How to avoid soil pests?

[420ponics]

I'm normally a hydro person. I didn't complete my last grow which was actually soil because the plants became infested with spidermites. I got aggravated and threw them out not worrying about neem oil or the like. Anyway, I am starting some girls off on the inside, and then plan to move them outside after they get to be pretty large. I'll plant them in the ground after removing them from their pots. How can I be more certain that I won't have any pests on my plants while inside...AND...outside? What soils should I use? What is less likely to have pests in it? What about heating my soil in the oven and baking it? Would that kill off the nutrients or do what I would hope and just kill off the parisites? Thanks!

Ponics

 

[Guest]

No disrspect to above post, but there are much safer ways to go about this. First, if you want to get rid of pests inside the actual soil then go any garden store or hardware store and buy Benefical Nemotodes (sp?) they will create beneficial organisms that will eat any of the bad stuff. For a foilage spray, I use Bio-Neem, not Neem Oil, Bio-Neem has the active ingredient in it which gives it a little more punch then regular neem. Make sure to where a mask and gloves, the Bio-neem has a strong scent and cause mild irritation. Do the Bio-neem once a week while problems persist and the nemotodes once and only again if the problem doesnt go away. I have grown outdoors alot and this always works for me. good luck with your grow. peace DJ Highst

 

[420ponics]

Thanks guys, any other input would be appreaciated. Especially when it comes to soil pests such as spidermites.

Ponics.

 

[socker1314]

Is it fairly easy to get pests using standard soil you find outside? I'm thinking about using 5 gallon containers to plant my 15-25 plants and use an old corn/bean field's soil for my potting soil. How well would you guys suspect that soil would work if it's been switched from corn to beans every othe ryear for the past 10-20 years?

 

[JJScorpio]

The spidermites are what I was talking about. You can start on a neem oil regiment and be proactive before any problems start. I dont have many problems with them so I just use a no pest strip when they appear. A few days and they are gone and I give it a few more to get rid of any that may have hatched. The neem oil works by killing the eggs and is a very good method of getting rid of them.....

 

[pipeline]

At the end of the season, uproot the plants and try to pull as many roots out of the soil as possible. Roots as well as any plant material left all fall and winter will offer a place for some cannabis pathogens to live.

The more plant material left behind, the more pathogen spores there are to try and infect your young plants the next spring.

 

[pipeline]

Mycorrhizae fungi is fungus that forms a symbiosis with plant roots. The fungus grows into and between root cells, and completely surrounds roots once established. Mycorrhizae grow out into the soil while remaining around the root and provide more surface area for water and nutrient uptake.

Because the fungus totally surrounds the roots, it forms a barrier against attack by pathogens and some other pests. This benefit is provided the cost of low amounts of sugars provided by the plant.

Nematodes are pests, I dont know about beneficial nematodes.

 

[Guest]

any good grow book or garden store will tell you about all the positives that beneficial nemetodes will bring to your garden. I had a problem with cut worms in my backyard grow and BN helped greatly.