Organics for mites

[Scrappy4]

Last fall when I first learned about using lavender for mites on this thread I cloned an outside lavender plant of my wifes. Actually it is like three clones in one pot. This plant(s) is now thriving indoors, on a diet of teas & de-clorinated water. However it has not flowered, and it seems more like a vine than what the mother plant looked like. I have it in our sunroom growing under a couple of t-5's along with other herbs like oregino, basil, rosemary, ect. It gets about 12 hours per day of sun/light. The light comes on for four hours, then it gets afternoon sun, then four more hours of light. With spring on it's way, will these guys flower indoors?

I made a tea of what lavender flowers I could muster off my wife's outdoor plant, and most of the leaves for a fpe. After being in the garage fridge (nothern MI) all winter it has froze and now has lost some aroma. Is it still viable for a soil drench? Or should I order dried flowers? Thanks guys, this has become a worthy thread, eh? scrappy

 

[jaykush]

and it seems more like a vine than what the mother plant looked like.

its a plant, just like cannabis and sometimes it needs to be pruned to increase production and shape.

I made a tea of what lavender flowers I could muster off my wife's outdoor plant, and most of the leaves for a fpe. After being in the garage fridge (nothern MI) all winter it has froze and now has lost some aroma.

first off theres no reason to put it in the fridge. wasted electricity. second freezing does nothing. this is a nutrient/plant chemical extraction. when they freeze the water freezes, they dont go anywhere. aroma goes away after some time no matter what, eventually the liquid reverts back to what looks like clear water and small amounts of sediment at the bottom. yet it still works just as good for nutrient soil drenches that is, pest property teas are best made and used within 24-48 hours.

lavender is not going to flower all year around just as cannabis wont. you need to be patient, care for your plant and make it as healthy as possible, this way when it does flower you can get multiple cuttings of the blooms( i get 6-7 sometimes but my bushes are pristine and pruned well) most get 3-4. even still this is when you dry and store it for use when there are no lavender blooms, this way when december comes and you have a mite problem you have a stash of dried lavender in airtight jars to rescue you. buying it imo would be a waste as the stuff is expensive. but thats just me. im cheap when it comes to this stuff.

 

[jaykush]

and it seems more like a vine than what the mother plant looked like.

its a plant, just like cannabis and sometimes it needs to be pruned to increase production and shape.

I made a tea of what lavender flowers I could muster off my wife's outdoor plant, and most of the leaves for a fpe. After being in the garage fridge (nothern MI) all winter it has froze and now has lost some aroma.

first off theres no reason to put it in the fridge. wasted electricity. second freezing does nothing. this is a nutrient/plant chemical extraction. when they freeze the water freezes, they dont go anywhere. aroma goes away after some time no matter what, eventually the liquid reverts back to what looks like clear water and small amounts of sediment at the bottom. yet it still works just as good for nutrient soil drenches that is, pest property teas are best made and used within 24-48 hours.

lavender is not going to flower all year around just as cannabis wont. you need to be patient, care for your plant and make it as healthy as possible, this way when it does flower you can get multiple cuttings of the blooms( i get 6-7 sometimes but my bushes are pristine and pruned well) most get 3-4. even still this is when you dry and store it for use when there are no lavender blooms, this way when december comes and you have a mite problem you have a stash of dried lavender in airtight jars to rescue you. buying it imo would be a waste as the stuff is expensive. but thats just me. im cheap when it comes to this stuff.

 

[Scrappy4]

For those who pay attention to things like PH. This lavender flower/leaf FPE I made last fall, has a ph of 3.3. I mixed it at something like around a cup to around a gallon of PH 7.5 water. It lowered the PH to 4.6 of the mix. I applied it to some vegging plants. The soil in these plants has crept up to 6.8-6.9 lately. This FPE mix brought the soil down to 6.4 PH, one day later. I don't know how long this would hold a ph, that would depend on the alkalinity, and the type of microbes, and so on, but I'm thinking this stuff could be used as a natural ph down..........scrappy

 

[jaykush]

how did the plants respond?

 

[Scrappy4]

how did the plants respond?

They look loverly. Nice and perky, no apparent problems at all, but they looked fine before too.

I got thinking about giving them this FPE because my flowering plants had a few mites. These guys I gave the FPE to, are not showing any signs of mites, And i don't have fresh or dried lavender flowers around, so I thought what the heck. I know from reading this thread, the months old frozen and thawed FPE is not at it's prime in fighting mites.

The PH thing was a surprise to me...........scrappy


Side note--I was telling a friend that in the past week i have been in 5 gardens helping folks and visiting. and out of 5, 4 had mites. My friend asked me have you checked your garden? I check with my eye-clops. (childrens toy but works great as a cheap micro scope for bugs) Yep, bingo I had em too, lucky I got them before any obvious signs had appeared..........

 

[jaykush]

They look loverly. Nice and perky, no apparent problems at all, but they looked fine before too.

goes to show PH doesnt matter as much as people think. knowing the PH most people would freak out adding something like that.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Scrappy

Some people use a commercial lacto culture called EM-1 to make Fermented Plant Extracts (FPE) and in that process it's common to take the mix down to < 3.5 - same with making bokashi bran as it's called.

There are better ways to source lacto cultures than EM-1 but I posted this simply as a point of reference.

CC

 

[Scrappy4]

Scrappy

Some people use a commercial lacto culture called EM-1 to make Fermented Plant Extracts (FPE) and in that process it's common to take the mix down to < 3.5 - same with making bokashi bran as it's called.

There are better ways to source lacto cultures than EM-1 but I posted this simply as a point of reference.

CC

Got-cha bro.

I have and use both homemade lacto b and em1. My first bakashi batch is probably ready now, and I'm looking at adding my own bran or bran alternative for batch two. I'm reading and learning.

I guess the low PH thing on extracts never stuck in the old brain pan before, and, or, I never tested it before. With high PH soils from whatever cause, it is nice to know some plant based extract could nudge it down a tad.


Gotta say coot, love what you've done with your hair....scrappy

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Here's an example of the ravages of applying extremely low pH extracts (lavender & spearmint) - this batch was fermented to below 2.9 pH and applied 2x times each and every week and will be applied through Day 28 or so in the 12/12 cycle.

CC

 

[Mountain]

What cut/strain is that in the pic?

 

[Clackamas Coot]

An old strain that I've been growing for several years - just bag seed weed.

CC

 

[Mountain]

An old strain that I've been growing for several years - just bag seed weed.

CC

Sorry man...just assumed since you've been living in the PNW long as you have, and you mentioning in other threads the old cuts available up your way, it would not be bag seed. First time I saw that twisted leaf trait I circled was when I started dealing with bag seed cuts...Chem D and Chem 4. Not what you got cause the node spacing ain't even close. It's just those twisted leaves that caught my attention.

 

[robertmarley]

Been rocking floramite for a bit, but im over the chemicals. Searched out lavender today but no stores had it so im headed to a nursery tomorrow to check my luck.. Thanks for the tip! you should definitely patent this

 

[GeorgeSmiley]

Sorry man...just assumed since you've been living in the PNW long as you have, and you mentioning in other threads the old cuts available up your way, it would not be bag seed. First time I saw that twisted leaf trait I circled was when I started dealing with bag seed cuts...Chem D and Chem 4. Not what you got cause the node spacing ain't even close. It's just those twisted leaves that caught my attention.

Coots shit is "old bag seed" as many strains from Cali in the 70's were. i.e. special

I'll just say that none of them taste like any other herb that I've ever smoked. And yes I have access to so many elite cuts its nauseating. Coot is modest. I have a gem in my garden.....

Cheers

Smiley

 

[Dignan]

Aw man, how could you be so cruel? That poor plant. Doesn't look the least bit happy, does it?

You better get yerself a pH meter, pronto. The more expensive, the better.

 

[Mountain]

Coots shit is "old bag seed" as many strains from Cali in the 70's were. i.e. special

Coot is modest.

Well I'd be really surprised if the dude is growing just some run of the mill 'bag seed'. It's probably the mom that created Northern Lights or something like that

 

[Clackamas Coot]

“Even a blind hog finds an acorn now and then”

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Here's another shot that shows a disease-free plant thanks to organic agents that include organic neem oil, organic lavender tea (both straight as Jaykush originally mentioned and fermented extracts), yucca extract, aloe vera juice/gel and especially seaweed extract which gives you 2 benefits......

1. Seaweed extracts inhibit the hatching of mite egs (cite: Stephenson, 1968 and Senn, 1988)

2. Seaweed extracts shortens the internode distances (same cite as above)

CC

 

[3rdEye]

Clackamas i don't mind digging for information, but what is your formula for doing seaweed extracts if you wouldn't mind sharing here. I use organic neem oil and the lavender FPE right now and i'm adding more FPE's as soon as possible. Actually getting that non-seeding comfrey that you linked. thanks for that by the way Gorgeous looking plant. There some veg porn right there.

oh.. does anyone know useful methods for dealing with rust mold? Other than environmental conditions? I am dealing with the after effects of a fan failure that prompted an outbreak of what appears to be rust mold AFAIK. Although i don't have a positive identification (no microscope) i strongly suspect it.