~Anything Outdoors 2021~World Wide~

[Shcrews]

Have you tried adding neem flour to the substrate from the beginning? Or adding it with watering?
It can be used for almost the whole cycle, and its effects are longer lasting than neem oil for spraying.
(I seem to remember that maybe I already told you about it last year in your thread...)

Salud.

I have amended our soil with neem meal in the past but stopped after I heard it can have a negative effect on soil microbes or something along those lines. How much does it help with russets?

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

Neem meal in the soil does absolutely nothing for russet mites. Diatomaceous earth dust baths or spraying sulphur are the two things I've seen prevent or get rid of russet mites.

 

[Montuno]

I have amended our soil with neem meal in the past but stopped after I heard it can have a negative effect on soil microbes or something along those lines. How much does it help with russets?

Neem meal in the soil does absolutely nothing for russet mites. Diatomaceous earth dust baths or spraying sulphur are the two things I've seen prevent or get rid of russet mites.

I live in a climate (red mites paradise) I think is similar to that of Screws, but with the difference that I mainly grow tropical sativas that are blooming on the ground until late November or even mid-January. Red mites (apart from butterfly caterpillars) are my main pest, and I only and exclusively fight them with neem flour dissolved in the soil: untreated plants like this end up turned into a pure web of red dots; those fertilized with neem flour ... you can see them totally healthy and intact in ICMag, as long as Gypsy doesn't expel me for "messing up his henhouse", heh ...

Neem meal in the substrate has a slower initial effect than oil spray; but once the plant absorbs it through the roots, the effect of neem becomes systematic and much more lasting; that is why we use it so much here, because it is much cheaper than oil and it protects the plant even when the flowering period advises against spraying oil.

Some people think (since neem flour also acts against fungi and root pathogens) that neem could damage the mycorrhizal process (I don't know if there is scientific evidence), so they first add mycorrhizae to the plant in a small pot, and after a while, they transplant to the substrate fertilised with neem.

I prefer to put a good part of the mixed flour, from the beginning of the crop, in the substrate. Then, I can add it to the watering as needed.

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

I live in a climate (red mites paradise) I think is similar to that of Screws, but with the difference that I mainly grow tropical sativas that are blooming on the ground until late November or even mid-January. Red mites (apart from butterfly caterpillars) are my main pest, and I only and exclusively fight them with neem flour dissolved in the soil: untreated plants like this end up turned into a pure web of red dots; those fertilized with neem flour ... you can see them totally healthy and intact in ICMag, as long as Gypsy doesn't expel me for "messing up his henhouse", heh ...

Neem meal in the substrate has a slower initial effect than oil spray; but once the plant absorbs it through the roots, the effect of neem becomes systematic and much more lasting; that is why we use it so much here, because it is much cheaper than oil and it protects the plant even when the flowering period advises against spraying oil.

Some people think (since neem flour also acts against fungi and root pathogens) that neem could damage the mycorrhizal process (I don't know if there is scientific evidence), so they first add mycorrhizae to the plant in a small pot, and after a while, they transplant to the substrate fertilised with neem.

I prefer to put a good part of the mixed flour, from the beginning of the crop, in the substrate. Then, I can add it to the watering as needed.

That red mite sounds like a different type of mite than the russet mite we get here, our local russet mite here doesn't respond to neem in soil at all as far as what I've seen, our russet mites don't make webs either and the individual bugs are too small to see, most of what you see of the russet mites is the symptoms in your plant's leaves.

 

[Montuno]

PDX: If you let the pest advance for long enough, you will see how the silk to protect the cocoons from their offspring will cover the whole plant.
I think we are talking about the same thing: a mite instead of a real spider. Pictures from the internet:

 

[Shcrews]

I think we are talking about the same thing: a mite instead of a real spider.

russet mites are different, they are microscopic and don't make webs. They really became a problem in California around 2014, first time I saw them was 2017 and we've been dealing with them every year since then. They are a plague, They can decimate an entire garden very quickly.

 

[moses wellfleet]

Are the symptoms similar to broad mites, although they dont look similar?

 

[KiefRichards]

russet mites are different, they are microscopic and don't make webs. They really became a problem in California around 2014, first time I saw them was 2017 and we've been dealing with them every year since then. They are a plague, They can decimate an entire garden very quickly.

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Is it you garden picture? Bad mites indeed.

 

[40degsouth]

Hi everyone, l hope you’re all well.
Montuno, l do not believe these mites are the same. What you have posted and describing, is commonly called, in english, a spider mite. Russet mites are a totally different bug.
I believe they would be in the same genus but are a totally different species. They both suck nutrients out of their victims, therefore they are described as a bug not an insect.
I do not get russets here, yet but l do get spider mites that were introduced to control gorse.......that didn’t work by the way....idiots.
I believe it’s only a matter of time before they do make there way around the globe on travellers clothing or imported plant material. They are hardy, invisible to the naked eye and from my reading, will decimate an entire cannabis crop before you even realise what’s going on.
BTW Montuno, really enjoyed your updates of the King Congos this year; it was something l looked forward to every day
Cheers,
40

 

[Montuno]

Yes, 40° South. I noticed it with the Screws photo, because of the size of the adult bug.
But my translator translates it as "red spider" or "red mite" anyway...

It also tells me that in your area red spiders (red mites) were introduced to control the "gorse" (= "aulaga" aka "abulaga" aka "genista" plant)... Is this possible or another translation error? Because I thought that the "abulaga" or "genista" was a plant exclusive to the Mediterranean area (Spain and Morocco, mainly), and non-existent in the Southern hemisphere...
If it is the same as our "abulaga" or "genista"... How did it reach your area and become a plague? (I don't know if you are in Argentina-Chile, Australia-New Zealand, or South Africa).

Cheers!
Pd: plants of "abulaga" aka "genista" on the top of my hill :

 

[theJointedOne]

Getting things together for this years full term. Seeds will be popped in a week. Switching up pot sizes this year from 100 to 200's, so have to plan and space accordingly. Getting my amendment list together and inoculants as well.

 

[redlaser]

Yes, 40° South. I noticed it with the Screws photo, because of the size of the adult bug.
But my translator translates it as "red spider" or "red mite" anyway...

It also tells me that in your area red spiders (red mites) were introduced to control the "gorse" (= "aulaga" aka "abulaga" aka "genista" plant)... Is this possible or another translation error? Because I thought that the "abulaga" or "genista" was a plant exclusive to the Mediterranean area (Spain and Morocco, mainly), and non-existent in the Southern hemisphere...
If it is the same as our "abulaga" or "genista"... How did it reach your area and become a plague? (I don't know if you are in Argentina-Chile, Australia-New Zealand, or South Africa).

Cheers!
Pd: plants of "abulaga" aka "genista" on the top of my hill :

Yes, 40° South. I noticed it with the Screws photo, because of the size of the adult bug.
But my translator translates it as "red spider" or "red mite" anyway...

It also tells me that in your area red spiders (red mites) were introduced to control the "abulaga" aka "genista" plant... Is this possible or another translation error? Because I thought that the "abulaga" or "genista" was a plant exclusive to the Mediterranean area (Spain and Morocco, mainly), and non-existent in the Southern hemisphere...
If it is the same as our "abulaga" or "genista"... How did it reach your area and become a plague? (I don't know if you are in South America, Australia-New Zealand, or South Africa).

Cheers!
Pd: plants of "abulaga" aka "genista" on the top of my hill :

View Image

View Image

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Hey Montuno,
I don’t think there is a genista plant growing wild in California, although it’s possible. There is a relative also in the legume family called scotch broom, which looks similar to your pics although yours look maintained to a specific area. It looks like non blooming smaller plants behind your dog. (Cytisus scoparius) Scotch broom is non native here, considered invasive because it chokes out natives.

As far as mites introduced for plant control, there is a program in California using mites but it’s focus is the control of bindweed. The mite is Aceria malherbae.

Scotch broom removal in fall/winter months. In spring it looks a lot like your pics. Your pics look a lot like forsythia as well, one of the first to bloom in spring.
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[40degsouth]

Hi everyone,
Montuno, a translator.....that’s very cosmopolitan of you....l must admit when l looked up the plant you mentioned Google gave me many images with Spanish text, so l could of done with a translator myself. The photos were a bit ambiguous and undiscernible.
As Redlaser mentioned, my first thoughts of your photos were that the plant is a broom but gorse is in the same family, being a legume; they are both rated as noxious weeds. The flowers and seed pods look the same but the major difference is that gorse is extremely spiky and is virtually impenetrable. There wouldn’t be many young, keen growers here who haven’t tunnelled into and cleared out a patch for a few plants in a thicket of gorse though.
It was bought here as a hedging plant to keep stock in their paddock and is now spread by birds. I believe the seed is viable, in the ground, for around 80 years, from memory, please correct me if I’m wrong.
Cheers,
40

 

[star crash]

Still Winter here in the Northeast!

 

[therevverend]

But my translator translates it as "red spider" or "red mite" anyway...

Those are red spider mites, we have them here too. They're usually not a problem unless surrounding vegetation dies and they migrate in mass onto a cannabis plant. I'm sure they're worse for you then for me because you're climate is more arid. In our arid region east of the mountains there's a worse type of spider mite, I call them tiger mites because they have stripes. I brought them back on a clone for my first grow and they wiped me out 6 months later because I didn't know how to get rid of them. As bad as the spider mites can be those russet mites are horrible. I have nightmares of them spreading to my area, I avoid other people's clones for that reason.

The best thing for spider mites and a lot of other pests are beneficials. Here's a link to a PDF put out by Washington state university that lists the ones you find in the PNW of the USA. It's free to download. Even if you're on the other side of the world it's worth looking at because many or most of the species are cosmopolitan or have close relatives on the other side of the pond. If they aren't native there's a good chance they've invaded your area.

https://pubs.extension.wsu.edu/bene...nd-how-to-get-them-to-stay-home-garden-series

One take away is that there are beneficial stink bugs. I've always been suspicious of those guys but all our native stink bugs were beneficial until the Asian stink bug invaded a few years ago. Now I'm going to have to identify each one I find and give out some death sentences which I almost never have to do.

I also found this paragraph to be very important.

Harmful insects are represented by the few planteaters (such as mites, aphids, and tent caterpillars)
that congregate and feed, or occur in large numbers
(thrips). Most plant-eating insects and mites occur
at low densities and cause minimal damage, so they
can often be tolerated in the garden. For example,
the caterpillars of many moth and butterfly species
usually occur at low densities, and their feeding damage is usually negligible (except for that of mature
larvae of some large moths, like hawk moths). These
low-impact herbivores not only improve landscape
diversity, but serve a valuable role in the garden
as sustenance for carnivorous insects that will be
needed when infestations of high-impact plant feeders occur.

As a ganja grower I've been taught to fear caterpillars and their kin because of the damage they can do to buds and because of their sap sucking. I didn't realize many of them were beneficial and they prefer to eat mites, thrips, and aphids. Of course I won't tolerate them burrowing into my flowers but in Veg I'll pay attention to what they're up to and not immediately evict them to the blackberry bushes.

There is a relative also in the legume family called scotch broom, which looks similar to your pics although yours look maintained to a specific area. It looks like non blooming smaller plants behind your dog. (Cytisus scoparius) Scotch broom is non native here, considered invasive because it chokes out natives.

Scotch broom is nasty in Washington state, it grows in any open space that dries out in the summer. Last year I spotted some growing in Mt Rainier National Park along the Carbon River in a primeval rainforest setting. At least you can eat the Caucasian blackberries.

 

[St. Phatty]

Scotch broom removal in fall/winter months. In spring it looks a lot like your pics. Your pics look a lot like forsythia as well, one of the first to bloom in spring.
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When I first bought my land, I tried composting a bunch of the Scotch Broom.

it didn't go so bad, it just took a long time.

Now I remove them selectively. They come in real handy if you want to put up a deer fence for a fruit tree.

And if you want to keep them from spreading ... just cut the branches with the seeds.

Also, if you cut them up into pieces, the birds will eat them.


Because they are so flammable, I would not be surprised if they end up being a fuel component in 100 years. Or if one of the oil producing nations plants hundreds of square miles of them, in the desert.

I found one college paper about doing just that, though it may have been with Gorse.

 

[Sid the sloth]

I'm mostly running autos rgsc and urban legends gonna grab some semi autos of rgsc for a later harvest can't wait to try urban legends

 

[star crash]

Thinking of an early light deprivation scheme on my new property (plants in mobile containers)

 

[PDX Dopesmoker]

We were under about 8" of snow and ice a little over a week ago, but its pretty much all melted now.

The autoflower sprouts in that container look like they survived

This Jillybean male was coated in ice and chilled down to 24ºF and looks mostly dead…

…but the tip righted itself so I guess its not all dead yet. It was standing up straight before the snow storm.

One of these semi-auto males survived and one didn't, interesting information

In other news I found a pot plant sprouting amongst my kale plants and I don't know what kind of pot plant it is, but I might find out eventually.

 

[redlaser]

When I first bought my land, I tried composting a bunch of the Scotch Broom.

it didn't go so bad, it just took a long time.

Now I remove them selectively. They come in real handy if you want to put up a deer fence for a fruit tree.

And if you want to keep them from spreading ... just cut the branches with the seeds.

Also, if you cut them up into pieces, the birds will eat them.


Because they are so flammable, I would not be surprised if they end up being a fuel component in 100 years. Or if one of the oil producing nations plants hundreds of square miles of them, in the desert.

I found one college paper about doing just that, though it may have been with Gorse.

I use to have one in the front yard, must have been 8 or more years old. Had an almost 3-4 inch trunk at the base, pruned it in a vase shape. Came with the property. Eventually cut it down after getting tired of killing all its offspring. Will be killing those for years to come. It’s one of those plants that expels it’s seeds when ripe, you can hear the cracking and the seed goes flying, happens in direct sun when it’s warm.
Uprooting is recommended although glyphosate is used on large areas a lot around here, still is in a lot of open areas and spreading into forest.
Have heard it really is flammable but never burned it yet.
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