Trying out a video format to cover this topic. Let me know what you think. I will likely add some post material as well at a later date ..read more

Aphids are true insects within the order Hemiptera. Aphids are a relatively small group of insects, yet they are of serious economic concern in a variety of crops. About 25% of known crop species are affected by aphids. About 100 species are of serious economic importance [2]. They have a worldwide distribution, but are most commonly found in temperate regions. They can travel large distances passively on strong winds. Most adult aphids do not develop wings, but a some do [3]. They feed on plants by utilizing a needle-like organ called a stylet. This allows them to bypass the plant cuticle and ..read more

Mites are probably the most feared arthropod pests of Cannabis. There are three types of mites that are of particular concern for Cannabis growers: broad mites, russet mites, and spider mites. Spider mites are the most widespread and pervasive issue, but broad mites and russet mites are harder to deal with and can result in devastating losses. What is a mite? A mite is an arachnid in the subclass Acari (Phylum Euarthropoda, Class Arachnida). Acari also contains ticks, but ticks are not included in the mite classification. Mites are quite small and the majority are under 1mm in length. Not all ..read more

Anyone involved in plant pathology can tell you that the genus Fusarium is one of the most damaging group of fungi to crops. There are many species of Fusarium that cause disease on different crops. Some infections can cause devastating root rots and vascular diseases, some can cause cankers on branches and stems, and some can even infect foliage. Yield losses can be dramatic in some circumstances. For instance, in 1999 in northern Great Plains and central USA, Fusarium head blight of winter wheat alone suffered $2.7 billion losses [32]. In tomato, when disease is severe, crop losses can reach ..read more

The main draw for me for this growing style is the reduction of salt based nutrients which ultimately end up leaching in to waterways. Nitrates in particular can lead to ecological problems in marine ecosystems, and they are very energy intensive to produce. Using this method, I don’t water until runoff and I never flush. I was inspired to try it myself when I saw a YouTube video on the channel ‘Mendo Dope’ with Minnesota Nice about growing indoors with a no-till soil. Brownguy420 on YouTube was also a good resource. There are some misconceptions in their videos. I think they grow great pla ..read more

What is a plant virus? A virus is an infectious nucleic acid-based pathogen that is parasitic to the host. Essentially, it is a non-host genome that ‘hijacks’ the replication machinery of the host cell in order to amplify its genome. It also requires host enzymes to translate the viral transcripts into proteins that the virus uses to form a protective coat and move within the host/spread to alternate hosts such as insects. A virion is a viral genome encapsulated in a protein coat. Some viruses will also have a fatty membrane surrounding the protein capsid. There is some argument as to wh ..read more

Bud rot is one of the most devastating things a grower can deal with. This day and age, when a positive microbial test can cause a grower to lose their crop, there is zero tolerance for fungal pathogens. Bud rot can be especially devastating indoors. If there are conducive conditions and susceptible varieties in close proximity, spores can quickly and easily spread throughout the entire grow groom. What causes bud rot? Bud rot is cause by Botrytis cinerea. which is the name for the anamorph (asexual form) of this fungus; sexual reproduction is rare in this species. It is an aggressive n ..read more

First off, let me say that there is not grow light on the market that will compete with the cost efficiency and the spectrum of sunlight. Of course, there is some argument as to whether indoor grown Cannabis is a higher quality than outdoor Cannabis, which in some cases, may be true. I believe in these cases, it is not the spectrum of the sunlight that is to blame, it is usually other environmental factors. If you are lucky enough to grow outdoors or have access to greenhouse growing in a good environment, I recommend you take full advantage of that. The purpose of this article is to educate y ..read more

Powdery mildew is usually first observed as small white circular spots on Cannabis leaves. They can be faint, but they begin to cover entire leaves if left unchecked and can begin to grow on buds as well. Photo taken from White Powdery Mildew on Cannabis Plants – Identification & Solution! (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2020, from https://www.growweedeasy.com/cannabis-plant-problems/white-powdery-mildew Photo taken from Is Powdery Mildew Systemic? | Medicinal Genomics. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2020, from https://www.medicinalgenomics.com/powdery-mildew-systemic/Conditions ..read more

Clones vs Seedlings Clones and seedlings may seem very similar, but there are some differences between the two starting points. First of all, seedlings (small plants sprouted from seed) have a taproot. This is a central dominant root that tends to grow straight down and proliferate the branching root structures that explore the growing medium. Clones do not have a taproot; instead, they immediately begin producing a fibrous branching root structure. I would argue that the taproot is most important in outdoor grows due to the higher degree of anchoring and stem support that it can provid ..read more