soulmate
04-19-2006, 09:12 AM
I was web surfing and came across so more PM fixes. I didn't read them all, as I was very busy today but I thought I would post it anyways and you can take from it what you need. I don't take credit for these. All I did was find them. Someone has put a lot of knowledge and thought into these and I want to thank the writers, for sharing this imformation, with everyone.
Here it is:
Here is some information to help you understand powdery mildew.
These are outlines to the effectiveness for powdery mildew control on marijuana plants, both during vegative growth and flower growth.
To understand powdery mildew and how to control it, we should understand it's life cycle.
Powdery mildew is a mycelium producer. meaning it grows by fungal threads.
these threads can be carried by wind, clothing, animal hair, or any means. powdery mildew is host specific. a fungal thread from a tomato will not create mycelium growth on fruit trees or marijuana. there are very few powdery mildew myceliums that will cross the genetic lines. those that do, are centered around trees.
Mycelium spores reproduce by shooting off spores/threads.
Powdery mildew that effects marijuana, will not attach your vegetable garden, or like wise.
The mycelium threads are epidermal. they do not root or become imbeded into soft green tissue. therefore they will never be systemic, as i have seen questioned before. these mycelium threads feed by sending haustoria, root like structures, into the epidermal cells. not the soft tissue. these cells die as the mycelium grows.
Generally, this is powdery mildew. it is everyhwere, in homes, offices, gardens, greenhouses, lawn grass, literally everywhere.
But what prevents a worldwide outbreak of powdery mildew?
Control of the enviroment in which it thrives.
these factors are present in powdery mildew areas. humidity over 55%, poor air circulation, crowded or touching leaf material, dead metarial containing mycelium thread spores. warmer temperatures.
Cool temperatures will control powdery mildew. but at these low temps, most plants would not survive.
There are many plants genetically developed to resist powdery mildew. crape myrtles and roses are two well knowns. marijuana has been bred to resist powdery mildew as well.
The normal worldly daily temperatures offers control to prevent an outbreak. but in areas such as humid regions, they experience outbreaks. or bathrooms.
Now onto the test results.
Tested 4 organic controls for effectiveness in veg, and flower cycles. these 4 controls were choosen for their limited properties. and with the least cause of smoking flavor or cough effect.
1. apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons per quart water.
2. cornmeal juice, cornmeal juice made from whole ground cornmeal.
3. cinnamon alcohol, 91% alcohol with 2 teaspoons cinnamon soaked overnight.
4. baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to per quart water.
5. plain water, test control.
Each of the controls were made to somewhat exact measure.
I will not outline the makings, of the cinnamon alcohol. it proved very caustic.
The cornmeal juice was effective with average effects on the plants pistils.
but is not a fast make. and locatiing 100% whole ground cornmeal may prove difficult.
The baking soda proved to be caustic as well.
The vinegar proved to be effective, as well as had little harm to plant pistils.
The number one choice to control powdery mildew is baking soda. 1/2 teaspoon per quart water, or upto 1 teaspoon for stuborn control.
use this on vegetive growth only.
This mix will kill the pistils overnight. although the plant recovers, better not to cause stress. the pistils will turn a nice red brown color.
To control powdery mildew in flowering i offer the follow advise and study.
The vinegar mix proved to be effective at controlling powdery mildew. although not as good as baking soda. the vinegar mix needs to be reapplied about every 3 days for optimal control. the effects on pistils was minimum. some did die, but generally all survived. they did not survive where i repeated the spray more than every few days.
There are many pictures to attach. the first part contained here are pre treatment. the following post will contain the post treatment pictures.
As a summary, powdery mildew control for vegetive growth only is best by baking soda.
For control in flower, i suggest using vinegar spray.
if used near harvest time, a follow up clean water spray would be good just prior to harvest. allow the plant to dry completely before cutting down.
Powdery mildew need not be a devastating event. a watchful eye, the proper control, you will still harvest every bud.
Milk:
Milk can help control powdery mildew just as effectively as a synthetic fungicide on a variety of different plants.
Milk works in two ways: It has a germicidal effect--it kills the fungal spores-- and it also appears to stimulate plants in such a way that they become more resistant to the disease. In recent university tests, the milk and water spray was found to be more effective than the two most popular synthetic fungicides on the market today.
Any type of milk can be used from full milk to skim to powder. However, the low fat milks have less of a chance of giving off any odour. The recipe calls for milk to be mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part milk to 9 parts water and applied every 5-7 days for 3 applications.
Sound waves have also been used to kill powdery mildew. Music enhancement for plants has big benefits attached to it and by the same token, it can be used to suppress growths.
The plant's internal anti-fungal proteins (AFP's) can be stimulated as well by exposing it to a fungal infection. I'm not sure about the details of this yet (what kind of fungus can be used to 'infect' plant; how long does the 'protection' last; is it adequate 'protection'; can the AFP production be restimulated repeatedly).
AFP protection can also be borrowed from other plants and seeds (sorry, no recipes yet). Germinating radish seeds give off the most AFPs. AFPs are high in the australian tea tree and cedar as well. AFP's can be purified (hydrolyzed perhaps; any cooks in the house?) and then act like standard fungicides.
Radish plants have donated their mold repelling gene to many crops. At least 70% of the tobacco grown today has been implanted with the AFP gene from radish plants.
What I want to know is all or any of this going to work for bud rot?
ANOTHER:
hi cakes!
yes milk can control some mycelium threads. milk has the advantage of lactic acid. milk just given from a cow does not contain lactate. lactic acid is a by product of milk fermenting.
a schedule of milk spraying, is, spray, then with in two days rinsing off, then re-spraying, then rinse. the downfall to the use of milk is that it goes rancid. this is why the rinsing off is required. milk is not completely absorbed into the plant.
the use of milk to control bud rot would not be best suited. the additional rinsing would cause futher trouble.
i have read studies on the use of sound waves to control microbs. unfortunatly, the level required to cause server damage to microbs is at a level objectionnable to humans and animals. high levels of sound waves will react to plant soft tissue.
being an organically trained master gardener, i am all against genetically altered plants. period.
simply no need to with the proper enviroment.
bud rot can be either dry or wet. dry rot, wet rot, attack greenhouse plants, outdoor, as well as indoor plants. the mycelium are present in the air. mycelium are host specific. the control is a change in pH of the area the rot is active. soda bicarbonate, vinegar, and if you are lucky enough, potassium bicarbonate. poatassium and soda bicarbonates can be used equally. these leave a residue on the leaf that alters the pH. it creates an alkaline pH.
the vinegar creates an acidic pH. and is completely absorbed into the plant.
any of the rots are bad, but not the end. at first step, lower humidity. then decide at what point you are in flower. vinegar has less effect on the pistils, and is first recommended for flowering plants. the bicarbonates have a harsh effect on active pistils. and will turn them a pretty redish brown color.
you will be able to use vinegar at 2 teaspoons per quart of water. 10ml to 1.2 liter. and can spray as often as needed. but to much will still cause the pistils to turn brown. the area there is rot, spray real well until that area is dripping wet.
hope this helps,
Another Garlic:
great thread. nothing gets me going more than PM, well except botrytis...but PM is far more common in my garden. I have tried the vinegar,milk, ice cold water, neem, baking soda, various sprays....first off I'd like to add a OMRI certified product called Mildew Cure. great product....a mix of cottonseed, garlic oils with baking soda. this can be used up till the day of harvest. which is the trick.
because, pm has an array of curative methods in veg. I've never really had a big problem untill late in flowering. week 7 -10 can be tough because there is more biomass and more nooks and cranny's for the PM to hide. at some point what ever you spray is going to effect either taste or growth.
which is how I discovered sulpher. now I have used a sulpher burner with Great success. it's a preventative, which I like, because as you know, by the time you see the PM it has already taken hold. the major concern with sulpher is not the smell...but the danger of molten sulpher. when the burner heats up and liquifies the sulfer if there are any impurites in the mix or if the cup is too full, it can spill and start a fire...
this is why it's not recommended for indoor use....outside a greenhouse.
I have a cement floor on my grow. which proves safe. I've also had great success with sulpher sprays.
the trick is the timing. sulpher will give you 3-4 weeks coverage. and the last time to burn or spray is about day 35....if you run it any later, your buds will be weird!!! so if you have a 9 week strain and you burn at day 35 you should be protected.....should is the key word. depends of a few factors. at this late stage i break out the Mildew Cure and spot spray till harvest. this spray will not effect quality unless you soak the buds in it.
I know I know you can't get around the smell, BUT when used in an enclosed space, smell is reduced....oh and NEVER leave your pet...whoof whoof in that space or YOU! sulpher can cause your plants harm but only if used improperly. I always vent my room before i enter or before the lights come on. by the next time I can hardly smell anything!
also from my experience with the baking soda, a lower concentration sprayed at higher intervals will decrease the risk of pistil die back.
ONE MORE:
Eradication and Preventative Action:
One of the best preventative measures one can take is the occasional use of a sulfur burner. One myth behind sulfur burners is that they actually burn sulfur, which is untrue; they actually vaporize sulfur into the air. This vapor will coat itself on everything in the area, including plants, and leave a residual surface inhibiting germination of spores. Inhaling vapors are not the best thing for your health, so ensure that the room is adequately vented prior to entering. Discontinue use of sulfur burners after one week of flowering.
Another great preventative measure is to foliar spray with high pH water (8.0). As stated earlier, these spores cannot germinate on an alkaline surface. Using alkaline water as a foliar spray is also useful when treating infection.
- Chemical:
The focus of this article is going to be preventative measures and organic methods for battling mildew. There is a wide range of commercially available fungicides and sulfur based sprays. Some of these sprays may include chemicals such as fenarimol, dinocap, triadimifon, and benomyl. Follow the directions listed with each product. Avoid use any fungicide that is not approved for human consumption because many of the fungicides available are toxic and are intended for use on ornamentals only. Information based on chemicals and a description on a wide range of products can be found here.
- Organic:
One simple method to use when applying against infection is non-pasteurized milk. Milk bought from the store is pasteurized; however milk fresh from a cow is not. While store bought milk does work, it is not as effective as fresh. Dilute one part milk to ten parts water and apply liberally as a foliar spray while being careful to not spray any bud sites. One to two days after application, thoroughly wash this off milk solution by misting with water. Failure to wash off this solution will lead to the milk spoiling and leaving an awful smell, outdoors it will attract many damaging bugs insects like ants. Spraying onto bud sites will leave you with buds which smell and taste like baby puke, once again due to the milk going sour.
Here is another simple method which I developed through trial and error. Mix one half to three quarters of a teaspoon of Epsom salts with one quarter teaspoon of baking soda into one liter of water, mix well. Apply as a foliar spray onto infected areas and as a preventative measure. Once again, wash off one to two days after application by misting with water. Epsom salts is a great form of magnesium and it also contains a trace amount of sulfur. Another benefit is when dried, Epsom salts leave an alkaline surface inhibiting spore germination. Baking soda, on the other hand, contains sodium and so using it too often will be harmful to the plant. Once this application has dried on the surfaces you’ve sprayed, it does leave a hazy white appearance and looks very similar to mildew itself – something you should be aware of.
There are two commercially available products which I will briefly discuss, the first one being Plant Shield. Plant Shield is a liquid which is intended for use as a foliar spray. This liquid is not a chemical, but in fact it is a naturally occurring microbe (trichoderma harzianum strain T-22) which feeds on a variety of fungi. Expect this product to take full effect within ten days of application, and since it is totally harmless to non-fungal organisms, it is completely safe to use at any stage of your plant’s growth. Again, I would avoid direct application to bud sites and follow the directions listed on the bottle. The other commercially available product I wanted to discuss is Neem Oil, which is an extract from Neem trees. This product is also applied in a foliar form and it creates a protective surface on your plant which doesn’t allow transpiration therefore killing spores, mildews, and mites. Results should be noticeable a couple of days after application, once again avoid direct application to bud sites and follow the directions listed on the bottle.
A good tip when applying foliar sprays is to cut out several pieces of cardboard to use as shields so as not to spray directly onto bud sites. I like to have a piece of cardboard about the size of a beer can which I hold up in front of buds, this way I can spray liberally and cover all intended surfaces.
- Organic Tea:
Compost teas have been used for soil boosting and foliar feeding for quite some time and recently these teas have been shown to help fight diseases as well. A compost tea is created when some form of compost is steeped in water to get a broth of microorganisms that can be applied to the soil in a liquid form. One of the uses of compost teas is to fight pathogens plus this also exposes the plant to a variety of new bacteria and fungi which help to keep a plant’s immune system active by boosting its own natural defenses. I have learned that making an organic tea with animal manure and straw compost is a great method for mildew prevention and eradication. The preferred animal manure to use would be; chicken, cow, horse, pig or any other animal you’d expect to see on a farm.
Making an Effective Compost Tea:
There are several ways to make a rich and beneficial compost tea, I will explain one quick and easy way. You will need to acquire a small list of supplies:
- a bucket with a tight fitting lid
- an air pump, air line, and an air stone
- a piece of nylon, or cheesecloth, sock, pillowcase
- pre-composted animal manure mixed with pre-composted straw or hay
Make a tea bag with a piece of nylon/cheesecloth and fill it with your pre-composted animal manure and pre-composted straw/hay. Secure or tie the end of the nylon/cheesecloth so that large particles cannot escape from within the tea bag then place into your bucket. Fill the bucket two thirds to three quarters with water. Now drill a small hole into the bucket’s lid just large enough to be able to feed your air line though. Attach the air stone to the end of the hose and place it into the water, re-attach lid to your bucket. Place the other end of the hose to your air pump, plug it in and turn it on. Allow this to run for three to five days prior to use. The oxygen within the bucket will aid in breaking down the compost and make a healthy and rich tea, full beneficial of pathogens and microorganisms.
Dilute this tea one to one with water and apply to plant’s soil. Use this mixture once every two weeks to control and prevent mildew until harvest. The tea is best used when fresh. To supercharge your tea during vegetative growth, add one quarter cup of worm castings into your tea bag and one tablespoon of kelp extract to the water.
Another method of making compost tea can be found here.
Remember if mildew is a problem with your grow, harvest early to prevent total loss. I will suggest to you that you do not ingest or inhale any product infected with mildew. Smoking infected material can lead to lung infections and other complications, and eating infected material, such as in baking, is not advisable either. After all, do you eat moldy food? Unfortunately, infected material is a total loss. I do not know of any methods to remove mildew from any plant material, whether you intend to make bubble hash, butter, or even oil. Once again, my advice is that you discard any and all infected plant material.
After Harvest:
Ok so you’ve had a mildew problem but you struggled and limped your way until harvest. Now what should you do to try and prevent infection next time? Sanitize the room. For best results to prevent further infection, I’d suggest the use of chemicals. Prepare yourself; long pants and sleeves, socks, shoes, long gloves, mask, and eye protection – take this seriously.
Get a sulfur based liquid for use in cleaning, use bleach or H202 as a last resort. I would suggest purchasing a product such as Triple Action 20 (www.consan.net) or Defender which is made by Safer’s Soap. Follow directions and precautions listed on the bottle. Mix up a pail full, get a rag and wash down every surface in your room; walls, ceiling, fans, reflectors, everything you can get your rag onto. With Defender, don’t be scared to leave every surface slopping wet, for when it dries it will leave a sulfur residue which will kill all resident spores and deter any new spores from landing and germinating. Grab a mop and wash down the floor, do it twice. Clean out all incoming ducting if it comes from an outside source, or replace it with new and clean ducts. Wash your containers and all tools with these solutions; growing buckets, watering jugs, anything that does or may come into contact with your room.
Once that is complete find, beg, borrow, or purchase a sulfur burner. Place all your tools, containers, watering jugs, fans, everything into your room and close the door. Run a sulfur burner for as long as possible before replanting and starting up your room again, I’d suggest 72 hours minimum. The reason for this is the sulfur vapors will blanket the room with residual particles and the vapor will get into every nook and cranny that a mop and a rag cannot reach. Once you have replanted and got your room running again, run a sulfur burner again for a couple days just to ensure that the plants, soil, or anything new brought into the room will have any spores eliminated. Discontinue use after one week into flowering.
If mildew is a persistent problem for you in an indoor environment, the purchase or implementation of an air filtering system would be a great asset in regards to removing air borne particles. The use of a filtering system may even eliminate infection entirely.
Starting over:
Now you have got the next cycle of plants growing, this is the time to keep your environmental conditions in check so you do not have another infection. Keep a close eye on your humidity and temperature levels, inspect plants thoroughly and routinely.
Conclusion
Armed with this information and newly found confidence, hopefully this article has helped you get a better understanding of mildew. Mildew can be a challenge, a challenge which most growers will face at one time or another, but armed with the right information you will realize that it is simply a challenge of Mother Nature, nothing more. Chin up, now get out there and let’s see you make a difference.
Resources/Credits:
www.powdery-mildew.com
http://www.overgrow.com/faq/browse.php?qa=1259
High Times, Nov 2002
gr- I think it's important to use RAW or non-pasturized milk. pasturizing the milk kills the flora that produce the lactic acids.
Here it is:
Here is some information to help you understand powdery mildew.
These are outlines to the effectiveness for powdery mildew control on marijuana plants, both during vegative growth and flower growth.
To understand powdery mildew and how to control it, we should understand it's life cycle.
Powdery mildew is a mycelium producer. meaning it grows by fungal threads.
these threads can be carried by wind, clothing, animal hair, or any means. powdery mildew is host specific. a fungal thread from a tomato will not create mycelium growth on fruit trees or marijuana. there are very few powdery mildew myceliums that will cross the genetic lines. those that do, are centered around trees.
Mycelium spores reproduce by shooting off spores/threads.
Powdery mildew that effects marijuana, will not attach your vegetable garden, or like wise.
The mycelium threads are epidermal. they do not root or become imbeded into soft green tissue. therefore they will never be systemic, as i have seen questioned before. these mycelium threads feed by sending haustoria, root like structures, into the epidermal cells. not the soft tissue. these cells die as the mycelium grows.
Generally, this is powdery mildew. it is everyhwere, in homes, offices, gardens, greenhouses, lawn grass, literally everywhere.
But what prevents a worldwide outbreak of powdery mildew?
Control of the enviroment in which it thrives.
these factors are present in powdery mildew areas. humidity over 55%, poor air circulation, crowded or touching leaf material, dead metarial containing mycelium thread spores. warmer temperatures.
Cool temperatures will control powdery mildew. but at these low temps, most plants would not survive.
There are many plants genetically developed to resist powdery mildew. crape myrtles and roses are two well knowns. marijuana has been bred to resist powdery mildew as well.
The normal worldly daily temperatures offers control to prevent an outbreak. but in areas such as humid regions, they experience outbreaks. or bathrooms.
Now onto the test results.
Tested 4 organic controls for effectiveness in veg, and flower cycles. these 4 controls were choosen for their limited properties. and with the least cause of smoking flavor or cough effect.
1. apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons per quart water.
2. cornmeal juice, cornmeal juice made from whole ground cornmeal.
3. cinnamon alcohol, 91% alcohol with 2 teaspoons cinnamon soaked overnight.
4. baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to per quart water.
5. plain water, test control.
Each of the controls were made to somewhat exact measure.
I will not outline the makings, of the cinnamon alcohol. it proved very caustic.
The cornmeal juice was effective with average effects on the plants pistils.
but is not a fast make. and locatiing 100% whole ground cornmeal may prove difficult.
The baking soda proved to be caustic as well.
The vinegar proved to be effective, as well as had little harm to plant pistils.
The number one choice to control powdery mildew is baking soda. 1/2 teaspoon per quart water, or upto 1 teaspoon for stuborn control.
use this on vegetive growth only.
This mix will kill the pistils overnight. although the plant recovers, better not to cause stress. the pistils will turn a nice red brown color.
To control powdery mildew in flowering i offer the follow advise and study.
The vinegar mix proved to be effective at controlling powdery mildew. although not as good as baking soda. the vinegar mix needs to be reapplied about every 3 days for optimal control. the effects on pistils was minimum. some did die, but generally all survived. they did not survive where i repeated the spray more than every few days.
There are many pictures to attach. the first part contained here are pre treatment. the following post will contain the post treatment pictures.
As a summary, powdery mildew control for vegetive growth only is best by baking soda.
For control in flower, i suggest using vinegar spray.
if used near harvest time, a follow up clean water spray would be good just prior to harvest. allow the plant to dry completely before cutting down.
Powdery mildew need not be a devastating event. a watchful eye, the proper control, you will still harvest every bud.
Milk:
Milk can help control powdery mildew just as effectively as a synthetic fungicide on a variety of different plants.
Milk works in two ways: It has a germicidal effect--it kills the fungal spores-- and it also appears to stimulate plants in such a way that they become more resistant to the disease. In recent university tests, the milk and water spray was found to be more effective than the two most popular synthetic fungicides on the market today.
Any type of milk can be used from full milk to skim to powder. However, the low fat milks have less of a chance of giving off any odour. The recipe calls for milk to be mixed with water at a ratio of 1 part milk to 9 parts water and applied every 5-7 days for 3 applications.
Sound waves have also been used to kill powdery mildew. Music enhancement for plants has big benefits attached to it and by the same token, it can be used to suppress growths.
The plant's internal anti-fungal proteins (AFP's) can be stimulated as well by exposing it to a fungal infection. I'm not sure about the details of this yet (what kind of fungus can be used to 'infect' plant; how long does the 'protection' last; is it adequate 'protection'; can the AFP production be restimulated repeatedly).
AFP protection can also be borrowed from other plants and seeds (sorry, no recipes yet). Germinating radish seeds give off the most AFPs. AFPs are high in the australian tea tree and cedar as well. AFP's can be purified (hydrolyzed perhaps; any cooks in the house?) and then act like standard fungicides.
Radish plants have donated their mold repelling gene to many crops. At least 70% of the tobacco grown today has been implanted with the AFP gene from radish plants.
What I want to know is all or any of this going to work for bud rot?
ANOTHER:
hi cakes!
yes milk can control some mycelium threads. milk has the advantage of lactic acid. milk just given from a cow does not contain lactate. lactic acid is a by product of milk fermenting.
a schedule of milk spraying, is, spray, then with in two days rinsing off, then re-spraying, then rinse. the downfall to the use of milk is that it goes rancid. this is why the rinsing off is required. milk is not completely absorbed into the plant.
the use of milk to control bud rot would not be best suited. the additional rinsing would cause futher trouble.
i have read studies on the use of sound waves to control microbs. unfortunatly, the level required to cause server damage to microbs is at a level objectionnable to humans and animals. high levels of sound waves will react to plant soft tissue.
being an organically trained master gardener, i am all against genetically altered plants. period.
simply no need to with the proper enviroment.
bud rot can be either dry or wet. dry rot, wet rot, attack greenhouse plants, outdoor, as well as indoor plants. the mycelium are present in the air. mycelium are host specific. the control is a change in pH of the area the rot is active. soda bicarbonate, vinegar, and if you are lucky enough, potassium bicarbonate. poatassium and soda bicarbonates can be used equally. these leave a residue on the leaf that alters the pH. it creates an alkaline pH.
the vinegar creates an acidic pH. and is completely absorbed into the plant.
any of the rots are bad, but not the end. at first step, lower humidity. then decide at what point you are in flower. vinegar has less effect on the pistils, and is first recommended for flowering plants. the bicarbonates have a harsh effect on active pistils. and will turn them a pretty redish brown color.
you will be able to use vinegar at 2 teaspoons per quart of water. 10ml to 1.2 liter. and can spray as often as needed. but to much will still cause the pistils to turn brown. the area there is rot, spray real well until that area is dripping wet.
hope this helps,
Another Garlic:
great thread. nothing gets me going more than PM, well except botrytis...but PM is far more common in my garden. I have tried the vinegar,milk, ice cold water, neem, baking soda, various sprays....first off I'd like to add a OMRI certified product called Mildew Cure. great product....a mix of cottonseed, garlic oils with baking soda. this can be used up till the day of harvest. which is the trick.
because, pm has an array of curative methods in veg. I've never really had a big problem untill late in flowering. week 7 -10 can be tough because there is more biomass and more nooks and cranny's for the PM to hide. at some point what ever you spray is going to effect either taste or growth.
which is how I discovered sulpher. now I have used a sulpher burner with Great success. it's a preventative, which I like, because as you know, by the time you see the PM it has already taken hold. the major concern with sulpher is not the smell...but the danger of molten sulpher. when the burner heats up and liquifies the sulfer if there are any impurites in the mix or if the cup is too full, it can spill and start a fire...
this is why it's not recommended for indoor use....outside a greenhouse.
I have a cement floor on my grow. which proves safe. I've also had great success with sulpher sprays.
the trick is the timing. sulpher will give you 3-4 weeks coverage. and the last time to burn or spray is about day 35....if you run it any later, your buds will be weird!!! so if you have a 9 week strain and you burn at day 35 you should be protected.....should is the key word. depends of a few factors. at this late stage i break out the Mildew Cure and spot spray till harvest. this spray will not effect quality unless you soak the buds in it.
I know I know you can't get around the smell, BUT when used in an enclosed space, smell is reduced....oh and NEVER leave your pet...whoof whoof in that space or YOU! sulpher can cause your plants harm but only if used improperly. I always vent my room before i enter or before the lights come on. by the next time I can hardly smell anything!
also from my experience with the baking soda, a lower concentration sprayed at higher intervals will decrease the risk of pistil die back.
ONE MORE:
Eradication and Preventative Action:
One of the best preventative measures one can take is the occasional use of a sulfur burner. One myth behind sulfur burners is that they actually burn sulfur, which is untrue; they actually vaporize sulfur into the air. This vapor will coat itself on everything in the area, including plants, and leave a residual surface inhibiting germination of spores. Inhaling vapors are not the best thing for your health, so ensure that the room is adequately vented prior to entering. Discontinue use of sulfur burners after one week of flowering.
Another great preventative measure is to foliar spray with high pH water (8.0). As stated earlier, these spores cannot germinate on an alkaline surface. Using alkaline water as a foliar spray is also useful when treating infection.
- Chemical:
The focus of this article is going to be preventative measures and organic methods for battling mildew. There is a wide range of commercially available fungicides and sulfur based sprays. Some of these sprays may include chemicals such as fenarimol, dinocap, triadimifon, and benomyl. Follow the directions listed with each product. Avoid use any fungicide that is not approved for human consumption because many of the fungicides available are toxic and are intended for use on ornamentals only. Information based on chemicals and a description on a wide range of products can be found here.
- Organic:
One simple method to use when applying against infection is non-pasteurized milk. Milk bought from the store is pasteurized; however milk fresh from a cow is not. While store bought milk does work, it is not as effective as fresh. Dilute one part milk to ten parts water and apply liberally as a foliar spray while being careful to not spray any bud sites. One to two days after application, thoroughly wash this off milk solution by misting with water. Failure to wash off this solution will lead to the milk spoiling and leaving an awful smell, outdoors it will attract many damaging bugs insects like ants. Spraying onto bud sites will leave you with buds which smell and taste like baby puke, once again due to the milk going sour.
Here is another simple method which I developed through trial and error. Mix one half to three quarters of a teaspoon of Epsom salts with one quarter teaspoon of baking soda into one liter of water, mix well. Apply as a foliar spray onto infected areas and as a preventative measure. Once again, wash off one to two days after application by misting with water. Epsom salts is a great form of magnesium and it also contains a trace amount of sulfur. Another benefit is when dried, Epsom salts leave an alkaline surface inhibiting spore germination. Baking soda, on the other hand, contains sodium and so using it too often will be harmful to the plant. Once this application has dried on the surfaces you’ve sprayed, it does leave a hazy white appearance and looks very similar to mildew itself – something you should be aware of.
There are two commercially available products which I will briefly discuss, the first one being Plant Shield. Plant Shield is a liquid which is intended for use as a foliar spray. This liquid is not a chemical, but in fact it is a naturally occurring microbe (trichoderma harzianum strain T-22) which feeds on a variety of fungi. Expect this product to take full effect within ten days of application, and since it is totally harmless to non-fungal organisms, it is completely safe to use at any stage of your plant’s growth. Again, I would avoid direct application to bud sites and follow the directions listed on the bottle. The other commercially available product I wanted to discuss is Neem Oil, which is an extract from Neem trees. This product is also applied in a foliar form and it creates a protective surface on your plant which doesn’t allow transpiration therefore killing spores, mildews, and mites. Results should be noticeable a couple of days after application, once again avoid direct application to bud sites and follow the directions listed on the bottle.
A good tip when applying foliar sprays is to cut out several pieces of cardboard to use as shields so as not to spray directly onto bud sites. I like to have a piece of cardboard about the size of a beer can which I hold up in front of buds, this way I can spray liberally and cover all intended surfaces.
- Organic Tea:
Compost teas have been used for soil boosting and foliar feeding for quite some time and recently these teas have been shown to help fight diseases as well. A compost tea is created when some form of compost is steeped in water to get a broth of microorganisms that can be applied to the soil in a liquid form. One of the uses of compost teas is to fight pathogens plus this also exposes the plant to a variety of new bacteria and fungi which help to keep a plant’s immune system active by boosting its own natural defenses. I have learned that making an organic tea with animal manure and straw compost is a great method for mildew prevention and eradication. The preferred animal manure to use would be; chicken, cow, horse, pig or any other animal you’d expect to see on a farm.
Making an Effective Compost Tea:
There are several ways to make a rich and beneficial compost tea, I will explain one quick and easy way. You will need to acquire a small list of supplies:
- a bucket with a tight fitting lid
- an air pump, air line, and an air stone
- a piece of nylon, or cheesecloth, sock, pillowcase
- pre-composted animal manure mixed with pre-composted straw or hay
Make a tea bag with a piece of nylon/cheesecloth and fill it with your pre-composted animal manure and pre-composted straw/hay. Secure or tie the end of the nylon/cheesecloth so that large particles cannot escape from within the tea bag then place into your bucket. Fill the bucket two thirds to three quarters with water. Now drill a small hole into the bucket’s lid just large enough to be able to feed your air line though. Attach the air stone to the end of the hose and place it into the water, re-attach lid to your bucket. Place the other end of the hose to your air pump, plug it in and turn it on. Allow this to run for three to five days prior to use. The oxygen within the bucket will aid in breaking down the compost and make a healthy and rich tea, full beneficial of pathogens and microorganisms.
Dilute this tea one to one with water and apply to plant’s soil. Use this mixture once every two weeks to control and prevent mildew until harvest. The tea is best used when fresh. To supercharge your tea during vegetative growth, add one quarter cup of worm castings into your tea bag and one tablespoon of kelp extract to the water.
Another method of making compost tea can be found here.
Remember if mildew is a problem with your grow, harvest early to prevent total loss. I will suggest to you that you do not ingest or inhale any product infected with mildew. Smoking infected material can lead to lung infections and other complications, and eating infected material, such as in baking, is not advisable either. After all, do you eat moldy food? Unfortunately, infected material is a total loss. I do not know of any methods to remove mildew from any plant material, whether you intend to make bubble hash, butter, or even oil. Once again, my advice is that you discard any and all infected plant material.
After Harvest:
Ok so you’ve had a mildew problem but you struggled and limped your way until harvest. Now what should you do to try and prevent infection next time? Sanitize the room. For best results to prevent further infection, I’d suggest the use of chemicals. Prepare yourself; long pants and sleeves, socks, shoes, long gloves, mask, and eye protection – take this seriously.
Get a sulfur based liquid for use in cleaning, use bleach or H202 as a last resort. I would suggest purchasing a product such as Triple Action 20 (www.consan.net) or Defender which is made by Safer’s Soap. Follow directions and precautions listed on the bottle. Mix up a pail full, get a rag and wash down every surface in your room; walls, ceiling, fans, reflectors, everything you can get your rag onto. With Defender, don’t be scared to leave every surface slopping wet, for when it dries it will leave a sulfur residue which will kill all resident spores and deter any new spores from landing and germinating. Grab a mop and wash down the floor, do it twice. Clean out all incoming ducting if it comes from an outside source, or replace it with new and clean ducts. Wash your containers and all tools with these solutions; growing buckets, watering jugs, anything that does or may come into contact with your room.
Once that is complete find, beg, borrow, or purchase a sulfur burner. Place all your tools, containers, watering jugs, fans, everything into your room and close the door. Run a sulfur burner for as long as possible before replanting and starting up your room again, I’d suggest 72 hours minimum. The reason for this is the sulfur vapors will blanket the room with residual particles and the vapor will get into every nook and cranny that a mop and a rag cannot reach. Once you have replanted and got your room running again, run a sulfur burner again for a couple days just to ensure that the plants, soil, or anything new brought into the room will have any spores eliminated. Discontinue use after one week into flowering.
If mildew is a persistent problem for you in an indoor environment, the purchase or implementation of an air filtering system would be a great asset in regards to removing air borne particles. The use of a filtering system may even eliminate infection entirely.
Starting over:
Now you have got the next cycle of plants growing, this is the time to keep your environmental conditions in check so you do not have another infection. Keep a close eye on your humidity and temperature levels, inspect plants thoroughly and routinely.
Conclusion
Armed with this information and newly found confidence, hopefully this article has helped you get a better understanding of mildew. Mildew can be a challenge, a challenge which most growers will face at one time or another, but armed with the right information you will realize that it is simply a challenge of Mother Nature, nothing more. Chin up, now get out there and let’s see you make a difference.
Resources/Credits:
www.powdery-mildew.com
http://www.overgrow.com/faq/browse.php?qa=1259
High Times, Nov 2002
gr- I think it's important to use RAW or non-pasturized milk. pasturizing the milk kills the flora that produce the lactic acids.