Pest prevention protocol for NEW equip?

I just had some plastic plant risers shipped from a big hydro shop. I thought to myself, what if someone with an infestation of thrips/mites returned these last week?

I opened the box in garage, immediately took the risers into the bathroom where I sprayed them down completely with 70% ISOPROPYL Alcohol. Good idea? Or just overkill?

Any other steps/protocol you use to avoid unwanted passengers on hardware from cannabis/gardening shops?

I say good on ya, I got my first tent used and ended up with pests.

Right now I have Broad Mites... FML

RIS said:

I say good on ya, I got my first tent used and ended up with pests.

Right now I have Broad Mites... FML

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Wtf, It takes a real piece of crap to sell someone a tent with pests. Thats like selling a mattress/couch with bedbugs.

Hey at least with all these problems, your next grow is going to feel easy breezy beautiful covergirl

I had a some type of fungal infection come into my tent last grow and I can tell u that I Would much rather spend a little time upfront cleaning and disinfecting to prevent a possible problem then spending days if not weeks later on trying to correct them, if you even can.
I’m interested in how people clean and disinfect their lights after each grow if anyone can share?

Put every thing you bring into the grow in a garbage bag with a hot shot no pest strip "NPS" for a few days or more. Especially used gear that might have dormant mite eggs, etc.

You can keep the NPS in a zip lock bag (or the same trash bag wrapped up) when not in use, to keep it from drying out, and make it last years.

Nothing alive should live through that

It's one of my main quarantine protocols. I would even nuke clones I brought in thew same way, in a bag, if I ever did.

Spraying ISO or bleach or something should be fine for those risers. Your not wrong to do it. Hydro shops are like a metropolis for pests.

As long as the products arent visibly soiled I dont see the need. However, I do keep a spray bottle of physan 20 to sterilize tools/pots/cloning items in between runs.

waterproof808 said:

As long as the products arent visibly soiled I dont see the need. However, I do keep a spray bottle of physan 20 to sterilize tools/pots/cloning items in between runs.

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That Physan20 is some good stuff! A little goes a loooong ways.

waterproof808 said:

As long as the products arent visibly soiled I dont see the need. However, I do keep a spray bottle of physan 20 to sterilize tools/pots/cloning items in between runs.

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Fabric Pots too?

DoubleAtotheRON said:

That Physan20 is some good stuff! A little goes a loooong ways.

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Yep, Its safer than bleach and more effective against pathogens like HpLVD than rubbing alcohol.

DrDukePHD said:

Fabric Pots too?

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I dont use fabric pots on my cannabis, but a 10 minute soak in physan should disinfect them from most pathogens.

Why buy fabric pots when you can buy re-usable fabric grocery bags for .50 cents a piece?

Drop That Sound said:

View attachment 5153169 Why buy fabric pots when you can buy re-usable fabric grocery bags for .50 cents a piece?

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Why buy grocery bags when you can buy air pots?

my entire space gets bleached between runs. I haven't had the need to buy any new equipment for several years now, but if it came from a hydro store, plant nursery or pretty much anyplace with living plants they are getting disinfected before they get near my plants and equipment. I've never had a pest infestation and I put a lot of effort into keeping it that way. Random tip that is somewhat related... I don't wear anything I've worn outside/in public into my grow room. no reason to risk little mother fuckers trying to hitch a ride to your plants.

I used a UVC lamp with ozone before starting my grow, it's 60 watts meant to sterilize a 60m2 room in 1 hour. I used it in the tent and all the equipment and tools. Every fabric pot gets treated with UVC before putting soil in it. All the water canisters get treated with bleach, and wires for LST are cleaned with alcohol. I also disinfect my hands with alcohol before touching the plants. I'm definitely not the cleanest person in the world but i do what i can to keep it as clean as possible.

Drop That Sound said:

Put every thing you bring into the grow in a garbage bag with a hot shot no pest strip "NPS" for a few days or more. Especially used gear that might have dormant mite eggs, etc.

You can keep the NPS in a zip lock bag (or the same trash bag wrapped up) when not in use, to keep it from drying out, and make it last years.

Nothing alive should live through that

It's one of my main quarantine protocols. I would even nuke clones I brought in thew same way, in a bag, if I ever did.

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Hot shot is da bomb!

Drop That Sound said:

View attachment 5153169 Why buy fabric pots when you can buy re-usable fabric grocery bags for .50 cents a piece?

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Yea I paid $5 each for "root pouch".. before i knew about your walmart bag trick. Sort of like how i was tricked into paying $29 for a 4lb pale of Gaia 4-4-4.

Never again

I've tried them b4, and bought a few too. Even have the big grow bed and big grow bed junior from Smart pots. Even got a cool T-shirt from the smart pot inventor's smoking hot daughter after I asked for her number..

I would grow with fabric smart pots every day if she was my GF and I got them 4 free..

But she's not, and I'm a walmart grow bag cheap skate.

Drop That Sound said:

I've tried them b4, and bought a few too. Even have the big grow bed and big grow bed junior from Smart pots. Even got a cool T-shirt from the smart pot inventor's smoking hot daughter after I asked for her number..

I would grow with fabric smart pots every day if she was my GF and I got them 4 free..

But she's not, and I'm a walmart grow bag cheap skate.

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A few times I just brought the 2 quart bag of soil out in the forest and put the plant right in it. Poke a few holes in the bottom of the bag and your good to go.

DrDukePHD said:

Wtf, It takes a real piece of crap to sell someone a tent with pests. Thats like selling a mattress/couch with bedbugs.

Hey at least with all these problems, your next grow is going to feel easy breezy beautiful covergirl

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That's why I avoid buying grow shit from Amazon. ISO wasn't a bad idea at all. I just ordered some risers too to try. I ordered the Gro Pro ones though.