bugs eating my seedlings

[Smokey Mcbong]

i had some seedlings that were eaten by bugs can anyone tell me about any natural pesticides that i could use perferably for free(the perfect emoticon to get my feelings across as i only have one germinated seed, not even sprouted, of that variety left)

 

[OLDproLg]

Sucks..

How about an old screen from a window over them!
Or...7 DUST around them hahahaha!!!
Hell a little on them never hurts either...watch the birds too.
Good luck!

 

[Pig Pen]

7 Dust or "Sevin" is not a natural pesticide and is toxic to humans and animals.
It is also a known carcinogen.

 

[Sinkyone]

Try Safer Soap, it's usually pretty easy to find, organic, fairly harmless.

 

[niceeven]

Safer Soap has worked good for me in the past but last year I turned to Neem oil (mixed in with a 'plant based sticker'), an emulsifier, so it's easier to handle. It seems to be really polyvalent as it works for most things. At least for me it did.

 

[Smokey Mcbong]

thanks much guys i am gonna try and pick up some neem oil asap i didnt really know if i could get it at first seeing as i live in the middle of nowhere and the in the closest town the only stores that would have it are home depot and walmart(its small town) but was pleasently surprised to find i could get an organic neem oil product at walmart its a good thing too because i have 4 rks's that'll be ready to go out soon thanks again to everyone who helped out

 

[moondawg]

Hey smokey.

The #1 enemy of all cannabis seedlings are snails and slugs. Around here a seedling planted without snail protection is called a dead seedling.

Sand, eggshells, anything gritty will stick to their slimmy little bodies and they wont cross it. Also copper wire will stop them as they recieve an electrical shock because of their slimmy little bodies but wire is hard to do with a seedling. Ive seen as many as 20 snails on a larger plant so its not a problem that goes away when the plant gets bigger. . Sand now, copper wire later.

I have used Rotenone/Pyrethrins spray for many years. Its deadly poison when applied and has knock down power, but deteriorates very quickly when exposed to light and air. Seven days after application, no trace of the chemicals can be detected. Both rotenone and pyrethrins are plant extracts and its as good as it gets for outdoor grows. For 48 hrs it killls every bug on the plant.

 

[idiit]

i am using diatomaceous earth (de) spread liberally around the stalk and lightly dusted on the foliage and stems. i also quit putting small plants outside. getting a plant big with a good deep rootball indoors before trans-planting in late-middle may (unless very late flowering genetics) has been the best improvement in my technique i've made. i use 1/2 gallon used cleaned milk, juice cartons and time 'em with help of pruning/topping for the may transplant. this allows you to set the plant deep into the ground when you transplant and enables early heavy mulching. you are already into vegetative growth in may and the explosive growth during may and june really adds some size. if you see the monster 5-10# yielders done outdoors i bet most are done via transplanting in some similar manner. i got 12+ inches/week in may. my most vigorous late flowering transplants were set out the first week of may and some are 6 foot tall bushes going into june. size, health of the plant, and a good established root ball are key defense mechanisms for the young girls.

i am getting a rare durban poison cut from a friend and will get it big before i transplant this baby. i will also keep a cut for colloidal silver reversing to make hybrids and probably selfing to preserve the pure genetics. it's not too late to get 'em big and then transplant, plenty of time.

 

[bogatin]

i had some seedlings that were eaten by bugs can anyone tell me about any natural pesticides that i could use perferably for free(the perfect emoticon to get my feelings across as i only have one germinated seed, not even sprouted, of that variety left)

You can protect them with a plastic pint sized transparent mug with holes at the top until they're about 5 inches high. After they reach that size they have much higher chance of surviving. Bury glass up to 1/4 so it stays there...

This will also act as a mini greenhouse so you can plant a bit earlier.
Wait a week or two after sewing and covering with that glass. They are usually couple of inches above ground by then. Bury them up to their first set of leaves and cover again. Wait for another week or two (depending on weather) and they should be about 5 inches high. Remove glasses and watch them grow...

 

[Smokey Mcbong]

thanks again everyone does anyone know what kind of bug this was, they didnt suck the sap or anything they just ate the leaves i saw one of them munchin on one of the seedlings (the glass i had it in fell over so i just assumed that the others would be safe because they were elevated from the ground)but it was some type of fly. im hope my remaining seed is female,the strain was kali mist x (haze x nl)f2's

 

[Dick~n~Dirt]

This is why i don't do seedling outside anymore. They get vegged to at least a foot tall under flouro's before they go out in the spring.
Good luck to you !

 

[piggles]

Helps to know exactly what's eating your seedlings to know what to use. Diatomaceus earth is a good general treatment.

 

[Smokey Mcbong]

i was looking at the overgrow grow FAQ and it had a recpie-water, crushed garlic, hot peppers, tobascco sauce, and other hot and/or repulsive ingredients-for a grasshopper repellant anyone know how this would affect a seedling im trying to do this as cheaply as possible(sometimes a guy has a tight wallet other times a tight budget) because i have to get some soil as the soil in my grow area is hard as fuck but it is supposed to rain quite a bit tomarrow so hopefully tha will make the soil digable ps i dont have 4 rks's about to go out soon anymore........i have 8 hope everyone who has and will contribute has many stony days ahead.
i know tl'dr i could ramble on for hours though

 

[numan]

might be an idea to start them indoors and take them out later when theyre a bit bigger. won't be destroyed by bugs so quickly that way

 

[Leroy Brown]

sounds like it was bugs not slugs but I just wanted to say watles downe sun go right around or right after thch out for them fuckers if you run seedlings outdoors you have to bring them in & night, and if you wait until .........



WTF is going on with my computer! Cursers keeps hopping around. Anyways, if you run em outside & bring them in at night check all the grooves directly under the plastic insert & the grooves on bottom of tray, and under the lip all the way around. I find one almst every night & as some of you know ONE SLUG can wip out an ENTIRE TRAY in 20 minutes

I came pretty close o giving up growing one spring from their repeated onslaughts until I learned to check all those places when I brought them in.

 

[Smokey Mcbong]

to everyone who said start them inside i feel like the only person on icmag without grow lights, seriously does anyone else not have grow lights besides me lol now watch everyone answer "no your the only one" btw i should add i had a few plants last year around 10-12 inches which were killed ithought it was probably deer, which i now know how to deter, but i just thought what if that was also bugs,im starting to really dislike bugs.

 

[joedogsong]

Heck at that stage ya don't need a grow light, one of those CFL's work just fine at that. Only having one seed is probably gonna be a let down but Best of luck

 

[Smokey Mcbong]

i shouldve clarified i dont have the setup to use cfls either i could just put them under the cfls in my rooms light but i imagine they would strech quite a bit but still it would be much easier to just put them outside since i think i may have the knowledge to combat the pests now

 

[bogatin]

to everyone who said start them inside i feel like the only person on icmag without grow lights, seriously does anyone else not have grow lights besides me lol now watch everyone answer "no your the only one" btw i should add i had a few plants last year around 10-12 inches which were killed ithought it was probably deer, which i now know how to deter, but i just thought what if that was also bugs,im starting to really dislike bugs.

/me raise a hand



I can't pregrow my plants anymore. Need to do it all outside.

 

[Smokey Mcbong]

having just spotted the insect and pest prevention thread that has been stickied i feel like a dumbass lol it what i needed was in obvious veiw