Integrated Pest Management (IPM) - What’s your routine?

Sir Napsalot

Well-Known Member
I already harvested a plant with budrot this year, so yea I'm taking every precaution I can. "Planning to fail" sounds like you're implying I have a negative mindset. Growing in coastal fog from July to October is not an easy task, and no matter how many precautions you take your environment is set up for mold. I usually lose about 20% of my harvest to mold. It's not a fail because I still have smokeable bud. I'm just trying to make it 0% budrot with the odds against me. Apologies for doing an experiment if I get mold again. Lol, clown.
That's uncalled for
 

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
I have a similar IPM to @Rurumo.

For botrytis:
Veg
Regalia foliar
Potassium silicate foliar
Chitosan foliar
Garden Friendly Fungicide foliar
I probably spray each one of these once every 2 weeks with a yucca wetting agent.

Flower
Regalia soil drench
Potassium silicate foliar after rain / morning dew to kill spores. Has a high pH
Garden Friendly fungicide foliar (not very frequent)
Chitosan soil drench

For pests:
Grandevo
BT

Bt is once a week at minimum. Grandevo is the shit for any sucking insect. This year I've only had to spray once and I don't see any insects anywhere. It probably helps that I spray my entire yard whenever I fill up my sprayer. I tried citric acid but the low pH was actually favorable for botrytis.

Overall my two biggest battles are botrytis and caterpillars, both of which require prevention rather than treatment.

I'm also a firm believer that constantly maintaining a good microbe mix in your soil helps with both pests and mold. So I give EWC compost tea every 2 weeks and EM1 every week.
I threw away my entire bottle of grandevo after 2 uses. The clay carrier stains the foliage and does not wash off. I contacted the manufacturer who said it's superficial and will not affect the growth of the plants. I was still concerned about the clay collecting on the foliage so I didn't spray again until the 3rd week of flower. It burned every single pistil on every plant in the garden to varying degrees. I was so pissed off I immediately threw it in the trash and will never use or recommend it again.

I do use venerate and I just purchased regalia. I've had no issues with venerate and highly recommend it. I'm looking forward to trying the regalia tomorrow. Totally bummed about the grandevo and what's concerning is their sales reps seem to be in the dark about the problems their product can and will cause on small developing flower sites. Something tells me none of them grow dope and all they do is relay to customers what marketing tells them. What can ya do? Live and learn.
 
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jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
If I get some budrot this year I'm going to make a mini experiment. For the post-harvest bud wash I'll dip some branches in a chitosan/water solution and see if I lose less to mold during the drying process.

I'm actually hoping I don't have to do this experiment, but we'll see.
A perfect example of why I don't smoke other people's pot :)
 

jonnynobody

Well-Known Member
I’m intrigued by Regalia, but goddam it’s pricey…

Any others have experience with Regalia (or other products designed to boost resistance)?
Just bought a quart. I've never had a problem with pm or anything like that, but from what I read it's supposed to toughen up the plants. If it performs as well as venerate I'll be a happy camper. The plants always perk up and look lush the day after spraying with venerate. Plants seem to love the stuff. I'll be applying regalia tomorrow. I'll come back in 2 days to let y'all know how it worked out.

20211022_133146.jpg
 

danacraig

Active Member
What’s up, everyone?

Let’s talk about IPM. Going along with the whole “ounce of prevention…” theme, I’d like to come up with a routine/schedule for preventative maintenance in my garden. More specifically, I’d like to come up with a short list of organic sprays and/or soil drenches that I can rotate on a weekly (or other) basis.

Off the top of my head, I know that my routine will need to address fungus (powdery mildew and botrytis) and invertebrates (thrips, mites, whiteflies, caterpillars/worms). I’m familiar with most of the commonly used products (and I have my favorites) - mostly interested in how to use and rotate through them most effectively.

So… What’s your IPM routine?

Let’s discuss!

Cheers,

~SS
I finally just learned that spraying with milk actually works for mold on my 5th outdoor organic grow year. Also I learned that buds can be washed! I use Regalia, Spinosad, venerate, botanigard, grandevo. I try to use sparingly but admit I'm not careful enough about wind getting a little spray on me. I am constantly learning about new products and always wonder how safe or not they might be.
 

Estukay

Well-Known Member
I just use spinosad once a week during veg and ladybugs during flower.

I grow in a shade house i built that is covered in mosquito netting. So i don't have to worry about caterpillars and it keeps the lady bugs in. If it happens to rain i cover the structure with a tarp.
 

danacraig

Active Member
I just use spinosad once a week during veg and ladybugs during flower.

I grow in a shade house i built that is covered in mosquito netting. So i don't have to worry about caterpillars and it keeps the lady bugs in. If it happens to rain i cover the structure with a tarp.
Oh, you have the dream setup! I wish I could have a netting covered house, but our sun and wind are in the same place, where nothing
permanent can be built. Last year winds were 25mph just before harvest. Our canopy was destroyed. We bought another one and carried on...with caterpillars. So you don't get mold or mildew, that is awesome!
 

Estukay

Well-Known Member
Got a small amount of mold last year because it was an unusually wet season. I live in the desert though so its dry most of the time.
 
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