Emmie's Perpetual Vegetative Grow Rooms - 2020-2021
- Thread starter Emilya Green
- Start date
Emilya,
Is there anything in particular that you attribute to being the cause of your infestation?
The reason I ask is that I am absolutely sure that your watering practices are spot on and yet you had this problem.
I recommended the same nutes that you are using to a friend and they also were overrun with fungus gnats, I'm wondering if there is something in these nutes that could be the cause of the explosion in the numbers of gnats.
Opinion?
Is there anything in particular that you attribute to being the cause of your infestation?
The reason I ask is that I am absolutely sure that your watering practices are spot on and yet you had this problem.
I recommended the same nutes that you are using to a friend and they also were overrun with fungus gnats, I'm wondering if there is something in these nutes that could be the cause of the explosion in the numbers of gnats.
Opinion?
- Thread starter
- #423
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Some of our richest soils are not only desired by us as growers, but bugs like them too. Any soil that has been sitting in a warehouse for a while, or worse, outdoors on a display rack, or that has traveled to its sales point in a dirty semi-trailer, is likely to have bugs, especially a rich organic soil. I have seen it said about Fox Farms Soils that they were known to have bugs in them, especially Ocean Forest, but we can't blame Fox Farms for this if we don't know also how the bags got from there to you and how they were stored.
I don't believe that my nutes had anything to do with causing this infestation. My watering practices actually killed off the last of the bugs in my mother plants who didn't get as much treatment for the disorder as the rest of the plants did... I wiped out the last of the larvae by coming very close to killing my plants by sending them into an extended drought and it was sad how droopy they got and how many leaves were lost... but they survived the ordeal and the bugs didn't.
The fault for the infestation was clearly mine. I saw a few fungus gnats as I was building the first containers out of the new bags of FFOF and FFHF, and in my haste and along with my oversized ego, I ignored the signs of disaster thinking that there was no way those bugs could defeat me... lol, famous last thoughts.
I broke my own rule that I set over a decade ago, and never had an infestation like this before now, because I knew that I needed to sterilize ANY soil that came into my garden from an outside source. Admittedly, I broke that rule a couple of times over the years, but it never bit me until now... not this badly anyway, and I got lax in my precautions and overlooked my rule. Trust me, for a good long time I will be using mosquito bits in my garden and every container I build from here on out will be with soil that has been sterilized at 225°F for 20 or 30 minutes, just to be sure.
I don't believe that my nutes had anything to do with causing this infestation. My watering practices actually killed off the last of the bugs in my mother plants who didn't get as much treatment for the disorder as the rest of the plants did... I wiped out the last of the larvae by coming very close to killing my plants by sending them into an extended drought and it was sad how droopy they got and how many leaves were lost... but they survived the ordeal and the bugs didn't.
The fault for the infestation was clearly mine. I saw a few fungus gnats as I was building the first containers out of the new bags of FFOF and FFHF, and in my haste and along with my oversized ego, I ignored the signs of disaster thinking that there was no way those bugs could defeat me... lol, famous last thoughts.
I broke my own rule that I set over a decade ago, and never had an infestation like this before now, because I knew that I needed to sterilize ANY soil that came into my garden from an outside source. Admittedly, I broke that rule a couple of times over the years, but it never bit me until now... not this badly anyway, and I got lax in my precautions and overlooked my rule. Trust me, for a good long time I will be using mosquito bits in my garden and every container I build from here on out will be with soil that has been sterilized at 225°F for 20 or 30 minutes, just to be sure.
Plant Dad
Well-Known Member
Doesn't cooking soil like that kill all microbes?
NoMorePharma
420 Member
Just curious; instead of using the mosquito bits could diatomaceous earth food grade sprinkled on the soil do the same thing? Thanks
- Thread starter
- #426
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
yes, of course. Microbes and fungi are easily added back though, and some of them replicate every 20 minutes or so. This is not an issue.
- Thread starter
- #427
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Hi @NoMorePharma and welcome to the forum!
No, diatomaceous earth is good for soil crawling type bugs, but not real effective on this particular pest. I have completed a 3 front attack on the bugs... the mosquito bits put out a chemical that kills the eggs I think, and effectively kills the lifecycle at that stage. The nematodes eat the larvae, and the yellow sticky cards trap the flyers along with frequent sprays of SNS 203.
- Thread starter
- #428
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Today I want to do a special cup of soil build and document it here. I have 4 inputs, sterilized soil, @DYNOMYCO, @GeoFlora Nutrients VEG and mosquito bits. The special problem is that these are clones out of the cloner with roots needing to find active soil to grow into.
I start by filling the bottom third of the beer cup with soil and topping that layer with 1/2 tablespoon of Dynomyco and one shake of mosquito bits.
More soil goes in to fill the cup to the 1/2 point, and again I put in a 1/2 tablespoon of Dynomyco and a shake of mosquito bits.
Then, in a separate cup, I prepare a half a cup of special soil mix to fill in around the cutting and its roots. In that half beer cup I put 1 full tablespoon of Geoflora Veg, 1 tablespoon of Dynomyco and 3 good shakes of mosquito bits.
By putting my hand over the top of the cup to seal it in there, I then shake the mix up so that everything is evenly distributed.
Then, with one hand holding the cutting in place, my other hand can fill the beer cup with this energized soil mix around the roots and lightly pack it in so the plant can stand. This little trick allows you to put fertilizer, microbes and fungi in and around the soil surround the new roots out of the cloner, providing an immediate growth spurt and acclimation to the soil.
The last step is to slowly water to saturate that soil as best you can (it becomes a little hydrophobic) and then sit back and watch the clone explode into action. My careful labeling and documentation tells me that I have now planted clones of Durban #2 and #3... with the others remaining in the cloner still trying to produce enough rootage to justify planting.
I start by filling the bottom third of the beer cup with soil and topping that layer with 1/2 tablespoon of Dynomyco and one shake of mosquito bits.
More soil goes in to fill the cup to the 1/2 point, and again I put in a 1/2 tablespoon of Dynomyco and a shake of mosquito bits.
Then, in a separate cup, I prepare a half a cup of special soil mix to fill in around the cutting and its roots. In that half beer cup I put 1 full tablespoon of Geoflora Veg, 1 tablespoon of Dynomyco and 3 good shakes of mosquito bits.
By putting my hand over the top of the cup to seal it in there, I then shake the mix up so that everything is evenly distributed.
Then, with one hand holding the cutting in place, my other hand can fill the beer cup with this energized soil mix around the roots and lightly pack it in so the plant can stand. This little trick allows you to put fertilizer, microbes and fungi in and around the soil surround the new roots out of the cloner, providing an immediate growth spurt and acclimation to the soil.
The last step is to slowly water to saturate that soil as best you can (it becomes a little hydrophobic) and then sit back and watch the clone explode into action. My careful labeling and documentation tells me that I have now planted clones of Durban #2 and #3... with the others remaining in the cloner still trying to produce enough rootage to justify planting.
- Thread starter
- #429
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
One more thing that I want to mention here, and a point that I don't think has made it to my watering thread and that I have only causally mentioned in some of my journals over the years.
I just transplanted my survivor plants that could drain their beer cups, to 1 gallon containers. Upon transplanting I always water properly to runoff, merging the various soil regions into a single large rhizosphere.
There is no way in this first 3 days that these plants would have been able to expand out and drain these new containers, and it certainly is not time to water again to runoff. I do however want to entice the roots to grow laterally, out toward the sides to fill out these containers, so I used a special watering technique a couple of hours ago.
Knowing that roots chase water, it is very desirable at this exact point, to give these containers a light watering, just around the edges. Just a little will do it, all around the outside edge of the container, making that region the WETTEST place in the container. This will cause a massive root movement toward those edges and of course when the roots hit those edges of the cloth smart pots, they are air pruned, creating a branching point where now there are two root ends where there once was just one. Simply by being more intelligent than the roots and watering where you want them to go, you can easily cause the plant to become greater than it would have on its own. You are the gardener. Garden like a Boss!
In these shots, see if you can tell where the wettest regions are and where the roots are heading to next:
I just transplanted my survivor plants that could drain their beer cups, to 1 gallon containers. Upon transplanting I always water properly to runoff, merging the various soil regions into a single large rhizosphere.
There is no way in this first 3 days that these plants would have been able to expand out and drain these new containers, and it certainly is not time to water again to runoff. I do however want to entice the roots to grow laterally, out toward the sides to fill out these containers, so I used a special watering technique a couple of hours ago.
Knowing that roots chase water, it is very desirable at this exact point, to give these containers a light watering, just around the edges. Just a little will do it, all around the outside edge of the container, making that region the WETTEST place in the container. This will cause a massive root movement toward those edges and of course when the roots hit those edges of the cloth smart pots, they are air pruned, creating a branching point where now there are two root ends where there once was just one. Simply by being more intelligent than the roots and watering where you want them to go, you can easily cause the plant to become greater than it would have on its own. You are the gardener. Garden like a Boss!
In these shots, see if you can tell where the wettest regions are and where the roots are heading to next:
- Thread starter
- #430
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
The veg rooms continue to improve as the plants get used to the idea of not having bugs all up inside and about them. The green is coming back to leaves that once looked like they were gone, and the plants are all doing what they need to suck any leftover stores out of the damaged leaves, and once completely drained they are being summarily discarded without any help from me... it is sort of remarkable really, to watch the plants prune and clean themselves up now that they know they are going to survive.
The Poison Daddies are now showing 2 tall ones and 3 short ones... so immediately I begin to think that I have spotted my males. These are already some very old plants relatively speaking, and they should be showing sex very soon.
The Poison Daddies are now showing 2 tall ones and 3 short ones... so immediately I begin to think that I have spotted my males. These are already some very old plants relatively speaking, and they should be showing sex very soon.
- Thread starter
- #432
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Poison Daddy Update!
Another shot so you can see the increasing green color change as the recovery progresses and growth begins to explode. The one gallon smart pots are doing their thing and I am watering around the edges, enticing the roots to fill in laterally. I am seeing a huge amount of lower node growth starting up, showing me that the web of roots underneath is also branching out well. I will top these plants soon to further increase that lower side growth, as soon as I think the recovering plants can handle it. The plants have established a wet / dry cycle of about 3 days right now, and I expect that to improve with every major watering. Still no sign of sex on the big ones that I suspect to be males, and I expect that as soon as the roots explode in that container demanding and uppot, so will the boys... as they tend to do.
I am incredibly impressed with how well these almost dead plants are recovering without adding any supplements or nutes, simply by using the organic grow cycle supplied by the @GeoFlora Nutrients. Seeing that happen also lets me know that the added Dynomyco is doing its job of producing the fungi that help bring nutrients to the roots, even as weak as they were after fighting off the gnat larvae. I have provided them with every possible advantage in their hopeful recovery and these are already showing that they are fighters, and super strong plants.
Another shot so you can see the increasing green color change as the recovery progresses and growth begins to explode. The one gallon smart pots are doing their thing and I am watering around the edges, enticing the roots to fill in laterally. I am seeing a huge amount of lower node growth starting up, showing me that the web of roots underneath is also branching out well. I will top these plants soon to further increase that lower side growth, as soon as I think the recovering plants can handle it. The plants have established a wet / dry cycle of about 3 days right now, and I expect that to improve with every major watering. Still no sign of sex on the big ones that I suspect to be males, and I expect that as soon as the roots explode in that container demanding and uppot, so will the boys... as they tend to do.
I am incredibly impressed with how well these almost dead plants are recovering without adding any supplements or nutes, simply by using the organic grow cycle supplied by the @GeoFlora Nutrients. Seeing that happen also lets me know that the added Dynomyco is doing its job of producing the fungi that help bring nutrients to the roots, even as weak as they were after fighting off the gnat larvae. I have provided them with every possible advantage in their hopeful recovery and these are already showing that they are fighters, and super strong plants.
CADBOY
Well-Known Member
Excellent recovery on the plants
PD looks like they will be tall ones.
PD looks like they will be tall ones.
- Thread starter
- #434
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
Highya Emmie,
Nice recovery on your babies. New growth is looking well! I think we all learned a valuable lesson. Happy Smokin'
Nice recovery on your babies. New growth is looking well! I think we all learned a valuable lesson. Happy Smokin'
- Thread starter
- #436
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
General Veg Room update:
The Poison Daddy's are beginning to show sex. Two clearly had pistils and were rewarded for the show by being topped and their mosquito bits updated with 2 more tsp. on the surface. The other three look like they are starting to show male parts, but just to be sure, they have been blue carded and not given any more special treatment. The one tall Hippy Hash plant has been yellow carded... I still can't tell one way or the other on that one. All of the plants in the 1g containers got watered around the outside edges.
The DSD and WC plants are doing well. There are no signs of stress or lack of roots. They also got another tsp. of mosquito bits. The three new clones are still limping along, but looking like they will make it.
The Poison Daddy's are beginning to show sex. Two clearly had pistils and were rewarded for the show by being topped and their mosquito bits updated with 2 more tsp. on the surface. The other three look like they are starting to show male parts, but just to be sure, they have been blue carded and not given any more special treatment. The one tall Hippy Hash plant has been yellow carded... I still can't tell one way or the other on that one. All of the plants in the 1g containers got watered around the outside edges.
The DSD and WC plants are doing well. There are no signs of stress or lack of roots. They also got another tsp. of mosquito bits. The three new clones are still limping along, but looking like they will make it.
- Thread starter
- #437
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
A quick tour around veg room #1 today...
First, we have 3 male poison daddy's literally heading out the door... the soil is going downstairs to be baked and the males will be terminated.
Here are the two early female Poison Daddy's, with the green color really coming back now thanks to the DynoMyco and the Geoflora VEG, as well as gnat elimination and proper watering. it has been a struggle, but we have won this last skirmish.
The Wedding Cake that was involved in the fiasco is now thriving and starting to throw out some good new growth... and look at that green! The old formerly dying one is in the back with the new seedling coming up fast in the front.
Here we have our Durban clones out of the cloner... 2 are definitely survivors.
Here are our Do-si-Dos, getting bigger by the day
First, we have 3 male poison daddy's literally heading out the door... the soil is going downstairs to be baked and the males will be terminated.
Here are the two early female Poison Daddy's, with the green color really coming back now thanks to the DynoMyco and the Geoflora VEG, as well as gnat elimination and proper watering. it has been a struggle, but we have won this last skirmish.
The Wedding Cake that was involved in the fiasco is now thriving and starting to throw out some good new growth... and look at that green! The old formerly dying one is in the back with the new seedling coming up fast in the front.
Here we have our Durban clones out of the cloner... 2 are definitely survivors.
Here are our Do-si-Dos, getting bigger by the day
Highya Emmie,
They look like they've been through the wrath of God! Thankfully, the new growth is coming in nicely! Are you having trouble with winter temps? You'll look back and think, "Hope I don't do that again"! They're very forgiving plants they'll bounce back with bells on, now that the problem is fixed! Happy Smokin'
They look like they've been through the wrath of God! Thankfully, the new growth is coming in nicely! Are you having trouble with winter temps? You'll look back and think, "Hope I don't do that again"! They're very forgiving plants they'll bounce back with bells on, now that the problem is fixed! Happy Smokin'
Thirvnrob
Well-Known Member
Males will be terminated...
I can’t help but remember the scene in the original Terminator near the end where Sarah C. said “ You’re terminated f***er!”
I can’t help but remember the scene in the original Terminator near the end where Sarah C. said “ You’re terminated f***er!”
- Thread starter
- #440
Emilya Green
Well-Known Member
That's funny. I was thinking of Sara Connor when I typed that!