Yo GC. Back, as promised. POWDERY MILDEW Is a common fungus that can rapidly infect a grow. It can be prevented by using good ventilation and low humidity levels. Powdery Mildew starts its life, grows, and produces spores. It is a fluffy-white colour. Powdery Mildew can be wiped off leaves, but tends to spread very quickly, causing the plants leaves to be covered in a white film. This inhibits photosynthesis and leads to stunted growth. This mildew also rots budz . Bud rot is not the proper term. The term is "Powdery Mildew", but ya, bud rot for short. High humidity will cause fungi to spread more rapidly, so lower humidity levels if needed. In some cases, lowering 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 u 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(s) and throw it away. After harvest, a previously infected grow area should be cleaned down to prevent further fungi growth during your next crop. REMEMBER ??? Next up: FUNGUS BOTRYTIS (Grey mold, Grey blight or Botrytis blight). Hope this helps Good growin y'all Freakbro1
Hi GC. Yo, check this out my dawgy dawgz... I wuz plannin on tutoring about Fungus Botrytis (grey mold) today, but I have changed my mind. This morning when I tiptoed downstairs to the grow room, I almost had a full-blown myocardial infarction. My current pride and joy, a Dutch Treat Haze, in its 5th week of flower yelled at me and showed me that she has root rot in its early stages. Damn it, I am so fuckin pissed I could hardly work today. I wuz even gonna tell my staff that Im takin the day off. I feel like I should be on anti depressants. Shit. Heres the thing...in my 30 years of growin, indoors and out, I have NEVER experienced a blight of Root Rot. So, today, we are all going to learn about RR at the same time. Up until now, all info I have passed onto u has been from my brain. I had to go and hit the books for this one. I am ignorant about RR, and if U R 2, lets all suck this info up. ROOT ROT (Pythium) 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. RR can cause a grow to fail rapidly. The symptoms are almost like a nute disorder, overwatering or underwatering. Wilting is a very common symptom of RR. Poor water drainage promotes RR. Water and soil that is not well aerated (either by your growing method or by the soils natural composition) promote RR. Dead roots from a previous crop can also cause RR. RR can be easily prevented by selecting suitable soil types and aerating water if needed. RR prevents the plant from accessing water and nutes by attaching itself to the roots and smothering the plant of its requirements. RR also causes Ph to rise. In Hydro systems, the root tips may look burnt although some feeding products can dye the roots as well. In the advanced stages of RR, the roots appear to be covered in a brown slime that looks like dead algae. Eventually, the base of the plant will rot away and the plant will topple over. Once a root is dead, it stays dead. The plant can grow new roots but cant 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 RR and are usually referred to as "Root Shields". In its advanced stages, RR is very hard to stop. In severe cases, it cant be, and the plant needs to be cloned if u want to continue its line. In order to recover from RR, u should increase aeration of the medium if possible, while applying your RR Fungicide. If u lower Ph below 6.0, u should prevent rot from spreading. It is wiser to chop a number of plants than to allow the rot to spread to other areas of the soil, especially outdoors. Overwatering promotes RR. Better drainage systems, keeping your grow items clean, and Hydrogen Peroxide (H202) will all help to prevent RR. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) will also help promote root growth. I will be quite busy tonite, doing battle. Its Friday nite again and I hope u all will be safe and responsible. I will talk to y'all tomorow. Hope this helps (me too) Good growin y'all Freakbro1
Hi GC. FUNGUS BOTRYTIS (FB for short) This is the most common variety of fungus found on weed plants. Its also called Grey mold, Grey blight or Botrytis blight. It begins its life cycle as a white powder-like growth, which eventually turns grey as it spreads. FB forms spores that dislodge and are spread to neighbouring plants. The spores can stay dormant for quite some time, so growers should treat all plants in the grow area for FB. 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 just about anywhere. If u can solve a FB problem quickly then u 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 hand-clean. Rotted areas must be clipped away instead. FB 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 parts 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 FB. Keep your humidity levels low and u will keep it away. FB can be treated in the same manner as Powdery Mildew. Hope this helps Good growin y'all Freakbro1
Hey GC. A typical Monday. Hope yours was more interesting than mine. I think Ive covered most of the major pests, pest predators and fungi, that we, as growers are going to experience at some time or other. If there is any thing u think I may have missed, or didnt go into deep enough, or explain properly, please feel free to let me know. I will do my best to furnish u with a decent answer. I am going to leave y'all with one last chapter. Its a "Problem Solver" guide, that will lead u thru 10 steps to ensure u save your grows, if threatened, by a variety of things. It aint gonna last 10 pages - I promise !!! I know this has all been done before, but this time its MY WAY. Stay tuned... Freakbro1
We have been lucky to not have any pest issues but I look forward to your Problem Solving guide to come. I was going to post up Old Blue Eyes singing My Way but it was a bit more of a downer song then I remembers so reframed.
Sorry, real world work has kept me assholes and elbows deep lately and now about to be out of town for a few days so trying to make some rounds today on GC before I leave. I feel like a bad journal groupie.
SOLVIN GROWIN PROBLEMS PROBLEM SOLVER GUIDE - Got a prob wit ya grow and u want to know how to sort it out ASAP ??? here ya go... CHEMICAL BURNS (CBs for short) Plants suffer from CBs due to overfeeding. A plant with CBs can be likened to a half-smoked joint. At the tip of the joint, u have a shrivelled, grey ash. In the middle u see the burn creeping towards new ZigZag White* paper, leaving a burn pattern behind it. At the end, there is the part u have not smoked yet. A plant CB looks similar, and the leaf will tend to curl down and inwards into a claw shape at the tips. *(I could not live a day without my ZigZag Whites). A weed plant has a Vascular System that takes in water and food and distributes these elements to the bottom Fan Leaves first, then upwards to the rest of the plant. Remember earlier, I tutored u on the terms "Phloem" and "Translocation" ??? Well, those 2 terms play the major roles in the Vascular System. Easy hey ??? Most pests stick their little suckers directly into the Phloem, tapping directly into that weed juice on its way up the plant. U will notice that the damage from CBs also starts on the tips of the Fan Leaves, then moves slowly towards the centre of the plant, leaving behind crispy shit that flakes away between your fingers. Thats a CB. The main cause of a CB is overfeeding that occurs if u use soil that contains high ratios of nutes, if u use strong feeding mixtures or u feed too often. I have been involved in many debates about Miracle Grow soils on this site - the pros and cons, u know. I believe the bottom line is this: Miracle Grow soils are not bad. It has time-release ferts in it, which is convenient. The problem is this: some growers do not pay attention to this fact and carry on with their arsenals of this and that and nutes and whatever !!! Damn right youre gonna get Chemical Burns. U should keep it as simple as simple gets when u grow weed, without denying the plant of its needs. Thats how nature does it. So, could everyone please stop all the raggin about Miracle Grow ??? Im not alone when I say that Im sure !!! Im gettin nuteburn from it. Its a dead issue. U just need to know how to fart around with nutes, thats all. Im a FF user btw. If u cant find a solution to what appears to be a Chemical Burn, then check your mediums Ph level. Ph probs can sometimes resemble CBs or even nute defs. Whew... Reefa time, mon !!! Hope this helps Good growin y'all Freakbro1
On another side-note here. This is aimed at all my American friends out there. Please know that even though I dont live in your great country, Florida/Louisiana, in particular, I feel devastated, just as u probably do, about the Ecological Catastrophe that is unfolding in front of our eyes. We really are helpless y'all, and thats what really bites the big one. British Petroleum (BP) can never repay or make good on the shit they have caused. I truly get teary-eyed when I think of all the wildlife it is going to affect. Peoples livelyhoods, GOD...please help.
Had gnats and used Safer soap 3 way but they came back. Next I covered the soil with a 1/2 inch of sand. This worked for a while but then I noticed them going in and out the drain holes in the pots. I covered the bottom of the pots with those nylon socks your grandma wears. No gnats since then.
NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES A nute def looks like cell-collapse (the natural appearance of the firm leaf loses some or all of its stiffness), usually along with some form of discoloration and/or wilting. The affected part may wither and die, but it should not look like a Chemical Burn. That is the major difference between a CB and a nute problem. In time, u will be able to easily tell the difference yourself. If u suspect a nute def, b sure to solve the Ph problem before u attempt anything else. Optimal Ph range for the majority of weed strains is 6.3 - 6.8. Check the Ph with a "good" tester. Remember, u get what u pay for. Dont skimp on this important tool. Check soil Ph at runoff. Next up...10 STEPS TO SAVING YOUR GROW. Hope this helps Good growin y'all Freakbro1
Hey GC. One sleep until the weekend !!! Actually, I started mine about 10 minutes ago. My Jack n Coke is right beside me. Hear the fizzzzzzzzzz...lol. I dont drink much since I discovered weed about 32 years ago. It fulfills all my needs and Im able to act like a good guy. I mind my own fucking business and dont get into fights or get into my truck and run some poor soul over. Yet, the man, in all his wisdom, wants to throw me in jail. Fight the good fight, y'all... STEP #1 Examine your plant, looking first, for the presence of insects or disease. When u have completed this search, eliminate any pests or disease using my advice back in the Pests and Diseases section of this tutorial. Also, note the type of attack to make sure that your bug problem isnt really a nute problem. The 2 can be confused. Are there any black dots on the plant, which would indicate bugz ??? Do your leaves look dry, discoloured and limp as if something has been sucking fluid from them ??? It could be a nute disorder, but, now y'all know that pest attack can do this as well. Nute problems damage the plant on a more consistent level than pest attacks, meaning that the damaged areas are not as sporadic as a pest attack. Nute disorders tend to be more linear - either affecting the bottom leaves, moving upwards, or the top, moving downwards. The disorder should be somewhat regular, unless the pest attack has managed to occur over the entire plant. This is why its important for u, the grower, to check on your plants regularly so u can identify problems sooner, rather than later. This is essential to do cuz a problem left untreated is a problem that becomes increasingly more difficult to identify. In short, pest damage is sporadic, random and often concentrated on a single area of the plant before moving onto another. Nute disorders are more regular and affect the plant in a linear movement, running either from bottom to top or top to bottom. Capiche ??? Good. Hope this helps Good growin y'all Freakbro1
Howdy GC. Yo check it out... STEP #2 If your plant is in the Vegetative growth stage and the leaves are turning yellow at the base and its moving slowly up the plant, without upwards leaf curl, then u need to get some more Nitrogen (N) in there. If your plant is in the Flowering stage and shows signs of stunted or slow growth, yellow leaves, and it looks like its dying, then u also need more N. Nitrogen probs also cause the stems to get soft and the leaves become a pale green colour. Usually, N probs occur with older leaf growth first. Severe N probs result in stunted growth and eventually plant death. If your plant is in the Flowering stage and looks red or dark green/yellow, then u need to give it more Phosphorus (P). P deficiencies also result in stunted root growth. Stems can become either very rigid or very weak - depending on your strain(s). If these measures dont help...go to STEP#3. STEP #3 If your plants leaves are curling up, twisting and turning yellow, then check to see if your lights are burning them, or, if your grow space has enough air circulation. This is usually the sign of Heat Stress. If this is not the cause of the problem, then u need to consider feeding some Magnesium (Mg) to your medium. Epsom Salts are good for this. Prepare a mixture of 1/4 to 1/3 Tablespoon of Epsom Salts to 3 gals of water, and water the plant with this mixture. Mg probs generally start with old leaves first, and show signs of yellowing between veins of the leaf, moving outwards. The leaves really curl upward. There used to be an Oldskool saying, that me and my other Freaky friends would use when this problem occured. It was called "Praying for Magnesium", becuz the leaves mimic a set of Praying Hands. Has anyone else heard this saying ??? Necrosis is the end result of Mg probs. Although a plant can still grow to full maturity with Mg def, it certainly ends up in below average results. If u still experience problems...go to STEP#4. STEP #4 If the tips of the leaves turn brown and curl, then u have a Potassium (K) problem. Solve it by adding more special (K) to your plant !!! K probs also result in red/purple stems, although this could be a genetic trait of the strain. It could also be the cause of a cold growing environment. K probs usually affect new growth first, before moving on to the older leaves. A K deficiency will also eventually affect the stems, causing them to become either soft or brittle, depending once again, on the strain. In severe cases, the plant will eventually die. If this does not solve your problem...move on to STEP#5. I think Im gettin Carpal Tunnel Syndrome here. I have to be able to roll, man. Step #5 will be up shortly. Hope this helps Good growin y'all Freakbro1 Pics from L to R: Ndef, Pdef, Pdef diagram, Mgdef and Kdef.
Good Saturday afternoon GC. Hope y'all had a good Friday nite, and returned home safely. Freaks top 5 reasons that u had a good Friday nite: #1. U got good n high. #2. U got laid. #3 Your timers all functioned properly. #4. Most of your plants are still intact. #5 U have some munchies left over for tonite. Im really gonna miss doin this, y'all... STEP 5 Does your plant look wilted ? Are the leaves drooping or curling down ? This could be a Root Rot problem, which sometimes can cause nute-like deficiencies to appear on the plant. For info on how to solve RR probs, go back to my section on RR, earlier in this tutorial. (Im sorry this is kinda backwards right now - I'll fix this when this thread is done). If this doesnt work, check your soil. If your soil is very damp or very dry, then adjust your watering immediately. If this doesnt solve the problem...go to STEP#6. STEP #6 If the veins are green, but the leaves are yellow, this indicates an Iron (Fe) problem. Iron probs usually occur at new growth regions, which eventually turn necrotic and die. Add more Fe to solve this problem. Please dont use nails. Although Iron is not essential to plant growth, u will certainly end up with less than average results, if it is lacking. Fe probs do not tend to cause leaf curl at the start, but as the necrosis spreads, the leaves may curl. If this doesnt solve the problem...STEP#7. STEP #7 If the leaves are yellowing at the veins, but the tips are fine and are not curling or twisting, you have a Manganese (Mn) problem. Add more Mn to your plant. If the problem persists, necrosis will set in and the leaves may curl. Plants dont need Manganese to grow to full maturity, but a lack of Mn will result in less than average results, once again. Move on to STEP#8...if your problem still persists. I'll post it shortly. Pics from L to R: FeDef, MnDef. Hope this helps Good growin y'all Freakbro1
Hey GC, wuzzup ??? Sorry Im kinda late with this. I had to play hero today and work 14 hours. I think Im gonna fire his ass tomorrow, IF he shows up for his shift. Im a very humble guy, I think u can tell by my writings...but...if necessary, I can be the the biggest asshole in the world. Tomorrow, Im Donald freakin Trump, man - Youre fired !!! STEP #8 If u still have not solved your problem, then add a secondary and micronutrient formula to your soil. This should help solve problems like Ca, S, Cu, B, Zn and Mo deficiencies which are hard to detect and their respective symptoms are often different from strain to strain. By mixing a secondary and micronutrient formula, u should be able to solve these probs. If this still has not solved the prob...STEP#9. STEP #9 Still havent solved it ??? Then flush the soil and find another type of plant food that has all these: N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S. Get some Epsom Salts and a small can of micronutes, such as Boron, Chlorine, Manganese, Copper, Zinc and Molybdenum. If u dont wanna flush the soil or transplant to another growing environment...STEP#10. STEP #10 Your plant may be experiencing Nutrient Lockout. There are a # of factors that can cause this problem. If u followed Step#9 properly, then u shouldnt have this problem, but, I'll explain it anyways. Lockout occurs when the plant cant access a nute or a group of nutes. This could be caused by the absence of nutes (a deficiency), or by a chemical reaction in the medium/solution, which either causes a toxic substance to block the roots, or, by a chemical reaction to take place, creating a new substance that changes the chemical properties of the other nutes. As u can see, this is very broad subject matter. Ph probs can cause lockout. The wrong soil type can also cause nute lockout. Under the right conditions, even water, yes water can lockout nutes !!! But, these lockouts occur rarely, and more than likely, something other than what the weed needs has been added to the solution to cause this reaction. When in doubt, transplant into fresh soil or Hydro solution. Certain feeding products might contain active ingredients that dont work worth shit on weed. Lockout can only be solved by flushing or transplanting. With Hydro, u will have to change your nutes. Out of date liquid feeding products can precipitate, causing lockout. Salt is another compound that can cause nute lockout. Follow Step#9 to solve these probs. Your plant may be root bound. It may simply have outgrown its pot. When the entire root mass has grown to capacity, this can cause the plant stress and a variety of other probs that may resemble a nute problem. The only cure is to transplant to a bigger pot. Ive noticed here at GC that growers are all to quick to diagnose a problem (or any problem, for that matter) as "lockout". I even see experienced growers handing noobs this line. It is not a generic term and should not be used so readily to diagnose a problem. By always using the nute lockout cop-out, u are possibly robbing yourself and others of a pleasant growing experience, by making lots of extra, and unnecessary work. Do some research. Use this tutorial. Theres others too, just as informative as this. Freak
THERES NO CURE FOR BAD GENETICS... When all else fails, u may have to face the fact that u are dealing with a "bad seed". There is alot of garbage on the market. Problems associated with bad genetics include: mutations, warping, flowering probs and poor germination rates that will often cause nutrient symptoms to appear even though a nute prob doesnt exist. Really, the only viable solution is to obtain new genetics - preferably from a different breeder. Make sure that u let the originator of the seeds know about your problem. Seed banks will sometimes pull a line from the market because of consistent problems like germination rates or weak, unpredictable genetics. The only way these companies will find out about these problems is by getting feedback from us, the clients. I have rattled the cage, many times in the past of a local, well advertised seed bank that has actually listened to me. Can u guess which one ??? We all strive to produce the best product we can. We have to be able to start with a good, reliable product in the first place. Its importance is tantamount. Freak
Great work Freakbro!! I know where I'll be coming FIRST in future if I have any problems. So hopefully I'll never be here again .I noticed you didn't cover grasshoppers, which might come in handy over here because we're supposed to have to biggest locust plague this spring in 40 years!! Still, if worst comes to worst, I am prepared to collect and eat the damn things. You hear that varmints? On a serious note, would mint or some other plant deter them? Or at least make them taste better?
As requested. I really tried to be as gentle as I could with this man... GRASSHOPPERS Family: Acrididae These guyz are generally harmless to weed unless they are found in large numbers. Grasshoppers have legs designed to jump very long distances and the males make high pitched clicking sounds when they jump. There is a particular species of grasshopper often called "Locust", that form in large migratory swarms and are highly destructive to almost all vegetation. Locust attacks are so severe that they can strip a plant to stems and branches within a cupple a hours. During a locust attack, u can only take cuttings from your weed and continue it someplace else. Locusts will even eat pesticide-laden plants when travelling in large numbers, so, pesticides are rarely effective against these types of attacks. Grasshoppers should be treated as tourists - in small numbers. They stay around only for a short period of time and then move on. Grasshoppers are best hand-picked from your weed if u wish to control them. I had this already prepared and ready to go, but decided against it, since it is not that common. But, it is for you. I wish u luck. May I suggest some: Full Metal Jacket Mosquito Netting ???