Hey thanks for breaking down some of the bs that’s told. Ya I’ve got and EO diffuser I’m using to bump up humidity. So if the buds taste like rosemary, lavender, or peppermint I’ll let ya know. Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
IME, the VOC's from neem will off gas once the lights come on and mitigate any smells or tastes, It's one of the reasons we always promote spraying at lights out to get optimal effectiveness from any horticultural or essential oil we might spray. I've actually observed a lavender oil foliar "explode" some spider mite eggs under a microscope. @Pakalolo 's advice to mix it up is a good route if you have a variety of EO's, HO's and biologicals to choose from. YMMV
Speaking of IPM, I was just listening to this episode from KIS podcast with Suzanne Wainwright-Evans AKA "The bug lady". She's an expert consultant specializing in integrated pest management. Lots of good info! Cannabis Cultivation and Science Podcast Episode 15
I think this is more to do with not wanting to spray anything (not just neem) mid flower and forward for risk of bud mold or PM etc? Probably not so much of a problem in a properly controlled environment.
I'm at 3 weeks of 12/12 today and I just applied my second IPM spray of a 2:1 blend of Neem/Karanja oil added to a gallon of tepid water, 1/4 cup aloe vera juice, 1/2 tsp of AgSil liquid and a half cup of a Ritha soap nut extract for the saponins. The AV juice, Si and saponins all work as a surfactant but also play a role in insect and pathogen defense. The 2:1 Neem/Karanja blend has been shown to have more efficacy than either oil as a stand alone. Synergistic action of neem and karanj to aphids and mites. The actions of silica are well known here in strengthening plant cell tissue and saponins have been shown to play a role in insect and pathogen protection. Saponins as Insecticides: A Review Along with occasional top dressings of MBP watered in with Ritha, Si and AV juice that's the extent of my IPM. So far, no signs whatsoever of any pests.
Would you suggest 1/2 tsp rate for silica if I’m just doing just basic aloe/silica foliar separate from my neem foliar. And how often would you suggest to include silica in foliars? Sent from my iPhone using Grasscity Forum
I just completed my IPM last night using 3/4 TBSP Neem, 1/4 TBSP Karanja, 2 TSP Silicon (Dyna-Grow) and 1 TBSP Soap Nut Powder per gallon of water. I never thought of adding Aloe to the IPM. I am using 1/4 cup fresh aloe per gallon of water as a soil drench. I've used the bottled aloe juice in the past but there seems to be no comparison when using fresh aloe for saponin production.
I've also seen something similar with regards to southeast coast mites vs west coast mites. What I'm doing now is using my Ozone Generator to nuke my grow tent in between cycles, seems to be working pretty well keeping them at bay, in addition to regular IPM. From what I understand if you crank the Ozone up to really high levels and keep them elevated for say 8 hours, you are essentially going to kill anything that is living in that confined space. I just read that ozone will not kill eggs so it might be best to try a second application of Ozone in the future.
I didn't used to do a lot of foliar feeding, only IPM sprays. I stepped up my game a bit after reading a post by @Possuum a while back and decided to do some weekly foliars as he does. The foliars contain 1/2 tsp Si, 1/4 cup AV juice and a !/4-1/2 cup of saponins but no oils. I use the 1/2 tsp amount as it is described on Dyna Grow's Protekt label. I only use a 1/4 tsp in drenches as it can run up the pH of your soil. I've used fresh leaves and they're no doubt the best form of AV. Since I'm using soap nuts for saponins, I'm more interested in the other constituents in AV. I've just decided that the jugs are a little easier for my needs and have not been disappointed. I've posted this a few times before but for those that haven't seen it, it's a good screen grab to have bookmarked:
Luckily they’re gone. Now I won’t take in clones unless I can visit their garden. Even then I kept them quarantined for a month. I even treat seeds in hydrogen peroxide bath before planting. Don’t trust anything after experiencing spider mites twice and hearing horror stories from a friend.
shaking my head and lol'ing. shaZZam! folks this is how a west coast OG rolls with organic-water-only cannabis growing. all aces chunk!
I have not been foliar feeding this year, just been focusing on IPM's. I think I'll try your recipe tonight and add the kelp extract that's sitting unused to try and up my game a bit. Thanks for sharing the tips. This community is the best
I truly think we have one of the best and most comprehensive organic cannabis growing forums on the WWW and I'm not saying that just because I volunteer here. We're in our tenth year of GCO and a lot of the innovation in growing cannabis organically happened here. A lot of great growers have come and gone here and each left an indelible mark on this hobby of ours. I'm just glad that there are still a lot of the old guard here to help our new members along.
Thought I would share this here as it is local to me and WSU is affiliated with my Master Gardener group. Additionally, it is a fascinating story relating to an interesting member of the plant kingdom, The Corpse Flower. Titan VanCoug has been raised by Associate Professor of Molecular Biosciences Steve Sylvester. He planted a seed from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s titan arum plant, affectionately named Big Bucky, in 2002. He cultivated it in a pot on his desk until it grew too large to contain in such a small space. It has grown in a stairwell in WSU Vancouver’s Science and Engineering Building for some time. On June 1, Titan VanCoug’s first bloom started to appear. By July 1, Titan VanCoug had grown to 25.5 inches tall. It has grown about 2 inches per day leading up to its bloom. A late bloomer at 17, Titan VanCoug’s first bloom was most likely delayed because its corm (tuber) cloned itself. Corpse flowers put up only one leaf at a time. The pot that contains Titan VanCoug has had as many as four leaves showing at once. Sylvester has arranged to receive pollen from The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. He hopes to pollinate Titan VanCoug so that it will develop seeds he can share with other universities and conservatories. Frequently asked questions: https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/titan-v... Below is a live feed You Tube video that is documenting the flowering of this rare plant which is set to fully bloom in the next couple weeks.
us cannabis growers bitch and complain all the time about something. can you imagine having to wait 17 years for "flowering"? lol..... that's pretty kewl @Chunk
No sh*t! 17 years for a plant that smells like rotting carrion! It's a big deal on the local news around here.