One blight that every cannabis cultivator faces at some point is pests. The term pest can describe many nuisances but primarily entails insects such as aphids and spider mites. Battling these menaces can seem daunting to beginner gardeners, but with a good Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, growers can feel confident they’re protecting their crops properly. Below, I will teach you the ins and outs of creating your own program to proactively defend your cannabis crop.
Spider mite infestation on a weed plant
What is Meant by Integrated Pest Management?
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) defines a program that helps prevent and potentially exterminate pests in your garden. Large grows typically have an extensive and ongoing IPM program to protect their crops, taking into consideration thresholds of when and how to deal with different pest issues. You do not need as in-depth of a program as a home grower, but you should develop a simple system that works for you and your garden.
How to Implement IPM Principles as a Novice Cannabis Grower
The best advice I could ever give any beginner is to stay proactive, not reactive. Meaning, stay ahead of an issue before it becomes an issue. As this relates to IPM, always assume some bugs are trying to attack your cannabis garden. Environmental conditions do not necessarily prevent a pest infestation. I’ve seen pests attack plants growing in very secure gardens in scorching hot deserts and those growing in high elevations with feet of snow on the ground. No garden is ever 100% safe from pests.
I always spray my plants with mild chemical pesticides and horticultural oils early on in their lives, even if I do not see any pests on or around the grow environment. Pest outbreaks are often unexpected. Pest populations can exponentially increase and seem to explode overnight. Staying proactive with your IPM can help prevent the issue from reaching a severe threshold. Insects can always find a way into your garden.
The Number One IPM Fundamental: Keep Your Garden Clean
One easy fundamental that many beginners overlook is keeping your garden clean. Sanitizing equipment and pots and removing dead plant material, loose dirt, and other media can help keep pest pressure low in your garden. If you want to read more about keeping your grow room or tent clean however, I advice to take a look here.
Nasty critters like spider mites can lay eggs on a table or fan blade, and that egg could lay dormant for months and cause an infestation later on, even after defeating the initial infestation. Loose soil, perlite, and coco in an indoor garden can also create a habitat for insects to lay eggs and perpetuate a pest issue.
Last but not least, remember KISS. Keep it simple, stupid! Make a program that works for you and works for your plants.
IPM programs do not have to be extremely complicated or include every product under the sun. The most important part is developing a system you can easily and consistently follow. The tricky part is figuring out which treatment is most effective against whatever pests you may be dealing with.
If you grow indoors, it is of utmost importance that you make sure no critters can enter your room/tent. Read all about building a perfect grow room or tent here.
Integrated Pest Management Checklist
Diagram you can use as a guideline for Integrated Pest Management
The 5 Steps of Integrated Pest Management for Growing Cannabis
Step 1: Identify the Pest
There are many pests that affect cannabis, such as mites, aphids, thrips, and fungus gnats. Being able to identify pests properly is crucial so you can choose the proper method of extermination.
To aid in pest identification, many cannabis cultivators use sticky traps to help catch insect pests and easily identify them. Once captured, observe the pest under a microscope for a close-up examination and properly identify it. If you don’t have access to a microscope, a cheap alternative is a jeweler’s loupe.
Use sticky tape to catch some of the critters and see what pests you are dealing with
Step 2: Monitor Pest Activity
After identifying a pest, keep a close eye on them to understand the scope of the infestation. Checking all plants for signs of damage and the plants’ foliage, branches, and mediums are the first steps before assessing what actions should be taken next. After examining your plants, note pest populations and their locations so you can track them. Assess pest pressures and see if their populations increase or spread.
Monitor the pests on your plants by checking the plants daily and see if there are any changes
Step 3: Determining Thresholds
After you’ve monitored and noted pest activity around your cannabis plants, you must develop an action plan to manage pests before they become a bigger problem. First, define specific moments for testing approaches to address the problem. These moments (or “thresholds”) are usually determined by pest populations or the severity of damage from said pests. Start with softer methods and gradually use stronger procedures if the situation worsens. Chemical control is always considered a last resort in IPM; action always starts with prevention.
Step 4: Treat Crops
Choose how to treat your marijuana crops based on the threshold the pests have reached. There are many options for protecting your cannabis against pests, such as pesticides, horticultural oils, predatory insects, and mechanical removal by hand or vacuum. Pest management programs can include a variety of treatments depending on the severity (threshold) and your plants’ stage of life.
Sometimes an protective spray can get rid of pests
Want to get rid of Spidermites and other pests? Robert has created a package to protect your plants, which you can check below.
Bergman’s Plant Protector
Protect your plants from diseases and harmful pests.
Consists of three 20 ml bottles
Enough plant protection system supplies for up to 20 plants
Suitable for soil, hydroponic and all other grow mediums
Step 5: Evaluate Results
After treating your weed crops, you need to evaluate how effective the treatment was against targeted pests. Your treatments should control pests and their spread across your entire garden. Check well to ensure your growing environment is free of the targeted pests. This step is crucial since there tends to be no silver bullet for any specific pest. It may take a variety of treatments over a few weeks to remove an issue in your grow. This is why it’s a good practice to keep a grow diary. That way, you can always refer to past notes and adjust your strategy when needed.
Conclusion
Integrated pest management is an extremely important part of cannabis cultivation. More than merely controlling pests, you’ll need to consider many factors when developing a pest management program that works for you and your setup. Remember, keep it simple and do the things that work for you. Educating yourself on different pests and treatments will help you develop a good program that fits your needs. Remember to always evaluate the results and keep good notes to keep learning and fine-tuning your program. For more knowledge, check out Robert Bergman’s Grow Bible! Most importantly, remember to stay proactive, get ahead of the issue, and save yourself future headaches and heartache.
Comments