As well as keeping the soil moist and nutrient levels up, it’s also important to control pests and diseases in your cannabis grow. This will ensure your plants remain healthy and thriving so you can enjoy the harvest without too much stress.
Pest and disease control is essential for every cannabis grower. Luckily, there are many methods to keep your garden in check and most of these can be easily done at home.
1. Keep the Soil Moisture Levels Low
Keeping the soil moisture levels low in a cannabis grow is one of the best ways to prevent pests from getting a foothold in your crop. If the humidity is too high, it can lead to fungus and other diseases that affect the plants.
It can also reduce the ability of your plants to absorb water and nutrient minerals, which can lead to disease outbreaks. This is why a proper irrigation system is a must for your cannabis crops.
Scout your cannabis crops and monitor for signs of pest damage. This can be done using pheromone traps, yellow sticky cards and other tools.
If pests are spotted in the crop, it is essential to treat them right away. If you do not get the pests under control, they will spread quickly and can be very difficult to eradicate once they have infected your plant.
In order to avoid this, keep your grow room clean and tidy. Ensure that all equipment is disinfected properly before use.
Soil sterilization is an effective way to protect your cannabis plants from a number of different diseases and pests. This is because a lot of the pathogens that can infect cannabis plants can live within the soil.
Another important factor in preventing pests from taking hold of your crop is keeping the temperature and relative humidity of your grow room down. Using oscillating fans and increasing the air flow can help to lower your growing temperatures and reduce the RH.
Lastly, consider introducing beneficial insects into your cannabis garden to control pests and reduce their impact on your crop. These include ladybirds, nematodes and predatory mites. They are effective in controlling aphids, thrips and other pest insects.
2. Keep the Temperatures Down
Keeping the temperatures down in a cannabis grow is one of the most important things you can do to prevent pests and diseases. Temperature can have a huge impact on the growth patterns of your plants, as well as their overall health and production levels.
You should ensure your grow room temperature is at least 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit). This will help encourage the photosynthesis process, which is essential for a healthy harvest of quality marijuana.
The plant also needs light to perform this process, which is why you should ensure there is plenty of light in your grow area. Using supplemental lights is another great way to make sure that the plants are getting the proper amount of sunlight they need.
However, it’s a good idea to keep in mind that your grow room can get very hot when the lighting is on. If this happens, try raising the height of your lights so that they don’t put too much heat out into the air.
Your plants will naturally slow down their growth when the temperatures drop below a certain level. This is because it reduces the rate at which they absorb water and nutrients.
As well as this, cold temperatures deter natural photosynthesis by reducing the ability of the enzymes responsible to convert light into energy for growth. This will mean that your cannabis plants will grow at a much slower pace and will be less productive.
Additionally, low temperatures can cause mold and mildew to form on the leaves and buds of your cannabis plants, which can be very harmful for the final product you’ll be growing. Luckily, the best way to avoid this problem is to make sure that your grow room stays at a decent temperature and keeps out any extreme weather conditions.
3. Keep the Plants Clean
The environment in a cannabis grow room is often a hot bed for pests and diseases, so keeping the plants clean is essential to preventing problems from developing. Dirty soil, water runoff, weeds and fallen leaves in the grow area are all potential sources of pest infestations.
There are some pests that can cause serious damage to the plant and should be eliminated before they become an issue. One of the most common is powdery mildew, which can slow down the growth of the plants and shrivel them up.
Another common intruder is fungus gnats. These gnats are tiny, greyish black bugs with long legs that like to live in dark, moist environments.
They can be a real nuisance and can damage the entire leaf of the plant, reducing health and yield. Spraying the soil with neem oil and diatomaceous earth and regular inspections of the plant are recommended.
Other insects can also attack the plant. These include thrips, whiteflies and aphids.
These insects are similar to spider mites and can be hard to get rid of if they are not detected early enough. They tend to hang around the base of the plant, stealing nutrients and attacking the foliage from the top down.
It’s best to remove heavily infected leaves and to use a power sprayer while spraying to help get rid of the problem quickly. You can also apply an insecticide while spraying if you find the problem persists.
Insects can be a real pain in the grow, especially for small crops. You’ll need to regularly inspect the plants for pests, such as thrips and fungus gnats.
Integrated pest management (IPM) can be effective in controlling the problems that arise in your grow. The most important things to remember are to keep the grow room clean, monitor the soil moisture levels and temperature and ensure that the plants are fed properly.
4. Keep the Insects Out
There are several pests and diseases that can harm your cannabis grow, including fungi, insects, and bacteria. Identifying and controlling them effectively is crucial to the success of your crop.
Indoors, prevent pest infestations by completely sealing your grow room and utilizing caulk or spray foam to seal in any cracks and gaps. Additionally, keep your grow room well ventilated and use air filters or exhaust fans to control humidity levels in the area.
Outdoors, avoid overgrowth of vegetation that may provide a favorable environment for insect pests. Remove overgrown plants, reduce standing water, and control the growth of any weeds that may harbor pests.
Aphids are a common problem for both indoor and outdoor growers. They feed on the juices inside plant tissue and can be difficult to eliminate. They can be spotted by their shiny, oval-shaped bodies and they are typically found on the undersides of stems and leaves.
Mites are another potential pest to be concerned about. They can be especially damaging if they infest your soil or compost that is made of wood chips. They tend to prefer warm, dry climates. Using a foliar spray of diatomaceous earth on plants will help control the infestation.
Fungus gnats are another pest that can be problematic in a marijuana grow. They are known to emerge from the soil once they have hatched from their eggs and can cause serious damage to your roots.
Preventing a fungus gnat infestation is easy, just mist your plants with cool water and rinse them afterward to dislodge the pests. Keeping your grow room clean will also help to reduce the number of fungus gnats that are able to enter your crop.
5. Keep the Area Clean
There are a number of pests and diseases that can pose a serious threat to your plants. This is why it is crucial to keep your grow room clean, so that you can prevent these problems before they start.
A dirty space is usually an inviting place for a variety of unwanted guests. In turn, these guests may cause damage to your plants and make them less likely to produce a good harvest.
One of the best ways to keep your cannabis grow area clean is to use a HEPA vacuum cleaner and disinfectant solution. Using these tools will help to kill all the bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants in your grow area.
Another important part of keeping your grow area clean is to thoroughly disinfect the walls and ceiling. Disinfectants will remove any traces of pests that have been in the room during the previous growing cycle, and will also help to prevent future issues.
Once your grow area is sanitized, you should also check the floors for any spilled soil or water. A dirty floor can lead to a number of problems, including mildew and mold, which are harmful to your crops.
You should also make sure to get rid of any trash that may be in your grow space. This will help to avoid the creation of an environment that is appealing to unwanted guests, as well as protect you from a potential fire in your grow room.
If you have any concerns about your grow, you should contact a licensed pest control professional to assist you with any issues you are facing. A pest control professional will be able to offer the best solutions for your specific situation, and they will also be able to advise you on the most effective way to keep your cannabis crop safe.
