Staying ahead of pests should be high on the list of things to do for a new grower. You invest a lot of time and money in your medical cannabis garden so you should really consider spending just a little bit more to keep it safe from pests. In a previous article we covered the general concept of pest management and plant health. It’s time to dig in a little deeper and discuss how to put biocontrol in place to avoid pests to start with.
First, it’s important to realize that biocontrol will work best in a living soil situation. If your choice of growing methods includes the use of salt-based fertilizers, then biocontrol may be hard to keep established because those fertilizers can hurt your beneficial microbe and insect populations. Additionally, generalized pesticide knock-down sprays, even if generally safe to use in the vegetative state, can do damage to your soil biology as well. In any event, let’s dive in.
Bacillus thuringiensis iraelensis (BTI) is a bacteria that produces toxins that are deadly to the larvae of several pests, including the ever present fungus gnat. It is safe for humans and for your crop – best of all BTI plays well with beneficial microbes and is relatively cheap and easy to find. You can find Mosquito Bits™ and/or Gnatrol™ at most department and garden stores. Simply prepare per the instructions and drench your soil.
Beauveria bassiana (BB) is a fungus that is deadly to many arthropods including thrips, whiteflies, aphids, and some beetles. While it is a bit more expensive, the folks at buildasoil.com have a relatively inexpensive wettable [spore] powder. This fungus infects pest insects and interrupts their lifecycle. You may see adult pest moving about with the fungus actively growing on them. Like BTI, it is applied as a soil drench.
It is also important to establish a strong colony of LABslactic acid bacteria serum More. While these fundamental beneficial microbes don’t actively work to control pests, a robust community of LABslactic acid bacteria serum More will outcompete pathogenic microbes. In nature, few things go without bacteria for long so you might as well put beneficial microbes in place. Besides, these critters are a literal army of nutrient cycling specialists.
Finally, every organic gardener should consider beneficial nematodes. Species such as H. bacteriaphora, S. carpocapsae, and S. feltiae can all be safely used in the garden and will help carry your BTI and BB to unwitting hosts throughout the soil. These microscopic roundworms can be ordered on sites such as arbico-organics.com or through your local garden store.
For my part, I like to inoculate my new soil with these biocontrol special agents right from the start. This keeps pests from getting a foothold and protects you against nasties like root aphids. After all, most folks won’t detect root aphids until it’s too late. Fungus gnats are the same; one day you have a few flying around and within a week there is a legitimate infestation going on. Pretty soon they’re munching down on your precious mycorrhizae and the adults are sticking to your dank buds like fly paper.
Get ahead of the game!
Happy Harvests,
— The Lit Farmer —
