What is eating my plants

[MickyB]

Can someone help me with what is eating my plants or what else may be happening to them. Tnx

[kingfish]

Looks like Spider mites aka "The Borg".

[KingKush]

Thrips
Im 99.9% that is THRIP damage

Look for tiny white/ creamy "rods" or spots on your leaf. Like hyphen size - - - is about the size of thrips larvae, usually white or cream in color.
They are like little grubs crawling on your leaves. Especially on the veins. Give them a nudge and watch them move around. I didn't realize how tiny thrips are. You can see them with your naked eye but you have to stare at the top of one leaf for a few seconds.

A nusiance, but nothing you will lose a nugget over.

[KingKush]

The black specks are poo (eww) and the slime like spit you see on your leaves is where they sucked the juices out of the leaf tissue.

[kingfish]

Kush, My first thought was that it was Thrips. But I don't see the tell tale shiny spots normally seen with Thrips.

[KingKush]

Are you in bloom yet? As long as you don't have nugs, a foliar spray is in order, add a soil drench and hang some sticky traps. You will be fine.

Remember: control doesn't always mean complete eradication. These pests live around the house already so it's just controlling them in your garden. I use elementalSulfur sprayed foliar at the end of veg for WPM and Thrips as well. One app is enough.

[oldjarhead100]

hey Kingkush elemental Sulfer??? where did you get this is there a name brand so I can look it up thanks

[starramus]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/20-lb-Fast-Acting-Sulfur-100510896/203342315

[starramus]

I have never had thrips so do not have an inkling. Kingkush seems to be familar with the buggers, but to verify get a magnifier on them. Here is some info on thrips. https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-p...hrips-control/

[KingKush]

http://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-thrips

We learn from experience. I'm currently experiencing thrips myself and have dealt with them the last 6 months or so. They do chew across your leaves and can ultimately effect photosynthetic capabilities of your plant. All stress adds up to a less than ideal grow. In bloom they subside to the lower shaded leaves so they stay out of your buds but I believe this is a soil-growers issue mainly. I swear I got Thrips from the store bought bagged soil. They need soil to complete their life cycle and the early larvae are born there. The juveniles hang out up top on the plant and eat your leaf juices. Only the adults get black and can fly around, laying eggs in all your other soil (also that bag of extra soil you just have laying around in the corner)
Whether it's from the store or manufacturer I'm not sure, soil can be buggy so just be prepared.

Monterey brand with Spinosad as the active ingredient seems like an honestly great choice. Labeled for thrips and it's certified for organic grows. I use Ms. Lily's 70% powdered sulfur mixed in a slurry with water. Hit the plants with a foliar application once before bloom when theres maximum leaf area without budlets forming and I spray the top of the soil too and under all the leaves and stems as much as I can. This neutralizes the adult and juvenile population. Put a small amount (its on the label) during the next watering so it kills the grub life cycle. That will keep them away until you can harvest this crop.

With the Spinosad or sulfur or whatever else you choose (pyrethrums, soaps, neem oil, fatty acids, etc...) you may have to apply earlier a time or two also. In early veg, or whenever symptoms appear. Scouting is when you actively search for pests or problems in order to identify problems early. You would see webs if it's The Borg. Preventative applications are a wise option too, especially for your next grow. Knock em out before they ever bug you!

No need for nuclear options. Homeopathic remedies work for Thrips, individuals are weak, but the population can exist easily.
some people use mint, essential oils, diotamaceuous powder, sand, perlite, sticky pads (they make "lock-down" pads for 5gal buckets).

Good Luck!

Look at that bulb! It's peppered with adult thrips. Especially the bottom right.

[starramus]

Which brand of premix soil did you buy?

[oldjarhead100]

starramus I used happyfrog and got bugs from it I asked what kind of sulfur in a couple of posts above so dont worry about you already answered my question lol

[starramus]

oldjarhead i know. Your exact quote was "Me to until I used some Happy frog soil then yikes" which got me googling cause I had mites after transplanting my wife's banana plant into Happy Frog. I found numerous other reports of this occurrence. This thread https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...revention-borg

[MickyB]

Tnx again for all the help. The pests looks like those in the photos by Kingkush. I even have lots of them on my herbs, all planted in store bought soil. First bought organic premix and then those made by garden master. The latter being the best of the 2. Was just scared to spray plants with just anything because they are quite fickle with the heat we are experiencing in our part of the world.

[oldjarhead100]

Thanks Micky we are in the worst cold snap in 40 years in the north East USA glad to hear its hot somewhere lol

[KingKush]

MickyBoldjarhead100

Correction: I use Lilly Miller Sulfur Dust.
$4.99 at my local hardware store and it's lasts for years of growing. I use 3-4tbs per gallon in a basic handheld 1gal sprayer and mix up a half gallon at a time or less. It goes a long ways.

Mild burning/singeing can occur when a large amount puddles on new shoot tips and growth but everything else likes it and the plant grows out of it in a few days.

[MickyB]

Seems all of mother nature is turned on its head!!! Tnx will try the remedy and keep you posted.