk into quarters and put one piece into a 5 gallon bucket of water. Use that water to keep the soil moist.

As for the Thrips my suggestion is to read up on ways to get rid of them. It won't matter if the articles you find are for general gardening or Marijuana, the methods are the same. And the products you would use can be found at any decent grow or hydroponic store and even some general gardening shops.

And while all that is happening start to follow @Nunyabiz and read what he has to say about any and all LOS grows. It will not be long before you can get a better idea of what is happening with your pest situation and be able to ask specific questions.

Hey
Thanks for the reply. Yeah my sip containers are 20lt. I did add predators such as mites and nematode that both eat the larve.
That was over 2 months ago and I can still see the predator mites active when I pull back the first few inches of soil.

For the thrips on the leaves I added leaf predator mites that got released in a satche over 4 week period. They done an amazing job at hunting them down. I released them few week before flower hoping they wud have them give before bud production and the y did.
I just didn't expect to see still so many of the little fly gants in the soil when I pull back that few inches. None of my controls attack that stage of their cycle. Just the eggs.
I must get some of those dunks u speak off.

I have 1 more question, before my next run I need to make my soil drain and not hold on to water as much. I didn't add enough perlite the first time. I'm going to add pumice and buckwheat for my next grow.
So for a 20lt bucket, would about 3lt of pumice stone mixed with buckwheat at 1:1 ratio be enough?

Thanks in advance..

 

[Azimuth]

before my next run I need to make my soil drain and not hold on to water as much. I didn't add enough perlite the first time. I'm going to add pumice and buckwheat for my next grow.
So for a 20lt bucket, would about 3lt of pumice stone mixed with buckwheat at 1:1 ratio be enough?

Standard SIP mix advice is 30-40% of your mix should be aeration (pumice, perlite, etc) so for a 20L pot you'd want 7-8L of it.

 

[gazmufc]

Standard SIP mix advice is 30-40% of your mix should be aeration (pumice, perlite, etc) so for a 20L pot you'd want 7-8L of it.

Hey Azimuth, appreciate you giving some. Feedback. I will certainly take you're advice and make my mix like that. Is a for that 40%, is a 50/50 ratio of buckwheat& pumice the proper ratio..?
Or should I have 1 of more or the other?
Thanks in advance..

 

[Azimuth]

I don't know how buckwheat hulls work in a mix as, being organic, they'll breakdown over time. Don't know if that would be longer than a grow or not.

Straihht pumice or perlite is what is typically used.

 

[The70’s]

Freakin Thrips! Organic peppermint soap and Neem oil. I drenched em at lights out for two weeks, makes sure ur fans are on. Peppermint is a pesticide which kills em on contact, Neem actually gets into the plant to help prevent further infestation, and is a pesticide too, good luck

 

[gazmufc]

Freakin Thrips! Organic peppermint soap and Neem oil. I drenched em at lights out for two weeks, makes sure ur fans are on. Peppermint is a pesticide which kills em on contact, Neem actually gets into the plant to help prevent further infestation, and is a pesticide too, good luck

Hey 70s. thanks for commenting
Yeah they are a nightmare lol.. My bedroom is literally feet away from a big ugly well established hedge row, and a canal not to far from that again. My house always has them. Think I'm gonna get all my windows done in insect mesh as a first line of defense.

I will be ordering some organic peppermint oil today. Appreciate the tip. That's one I haven't tried. Thank you...

 

[gazmufc]

I don't know how buckwheat hulls work in a mix as, being organic, they'll breakdown over time. Don't know if that would be longer than a grow or not.

Straihht pumice or perlite is what is typically used.

Yikes I didn't realise how much more expensive pumice is.. Yeah think il just use perlite..

 

[dr.h00k]

fight nature with nature is what a lot LOS growers adhere to...Nematodes work good on fungus gnats, and can be ordered off the Zon'...I've not had experience with thrips, but I know a couple growers who get predatory insects/mites to control thrips such as lace wings, however temperature could be a factor to consider,if being shipped in certain climates, as freezing temps would likely damage them...if you go the chemical warfare route, Pyrethrin is touted as one of most efficient against thrips, and is plant based, but there a number of sprays that are said to be effective...repeated doses are always recommended to catch all periods of life cycle...cheerz... ...h00k...

 

[The70’s]

repeated doses are always recommended to catch all periods of life cycle...cheerz... ...h00k...

Yup ! Thrips have a two week life cycle, hence a two week application process
Great point