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The raw cannabis plant is of no interest to humans but a lot of pests love it. You need to take care of your crop and get rid of pests as it can end up exterminating your crop, resulting in an insignificant yield. The yield from your cannabis plant is essential as it can determine your profit. With significant yields, there is the opportunity to get various products like CBD edibles, gummies, and oil manufactured by top brands.
While you want to get aggressive with these pests and introduce harsh chemicals, it is not advisable. You are better off making the environment uncomfortable for these pests using any of the following suggested solutions. Here are a series of ways to prevent unwanted pests from invading your plants.
Soil and Fertilizer
Many marijuana pests have their eggs and larvae in the soil. Sadly, there is no guaranteed way to know that there is an issue with your soil. With this, the only approach is to sterilize it and you can do the sterilization process at home with the following steps:
● Bake the soil to temperatures of about 180 degrees
● This high temperature kills all eggs, bacteria, or larvae.
Depending on the quantity of soil, the baking time varies but an average of 45 minutes is enough. Be sure, however, that you do not get the soil temperature above 190 degrees. The soil becomes useless as the temperature influences the soil component. Fertilizer is essential as well. You do not want to add slow-release and time-release formulas. Your marijuana plant does not need this type of fertilizer.
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay
Plant Pest-Resistant Crops
Having a plant that will keep pests away is a good strategy. Marijuana plants naturally love some plants due to their natural repelling capacity. While the THC in marijuana repels some pests, it is not usually effective at the early growth stage.
Here are a few examples of buddy plants that may offer protection from some pests.
Marigold and Geranium:
These are flowers that keep pests away. When you plant them next to your weed, the pest will attack the marigold, rather than your weed. It is so effective that you can use it as a fence over your marijuana plant. In addition to their pest-repelling capacity, they also add some natural aesthetics to your marijuana garden. One can get outdoor marijuana seeds in 2020 for their garden.
Basil:
The strong scent of basil keeps aphids, beetles, and thrips away. Having basil around your weed is a terrific idea as some growers claim it does increase flavor and oil production.
Garlic:
We love garlic for its ability to repel molds and pests. It is a natural fungicide that keeps deadly diseases away from your weed.
Peppers:
For people dealing with mice, rabbits, and or deer, chili pepper is a terrific choice. If you also have poor drainage or too much rainfall, this is the right choice. The root system of chili pepper also gives off a protective chemical that keeps your weed from rotting.
Beans:
Beans will not only repel pests, it will also supply your plant with Nitrogen, which is primal to healthy growth and development. Beans suck in Nitrogen from the air, convert it to nitrate and pass it to the soil. This enriches the soil and keeps your plant healthy.
Consider Animal Urines
For people dealing with significant pests such as mice, rats, rabbits, and deer, animal urine is a strategy to keep them away. You are not using any urine, but the urine of the animal that the pest will dread. You can get such products in-store as hunters use them to lure game. These pests will avoid your farm if they perceive the scent. Animals use urine to mark territory and send a warning to others to avoid their space. This is the principle behind urine application.
Use Fencing and Insect Repellants
For issues with larger pests that just don’t go away, a fence could be what you need. Luckily, we have many fencing options you can easily install. In addition to keeping pests away from the crops, they add aesthetics. Here are some fencing options:
● Wood Fence: This is a solid fence made of wood. It will keep the weed away from the animals altogether. Since the marijuana is out of sight, the animals will likely let it be.
● Wire Mesh Fence: As long as you do not have issues with deer, this is a terrific option. Remember, deer can jump over a four-foot high wire mesh fence.
● Create a Repellent Force Field: Another way to keep insects and pests away is via a permethrin-based repellent. With this, you will not have to use a synthetic spray directly on the plant. The idea is to use the spray to form a ring on the ground around five feet away from the plants. This will kill every bug that comes in contact.
Image by 7raysmarketing from Pixabay
Use Organic Insect Repellants
If you are handy with formulas, you can create your organic repellant right from home. Here are two examples of organic insecticides you can make:
Oil-Based Insecticide:
You can make this from vegetable oil and mild soap. It is simple and works against insects like mites, aphids, and thrips. The solution blocks their pores, thereby suffocating them.
Soap-Based Insecticide:
Like oil spray, it also gets rid of insects without using vegetable oil. We recommend this majorly for mites, beetles, whiteflies.
While you can use any of the above during any time of the day, we recommend using them at dusk.
Conclusion
It is not enough to plant your cannabis seed, fold your hands, and expect a miracle. You need to practise some of these steps to get rid of pests and/or insects, which could potentially eliminate your yield. So, if you nurse your plants with the following steps, chances are likely you won’t have to face too much issue from pests and insects.
References:
http://phytosphere.com/soilphytophthora/soilsterilization.htm
druglibrary.net/olsen/HEMP/IHA/jiha4210.html
https://www.high-supplies.com/en/5-outdoor-marijuana-seeds
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