It's my first time... be gentle ;)

[the ringmasta]

You've got it under control LTTG. Sticky traps near base of plant should take care of them. If it gets worse and they seem to multiply use a mild hydrogen peroxide solution, then water through with ph'ed water a couple times after that. Sorry bout the hair........those thing are ridiculously sticky though, I've learned my lesson and always wear gloves nowadays. Unless you use pumice soap, its even Tough to even wash off skin completely...

 

[bugman52]

Okay, so I am now 5.5 weeks in to 9 and 10 week strains, so I still have around 4 weeks to go, and I have noticed freakin' fungus gnats. There aren't hundreds or anything, but I don't want them to multiply to where I have a problem, and I don't particularly want to spray nasty crap on my halfway-there flowers.

Will one (or a few) of those hanging flying insect traps work? *Not* the kind with any chemicals, just a sticky-trap, the kind you tack up, and they are a coil of paper coated with super-sticky stuff? I know they are fungus gnats -- I have caught one and checked it out under 30x magnification. They are not winged root aphids.

GUARDIAN /LAWN PATROL micro worms just water in [hydro-gardens.com] I used them to get rid of thrips it works. yea sticky traps will work

 

[Rednick]

One effective tech in soil, if you can stomach it and be there, is to simply let the medium dry out, to the point of "if I don't water this NOW, the leaves are going to start curling." That forces the gnats off the fence, and makes them fly (hastens adulthood), then the sticky traps should get them, and your nuke policy on the medium will take out the kids.
Works well for Soil, Coco, rock wool...Mediums that can fully dry without killing the plant.
Perhaps you may be overwatering them a little, creating a more humid/moist environment, a la Pacific NW, that they tend to favor. Try waiting an extra day between waterings?

If you look into organic theory more, then you will find out your best defense is a strong microbial community as the nematodes feed on the larvae as they grow, thus stopping the life-cycle there of the infestation. Then the fungus traps the bad nematodes, the balance of life ensues, ect. ect.
Possible organic solutions: Beneficial nematodes, beneficial bacteria/fungus, Aerated compost tea,

A little Neem oil, diluted w/ tsp or less of dish soap (non anti-bacterial, DR Bronners is best), can be sprayed on the surface. It attacks the CNS of all those little buggers and won't affect the worms (as I've been told by PNW OrganoNazis), some even get neem seed and put it in their media.
A neem oil drench can be used, too. Plenty of thread on that and fungus gnats in general.

Mosquito dunks use BTI, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacillus_thuringiensis_israelensis, which depends on your interpretation of the plant uptake of it as opposed to it's more controversial use in GMO products where the plant actually PRODUCES it (and thus has studies showing harmful human toxicity).
However, B. Thuringiensis is found in good BB compositions, http://www.fungi.com/product-detail/product/mycogrow-soluble-1-lb.html.
I don't know the (if any substantial) difference between BT and BTI.

When you pull this down, you're going to want to do an extermination check. And pasteurize your medium (oven or water/steam bath), or you can use Imid or something to drench it. Just avoid the chemical type stuff in flower, and if you're doing organic, no Imid. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidacloprid
Or leave outside all winter to freeze (not really an option right now).

And sticky traps use Pyrethrins, so some people don't like those being near the buds...But on the floor should be find...If they are super-hippy they'll bitch about being 'able to see an invisible cloud of Pyrethrins' floating around. IMO as long as you're not sticking them to the bud, you'll be fine.

And if you use the 'search threads' function you'll be able to find plenty of people documenting their use of DE as a barrier for their containers.

You want to ask. How did I get them. What was the method of transmission of the pathogen? Usually either the soil or clones you buy. I got some in the Roots Soiless Mix. They can also 'hitchhike' being brought in by friends, but since they are fliers when exiting the medium, this is rarer than say Spider Mites hitchhiking.
Be careful when buying clones and soil. Many of the 'grow' soil companies are based out of N.Cal, S.OR where these little fuckers find ideal conditions, and may always be present in their soil to some degree, it's just when the balance gets out of check (which to me is always spring/summer when I hear the problems of gnats in FF or Roots). Then sometimes they sit in a contaminated place on the way to the store.

So when you find something you like, clone it. If you are going to be bringing in outside genetics, seeds won't carry pest/diseases. If you buy clones, quarantine them and nuke them (Imid, Merit, Eagle20...the works! It's like buying a cow from a finishing plant). Anytime you bring living material in, you potentially bring problems with it.

 

[latetothegame]

Perhaps you may be overwatering them a little, creating a more humid/moist environment, a la Pacific NW, that they tend to favor. Try waiting an extra day between waterings?
...
Be careful when buying clones and soil. Many of the 'grow' soil companies are based out of N.Cal, S.OR where these little fuckers find ideal conditions, and may always be present in their soil to some degree, it's just when the balance gets out of check (which to me is always spring/summer when I hear the problems of gnats in FF or Roots). Then sometimes they sit in a contaminated place on the way to the store.

Thanks Yeah, I am using a mix of FFOF and a local nursery's soil, so I am thinking maybe that is it. I know it isn't overwatering -- I let them go like 10 days between waterings, and I live in Colorado where it is super dry Actually, this time it was 12 days. I watered them last Monday, the 22nd, and then again today. They are small plants in 3 gal pots.

I'll panic if it gets worse, but right now, it isn't too bad. I had about 15 gnats on the sticky tape last I looked. They aren't all flying around in a cloud or anything, thank goodness!

 

[SirSteely]

I'll panic if it gets worse, but right now, it isn't too bad. I had about 15 gnats on the sticky tape last I looked. They aren't all flying around in a cloud or anything, thank goodness! [/QUOTE]

DONT PANIC! Those nasty FG wont eat your flowers. So no spraying of the flowers!!They will only effect yield at this late stage. Keep fresh sticky's and look into preventative measures on those little bastards for next time.Maybe even a micro screen for the open window? I had them bad in my 1st grow and since I started adding Mosquito Dunks crushed up into my soil mix, Ive not seen one in the 45 days my new garden has been up and running. I have them in my kitchen , but not in my growroom lol. Your ladies look great, wont be long now...

 

[kiwi_growa]

Thanks Yeah, I am using a mix of FFOF and a local nursery's soil, so I am thinking maybe that is it. I know it isn't overwatering -- I let them go like 10 days between waterings, and I live in Colorado where it is super dry Actually, this time it was 12 days. I watered them last Monday, the 22nd, and then again today. They are small plants in 3 gal pots.

I'll panic if it gets worse, but right now, it isn't too bad. I had about 15 gnats on the sticky tape last I looked. They aren't all flying around in a cloud or anything, thank goodness!

Hey LTTG, How are ya??

They're looking so great! Sorry to hear about the gnats, i think it is too late into flowering for them to really take hold and destroy your crop though so wouldn't panic too much.

Can't wait for more pics,

 

[bugman52]

your far enough in bud they want hurt that much, just keep sticky traps in there

 

[Rednick]

Best method for determining need to water, since plants don't always drink X gals per day, is to physically lift up the container. Do that every day and you'll get a feel for how the environment and stage affects their uptake. A pot that looks dry on top may still be 2/3 full, and you won't know unless you lift it up and let gravity act on mass. That little trick makes all the difference when starting out. Many people say "Fuck it! I'm lazy and I can eye that shit....Here let me stick my finger down there." And year after year, they over/under water...And because they think they are watering right, they start to blame their problems on: pH, pests, deficiencies....Which can look similar to a water-stressed plant. $0.02 I'm aware of that arid-ass desert you live in

I was just giving an overview of FG control/lifecycle.

At this point just keep the stickies around and monitor the media saturation.
I only offered spraying neem on the soil surface as an alt to DE, incase you had one not the other, as the fliers will lay their eggs on the soil surface (or just under), preferably near algae deposits (more common in Rockwool than soil) [food source].
They won't kill a crop like other pests, but easily have reduced yields by half in sizable infestations.
Name of the game is control at this point.
It could have come from the FFOF, or the clones, or elsewhere???...Both are common vectors of pathogens.

 

[latetothegame]

Yeah, I do lift the pots and water when they are light. It is usually 10-12 days between waterings for mine, more often when they were in teeny pots in veg. I see people on here in places much more humid than CO who say they are watering every other day, and I am kinda baffled by that, but eh... maybe their plants are in smaller pots, or are water hogs, or some other variable. I will stick to when it is dry

The sticky trap had about 25 gnats on it today, and I didn't see ANY walking on the dirt or flying around, so I am hoping I got most/all of the adults. As for the larvae... not much I am going to do about it at nearly 6 weeks into flower. Will just deal.

I am just thrilled that I haven't killed them yet, and that while they are tiny, they are, overall, pretty healthy! Great color, haven't had any nutrient/pH issues, and my environment is probably the most ghetto of grows on here. Heh

 

[Jhhnn]

Yeah, I do lift the pots and water when they are light. It is usually 10-12 days between waterings for mine, more often when they were in teeny pots in veg. I see people on here in places much more humid than CO who say they are watering every other day, and I am kinda baffled by that, but eh... maybe their plants are in smaller pots, or are water hogs, or some other variable. I will stick to when it is dry

The sticky trap had about 25 gnats on it today, and I didn't see ANY walking on the dirt or flying around, so I am hoping I got most/all of the adults. As for the larvae... not much I am going to do about it at nearly 6 weeks into flower. Will just deal.

I am just thrilled that I haven't killed them yet, and that while they are tiny, they are, overall, pretty healthy! Great color, haven't had any nutrient/pH issues, and my environment is probably the most ghetto of grows on here. Heh

I do the same thing with the pots. Having gotten the feel of it, I can catch the girls before they get dry & droopy. I might get slightly higher yield with more even moisture, but that's not an issue for strictly household consumption using a 1000W HPS. There's plenty.

I suspect that overwatering has killed more plants than anything else.

 

[Rednick]

Yeah, I do lift the pots and water when they are light. It is usually 10-12 days between waterings for mine, more often when they were in teeny pots in veg. I see people on here in places much more humid than CO who say they are watering every other day, and I am kinda baffled by that, but eh... maybe their plants are in smaller pots, or are water hogs, or some other variable. I will stick to when it is dry

Don't ever want them totally dry, unless forcing the fliers out. Otherwise a root will want to be moist, but not saturated, it is the play between aeration and nutrition. Each strain is a little different.

The reason others are watering more is in relation to size of pot, environment and size/type of plant. For the size of plants you are running you have a more than sufficient pot size. They can transpire a lot in a hot dry environment, and if you use smartpots in CO they dry out from media exposure too.
Add a couple kW, temps in the low 80's and some 400 cfm fans, things dry out quickly

The sticky trap had about 25 gnats on it today, and I didn't see ANY walking on the dirt or flying around, so I am hoping I got most/all of the adults. As for the larvae... not much I am going to do about it at nearly 6 weeks into flower. Will just deal.

All you really can to is some Aerated Compost Teas, EWC teas, beneficial bacteria teas....All you can do is add biology, incase they somehow got killed and that is what allowed larvae lying in wait to bust out. Unless you're nuking the media after chop, then no need to spend money on bacteria/fungi if they are just going to get killed later.
If you can afford to lay down new traps every so often, then you get a feel for how the numbers are growing. Keep an eye out for other things they can infest; house plants, standing water, other clones, ect...

I am just thrilled that I haven't killed them yet, and that while they are tiny, they are, overall, pretty healthy! Great color, haven't had any nutrient/pH issues, and my environment is probably the most ghetto of grows on here. Heh

I think only difference with my first setup was I used a 250w hps floodlight from Home Depot.

 

[latetothegame]

You guys are so awesome It makes me happy to see other folks who are interested in the science behind everything, rather than the stereotypical "duuuuuuuuude" stoners. Hehehe.

No new gnats today (I put up a new strip. They were 5/$1, so... yeah).

I bought some stakes for the ladies. They are upright now, and now it's wait time. The last time I watered (what... 2 days ago?), I fed them. Wondering if I should do one more feeding, or just go with pHed water from here out. It'll be 6 weeks tomorrow, the next time I water, they will likely be 7 weeks. CD4 is generally a 10 week strain, and I was recently told the LP goes 9 weeks, though I have my doubts with the amount of pistils that have already changed. I keep my eye on the trichomes on that one...

Opinions on flush? Should I just start with regular pHed water next time, or do one more feeding? Oh, if it matters, I am going to try to re-veg the LP after harvest (MAYBE the CD4, but doubtful...)

 

[Jhhnn]

You guys are so awesome It makes me happy to see other folks who are interested in the science behind everything, rather than the stereotypical "duuuuuuuuude" stoners. Hehehe.

No new gnats today (I put up a new strip. They were 5/$1, so... yeah).

I bought some stakes for the ladies. They are upright now, and now it's wait time. The last time I watered (what... 2 days ago?), I fed them. Wondering if I should do one more feeding, or just go with pHed water from here out. It'll be 6 weeks tomorrow, the next time I water, they will likely be 7 weeks. CD4 is generally a 10 week strain, and I was recently told the LP goes 9 weeks, though I have my doubts with the amount of pistils that have already changed. I keep my eye on the trichomes on that one...

Opinions on flush? Should I just start with regular pHed water next time, or do one more feeding? Oh, if it matters, I am going to try to re-veg the LP after harvest (MAYBE the CD4, but doubtful...)

Not that I'm terribly experienced, but I quit feeding ~2 weeks before the anticipated harvest.

I did an experiment on the last batch with flushing- flushed half of 'em ~1 week before harvest. In organic soil, there was no detectable difference with the ones that weren't flushed. I let 'em get pretty dry for harvest, but not droopy. Should theoretically reduce drying time.

YMMV, and hydro is apparently a different story.

 

[latetothegame]

I am excited. I may be throwing my six-week photos up tonight They will be six weeks into flower tomorrow, but a friend is over here taking pictures of the ladies tonight using a regular camera with a tripod! Should (hopefully?) be much better than my cell phone photos.

 

[latetothegame]

Five weeks, 6.5 days

Five weeks, 6.5 days

A friend of mine came over tonight, and took some photos. So... I did the pictures a half day shy of 6 weeks. BTW... I hate my stupid cat. There were a bunch of great pictures where I can see his hairs in the buds... Anyway, here are a few photos:



Lemon Pie and Chemdawg 4 (I know I should have moved the other light. Forgot...)


Top bud of Ms. LP


Top bud of Ms. CD4


I *think* this is the CD4... closeup of a lower bud.


I cannot tell if these trichomes are becoming cloudy, or if it is the photo... this is the LP.

 

[kiwi_growa]

My Lord those girls have really taken off! FUCK what awesome resin production. Blown away, i find it hard to believe it's your first grow. Really lucky you were gifted such nice strains as that was something that held me back for a while was getting a hold of really nice strains when i first started. The Top bud of Ms. LP is looking remarkable, stunning. Looking really nice for week 6 LTTG, thanks for sharing.

 

[SirSteely]

I cannot tell if these trichomes are becoming cloudy, or if it is the photo... this is the LP.

Great pictures! Friend did a good job on the pics and your skills as novice grower are shining through. Im voting a high percentage of those trichs are cloudy.

 

[Rednick]

The Force is strong with this one.

Generally peak two weeks before the flush, tail it down to mid bloom one week before.
Flushing depends on media, nutes used, ect...In organics you can have everything in the soil and just add water the entire grow. Good stuff.
Since soil take longer to dry, and they aren't draining their containers very quickly, you could do a two week flush. Hydro usually 4 days to a week.
If the plant starts feeding off the fan leaves, then it's draining good...but depending on how much is organic still in the soil, it could continue to feed them (not a problem) while you flush out the salts...
Since you have so few, you could even take them to the tub and run 2x their volume of water through them (considered by many a 'true flush').
You are just trying to help the plant rid itself of any salts in the fert from ruining the taste of the bud and making it salty, more a problem in hydro.

And you'll need a mag (jeweler's loop, ect.) to tell if the trichs are what.

 

[bugman52]

Great pictures! Im voting a high percentage of those trichs are cloudy.

that's what I saw & a few amber.looking very nice

 

[latetothegame]

So I take it I should be chopping LP soonish??

BTW, here's one more photo. I took this one this morning with my phone. Heh...