NorthernCosmos' First Indoor Soil Auto Grow: 2019

[InTheShed]

Think Shed uses a heatmat for his seedlings during winter months.

I use one year round for clones, and I use a heat mat and a very close CFL for sprouts. I have a temp probe stuck into the side of one peat puck to make sure I stay close to 80ºF.

I wish the plants grew a bit more dramatically to make this journal less dull...

I feel the same way. My two little autos compared to my nine bigguns this summer...I feel like it's not even worth taking pics!

The Amnesia. She's also seems to have reached her preferred height

Looks very close in size to my Amnesia, but you're going to have much fatter colas than mine.

Diatomaceous Earth has been ordered to combat the monsters.

Problem with DE is it doesn't work when it's wet, so it needs to go on dry soil and stay dry. Every time you water you have to reapply when the soil is dry. It also only works on bugs that walk on it, so nothing living in the roots will be affected.

Since you're not growing organically, I would pour H2O2 through the soil. That kills most anything living in there.

Should I toss the compost

I agree with Emilya about the heat. Not sure about the microwave idea, but how much could you do at a time? I'd just spread it out on baking trays and cook it if you really want to use it.

 

[NorthernCosmos]

I use a heat mat

I have one of those heated germinator trays with a transparent lid. I've been using it for chilies. However, the temperature in the tent is high enough for germination I think, at 26C with the lights on. The Amnesia, White Widow and AK420 all did well there, and I just planted a BCN Critical Auto, so we'll see how that goes.

Since you're not growing organically, I would pour H2O2 through the soil. That kills most anything living in there.

The local pharamacy had a tiny spray bottle of 3% H2O2 at around $20 - it's for spraying directly on wounds (info here). It seemed too diluted, too little and too expensive to be worth it, but I've never shopped for hydrogen peroxide before so I don't really know. I'll see if I can source something that seems more reasonable. What kind of concentration would you recommend for pouring into the soil?

I agree with Emilya about the heat. Not sure about the microwave idea, but how much could you do at a time?

I have a pretty roomy microwave that isn't in use and can be used for dirty stuff. If I make sure the soil is not dry, it would make a superheated steaming hell for the bugs to perish in (sounds gruesome, I know... ) - I think that should work.

 

[InTheShed]

The local pharamacy had a tiny spray bottle of 3% H2O2 at around $20

I keep forgetting that cheap hydrogen peroxide seems to be something proprietary to the US! No clue why it gets so expensive beyond our borders...I don't think we have a corner on the manufacturing process! I use the 3% stuff by the gallon when I wash harvests or need to kill something in the soil.

Can you get your hands on Growstone Gnat Nix or the equivalent? That will work as well.

If I make sure the soil is not dry, it would make a superheated steaming hell for the bugs to perish in (sounds gruesome, I know... ) - I think that should work.

I think if it's evenly damp, gruesome is a great idea!

 

[NorthernCosmos]

I found that the pharamacy bottle worked out as $2400 per liter H2O2(!!!), whereas a chemical supplier has a 35% concentration working out as $20 per liter H2O2. However, higher concentrations than 12% seem to be restricted. That stuff is hard to get over here for a reasonable price.

I've only found Growstone Gnat Nix in the US so far - that would take time and incur expensive shipping. Would it work for the aphids too?

Looks like I'm down to the diatomaceous earth that'll be in the post in a couple of days, or alternatively some 30ml Neem oil bottles ($185 per liter) or Castile soap. I'll keep searching, but I can't spend too much (simply don't have the money), and don't want to wait too long. This is a bit of a blow TBH

 

[InTheShed]

If you look up the ingredients on the gnat nix you may be able to source some locally. It's a type of naturally occuring bacteria that they concentrate for gnats, mosquitoes, and root aphids.

I don't think that DE will work for anything that lives in the soil. Why so many things that are dirt cheap here treated like platinum everywhere else?

 

[NorthernCosmos]

I got the impression that DE should work wonders for soil dwelling bugs... It's coming in the post, so I might as well try it.

I've managed to track down 12% H2O2 for around $30 - that would give me ca. a gallon of 3%. Don't know how much is needed - I have four 3 gallon pots going that may need treatment.

I also found 125ml neem oil for $25. If I understand it right, that can be diluted a lot, but regular treatement is needed.

Reading many articles about root aphids, apparently one of the worst things your plants can get, half of them say the plants are doomed and they and soil should be thrown out. The more I read, the more my hope dwindles, and the more every cure's effect is questioned.

So, H2O2 or neem oil? Hmmm... I'll need to sleep on this, and maybe read some more (although the reading gives so many conflicting views...).

Edit: I've also read that "tobacco-tea" (tobacco left in water for a while) is a good natural insecticide. Anyone know about that?

 

[InTheShed]

I think you can dilute 3% H2O2 1:3 or 1:4 with water and pour it though mostly dry soil. It's so cheap here I've used it straight and it didn't do any damage to the plant.

I have always hear that DE won't work when it's wet, and when I put it on wet soil it gets caked up. Maybe as the soil dries out? I certainly wouldn't toss the plant out though!

 

[NorthernCosmos]

Ah, no - tossing them out isn't an option. I'll get them through this somehow, and I'll do all that can be done to prevent something like this from happening in the future

I have some old tobacco that I'll never use, so maybe I'll try that tomorrow since it's no good for anything else.

 

[CraZysWeeD]

You are going to feed the bugs tobacco? I think they will prefer the weed but that's just me.

 

[InTheShed]

You are going to feed the bugs tobacco? I think they will prefer the weed but that's just me.

How to Use Tobacco Juice to Control Pest in the Garden

Nicotine is a traditional remedy for leaf-eating insects, but a pure nicotine it's a...

homeguides.sfgate.com

 

[CraZysWeeD]

I know that nicotine is pest repellent, ever seen a hedgehog take cigarette butts and rubbing them in the face? Strange how easy nature adapts and find use in our rubbish? Think about what will be crawling out of Chernobyl in a few decades.

 

[InTheShed]

I'm less worried than you should be

 

[CraZysWeeD]

Yeah we got our part from the fall out here but I don't think its any imminent danger any more, nothing stranger than me any way.

 

[NorthernCosmos]

I just gave the plants some tobacco infused water around the stem (tap root) where the root aphids like to stay. I have just enough tobacco for 3 or 4 more treatments.

I'll also cook up some chili (Trinidad Scorpion @ 1M SHU) and garlic mixed with vegetable oil and a little soap, and try that too.

Then there's the sprinkling with the DE that is due to arrive tomorrow or Friday, some of which will get washed into the soil with watering, and as the top soil dries up, I'll ruffle some into the upper layer.

I'll use what I have first, and hopefully learn something in the process. That's the battle plan for now.

I picked dead flyers off the top of the light today, it's hard to say what they are as most of them crumbled when I gathered them. There was around 15 in all, divided between several species, i.e. a fairly random selection and no big swarms of fungus gnats or aphid flyers as far as I can make out. There's hope yet

 

[CraZysWeeD]

I put up some UV buzzers for zapping fly's in my growroom. Very effective even on banana fly's.

Grown the Chili as well?

 

[NorthernCosmos]

Aye, the Scorpions are homegrown. I have lots of them, and they're almost too hot to use in food. I planned to make chili oil to repel the moose that was chomping away on the apple trees every winter, but that moose was nowhere to be seen after the hunting season a couple of years ago, so now it's time to put the Scorpions to good use

Re. UV buzzers: Noted! Will look into that.

 

[Emilya Green]

I put up some UV buzzers for zapping fly's in my growroom. Very effective even on banana fly's.

Grown the Chili as well?

what a brilliant idea! A fly zapper on the same timer as the lights... outstanding! Thank you Crazy.. this one is going in my hints and kinks thread!
____________________________________________
The Proper Way to Water a Potted Plant (in soil) - STICKY
Emmie's Links, Journals and Tutorials
Berry-D'licious No AACT Organic - Grow Journal
Pineapple Chunk Mega Crop Test - Grow Journal

 

[InTheShed]

I thought bug zappers relied on bugs being attracted to light. Would they find a bug zapper where the light it generates is small compared to the lux our grow lights put out? I've heard they don't even work all that well if they're near a porch light.

 

[CraZysWeeD]

Aye, the Scorpions are homegrown. I have lots of them, and they're almost too hot to use in food. I planned to make chili oil to repel the moose that was chomping away on the apple trees every winter, but that moose was nowhere to be seen after the hunting season a couple of years ago, so now it's time to put the Scorpions to good use

Re. UV buzzers: Noted! Will look into that.

Ah you know lots of fruiting plants then. Seen people using same tents we do and lights for that matter as well for growing Chili. Sorry about your bad encounter with the moose, but there is a trick there as well. Take care of your fruit and throw away the one you don't want in a more secure location for the moose to feast away from your house.

Hope that Scorpion repellent works for the bugs in your pot.

what a brilliant idea! A fly zapper on the same timer as the lights... outstanding! Thank you Crazy.. this one is going in my hints and kinks thread!
____________________________________________
The Proper Way to Water a Potted Plant (in soil) - STICKY
Emmie's Links, Journals and Tutorials
Berry-D'licious No AACT Organic - Grow Journal
Pineapple Chunk Mega Crop Test - Grow Journal

I thought bug zappers relied on bugs being attracted to light. Would they find a bug zapper where the light it generates is small compared to the lux our grow lights put out? I've heard they don't even work all that well if they're near a porch light.

I bought one of these zapper bulbs they got now with leds so its quite small and easy to move around if you have a longer cable. Tried inside the tent at light level first and it worked there but my biggest outbreak of them was in pot level under the canopy so I moved it there. Here the light from the growlights didn't penetrate the canopy and the thing killed off every fly within days so now I have it hanging outside the tent for next outbreak and it zaps some there as well just hanging next to my drivers. Think I paid 3-4$ for it so it was well spent money instead of spraying with something that potentially would hurt my plants.

 

[NorthernCosmos]

Ah you know lots of fruiting plants then. Seen people using same tents we do and lights for that matter as well for growing Chili.

The chilis have been raised outdoors in the greenhouse and indoors on a low "grow table" under a blurple LED light. Now that I have a grow tent for my other flowers, I'd like more of them; one for chilis and herbs, another for flowering photos, a bigger one for autos and vegging... They seem pretty optimal for the purpose, and they're certainly very practical.

Sorry about your bad encounter with the moose, but there is a trick there as well. Take care of your fruit and throw away the one you don't want in a more secure location for the moose to feast away from your house.

Well, that moose was not at all interested in the fruits. It only came by in the winter and chew off whole branches. The apple tree wood itself must have been very tasty to it. Poor little trees, they've had a hard life and are pretty tiny after the 12 years since they got planted.