Quest for mold-resistant strains, Hawaii outdoor greenhouse grow

[cbdhemp808]

I wrote, Jan. 1...

I tried the ascorbic acid foliar spray as per Shed's recipe for citric acid... seems like it didn't work. I should have tested the pH of the spray, but it may be around 2... very acidic.

I read that potassium bicarbonate foliar spray will kill PM (pH 8.0). Has anyone tried K-citrate (pH 7.0-7.5)? I read K-citrate is also great for foliar feeding of potassium during flower.

So, the citric acid is acidic, and the K bicarbonate and citrate are alkaline. It seems that alkaline is what's recommended to kill PM.

Update:

The potassium citrate I ordered arrived a couple days ago, and I made up a solution and sprayed my 5 plants in the flower house, for preventing mold. I used 4 tsp of the powder in 1/2 gal water, and 38 drops of Bronner's soap.

Checking today, things didn't go so well. I had to defol a lot of leaves that both had dark mold spots on the underside, and necrosis on the top. I couldn't tell... the mold was possibly dead, but I also got the impression the leaves were maybe burned by the K-citrate. Also, a lot of leaves had a dusting of dry K-citrate, which alarmed me for a minute, because I thought it was more PM. But I put it under the scope and it was just particles of the K-citrate. That was kinda weird, because I definitely dissolved the powder in the water.

Maybe I used too much K-citrate, and maybe the soap wasn't a great idea to add. Anyway, I blasted the plants today with my usual peroxide solution. There's a lot more sun reaching the greenhouse now, and the surrounding vegetation has been cut back to give more air flow. Hoping for the best.

 

[Azimuth]

Argggg! Another thread that dropped out of my notifications. But, all caught up now.

I tried the ascorbic acid foliar spray as per Shed's recipe for citric acid... seems like it didn't work. I should have tested the pH of the spray, but it may be around 2... very acidic.

I read that potassium bicarbonate foliar spray will kill PM (pH 8.0). Has anyone tried K-citrate (pH 7.0-7.5)? I read K-citrate is also great for foliar feeding of potassium during flower.

So, the citric acid is acidic, and the K bicarbonate and citrate are alkaline. It seems that alkaline is what's recommended to kill PM.

@danishoes21 said he had good luck with a Jadam-type water extract of willow leaves. We imagine it was at least due in part to the salicylic acid contained on the plant. If you can't grow willow there on the island, maybe try crushed aspirin tablets?

Of the 1 gal plants on the table, I lost 2 of the Sweet Critical CBD to damping off, and one of the HI-BISCUS... a reminder to be very careful not to over-water young seedlings.

I've had good luck using worm castings to prevent damping off. I soak my seeds in a water bath of them, water the top of the soil with that water after the seed coat splits, and top dress with a light layer. The microbes in the castings kill the fungus that causes the damping off.

 

[kosio bosio]

Hey mate, really nice garden!
Have you thought about adding some fans, that might help not getting too much PM.
I usually spray with H2O2 commercial grade (17ml per gal), every day. After a few days PM is gone.
But anyways, these plants look very good.
I will be around to see how this will turn out.

 

[InTheShed]

I usually spray with H2O2 commercial grade

What's the percentage on commercial grade H2O2?

 

[kosio bosio]

What's the percentage on commercial grade H2O2?

30% or 33%

 

[InTheShed]

30% or 33%

17ml of 30% H2O2 in a gallon brings the concentration down to 0.13%, well below the 3% drugstore standard stuff. I'm surprised it works!

Source

 

[kosio bosio]

17ml of 30% H2O2 in a gallon brings the concentration down to 0.13%, well below the 3% drugstore standard stuff. I'm surprised it works!

Source

That's how I've been mixing it for years and it's been working.
I guess there might be something with the everyday spray.
At first I was sceptical about it, but I saw how it worked on a buddy of mine's grow.
Then tried it and it worked.

 

[cbdhemp808]

30% or 33%

I use 6 fl oz of 3% peroxide in 1/2 gal water. I can maybe increase that a bit.

I used to buy the 30% food-grade stuff, for cost savings, but last time I tried I had problems with the container swelling up.

 

[kosio bosio]

I use 6 fl oz of 3% peroxide in 1/2 gal water. I can maybe increase that a bit.

I used to buy the 30% food-grade stuff, for cost savings, but last time I tried I had problems with the container swelling up.

I use it for everything.
I water the soil when I am reseting it.
I spray the plants to cure/prevent.
I love this stuff.
Lately I've been using H2O2 most of the time and if it doesn't work I move to the stuff from the store.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Have you thought about adding some fans, that might help not getting too much PM.

Plants in my veg house usually don't get PM or the dark mold spots on the underside of leaves. It happens though in my flower house, and it's been partly due to too many weeds and weed trees around that greenhouse, and seasonal lack of sunshine, but those problems are now mostly resolved. I have no electrical power in the flower house as yet, for fans.

In general, I am in a very moldy environment – warm, tropical Hawaii. Hence the quest for mold resistant strains, and specifically the bud rot kind.

Some strains and phenos are just champs... they are very little affected by mold, such as the Blue Dream hybrid I have and one of my CBD phenos. It seems they have in common being high in the terpene, myrcene, as well as high resin production.

 

[InTheShed]

I use 6 fl oz of 3% peroxide in 1/2 gal water. I can maybe increase that a bit.

You're already double what kb is using:

 

[cbdhemp808]

Nice calculator

 

[InTheShed]

Love that thing!

Dilution Calculator - for Percent Solutions

Dilution Calculator: Calculate percent solutions for accurate dilution in chemistry and laboratory work.

www.calkoo.com

 

[kosio bosio]

Plants in my veg house usually don't get PM or the dark mold spots on the underside of leaves. It happens though in my flower house, and it's been partly due to too many weeds and weed trees around that greenhouse, and seasonal lack of sunshine, but those problems are now mostly resolved. I have no electrical power in the flower house as yet, for fans.

In general, I am in a very moldy environment – warm, tropical Hawaii. Hence the quest for mold resistant strains, and specifically the bud rot kind.

Some strains and phenos are just champs... they are very little affected by mold, such as the Blue Dream hybrid I have and one of my CBD phenos. It seems they have in common being high in the terpene, myrcene, as well as high resin production.

Do you spray with H2O2 while plants are flowering?
I can do my solution the day of the harvest and not get harsh taste at the end.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Do you spray with H2O2 while plants are flowering?

yes, if they are showing mold problems.

 

[cbdhemp808]

I was just researching amino acids and cannabis flowers, and happened across this!

Aloe vera foliar spray...

From one of our sponsors, Zamnesia:

Aloe vera juice is a true multi-purpose plant remedy that, when used as a foliar feed, will greatly benefit your cannabis. It provides plants with micronutrients such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and manganese, and is rich in other beneficial compounds like amino acids and enzymes. Use aloe vera juice at the first sign of deficiency.

Likewise, aloe vera juice helps protect against environmental disease and stress. It contains numerous compounds with protective effects, such as acemannan, a polysaccharide with antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal effects. Other compounds in aloe, saponins, help protect against microbes, fungi, mould, and certain types of insects.

To make a foliar spray using aloe vera, mix two teaspoons of fresh aloe gel with 4.5 litres of water. Shake well and administer right away using the “mist” setting on your sprayer.

I'm definitely going to try this!

Aloe gel does contain gibberellins, so perhaps not good to spray during flowering? But perhaps not a concern, because it wouldn't be in high enough concentration – I don't know. [ composition of aloe vera ]

Here's a really great article I just found... I think all growers should read this!

How to use plant hormones in cannabis cultivation

In this blog post, we take a look at the complex world of plant hormones, talking about the wide range of effects they have, and how they control and regulate almost every aspect of our plants' lives.

www.alchimiaweb.com

 

[BAKIND]

Here's what the adults look like... about 6" long. I very rarely see one on my plants.

totally beautiful creature. Would love him / her in my garden.

 

[InTheShed]

Aloe gel does contain gibberellins, so perhaps not good to spray during flowering? But perhaps not a concern, because it wouldn't be in high enough concentration – I don't know.

Interesting observation! I know it doesn't take much in the way of GA3 ppm for the plant to notice. I got freaky growth as low as 72ppm and probably would have even lower as well:

I have no idea what that amount of aloe would be in GA3 ppm though!

 

[cbdhemp808]

totally beautiful creature. Would love him / her in my garden.

They are all around us, indoor and outdoor, and nice to be around. The males are more wary, and a bit bigger, while the females tend to be more approachable. They can walk and run on almost any surface, whether it's horizonal, vertical, or upside down. Walls, no problem. Ceiling, no problem. They eat fruit, bugs, and flower nectar. I think the males like to establish territory, so they will occupy a banana plant, for example, and defend it as their territory. They even do this with a ladder up against a wall – carry the ladder away for a job, and the gecko won't give up his dominion easily. Males will fight each other, but it seems to be mostly bluff and chasing, and they will turn their colorful bodies in the direction of the adversary, in a sort of war dance.

 

[cbdhemp808]

Greetings Growmies,

Quick update...

Things are going pretty good, but I'm behind on up potting in the veg house. The batch of clones is looking very good and they're about a week old now. Today I received my order of 5 lb. of Kelp Meal – looking forward to top dressing the plants to add more iron, and adding as a normal ingredient in my soil mix.

After 5 days, one of the GMG sativa males sprouted flower clusters on the side branches, which I have removed – I'm not ready to deal with flowers yet. Tomorrow I will definitely need to top those males and get clones going, in order to make little "bonsai" males for easy pollen collection... all theoretical... never done it before. I hope I'm not too late.

5 days ago there was no sign of these. Only appearing on the green-stem pheno so far, not the red-stem. These males are under my night interruption lighting, so here's proof that (most) male cannabis plants are autoflowers... at least this green-stem GMG pheno is. I clipped them all off and tossed them out.

Meanwhile in the flower house, here's some trichome pics from one of two flowering Blue Dream hybrids. I've got my fingers crossed for no bud rot. I also have two different CBD phenos flowering.