Dream Berry BRIX/ROLS Newb Contest Entry

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

Well we've been having some technical difficulties the past week or two. Fungus gnats sprung up so I whipped out some mosquito bits which worked great last time I used it for my first harvest. it took a couple days till I saw results but they were gone. I used it again but this time, nothing happened. I just got more flyers. So I dumped a lot of bits on and watered. nothing. So I whipped out the big guns and mixed up some Nuke Em and sprayed all the flyers and the top mulch. that seemed to help but there were still some flyers which multiplied quickly. I went out and bought SNS 203 soil drench and spray. Right before I gave them a good drench, the day before I fed them some Super Tea where I made the video. I checked the ppms of the mix just for kicks and the mix said close to 1000 ppms truncheon. The package says it won't burn and I want to get these girls growing since it's been a month basically and they seem so small compared to my hydro growth. So I dumped the tea on the girls. says it won't burn right??

So the next day the flyers are really getting to me and the girls soil seems dry enough I could water....so I mixed up 2oz per gallon as the lightest suggested dosage on the bottle said, drenched the soil good and got some of the plants wet with the drench. didn't think much of it since the dose for foliar is the same as the drench. So I'm not sure if it was the contact with the drench or if it's from being overwatered possibly or what but I did some inspecting with my microscope and I've messaged pics back and forth with Spaceman Spliff and I have some ideas. by feeding them the high ppm guano and then giving them the soil drench the next day, I've over watered and over fertilized. got a tiny bit of tip burn today on Dream Berry but she's a champ and ate it up. Blueberry however is sooo not happy. poor girl has the weirdest thing. she lost the turgor in only one stem. she looks over watered on only one side of one node?

Then I found these

they're not as big as spidermite eggs as I've had those before and eradicated them back in January and these eggs are not visable to the eye. I had no idea they were on there. sometime's I've seen small clear eggs on the leaves since I grow outside in the garage, I keep a good eye on shit. I haven't seen anything come of the few eggs I've found and they seem abnormally big to be spidermite eggs. I find spiders and beetles on my plants occasionally so it could be anybodys eggs. I will be spraying with nuke em when the lights go out tomorrow morning just in case. what type of eggs are microscopic? they all seem to be fine and I did find a thrip and a small amount of thrip damage. I have a feeling I'm going to be up all night researching this and not getting the sleep I need for an amazing hempfest weekend.

and these crawling tan bug

 

[Nes]

In your video, when you said your gsc wasnt looking great, i thougt, oh no! hope its not broadmites. Lots of people have them right now round here it seems. You are doing Living soil though, i know gascanastans rols room was always filled with creepy crawly's, but they seemed to keep everything in check.
I dealt with them recently with qualipro abamectin. They're invisible to the naked eye so check this out and see what you think. I really hope you dont have them, but its best to catch things early!
http://pogenetics.com/PO_testing/?page_id=389

with thrips I've had the bes success with spinosad

Good luck!

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

I read about broad mites and I guess I just needed to hear it from someone else. spaceman spliff showed me a pic of a fungus gnat covered in broad mites and that's when I got the scope out. it's only a 60x but the GSC has weird twisted leaves. guess you have to encounter everything to know how to identify it.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

all the clones I get come from a dispensary which gets their clones from one grower. his stuff has always been clean and awesome but then he brought in this GSC and all of them looked pretty ragged but he cut the clones about 7" tall and I thought that they were having a hard time rooting and would bounce back. they did too in my hydro unit till it got root rot and that is when I decided to do the organic grow. I threw the worst ones outside and planted them in the earth to heal. they're all bouncing back and looking great; except for the GSC which is doing okay but one is still looking like crap and it's the only one that is still in a container which is shared with a Casey Jones which is growing like a beast. I figured it was the strain and the look to the leaves until two hours ago. I'm pretty pissed off and in huge debt and out of smoke.

 

[Nes]

all the clones I get come from a dispensary which gets their clones from one grower. his stuff has always been clean and awesome but then he brought in this GSC and all of them looked pretty ragged but he cut the clones about 7" tall and I thought that they were having a hard time rooting and would bounce back. they did too in my hydro unit till it got root rot and that is when I decided to do the organic grow. I threw the worst ones outside and planted them in the earth to heal. they're all bouncing back and looking great; except for the GSC which is doing okay but one is still looking like crap and it's the only one that is still in a container which is shared with a Casey Jones which is growing like a beast. I figured it was the strain and the look to the leaves until two hours ago. I'm pretty pissed off and in huge debt and out of smoke.

They're all clean, untill they arent. they can come from all sorts of places though, as you mentioned hitching a ride on a gnat, or your friend, or you! I know some folks who dunk any cut they bring home in serious shit, or quarentine them in tents until they are sure no issues persist. it's rough. For a while i would shower and strip nekkid every time i went into my room.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

i used to try to tan under my MH light when i first got it. all it did was irritate my skin like a burn but no tan i thought what the hell, I'm paying for it anyways....

i hear that they are really hard to get rid of? i got rid of spider mites quite easily with the Nuke Em. I'll have to go to get some stuff tomorrow.

I isolated these for a week. i just didn't know the twisted puckered and weirdly spotted/variegated/mosaic leaves were a sign of broadmites. the weird mosaic type pattern didn't show up till later too. not TMV though since the tips are not curled.

 

[Nes]

folks at the hydrostore may tell you to try nukem 7 times in a night and then z7. ask them if they actually know of anyone doing so successfully before you put too much hope in that. I'm still waiting for someone else to blaze that trail. avid is the only thing I've actually heard to work short of cutting things down.
I was so resistant. after doing a lot of reading, finding that abamectin is approved for food crops up to 10 days before harvest, I caved. I went with qualipro abamectin 0.15 ec, as it is the same concentration as avid, but i got a quart for 130$, rather than 8 oz of avid for 100. doyour own pestcontrol . com or something like it. Our nigerians got hit hard outdoors with them, and I was in denial for too long, but now they are bouncing back vigorously.

Be warned though, it is strong. Its a lung irritant and it gives me a headache (though i have strong sensitivity to chemicals and fragrances) so I use a half-face respirator, long sleeves, and gloves

 

[Nes]

They have 100x scopes for descent price, may be able to actually spot some and get a positive ID
but thinking about it more, you mentioned lil flying gnats... I'd also concider looking into root aphid symptoms cause they can present as all sorts of mystery defficiencies. its a bit harder to find them with smart pots, as you cant just pull it out the of the pot and look at the roots

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

i have nuke em and z7. i don't have a $100+ for new pesticides that sounds like application is an episode out of breaking bad. what about my worms and my compost in the soil? should i cover it before spraying? I could try doing it and see what happens to the eggs under a microscope. I will have to do some more research tonight and then go get the stuff early tomorrow. i have the money to drop on the pesticides but i literally just quit my job yesterday before i found this out so i could enjoy summer and focus on growing before school. I will let you know what i chose to do. thanks for your advice!

 

[Nes]

well shit, if you have nukem, z7 (part 1 I think), and a scope, you could give it a shot and see what happens! the detailed instructions are supposed to be on the flyskulls website. I would be eager to know if it works.
I don;t know what abamectin will do to your worms, but i do know we sprayed everything outside within days our beds were crawling and there were spiders and leafhoopers hoppin round the leaves

either way good luck and keep us posted!

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

I love Nuke Em for PM management. haven't had to use it though for that since I started growing organic. I'll try it tomorrow and report back with pics.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

Plan of attack: using Flying Skulls application directions for broad mites with z7. I can't flush the bed with 3 times the amount of water but I will use it each time I water.

How is your research going on Broadmite control? Click here to find out.


New methods of eradicating Russet, Cyclamen or Broad mites. Flying Skull is constantly looking into new and creative ways to improve your success in pest management.

Nuke em has been found effective in treating Broad mites but now having said that, it is important to realize that that these little guys are really tough to kill because you have to completely cover them with spray. You will need three applications of Nuke em, they can be on the same day as long as you let each application dry before you apply the next spray.

One of the things that we have learned is Nuke em is quite effective in breaching the exoskeleton of the Broad mite. Once the exoskeleton has been breached, we can deliver bacteria and fungi into the wound before the Broad mite can repair itself. Once the bacteria enters into the vascular system it quickly colonizes and the Broad mite dies an awful death.

Flying Skull is currently experimenting with specific bacteria and fungi to be part two of a perfect two part knock out punch, specifically blended for Broad mites. It will be on the market in a few months time and available from your local distributor.

Thanks to all of our customers who have helped us with suggestions and BETA testing to eliminate Broad mites safely without harm to the sick and elderly people among us.


I have a big infestation of Broad Mites and Spider Mites. What are my options? Click here to find out.


When the instructions for use on the Nuke em® label were written, much care was taken to make sure no harm would come to fragile, delicate or weak plants. More information is now available for more robust plants AND PLANTS UNDER EXTREME ATTACK.These MODIFIED applications come from customer feedback.

These steps will help the plant recover quickly from the initial insect attack and stress from insecticide applications.
1.Flush the plant site with Z7 treated water, usually twice the amount of water than what the container holds in media but more water is always better in this instance. This includes plants grown in hydroponics. Wait an hour. Time to make your first check. If you have a one gallon container pour 16 ounces of water across the top of the soil (1/8th the amount of water to the total amount of soil) and catch the runoff for testing. You want to see this PPM number no more than 100 PPM above what your virgin water PPM is. The use of Flying Skull Z7 in the water at the time of the flush and continued use afterward would of great benefit to the plants.
2.If you don't have access to a hand held EC/PPM meter, flush your plants very well three times and wait one hour before applying Nuke em.
3.Resume feeding your soil or soiless grown plants with a 5-600 PPM your plant food every watering. Feed the plants when the pots water weight is ½ of the saturated weight. Hydroponics keep PPM of the nutrient low (hydroponics 7-800PPM) during treatment and make sure they growing medium is rinsed totally clean. Continue this feeding program until the plants have recovered from all stress. Many growers find that feeding their plants with this low PPM/TDS fertilizer strength made the plants grow much better and continue to use this feeding program. Always use the Z7 as it is a key factor in healthy plant growth.
4.Learn more about how plants feed and feeding information in the growers manual that comes with Flying Skull's Elite Plant Food line.

MODIFIED NUKE EM APPLICATION

DAY ONE: Apply one application at strong strength (lights OFF), wait until it dries and then spray another application at strong strength, wait for it to dry and then spray another application at strong strength. (Three applications on the same day allowing the plants to completely dry between applications).

DAY TWO: In light OFF, mist the plants with Z7 treated water. Use distilled, bottled drinking water or non chlorinated water to mix up spray. Dosed at 10 mL / 2 teaspoon per gallon. Use Part 1 only. Special note: Z7 is not an insecticide.

DAY THREE: Spray one strong strength application of Nuke em. Let the Nuke em dry and apply a mist of Z7 on the plants and let it dry. Use distilled, bottled drinking water or non chlorinated water to mix up Z7 spray.

DAY SIX: Spray one strong strength application of Nuke em. Let the Nuke em dry and apply a mist of Z7 on the plants and let it dry. Use distilled, bottled drinking water or non chlorinated water to mix up Z7 spray. Check for any signs of insects in the following days.

DAY SEVEN: Option: In light OFF, mist the plants with Z7 treated water. Use distilled, bottled drinking water or non chlorinated water to mix up spray. Dosed at 10 mL / 2 teaspoon per gallon. Special note: Z7 is not an insecticide.

 

[Nes]

I keep hearing good things about nukem, but I've been skeptical and hesitant to try it cause of its vague and fluffy claims.
according to epa.gov:
"Pesticide products contain both "active" and "inert" ingredients. The terms "active ingredient" and "inert ingredient" are defined by the federal law that governs pesticides (Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act [FIFRA]). An active ingredient is one that prevents, destroys, repels, or mitigates a pest, or is a plant regulator, defoliant, desiccant or nitrogen stabilizer. By law, the active ingredient must be identified by name on the pesticide product's label together with its percentage by weight.
All other ingredients in a pesticide product are called "inert ingredients." An inert ingredient means any substance (or group of similar substances) other than an active ingredient that is intentionally included in a pesticide product. Called “inerts” by the law, the name does not mean non-toxic.
Pesticide products often contain more than one inert ingredient. Inert ingredients play key roles in the effectiveness of pesticides. Examples include inerts that prevent caking or foaming, extend product shelf-life, or solvents that allow herbicides to penetrate plants."

Now Flying Skulls claim Nukem is highly concentrated, when its incredients read like this.
Active Ingredients By Weight
Citric Acid 0.05%
Inert Ingredients By Weight
Yeast (Enzymes) 9.43%
Potassium Sorbate 0.02%
Water 90.50%
Total: 100.00%

The only thing remotley concentrated in that is the yeast. The people at the hydrostore claimed the citric acid softens spidermites' exoskeleton while the yeast eats them from the inside, and I believe they got this from their flying skulls rep, though I havent yet found this claim in print. Seems to me if this is true, it should be listed as an active ingredient. From what I've read, yeast as an inert ingredient in pesticide formulation is for attracting insects, which makes sense concidering they recommend multiple applications. They say its only kills on contact, so maybe the yeast brings out the hiding insects to get hit on the next application?
The potassium sorbate is a preservative...
The thing is, earthjuice natural ph down is soluble citric acid cristals, 99.5%, and its 16$ for a pound of it. I'd be interested to see if nukem does more than throwing a pinch of that in some water. next time I have an issue I may have to try it.

all that griping aside, I keep hearing good things about nukem.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

I have seriously considered making my own with ph up crystals and brewers yeast and for the life of me, I don't know how that is powerful enough to kill on contact but it works great for spider mites and anything else really. Sucks its $55 per bottle but it's super concentrated.

 

[Nes]

It's not that concenrtated though. bear with me as I'm doing the math as i write this...
1.89 grams of the natural down crystals in a gallon of water should give you the same concentration by weight as undiluted nukem out the bottle. natural down is like 16$/lb.

If you wanted to add the yeast, thats whats actually concentrated. 356.454 grams per gallon, or a little over 3/4 a pound per gallon. You can get brewers yeast for around 6$ a lb.
I'm sure there is cheaper citric acid crystals out there, but if you were to go with natural down and yeast, minus the preservatives, you could make a gallon of that super concentrated formula for about 7$!
wow, now that I've done the math I want to go out and make some!

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

well I just finished the last application of Nuke Em and I will get the scope out in a few hours after it's dried. smells like oranges at least and I went to look at pesticides and get advice at the hydro store. I read on the broad mites thread that sulfur worked for some people in a three part pest management application using different pesticides. Most people said Avid worked but I'm just not ready yet to go that route. The hydro store said that they have not heard any reports back on if the Z7/Nuke Em works but wanted to hear back. They did however say that avid works just that it is a neurotoxin so they suggest trying something safer. They also mentioned Promis which is a nicotine based insecticide but the label mentions nothing about mites. I'm just hoping this works. I would like to go buy an atomizer sprayer which is supposed to get in every crevice and you can set it in the room and seal up the tent and it will fog your room with whatever you put in it.

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

16 hours from first application and 8 hrs after last application

16 hours from first application and 8 hrs after last application

Nuke Em Day one application: Spray three times with Strong strength of Nuke Em and let dry in between applications.

The damage to the plants is actually not as bad as I thought. the Nuke Em dries out their leaves and with one application, the plant is fairly okay but after 3 applications, it's leaves are dry and the Dream Berry leaves are very crisp and the one tiny tip that was burnt before is now half way crispified.

I searched for almost an hour for eggs on the plant that I found them on. When I found them, each leave I took off had been covered in these tiny white/clear eggs but now, I can't find anything. I'm almost thinking maybe I miss identified it because the eggs should still be there I thought?!

 

[DoubleDDsNuggs]

I should add that after doing some research about what damage looks like and how to identify broad mites, I found several sources saying they like bell pepper plants and sure enough, the bell peppers outside my house have the exact same damage in the pictures and it happens every year. I'm so unhappy.

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/Images/Tomato/Tom_BroadMite/1pepperBroadmite1.jpg

 

[MHBGuy]

Jeez, what a bummer on the broad mites. Hope you can settle them down. I have a couple of clones that have been rehabbing outside and I've been a bit paranoid about bringing them back inside.

For a while i would shower and strip nekkid every time i went into my room.

i used to try to tan under my MH light when i first got it. all it did was irritate my skin like a burn but no tan i thought what the hell, I'm paying for it anyways....

Glad I'm not the only one finding themselves naked in the grow room.

 

[tleaf jr.]

sorry to hear about the broad mites , hopes everything gets under control