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PREDATORS,
PESTS AND PLANT FUNG
PLANT PESTS WILL ALWAYS BE A PROBLEM for cannabis growers
and should never be ignored. An infestation or infection can kill all
of your plants very quickly. Minor pest attacks can stunt plant development,
which can prevent them from achieving optimal growth or even cause the
hermaphrodite condition to appear in your sinsemilla crop.
Of course, some strains can cope with pest attack better than others and
some experts will tell you that a little pest attack only serves to 'harden'the
plants up a bit. Although stress brought on by pest attack can cause the
plant to produce its fruits and foliage more vigorously, there is a fine
line between hardening a plant up and causing the hermaphrodite condition
to appear along with impaired growth.
You should also keep in mind that, outdoors, pests have to contend with
the forces of nature and predators, but pests will thrive in clean, healthy
indoor environments and spread quickly. As a result, you can expect pest
attacks to be more frequent and damaging indoors than outdoors. Indoors,
any pests must be dealt with immediately.
DOMESTIC PETS
It must be said that, for an outdoor garden, a cat is the number one defense
system against most small predators, but a cat can bring unwanted pests
into an indoor grow room! Cats also like to play with indoor plants so
be very careful with your plants and pets. Cats, especially kittens, like
to use the base of cannabis plants as a litter box. Puppies and young
dogs also like to play with cannabis plants (including biting their stems).
Keep domestic pets out of your indoor grow room.
PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES AND FUNGICIDES
Pesticides are substances for destroying pests. Herbicides are products
that destroy weeds and plants. Fungicides are used to kill fungi. New
growers should not attempt to use herbicide, as the risk of harming your
plants is too great. Solutions to specific pest and fungi problems are
covered below in detail.
ATTENTION! READ THIS:
Use only repellents and pesticides that are clearly marked for Food Product
Use on the label. If a repellent or pesticide is not safe for food product
use then do not use it on your plants! You could be smoking or cooking
with your plants later and you don't want to end up in a hospital because
of poisoned bud. If a pesticide is safe for food product use then it will
be safe to use on your bud. Read the product instructions clearly and
carefully. Do not take short cuts. Follow the instructions on the label
carefully.
Pesticides
Pesticides come in a variety of different formats. These include: pellets,
sprays, powders and gases. Pellet-type pesticides usually come in boxes
or tubs.The pellets usually range from 2 mm to 10 mm in length and are
eaten by pests such as slugs, snails and larvae. Sprays come in liquid
form or as a fine powder that you need to mix with water. Most liquid
pest sprays come with a nozzle attached to the bottle so they can be used
directly without mixing or transfer to another spray can. Powder pesticides
that are not to be used as a spray are simply added to soil around the
base of the plant, but not directly onto the plant itself. These powder
pesticides are useful for removing low-level area pests like slugs and
snails. Gas pesticides are also known as vpest bombs'. These types of
pesticides are used to fumigate indoor areas to eradicate pests. Dead
pests can then be removed from the room.
Why Cannabis Resin and Soapy Pesticides Don't Mix
Soaking a flowering female with a soapy pesticide is not a good idea for
several
reasons.
First, any liquid applied to the bud in large amounts will remove some
of the tri-chomes simply because of the way in which it must be applied
and not because of the solution coming into contact with theTHC-containing
resin glands. In fact, THC is not water-soluble as we will explain in
more detail when we cover hashish making and resin extraction in Chapter
17. Repeated application of soapy pesticides as directed will only remove
more trichomes.
Secondly, soaps add additional water weight to the flowering plant, causing
stems and branches to bend. This added weight and film of soapy water
on the leaves and stems can stunt growth by slowing photosynthesis until
the plant is dry again.
Thirdly, turning on indoor lights before plants are dry creates a risk
of burning as the pesticide chemicals can change composition due to heat.
The result is much like white powdery blotches on the leaves with indications
of burning.
Try to avoid using soapy pesticides or any pesticides on a flowering cannabis
plant by solving pest problems back in the vegetative stage of the cannabis
life cycle before any bud or resin is produced.
PEST INDEX
This index is by no means exhaustive. The pests described in this section
were selected because they are the most common and are responsible for
most cannabis-related pest attacks.
New growers should bear in mind that pest attack symptoms can look exactly
like those caused nutrient disorders, overwatering, underwatering, overfeeding,
pH fluctuation or heat stress. In fact, the 'bite mark' damage commonly
associated pest attack does not always occur.This is because instead of
eating the plant some pests will suck on the plant leaves, flowers, branches
and stems.
In some pest attack cases the plant's leaves simply change color or curl.
Leaf color changes or distortions like leaf curl are often associated
with nutrient disorders or overfeeding, so before you make a nutrient
disorder diagnosis you should examine your plants carefully for signs
of pests. It is good practice to get in the habit of doing this anyway
every time you check your plants.
The main difference between a pest attack and a non-pest related disorder
is the presence of the pests themselves. Since pest damage is highly variable
you cannot rely on the damage alone to identify the pest. You need to
find the pest, identify it and eradicate it. A magnifying aid is an extremely
useful instrument for pest identification.
In
indoor spaces especially, acting quickly is critical. Try to commit the
signs of infestation described in this section to memory, as this will
help you to identify them quickly if you come across a pest attack in
your grow. Remember though that not all insects are bad for your garden.
Some experts make the mistake of listing pests that actually do not harm
cannabis. Some of these insects instead prey on pests that you may want
to get rid of. We will also list these Mriendly' pests so that you can
get to know them.
Ants
Ants are small insects from the family Formicidae. They are usually wingless
except during mating season. Ants are colony pests, are well known for
their cooperativeness and industriousness and can destroy cannabis plants
quickly. Ants eat cannabis leaves and carry portions of the plant back
to the colony for food storage and construction. Ants are easy to spot
because of their size, speed of movement and numbers. Along with leaf
discoloration an ant-attacked plant may exhibit bite marks on the edges
of the leaves. Ants also farm aphids, another type of pest that growers
will want to eradicate. Ants can be removed using boric acid or any popular
colony killer pesticide.
Aphids
Aphids are small soft-bodied insects of the family Aphididae. Aphids are
the single most common pest attackers experienced by cannabis growers
both indoors and out.They mainly live on plant juices by sucking sap from
stems, branches and leaves.They are about 1/8 of an inch long and can
be any color but yellow/green is most common. Some aphids have wings.
Aphids tend to secrete frothy or foamy waste material, called honeydew,
around their feeding areas on the plant and are most likely to be found
attacking new growth or the underside of leaves near a node region, but
they can be anywhere. Aphids are generally surrounded by their young and
they reproduce at an extremely rapid rate and spread quickly. In addition,
some aphids transmit viral diseases. This pest must be eradicated from
your grow as soon a possible.
Aphids are small and do not move very quickly so growers need to take
extra care when checking their crops for aphids. Aphid attack looks a
bit like underwater-ing resulting in leaf wilt. You may also find some
plant stunting and exhibiting signs of leaf curl during an aphid attack.
Ants also farm aphids by gathering the honeydew they excrete, and so you
must remove any ants before you try to treat an aphid problem. Aphids
can be removed from your grow using any pyrethrum-based insecticide. Spraying
your plants with pyrethrum-based insecticide before flowering will help
prevent future aphid attacks but a full spraying tends to cause a certain
amount of plant stress and growth stunting. If you want to keep aphids
out of your grow room, then you should spray down the grow room with a
pyrethrum-based insecticide before introducing the plants to the environment,
making sure that you cover the corners and door frame.
To treat a mild aphid problem try to only spray the infected areas of
the plant. An aphid attack on flowering plants can be a problem because
spraying can damage the bud and separate your trichome glands from the
cannabis flowers. Try to solve aphid problems before flowering at all
costs. Chances are that if you have prevented an aphid attack before flowering
then you should not get one during flowering unless aphid contaminated
items are brought into the grow room.
A soapy pesticide like Safer's Soap can also be used to deter aphids.
A mixture of dishwashing detergent in hot water can be used to clean down
the grow room and pots of any unwanted aphids by suffocating them. As
stated in the introduction to this section, soap and detergents should
not be used during the flowering period. Ladybugs are a natural predator
of aphids and can be used to control them.
Cutworms, Caterpillars and Larvae
Insects that are in their early stages of development are problem pests
because they are insatiable and will eat anything green that they can
get their tiny mouths around.Their appetite is surreal when you actually
discover how much a caterpillar can consume in a single day. One caterpillar
can reduce an ounce cola to stem and stalk in less than four days. These
pests pose a huge threat to your crop and must be stopped right away.
Caterpillars especially like to eat young seedlings and new growth. They
are also known to leave holes in leaf but other pests can do this too.
The only sure way to get rid of cutworms, caterpillar and larvae is to
use a cutworm, caterpillar or larvae repellent. Usually the same product
will affect all three pests. Cutworms can also be hand picked from your
grow. At night they sleep in a XC' shape in the soil or under the cover
of something else like a piece of wood.
Deer
Deer are so curious that even electric fences won't stop them over.time.
Deer will eat leaves, stems, flowers and branches. Damaged areas are usually
large including complete topping of the main cola from the stem.There
are much kinder ways to keep deer away from your crop. You need to get
a hold of predator urine from hunting shops. Find out which urine works
best with deer to keep them away without attracting other plant-eating
animals. Simply spray the urine on your patch and this will help keep
the deer away.This method has a very high success rate at keeping deer
from your grow.
Gnats
Gnats are insects with long, thin fragile legs from the family Culicidae.
Gnats can eat leaves but mostly suck sap from the phloem. The damage from
a Gnat attack is similar to that of an aphid attack and can be treated
in the same way: using a pyrethrum-based insecticide. Gnats cause less
damage than aphids but need to be treated quickly nonetheless.
Grasshoppers
Generally harmless to cannabis unless they are found in large numbers,
grasshoppers are insects from the Acrididae family with legs designed
for jumping long distances. The males make a high pitch clicking sound.
There is a particular species of grasshoppers often called Mocusts'that
form in large migratory swarms and are highly destructive to nearly every
kind of vegetation. Locust attacks are so severe that they can strip a
plant down to its stem and branches within a few hours. During a locust
attack the grower can only take cuttings from his or her plant and continue
the strain elsewhere. Locusts will even eat pesticide-laden plants when
traveling in large numbers so pesticides are rarely effective against
these types of attacks.
Grasshoppers are treated as tourists in small numbers.They stay around
only for a short period of time and move on. Grasshoppers are best hand
picked from your plants if you wish to control them. Birds also eat grasshoppers.
Groundhogs
Groundhogs are a burrowing colonial rodent of the genus Marmota.They eat
the shoots and leaves of the cannabis plant. Dry chlorine helps keep groundhogs
away from your plants. If you find any groundhog holes near your grow
area, apply the dry chlorine around the hole.
Mealy Bugs
Mealy bugs are insects from the Pseudococcidae family.They are often described
by growers as xhard aphids' because of a waxy powder that makes their
backs look shell-like under a microscope. They attack plant tissue and
suck sap from the phloem. Mealy bugs are treated in the same way as aphid
attacks: using a pyrethrum-based insecticide.
Rabbits
Rabbits are burrowing plant-eating mammals of the Leporidae family. They
can be recognized by their long ears and short fluffy tails. Rabbits are
voracious eaters and can reduce a crop to nothing in a couple of days.They
will continue to feed from the same patch until they're done or the patch
is destroyed. The best way to keep rabbits from your grow is to use predator
urine. Rabbits also shy away from cats and dogs.
Scale
Scale is closely related to the aphid and comes in several different forms.
Scales are born mobile but will eventually solidify (at any plant location
but mostly on the branch and stem) and insert a small hollow tube into
the plant to tap into the juices. They also spread mold. Scale can be
hand picked from your plants with ease because, when they solidify, they
stay on that area of the plant. Ants farm scale so ants need to be removed
from your grow room before you treat a scale problem. Scale can also be
scrubbed from the branches, using a scouring pad. Dormant oil sprays,
a form of organic pest control, also kill scale. You should be able to
obtain dormant oil from any good grow store.
Slugs and Snails
These pests are molluscs of the class Gastropoda and characteristically
have a flattened ventral bottom that they use for movement.They eat the
leaves and stem and will kill cannabis seedlings. Slugs and snails are
best hand picked from your grow area. Another way to remove them is to
make a circle of table salt about four feet away from the base of your
plants. Then make another circle a foot in from that. Salt is deadly to
snails and slugs and will keep them out. Slugs and snails can also be
repelled or killed by using slug and snail pest pellets.
Spider Mites
Always keep a bottle of pesticide that kills spider mites on hand because
marijuana plants are extremely vulnerable to mite attacks. Spider mites
can reduce your plants to garbage within a couple of days so you should
never bring a plant inside that has been outside.
Spider
mites are tiny, about half the size of this period. Spider mites cannot
be seen without a magnifying aid but are normally spotted because they
gather in large numbers to form clusters on areas of your plant. Spider
mites feed off plant juices and leaf wilt is a common symptom of a mite
attack. If the attack continues the plant will eventually die. Spider
mites also spin webbing on the effected areas of the plant.
Specialized spider mite pesticides like Avid will curb attacks. Sulfur
also deters spider mites. During vegetative growth spider mites can be
exterminated using soaps. Sticky pest trap tape is not effective against
them. After aphids, spider mites are the second most common pest attackers
experienced by cannabis growers both indoors and out.
Termites
Termites are a type of Isoptera and live in colonies. Termites are very
destructive, even in small numbers. They have the ability to chew through
wood rapidly and can chop a plant at the base of its stem within a few
days. Termites don't like water. If you overwater the soil around your
plant they will leave but you will be left with an overwatering problem.
There are commercial products available that kill termites but most of
these are not for plant use or human consumption. Termites can be killed
by finding their nest and flushing it with water. Try to find the source
of the termites rather than treating your plants.
Thrips
Thrips are a member of the Thysanoptera family and are minute dark-colored
insects with slim bodies that have wings in adult form. They usually attack
the flowering parts of the cannabis plant and suck juices from the leaves.
Thrips infestations usually cause the cannabis flowers to fall apart and
look silvery in patches.Thrips are not typically around for long because
their natural predators are beetles, ladybirds, lacewing and mites. Thrip
infestations can be treated with any good thrip pesticide or pyrethrum.Thrips
also do not like garlic.
Whitefly
Whitefly are from the Aleyrodidae family and are usually about 4 mm in
size, although there are more than 200 species of this insect vary in
shape, size and color. One particular species even likes to spend its
entire life within greenhouses — hence its name 'Greenhouse Whitefly'.
Whitefly
normally have waxy white wings and use these to fly over short distances.
If you shake your plant you should be able to hear them before you see
them. They make a buzzing sound when moving in small groups.The whitefly
can be deadly to your crop and can reduce your plant to trash in days.They
feed on plant juices and secrete a honeydew, which has the natural ability
to develop a dark mold on the secreted areas.This mold will also affect
your plants' health if left untreated.
Safer's Soap™ helps to kill whitefly and can be bought in most grow
shops. Other soaps and sprays will also kill whitefly. The whitefly's
natural predators are spiders, ladybirds and beetles. Pest tape can also
be quite effective against whitefly. Whitefly are the third most common
pest attackers experienced by cannabis growers both indoors and out.
Woodchucks and Other Small Rodents
Woodchucks will nibble your stems and collapse the plant. The way to solve
this is by either using predator urine (see also deer and groundhogs)
or building a very small mesh fence around the base of your outdoor plants.This
will keep the wood-chucks from eating your stems and branches. Use more
than one layer of mesh and make sure that you keep it tight. Planting
marigolds near your grow will also help keep the woodchucks away.
PEST PREDATORS
There are many predators of pests that, at first glance, may appear to
be plant pests but will not actually damage your crop. You should keep
these Mriendly' pests around, since they are nature's way of eliminating
many of the pests listed above. Beneficial pests can even be bred or bought
so that you have a constant supply of these pest killers.
Ladybeetles or Nadybirds' as some call them, will breed on their own if
they have a constant supply of aphids and other insects to feed on. Many
places now stock pest predators. Contact your local agricultural supply
store to find out where predatory pests might be available. There are
companies out there that provide this service and will even send some
predator pests by mail order.
Beetles
Ground beetles are usually black, brown or have a bluish tint along with
wings and solid covers that surround the wings on their backs. Beetles
usually work best at ground level eradicating most types of snails, slugs,
cutworms and other insect pests. They are usually found in soil or hiding
under debris like rocks and wood.
Braconid
Wasps
Braconid wasps are from the hymenopterous family of insects. Their eggs
actually act as a parasite on unwanted pests like aphids, scale, cutworms
and other kinds of larvae. In most instances this occurs shortly after
the wasp has injected several of the pests with its own eggs. Injected
cutworms will eventually develop several microscopic cocoon-like pods
on their back and sides. The braconid wasp larvae sucks the insect dry
as it develops inside these cocoons.
Bugs
Certain types of what gardeners refer to as 'true' bugs will curb unwanted
pests. 'True' bugs will actually suck all the bodily fluids out of their
victims. The assassin bug (red underside), big-eyed bugs (has big eyes),
pirate bugs (checkered black and white or gray and brown) and damsel bugs
(long and large front legs and are gray, brown or tan in color) are the
most common true bugs you will find although there are many more. Pirate
bugs are especially effective against spider mites and thrips. Bugs are
usually more than half and inch in size and will move relatively quickly
around your plant.
Earthworms
It is worth mentioning earthworms here even though they are not pest predators.
Earthworms help to aerate your soil along with depositing nitrogen, calcium,
phosphorus and potassium in the soil. One organic type of feeding product
is called 'Worm Casting' and is mostly made from earthworm waste material.
If you farm earthworms you can create your very own organic fertilizer.
Lacewings
Lacewings will eat aphids and spider mites. They are usually green with
large semi-transparent wings that extend well past the length of their
bodies. The have two long and thin protruding antenna from their heads,
grow to about 2.5 cm and can be approached and handled without much difficulty.
Ladybird Beetles
Ladybirds or 'ladybugs' are amazing predator pests because they eat a
lot of other insects that are damaging to cannabis. They eat aphids, mealy
bugs, scales and spider mites. Ladybirds must eat aphids and other insects
in order to lay eggs. The more they eat, the more eggs they lay. As a
result, the amount of new ladybirds born is directly proportionate to
the amount of pests they consume. One female ladybird can consume up to
4,000 aphids in a lifetime and lay 2,000 eggs as a result of this. Ladybirds
are the cannabis grower's pest predator of choice.
Spiders
Unfortunately a common garden-variety spider is not enough to prevent
a pest attack from occurring in your crop. You need them in large numbers
to prevent any damage and even then spiders are very slow in their work.
They also tend to spin webs in places where you do not want them and are
not very controllable — however one type of spider that flies is
of enormous benefit to your grow and is easy to control. That spider is
the common *daddy long legs' and will consume nearly any insect in your
grow room. Because this spider flies, it is not restricted to building
webs in awkward places nor is it likely to cover your bud with spindle
fibers like other spiders do. Also, those with arachnophobia don't seem
to mind this type of spider as much because they are not very vicious
looking and are easy to spot.
RECOVERING FROM A PEST INVASION
Sometimes the pests win. No matter how much you might spray to control
or kill them, they keep coming back to your grow area. To solve this you
may have to create a clean room or simply find another patch, which means
a total and complete cull of your harvest — you don't want to re-introduce
any pests or diseases into your new crop.
If you are growing indoors, first set up another grow room of smaller
size, just enough to support some cuttings and clones. Take cuttings from
the plants you have and move the cuttings to that room. You'll use the
cuttings again eventually in your clean grow room if you want to continue
those strains. Next, take all the grow equipment excluding the electrical
equipment to the bathroom. Clean down all of the equipment with bleach.
Fill a tub with water and bleach and allow the grow equipment to rest
there for a day. Do not wash electrical equipment. Instead clean it down
with a cloth.
In the grow room, first start with the walls. Clean the walls down with
bleach if possible. You may have to paint them after. If you use Mylar
— replace it after. Do not reuse Mylar after a pest infestation
as some pests can find ways to attach themselves to it. Don't neglect
the corners and clean out any holes, extraction holes, fittings, pipes,
etc. Then clean around the rim of the room. If your floor can be lifted
up then you can also do this to get at the corners a bit better.
After this cleaning has been done you can consider smoking the room. Various
pest-killing smoke bombs can be bought in most grow stores. Follow the
instructions carefully and smoke bomb the room. This will guarantee the
demise of any bugs, eggs or larvae, but remember eggs can remain safe
from these sprays. That is why the labels recommend a reapplication 7
to 10 days after the initial treatment. Once this is completed, clean
the room as you did the first time. Repeat the process if needed. The
more you clean it, the better it will be.
Now you should have a clean room, free of pests. Electrical items should
be dusted before returning them to the grow room. Dry your other grow
equipment, which was bleached, and return this to the grow room as well.
Next, your cuttings need to be checked for bugs. You will not move any
plants back into the grow room until you have taken cuttings from these
cuttings. Grow the cuttings out for a week or two and check them every
day for bugs. If you find any then you may have to use a pesticide on
the cuttings. When you're sure your cuttings are clean, take new cuttings
and place them in a growing medium. Take these to your grow room and watch
their progress, being wary of any signs of pests and bugs. If you've done
this correctly you should have eliminated all pests in your grow room.
Spider mites and other small pests can lay their eggs in cuttings and
can be missed when you look for pests, because they aren't as obvious.
The pesticides should have killed them but some pests, like powder bugs,
lay their eggs inside the stem and seem to always come back. If you can't
get rid of bugs like these then you may have to toss your plants away
and get new ones. For breeders this can be a difficult task. A long-term
project can be terminated by a few bugs wreaking havoc in the grow room.
Breeders should pay strict attention to maintaining a clean grow room
at all times. Remember: Never take anything that has been outside into
your grow room.
FUNGI
Fungi are types of bacteria, organisms and disease, which actually live
by extracting nutrients from the plant. Fungi include molds, mushrooms,
toadstools and rusts, and are usually made up of lichens, which lack chlorophyll
and grow as they obtain more nutrients from the plant. Mold is a type
of fungi that grows in high humidity. Most molds can be stopped by simply
allowing fresh air into the grow room. Fungi can be eradicated using fungicides.
Fungus Botrytis
This is the most common variety of fungus found on cannabis plants. It
is also called gray mold, gray blight or Botrytis blight. It begins its
life as a white powder-like growth, which eventually turns gray as it
spreads.
Fungus
Botrytis forms spores that dislodge and are spread to neighboring plants.
The spores can stay dormant for quite some time, so growers should treat
all the plants in the surrounding area for Fungus Botrytis. This is because
the fungus has a high tendency to stealth spread itself without notice
in spore format. Spores do not need living matter to stay alive.They can
lay dormant almost anywhere.
If you can solve a Fungus Botrytis problem quickly then you may prevent
spores from being produced and this is why growers need to keep a close
eye on their plants. Fungi are very hard to clean by hand. Rotted areas
must be clipped away instead.
Fungus Botrytis will grow wherever it comes in contact with plant nutrients.This
means that the fungus is more likely to be found developing on necrotic
plant tissue or other damaged areas of the plant where the nutrients are
more readily accessible. From here it spreads to other areas of the plant
causing its feeding patches to rot. Cut areas after pruning and cloning
are especially susceptible to Fungus Botrytis.
High humidity will cause fungi to spread more rapidly so lower humidity
levels if needed. In some cases, lowering the humidity is all that is
needed to prevent the fungi from spreading. Mold should also be treated
the same way. If lowering the humidity does not solve fungi or mold problems
then you need to apply a fungicide on the infected areas. Fungicides can
be used on the infected areas to remove the fungus — preventing
further plant rot. Spores tend to fall downwards so remove the top layer
of soil from your infected plant and throw this away. After harvest, a
previously infected grow area should be cleaned down to prevent further
fungi growth during your next crop.
Root Rot
Root rot is a waterborne disease that attacks the plant roots. There are
several varieties of root rot but all are treated the same way. Rot can
cause a crop to fail rapidly. The symptoms are almost like those of a
nutrient disorder, overwatering or underwatering. Wilting is a very common
symptom of root rot.
Poor water drainage promotes root rot. Water and soil that is not suitably
aerated (either by the growing method or by the soil's natural composition)
promote root rot. Dead roots from a previous crop can also cause root
rot. Root rot can easily be prevented by selecting suitable soil types
and aerating water if needed.
Root
rot prevents the plant from accessing water and nutrients by attaching
itself to the roots and smothering the plant of its requirements. Root
rot also causes pH to rise. In hydroponic systems the root tips may look
burnt although some feeding products can dye the plant roots as well.
In the advanced stages of root rot the roots appear to be covered in a
brown slime that looks like dead algae. Eventually the base of the plant
will rot away causing the plant to topple. Once a root is dead it remains
dead.The plant can grow new roots but not regenerate old ones. This causes
plant stress and the effect is very similar to transplant shock.
There are products on the market that can be used to eradicate root rot
and are usually referred to as Voot shields'. In its advanced stages root
rot is very hard to stop. In severe cases it cannot be and the plant needs
to be cloned to continue its line. In order to recover from root rot you
should increase aeration of the medium if possible while applying the
root rot fungicide. If you lower pH below 6.0 you should prevent the rot
from spreading. It is wiser to cull a number of plants then to allow the
rot to spread to other areas of the soil, especially outdoors.
Overwatering promotes root rot. Better drainage systems, keeping your
grow items clean and hydrogen peroxide will all help to prevent root rot.
Vitamin Bl (thiamine) will help promote root growth.
Powdery Mildew
Powdery mildew is a common fungus that can rapidly infect a crop. Like
Fungus
Botrytis and mold it can be prevented using good ventilation and low humidity
levels.
Powdery mildew starts its life, grows and produces spores much like Fungus
Botrytis, except that powdery mildew does not turn gray but stays a fluffy
white color. Powdery mildew is easier to wipe off than Fungus Botrytis
but tends to spread more quickly than Fungus Botrytis, causing the plant's
leaves to be covered in a white film. This inhibits photosynthesis and
leads to stunted growth. Powdery Mildew also rots bud.
Powdery mildew can be curbed using the same techniques used in the treatment
of Fungus Botrytis.
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