Companion Planting for pest and disease managment.

[thylacinelives]

Hi all.
I'm broken, just had to rip up my whole grow owing to spider mites and leaf septoria. Now I have a bunch of seedy plants I am trying to figure out how to dispose of without attracting any attention, I have a worm farm but that would take them a month of Sundays to eat them all! Suggestions?

Also I have been reading about companion planting and wondering if anyone has tried growing other plants in your tent? i.e.: lavender, basil, anything to deter the little blighters. I have seen clover seeds used in the pots with the girls, (cali green grow) and thought of growing some herbs in the tent, separate pots of course. May as well make the most of the grow and get other benefits!

What have been your "go to" for companions in your tent to ward off pests n diseases? And do they grow well in a tent?

 

[HGO]

Hi all.
I'm broken, just had to rip up my whole grow owing to spider mites and leaf septoria. Now I have a bunch of seedy plants I am trying to figure out how to dispose of without attracting any attention, I have a worm farm but that would take them a month of Sundays to eat them all! Suggestions?

Also I have been reading about companion planting and wondering if anyone has tried growing other plants in your tent? i.e.: lavender, basil, anything to deter the little blighters. I have seen clover seeds used in the pots with the girls, (cali green grow) and thought of growing some herbs in the tent, separate pots of course. May as well make the most of the grow and get other benefits!

What have been your "go to" for companions in your tent to ward off pests n diseases? And do they grow well in a tent?

Marigolds can help deter pests and nematodes
Coriander , Basil and Mint can all benefit your canna too .
I've grown all of them alongside plants and had no pest problems
but keeping the tent clean is a MUST as well as Not bringing things from outside into your Tent without cleaning/sterilizing first .

 

[Sugar]

Marigolds can help deter pests and nematodes
Coriander , Basil and Mint can all benefit your canna too .
I've grown all of them alongside plants and had no pest problems
but keeping the tent clean is a MUST as well as Not bringing things from outside into your Tent without cleaning/sterilizing first .

good ones HGO and may I add Garlic to the mix although they grow tall leaves needing securing around a stake or similar.

 

[Gazza]

Spring onions are good deterrents or chives too, rosemary and lavender, heaps of beneficial plants to choose from, shame you ripped it, you should of persisted treating it all well always another season.

 

[Pedro de pacas]

How did ya get "seedy" plants from spider mites and leaf septoria ??

 

[Madmick]

Yeah , I didn't want to go there

 

[frankreynolds]

Indoors, you want to focus on having a clean environment and bringing in nothing. At best you can use a companion plant as a warning sign, but you can use yellow sticky traps the same way.

 

[thylacinelives]

Marigolds can help deter pests and nematodes
Coriander , Basil and Mint can all benefit your canna too .
I've grown all of them alongside plants and had no pest problems
but keeping the tent clean is a MUST as well as Not bringing things from outside into your Tent without cleaning/sterilizing first .

Thanks, I know about marigold as it is my birth flower, I mainly want to know if companion plants grow well in a tent environment. I figure if I can grow edibles in there and it will deter those horrid little critters then IA m all up for it.

My tent is spotless but I got some tomatoes I grew and that now has similar to what my girls had (leaf septoria) so I have brought it into the tent not thinking - A painful lesson indeed! :-(

 

[thylacinelives]

How did ya get "seedy" plants from spider mites and leaf septoria ??

Weeeelll, I had some week old seedlings I had feminised and planted in my small clone tent and the bloody cat jumped up and knocked the whole tent over spilling the dirt, seeds and tags everywhere so I spent 1/2 an hour sorting through the soil and re planting - that is the only things I can think of that has shocked them enough to hermie, (These were the only ones) then the mites probably spread the fungus everywhere. The fact that L. Spetoria, only seems to rear its head in the flower phase I had not seen any signs until then. Lower leaves starting to yellow and go limp, then dropping, rusty spots etc. I first thought it was a N, deficiency so the poor buggas got o/d's with N. What got me concerned was it got worse just after watering, showing big rust spots, more yellowing and dropping etc.

I have a few girls in veg that I have been spraying with a bi carb/neem oil mix in hope this will control both issues while they are in veg. I have also made use of mulch to lower chance of splashing the leaves during watering.

 

[thylacinelives]

Indoors, you want to focus on having a clean environment and bringing in nothing. At best you can use a companion plant as a warning sign, but you can use yellow sticky traps the same way.

It was clean as in tidy but it is the thing you don't see you need to be aware of. I have well and truly learnt to change clothes, wash hands, etc before going anywhere near the girls after working in the veg patch. for them to be that bad it has been there for awhile.

 

[vostok]

Hi all.
I'm broken, just had to rip up my whole grow owing to spider mites and leaf septoria. Now I have a bunch of seedy plants I am trying to figure out how to dispose of without attracting any attention, I have a worm farm but that would take them a month of Sundays to eat them all! Suggestions?

Also I have been reading about companion planting and wondering if anyone has tried growing other plants in your tent? i.e.: lavender, basil, anything to deter the little blighters. I have seen clover seeds used in the pots with the girls, (cali green grow) and thought of growing some herbs in the tent, separate pots of course. May as well make the most of the grow and get other benefits!

What have been your "go to" for companions in your tent to ward off pests n diseases? And do they grow well in a tent?

if ever I get into your situation I extract the plant at least once per week and check each plant then water and spray down with neem oil if required
I should think neem applied here would have saved you in time from septoria, tho something heavier is required for the spider mites
last I had them was years back when Malethion was all the rage ...now banned (I hope)

I now grow tiny tomatoes in my grow room along with the girls, the toms grow quick are eaten faster but are used by me as in indicator of the whole situation as these interbreed tomatoes are so weak/shitty they will fold before my weed does thats the theory and has worked many years with many asking how I got tomatoes in winter..lol
most tomatoes are day neutral too

I also have a huge home garden full of Marigolds - Gerainumns etc all repeal pests

good luck

 

[thylacinelives]

I now grow tiny tomatoes in my grow room along with the girls, the toms grow quick are eaten faster but are used by me as in indicator of the whole situation as these interbreed tomatoes are so weak/shitty they will fold before my weed does thats the theory and has worked many years with many asking how I got tomatoes in winter..lol
most tomatoes are day neutral too

I also have a huge home garden full of Marigolds - Gerainumns etc all repeal pests

good luck

Thanks~ I thought about doing similar and with Chilli, and basil, and lavender (a deterrent). I guess all we can do is deter the little blighters!
PS: tomatoes day neutral meaning they don't care when you fil them or they just grow regardless?

Just put the Black Sugar and Critical Orange Punch clones. Some are still a little yellow but after a nice feed they should be OK.

 

[vostok]

Hey thanks for the thread ...as I remembered I left my book with a mate but I've found a link that will make many members happy https://hpfb.org/uploads/companionplanting.pdf

cheers

 

[itchybro]

types of companion planting , Trap Plants : A trap crop is a plant that attracts agricultural pests, usually insects, away from nearby crops. This form of companion planting can save the main crop from decimation by pests without the use of pesticides , ( bean plants for 2 spotted spider mite ) ( trap plants = used more as early detection plants )
or
Banker Plants : A banker plant is a non-crop plant that provides alternative food (such as pollen) and/or prey for the rearing and release of biological controls. Banker plants are designed so that natural enemies can reproduce and survive even when pests' populations are low. https://www.nurserymag.com/article/banker-plant-beneficial-insect-system/#:~:text=Predatory mites&text=Banker plants used in these,movement among infested crop plants.

diversity is the way to go imo , all plants attract organisms to root systems ( like mycorrhizal fungi ) , being able to transplant seedlings into an already well populated soil can have a positive effect on the transplant
research has shown in " Normal " conditions beneficial's will outcompete pests or pathogens trying to mussel in on there food supply , however the moment " Normal " becomes abnormal ( over / under water ) the protection beneficial organisms supply starts to breakdown & there effectiveness is diminished

some good suggestions here but like any plant you grow if it isn't healthy it will attract pest & disease to your grow environment , if a grower has problems keeping one kind of plant healthy how is the same grower going to keep multiple plants healthy , if you have multiple plants unhealthy then more pest & pathogens are more likely to be attracted to easier immune compromised targets

imho water is so important to plant health via improved soil health , on the other side of the coin , the soil drenching use of bottled nutrients organic or not has a detrimental effect on plant health , the only way to find out for your self is to ditch the bottles & have a go without them , until you try it for yourself you'll keep believing nutrient companies rhetoric , Your Plant Will Die Unless You Buy , well maybe not die but will do much better if you spend money

indoor environments add a complexity to growing , from temp & humidity swings to pot size used to a decreased soil food web , there is no magic bullet here just a need for a vigilant grower

 

[frankreynolds]

Actually itchy a big thing with insects is they identify through shapes and colours. Why some flowers have what are essentially runways made from colours for bees for example.

A big thing with companion planting outdoors is you are actually confusing the insects with different shaped leaves and flowers or fruits etc. Mixing plant height as well works.

im not touching the water aspect. hehe

 

[Pedro de pacas]

I companion plant with Cannabis plants

 

[itchybro]

Actually itchy a big thing with insects is they identify through shapes and colours. Why some flowers have what are essentially runways made from colours for bees for example.

A big thing with companion planting outdoors is you are actually confusing the insects with different shaped leaves and flowers or fruits etc. Mixing plant height as well works.

im not touching the water aspect. hehe

hey there frank
you reckon pest insects only identify through shape & colour regardless of a host plants health , or smell , or taste , or even the weather
if it's the right shape &/or colour to the right bug , it's having that plant & inviting it's friends , every plant , if found gets attacked ?

i'm into the thinking insect pests are "natures garbage collectors" ( not my term ) , they find plants , via cues mentioned above including visual cues , that are struggling for one reason or another , & remove them out of the gene pool b4 getting a chance to pass on any possible defective genetics (the reason why it's struggling) , it may be that just suits my way of thinking or narrative as they say these days
i reckon the healthier a plant grows the more it will protect itself , not to mention healthy plant flow on effects of , increased yields , enhanced taste , terpene & cannabinoide profile

as far as water go's i'm referring to the old thinking of watering with wet / dry periods & the million times different result you get when using a blumat system to supply the water needs to a plant , the main difference is the soil biology , in the wet dry period watering method , the soil life is mostly gone or never started , the first dry period you get to , with a blumat system the plant is in charge of when water is supplied , the plant never has to wait for water , the soil life has a perfectly moist environment to thrive & stay active , also lets fungal colonies form , they take a little longer to get up & going in a first use pot & soil mix

I companion plant with Cannabis plants

yep that can work , it's sort of taking a few steps away from monocropping ,
potatoes are native to Peru i think , from memory they used the same Pedro thinking
planting all kinds of potatoes in there fields together , to be sorted into there different kinds after
harvest
the thinking being one kind of potato might more susceptible to a pathogen while another was resistant
by planting together they protect each other , i think that's how the story go's or i'm talkin complete tish

 

[frankreynolds]

hey there frank
you reckon pest insects only identify through shape & colour regardless of a host plants health , or smell , or taste , or even the weather
if it's the right shape &/or colour to the right bug , it's having that plant & inviting it's friends , every plant , if found gets attacked ?

i'm into the thinking insect pests are "natures garbage collectors" ( not my term ) , they find plants , via cues mentioned above including visual cues , that are struggling for one reason or another , & remove them out of the gene pool b4 getting a chance to pass on any possible defective genetics (the reason why it's struggling) , it may be that just suits my way of thinking or narrative as they say these days
i reckon the healthier a plant grows the more it will protect itself , not to mention healthy plant flow on effects of , increased yields , enhanced taste , terpene & cannabinoide profile

as far as water go's i'm referring to the old thinking of watering with wet / dry periods & the million times different result you get when using a blumat system to supply the water needs to a plant , the main difference is the soil biology , in the wet dry period watering method , the soil life is mostly gone or never started , the first dry period you get to , with a blumat system the plant is in charge of when water is supplied , the plant never has to wait for water , the soil life has a perfectly moist environment to thrive & stay active , also lets fungal colonies form , they take a little longer to get up & going in a first use pot & soil mix

You are right i forgot about smell that can play a role too. Companion planting/interplanting whatever we are calling it works largely by confusing the insects, breaking up there line of sight etc. Indoors in a small closed off grow room you aren't gonna have that effect.

Sure a healthier plant is less susceptible to pests.

wet/dry periods are important, people push it forward for container grown medium for a reason. Soil is different based of mineral profile with little to know organics it has a much smaller particle size leading to much higher surface area for water and biological life to live on. Whereas potting mixes are made to have higher AFP due to the way water moves differently in a pot rather than in the ground. this distinction I think is very important because it allows us to not fall into these traps of making large general sweeping statements or taking certain points that may be true in certain instances and applying them to everything. ie ( a lot of soil sciences being directly used 1:1 for container grown plants) .

 

[itchybro]

You are right i forgot about smell that can play a role too. Companion planting/interplanting whatever we are calling it works largely by confusing the insects, breaking up there line of sight etc. Indoors in a small closed off grow room you aren't gonna have that effect.

Sure a healthier plant is less susceptible to pests.

wet/dry periods are important, people push it forward for container grown medium for a reason. Soil is different based of mineral profile with little to know organics it has a much smaller particle size leading to much higher surface area for water and biological life to live on. Whereas potting mixes are made to have higher AFP due to the way water moves differently in a pot rather than in the ground. this distinction I think is very important because it allows us to not fall into these traps of making large general sweeping statements or taking certain points that may be true in certain instances and applying them to everything. ie ( a lot of soil sciences being directly used 1:1 for container grown plants) .

no doubt indoor growing is a different beast & has many challenges , like loosing a large chunk of the outdoor soil food web


i think we are on different pages of very different books when it comes to growing Frank , i mix a soil with a few amendments like kelp , gypsum , rock dust neem meal ect ect , i'm sure you can think of many others that could be added , none of these items are in a plant available form , the only way they become plant available is by being consumed , lets just say by worms for the sake of the discussion , if the soil i make dry's out the worms fuck off , if i'm only using water then the plant is going to struggle so a dry period does zero for nutrient cycling , i've never grown in anything but soil & maybe i should put that disclaimer up every time i post cos i have no idea when it comes to growing in coco or any other hydro system , not saying there's anything wrong with growing using those methods , i just choose a different path i guess

anyways i still stand by soil dry periods are detrimental to plant health in the method i choose to grow in

 

[Madmick]

Frank uses the cheapest bunnings coco you can use , need I say more itchy

Talks a big game , but in fact doesn't do anything he preaches

And still has never produced pictures of a finished grow