Trap crops and beneficial insects

[Dr. Gyn o'Might]

I was wondering if anyone's tried growing trap crops or other plants along with mj indoors. I've been reading a lot about using beneficial insects and etc. for pest control and one big component to making it work well (and be cost effective) is planting a sort of refuge for the predator bugs to live in after they knock down the pest population. (Some beneficials can live on pollen and nectar if there's no bugs left to eat and some have life stages where they mainly eat nectar.) I was wondering if it'd be feasible to try to grow some other plants along with the weed in an indoor grow, or if it'd be a waste of space. For an added bonus, finding a plant that bugs like more than mj. Has anybody tried this?

(I'm also trying to become a beneficial insect/biocontrol expert for school, so let's talk about bugs! Experiences you've had, questions, etc...)

 

[Skrappie]

I don't have experience with the incests, but just through happenstance i harbor a bunch of eggplants (Cloud nine cultivar,). The red glass house spider mites, as well as the black ones like the eggplant more then the MJ (oddly except one cultivar of MJ- Greenhouse seeds the church must taste like steak to them or something,)

I use a spionid based product- monterey garden insect spray to actually get rid of the mites. They die same day using this product, and its pretty safe for you and your family.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I was contemplating marigolds as I believe that's the source of Pyrethrins used in insecticides.


Can anyone confirm that it would be beneficial? I'm also interested in deployment methods. (Off to the side? In the hydro itself? LOL)

Great thread topic, thanks!


(I had one ladybug find its way into my garden. Haven't seen it in a week though)

 

[quadracer]

Indoor growing is a closed system. There's no way to attract beneficial insects to your indoor grow unless you introduce them yourself.

Compared to outdoors where plants can attract a wide degree of insects, and companion planting is most effective.

Not to say that certain plants couldn't improve your plants indoors. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_companion_plants for a nice list.

 

[Weedninja]

I was contemplating marigolds as I believe that's the source of Pyrethrins used in insecticides.


Can anyone confirm that it would be beneficial? I'm also interested in deployment methods. (Off to the side? In the hydro itself? LOL)

Great thread topic, thanks!


(I had one ladybug find its way into my garden. Haven't seen it in a week though)

Marigolds contain a toxin in their roots(I think) that is harmful to parasitic nematodes. What you are looking for is something called Pyrethrum Painted Daisy, which is type of Chrysanthemum. I believe that all mums have some Pyrethrum, but the painted daisy has the most.

As far as the original question, I was thinking about that too. Ideally, a plant that flowers perpetually would fit the bill, but I think it could be done if you overlap the flower cycles of a few plants.

There was a thread in the veggies and flowers forum that discussed using carnivorous plants as a companion to mj.

 

[Dr. Gyn o'Might]

I don't have experience with the incests, but just through happenstance i harbor a bunch of eggplants (Cloud nine cultivar,). The red glass house spider mites, as well as the black ones like the eggplant more then the MJ (oddly except one cultivar of MJ- Greenhouse seeds the church must taste like steak to them or something,)

I use a spionid based product- monterey garden insect spray to actually get rid of the mites. They die same day using this product, and its pretty safe for you and your family.

I was actually looking at the Monterey Garden Insect Spray but I heard spinosad wasn't very effective on mites. Maybe I'll give them a second look. Can you use that in flowering at all?

I also heard eggplant is a good trap plant for whitefly. I guess they're pretty delicious in general!

Indoor growing is a closed system. There's no way to attract beneficial insects to your indoor grow unless you introduce them yourself.

That was my plan. I'm trying to figure out what plants would be good to keep that introduced population reproducing. The idea of banker plants has been stuck in my mind and I was wondering if anyone's had any success with them or anything like them.

While we're on the subject, does anyone know much about diapause? The predatory mites I was looking at go into diapause (bug hibernation) when day length is shorter than 14 hours, which looks like a problem with a 12/12 room. I was thinking of experimenting with adding a few hours of green light to see if that was enough light to keep them awake and eating.