What strain would you pick?

[turtle420]

^^^^ Thanks Buk!

Damn dude, I'd play Halo now, but I've got to get up early.... Thanks for support!

-turtle420
.

[BukDatAss]

PESTS
You really have to watch pests, or all your efforts could result in little or nothing in
return. Mites and Aphids are the worst; whiteflies, caterpillar and fungi are the ones to watch out
for long term. Pyrethrum bombs can start you with a clean slate in the room, and then homemade
or commercial soap sprays will do most of the rest. When bringing in plants from outside,
pyrethrum every broad leaf top and bottom and the soil too. Then watch them closely for a week
or two, and soap down any remaining bug life you find from eggs being hatched. This should do
the trick for a month or two, long enough it won't be an issue before harvesting.


Use soap solution like Safer Insecticidal Soap to get rid of most aphid problems. Use
some tobacco juice and chilli pepper powder added to this for mites. Dr. Bronnars Soap can be
used with some dish detergent in a spray bottle if you want to save money.
Pyrethrum should only be used in extreme circumstances directly on plants, but can be
used in a closet or greenhouse in the corners to get rid of spiders and such. It breaks down within
a week to non-toxic elements, and can be washed from a plant with detergent solutions and then
clear water.
I find Pyrethrum to be the best solution for spider mites, if it is sprayed on young plants
up to early flowering. Into later flowering, the tobacco and pepper/soap solution is your best bet,
on a daily basis, on the under-sides of all infected leaves.

[BukDatAss]

There are six pests that are most likely to attack marijuana in-
doors: aphids, mealybugs, mites, whiteflies, scale, and caterpillars.
A few others sometimes invade greenhouses. These include cater-
pillars, cutworms, grasshoppers and leafhoppers.
APHIDS

Aphids are usually found on the undersides of leaves and on
stems, though they are sometimes found on the leaf tops. The
adults are about 1/32 to 1/16 of an inch long and are oval, almost egg-
shaped. They have two protrusions from their rear which look like
pipes and may or may not have wings. They are usually found in
dense colonies with an adult surrounded by a cluster of young.


They are usually pale green or yellow, but sometimes are brown,
black or red. They molt leaving a white shell. They secrete
"honeydew" which is shiny and sticky and is found on infested
foliage. Honeydew is a concentrate of the sugars the animal has
sucked out of the plant and discarded in its search for protein.
Aphids are frequently found together with ants which farm them
for their honeydew by carrying them from plant to plant.
Infested plants weaken from the insects' constant sucking of
sap which they eat by penetrating the deep tissue. Older leaves curl
and younger ones grow deformed. Mold sometimes forms on the
honeydew. Within weeks the plant may wither. Aphids are carriers
of molds and viruses.
Indoors, aphids reproduce parthenogenetically; that is, all the
insects are females and they can reproduce without being fertilized.
They bear live young, which may actually carry embryos of their
own before they are born. They can reproduce when they are 6 days
old.
Luckily, aphids are not difficult to control. Action is taken at
the first sign of infection. First, the garden is checked for ants. Any
colonies are eliminated using ant bait, ant stakes or boric acid.
Then all visible aphids are wiped off the plants using a sponge
and soapy water, a soapy water spray or insecticide. A soapy water
spray is made by mixing 1½ tablespoons Ivory Snow Flakes or any
other soap without detergent in a gallon of water. Some growers
reported success using Dr. Bronner's Eucalyptus or Mint liquid
soaps (these are often found in health food stores) at the rate of I
tablespoon per gallon. This will eliminate most of the pests so that
the grower has some breathing space. However, even the most
thorough spraying or sponging does not eliminate all of the pests,
and since they reproduce parthenogenetically, even one remaining
insect can restart the colony.
If the plants are not flowering, then spray can be used every 2
or 3 days for several weeks. Thorough sprayings may eventually
destroy the colony. They certainly keep it in check.
Another convenient spray is available commercially.
Pyrethrum is a natural insecticide found in chrysanthemum-family
plants. It has not been found harmful to warm-blooded animals but
is toxic to aphids, among other insects. Pyrethrum may be purchas-
ed as a powder, a liquid concentrate, in a pump or aerosal spray.
Usually growers with small gardens choose the aerosols for conve-
nience, while those with large gardens find the concentrates or
powders much less expensive.
Some benign insects like to eat aphids and are convenient to
use in a greenhouse or grow-room situation. Ladybugs and green
lacewings are predators which eat aphids. They can be purchased
commercially from insectiaries. These insects also go through a
rapid lifecycle and may eat hundreds of aphids as they grow to
adults. The insects come with instructions for their use.
People are sometimes a little queasy about bringing beneficial
insects indoors because they are afraid they will escape into un-
wanted areas. However, for the most part these insects stay where


they belong as long as there is food for them to eat. Adult
beneficials sometimes fly directly into metal halide lamps and die
instantly. One grower placed a glass reflector around his lamps. The
trick is to get the adult beneficials to lay eggs because the predators
are most voracious during their immature stages. Given enough
food (aphids) this presents no problem. Once the predators become
established they keep the pest population at a negligible level, but
never eliminate their source of food.
MEALYBUGS


Mealybugs are light-colored insects which exude a white, waxy
cottony-looking substance in which they nestle or which covers
their body. They are usually found on the underside of the leaves
and in the joints between the leaves and stems. The adults are from
1/16 to 1/6 inch long. They suck juices from the plant and exude
honeydew. Their breeding rate is much slower than many other
pests; a generation takes a month or more.
A small mealybug infection may be eliminated by using a
sponge to wipe the creatures off the plants. They can also be
destroyed using a cotton swab dabbed in alcohol, which kills them
instantly. More serious infestations may be controlled using a soapy
water solution or pyrethrum. As well as eating aphids, green lace-
wings also eat mealybugs.
MITES


Mites are the most damaging pest that can enter a garden. They
are not insects, but an arachnid, which is the class of animals that
include spiders. Mites are tiny and may not be noticed until they
have developed into a serious infestation. There are many species of
mites. However the one most likely to attack the garden is the 2
spotted mite, which has two spots on its back which can be seen
under a magnifying glass.
The first indication that a grower may have mites is seeing pin-
point yellow spots on fan leaves. These spots are located above the
points where the mites have pierced the tissue to suck out the plant
juices. Mites are very small, measuring only 3-6 thousandths of an
inch. They look like small dots colored black, red or brown. Mites'
maturity and reproductive rates are affected by temperature. A
female lays about 100 eggs during her lifetime, but at 60 degrees she
produces 20 offspring, at 70 degrees she and her offspring number
13,000, and at 80 degrees she represents a potential 13,000,000 in-
dividuals over a single month. Under ideal conditions mites
reproduce a week after hatching.
As the mite population rises, the plants weaken. Infested leaves
curl under and spider4ike webbing is spun which covers the plants
and is used by the pests to move from plant to plant. Mites also
walk down stems, across medium and across dry space in search of
new plants to colonize. Besides the leaf spots and curling, infested
leaves sometimes also bronze and/or develop necrotic brown spots.


Most growers do not notice mites until the infestation has been
well established and there has been damage to plants. The situation
calls for immediate action. First, after careful examination, infested
plants are separated from the uninfested ones. Lightly infested
plants may be separated from heavily damaged plants. (Physical
barriers such as sticky tape are placed around the heavily infested
plants, pots or the garden perimeter to prevent migration of mites.
Tops are separated so that the mites cannot walk from plant to
plant via foliage.)
Mites suck juices, so they must evaporate large quantities of
water. This is easier for them to do in a dry environment. Humid
environments slow down their metabolism, life span, and reproduc-
tive rate.
Mites may be controlled somewhat by lowering the
temperature, thus slowing the insects' life processes considerably.
Even if this is done only during the dark cycle, when it is easier to
lower temperatures, the progression rate of the infection is slowed
significantly.
Mites tend to congregate on the leaves rather than the buds,
although, as their populations increase, they can start colonizing
the buds as well. They can be washed off the leaves using a strong
water spray. Growers sometimes use a soapy water spray from a
small gauge directional nozzle. Medium pressure can be used. The
floor and container surfaces are covered with newspaper or other
throwaways so that the mites can be removed by the spray. Buds
within 2 weeks of harvest should not be sprayed with soap. Other
possible sprays include wetting agents, which interfere with the
mites' water-holding ability, flour or starch (½ cup flour, ½ cup
milk in a gallon of water) which trap and kill the mites as the mix-
ture dries into a thin film, and an anti-transpiration product, "Wilt-
Pruf"® which is sold in many nurseries. It is a chemical which is
used to slow down the rate at which plants lose water through their
leaves and works by partially coating the leaf's pores. It is frequent-
ly used when transplanting and during dry, hot, or sunny periods.
Wilt-Pruf also traps mites in its thin film. When these products are
used, individual leaves are sprayed using a hand trigger bottle.
Some growers "homebrew" a miticide using common spices
such as garlic, cayenne pepper, onion, cloves or their combinations
soaked in water. Recipes call for either grinding the raw spices or
boiling them. One gallon of water is mixed with one or more of the
following: ½- 1 ounce garlic, 2-3 ounces of onion, ½ ounce cloves,
½-i ounce cayenne pepper. Before spraying all the plants with a
homebrew, try it on a few leaves to make sure that the plants are
not adversely affected and the mites are killed.
Insectiaries advertise predatory mites for the control of mites.
There are several varieties that attack two-spotted mites. Choice of
variety of predator mites depends on greenhouse temperature.
Some growers have reported great success using these predators,
while others report that they have been unsuccessful at getting them
to take. When they get established they are effective, but sometimes
they seem to disappear in the marijuana garden never to be seen


again. Meanwhile, the mites continue to multiply at a geometric
rate.
On May 23rd, 1986, the New York Times reported on
Kelthane, the popular miticide and insecticide. Growers have often
reported its effectiveness in eliminating pest problems. However, it
turns out that one of the reasons for its effectiveness is that it con-
tains DDT. You say that can't be: DDT was banned from use in
1972. Rohm & Haas Company of Philadelphia, which distributes
the product manufactured overseas, has agreed to reduce the level
in this product from 2.5% to 1/10th of 1 percent on December 31,
1988. Yes, that's right, 1988. The stocks will be in stores well after
that date. DDT damages the reproductive systems and nervous
systems of mammals. For your own sake, please don't use Keithane
or any other miticide-insecticide-containing dicofol.
Since mites have a short regeneration cycle, for sprays to be ef-
fective they must be used often enough to kill each new generation
before it has a chance to reproduce. To prevent buildup of
resistance, different sprays are alternated. Several growers have
reported eliminating mites using "Holiday Foggers" 3 times a day
at S day intervals.
Smart growers cover their bodies and wear respirators when
working with harmful chemicals. Exposed clothing and underwear
is removed immediately after the operation is ended and is washed
separately or disposed of. One grower used disposable paper jump
suits he found at an army surplus store. Another used clothing one
step away from the garbage. After removing clothing, the exposed
individual showers well with strong soap.
Mites are difficult to eliminate or even control, but it can be
done. The means of control depends upon the stage of the plants'
life cycle and the degree of infestation. Gardens with a minor infec-
tion which are near harvest may be protected simply by lowering the
temperature, or by using a quick knockdown spray.
Growers sometimes find it more convenient to destroy young
plants with a mite infection than to try to combat it. Plants which
are nearing the end of the vegetative stage may never flower well if
the infection is severe, so that growers try to keep the population
down on plants older than 2 months. Growers sometimes start the
flowering cycle early when they detect mites. That way
temperatures are lowered because of the longer darkness cycle, and
the mites do not have as long to build up their population.
WHITEFLIES


Whiteflies look like flies except that they are all white. The
adults are about 1/16th of an inch long. They can be seen flying off
foliage when it is shaken. They lay large white eggs which can be
seen on the undersides of the leaves they inhabit. They suck sap
from the leaves and leave spots of honeydew. Whiteflies spread
black soot, molds and other diseases.
Whiteflies undergo four stages of development once they hatch
from eggs. Each stage is called an instar. Their life cycle is strictly


regulated by temperature. As temperatures increase from 55 to 85
degrees the number of days from egg to adult decreases from 103 to
18 days. However, the adult's life span also decreases. At 55
degrees, the adult lives over 60 days. At 85 degrees it lives fewer
than 7 days. At 65 degrees it produces more than 300 eggs over its
lifespan, at the rate of more than 8 eggs per day. As the temperature
increases, total egg production decreases to less than 30 and the rate
of production goes down to fewer than 5 per day.
The whitefly population must increase to tremendous numbers
before there is any apparent damage to plants directly. However,
the honeydew dropped by whiteflies becomes an incubation spot
for mold.
Whiteflies are easy to control. If there only seem to be a few,
they can be pinched off the leaves by hand. Their metabolism is a
factor of temperature; at cool temperatures in the low 60's, they are
sluggish and easily trapped. They are susceptible to spice sprays and
pyrethrum, but the easiest way to deal with them is using Encarsia
Formosa, the whitefly parasite. This small non-social wasp is about
1/32nd of an inch long, about the same size as a mite. It lives entirely
on whiteflies. The adults eat the eggs and the first and second in-
star. They lay their eggs in the third instar. As the wasp embryo
develops in the whitefly instar, the egg, which was a pale green or
tan, turns black. Encarsia formosa development is also regulated by
temperature. At 55 degrees it takes 30 days to reach adulthood, but
at 85 degrees it requires only about 10 days. At 65 degrees the adults
live about 30 days, but only 8 days at 80 degrees. However the
number of eggs laid by females, about 30, does not vary much.
They just lay them over a shorter period of time.
Insectiaries usually suggest that whitefly parasites be released
several times over a 3 week period allowing several generations of
whitefly instars to be parasitized, assuring control of the problem
quickly. However, experienced growers have found that only 1
release is required, although control takes a while longer. By the
third generation the parasites achieve virtual control of the plant
eaters and while they do not eliminate them, they keep the
whiteflies down to a negligible level and prevent large outbreaks
from occurring.
Whiteflies are attracted to certain shades of yellow. Nurseries
sell cards which are either pre-glued or which can be coated with oil.
Any whiteflies which fly to the card are trapped.
One grower uses a vacuum cleaner to collect whiteflies from his
plants. He says that it is best to do this early in the morning when it
is still cool and the insects are sluggish. He says that the vacuum is
also effective against aphids.

SCALE

Scale are insects which attack the stems and undersides of
leaves. There are two kinds of scale: armored and soft-bodied. Ar-
mored scale are 1/6-1/12 inch long and are usually brown, grey or red-
dish. They secrete a waxy or cottony substance which shapes a shell


to protect their bodies. Soft-bodied scale are usually brown, black
or mottled. Their skin is smooth and shiny. Both types are mobile
only when they are young. Usually they lose their legs after the first
or second moult. The males regain their legs as well as wings at the
final moult and spend their short adult life in search of females to
inseminate.
Scale females can produce up to 5,000 offspring over a
lifetime, but they have a relatively slow rate of growth so that it
takes a while for them to build a large population.
Scale suck sap, leaving little residue. Sometimes immature
scale, which are mobile, excrete honeydew. Their saliva may be tox-
ic to the plant. Leaves or branches will turn yellow and die.
Scale often look like nodes or blemishes on a stem. They are
easily scraped off the plant using fingernails.
They do not often attack marijuana; however, some cases have
been reported.
There are number of effective methods of controlling scale.
Since they reproduce slowly, scraping the adults off the leaves and
stems may be an effective control. Garlic-cayenne sprays may
eliminate them. Finally, there are a number of parasites which at-
tack the insects in their immature stages. Predators are often
specific to a particular variety of scale, so it's best to send samples
of the infection to insectiaries when buying them.
Scale can also be killed using a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.

[Gen]

Turtle how old were the clones that died. Did you have them under bright lights? Clones need weak light to develop roots, otherwise the plants use up all the sugars in the leaves and die a premature death. They only need water to gorw roots.

[turtle420]

Turtle how old were the clones that died. Did you have them under bright lights? Clones need weak light to develop roots, otherwise the plants use up all the sugars in the leaves and die a premature death. They only need water to gorw roots.

Hello Gen,

My clones where in...I had them in day 13 when I spotted them withered up and "dead". On day 12 was when I removed the "humidity dome".

LIGHTS: For the first 10 days of life, they had only ONE 43Watt CFL, comparable to a 200W incandescent. It wasn't directly on top of them, it was about 1 foot away.

The clones withered up, but they never said "I'm dead!", although I trully thought it. Anyways, because they had these little tiny roots, I placed them in a glass with water, little bit of SuperTHRIVE, and a air stone... let's see what happens... I'd be great if they survived... Wow... the will to live.
<<><><>>>>

BukDatAss! Thanks for the info bro, I haven't read it completely, but I'm printing it out so I can read it during the day.... damn bugs... arghhhh!

But thanks man, I'll keep you updated



-turtle420
.

[Gen]

Turtle, when did you first notice your clones turning yellow? That would of been the first sign, they're having trouble. If they don't stay healthy green, something is wrong. The clones keep them in low light and spray them with very weak ferts to give them some food. I use a few drops of liquid kelp and a couple drops of liquid soap for a wetting agent to a pint of water. Keep on feeding them and you may be able to save them. I have not had any nute burn yet. I feed my plants everytime I water them with very weak fertilizer. For the hydro plants I am using the lucas formula since the GH3 formula made the plants stretch alot in fours hours.

Someone said they had success with clones in a fogger. How are you managing the extra moisture? Maybe the nutrimist is for a much larger grow operation than the one you're currently running. Good luck.

[BukDatAss]

Whatsup with the BUGS did this help you a little bit?

[turtle420]

Whatsup with the BUGS did this help you a little bit?

Dude, I've been sooooo busy, I haven't had time.

HOPEFULLY, today I'll be able to cut my clones and start the actual grow. FINALLY!

I feel so left behind... EVERYBODY has budding plants... EVERYBODY planted fucking seeds and theirs are already 12/12. I'm not bitching in a please-help-me way... but fucking shit! This sucks man!

Will I EVER be able to smoke my own buds?! Sheeeeshhhh....

[Powder Puff]

NO!! YOU WILL FAIL OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND.. you get the point! :thumbsup:

You do know, THAT atitude will get you NOWHERE!

Just believe in you're self, and you're plants will grow!

Maybe cloning was a hard one to start with.. Just remember, you GOT them some roots! :thumbsup:

Just try over and over and over and over and over... You get the poin again...!

[turtle420]

NO!! YOU WILL FAIL OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND.. you get the point! :thumbsup:

You do know, THAT atitude will get you NOWHERE!

Just believe in you're self, and you're plants will grow!

Maybe cloning was a hard one to start with.. Just remember, you GOT them some roots! :thumbsup:

Just try over and over and over and over and over... You get the poin again...!

Thanks for the uplifting words pPuff... but don't worry, after +$4,000 invested, this plants WILL flower... Even if I have to stick GH nutes down their stems with a syringe.... I am NOT kidding... they WILL grow!

WUHUUU!!!!! Thanks pPuff,
In honor of your name, I will go now have a "Puff" of some good chronic I scored... and, completing your name, it will be a "Power Puff" !!!! LOL!!!!

Best pPuff,

-turtle420
.