If you are growing marijuana in Colorado, then you should already know all about powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that appears in the form of a white powdery spore. If left unchecked, it can devour you entire marijuana crop. But don’t despair, here are some methods for powdery mildew treatment.

Identifying powdery mildew

Inhaling powdery mildew isn’t safe and can lead to respiratory infection, bronchitis and long term problems like COPD. Fortunately, identifying and treating powdery mildew is easy. With a little bit of diligence, you’ll have no problem keeping your marijuana garden clean. Once you see powdery mildew, you will find it hard to forget. It is distinctly out of place on a rich green marijuana plant. Normally a frosty layer on your cannabis is good, but not this time. When you see trichrome on a bud, it is a crystal. It glistens like sugar. Powdery mildew on the other hand, looks like baking flour. In contrast with the cannabis, on which it now resides, it’s kind of hard to miss.

The problem with powdery mildew

If the infestation is really bad, the slightest touch will send a cloud of spores into the air. Our ventilation systems are designed to circulate the air, and replace the old with the new. Powdery mildew takes advantage of this and uses the constantly flowing currents of air to travel from plant to plant. Once it starts, you need to act fast in order to prevent it from spreading. Sometimes, powdery mildew will pop up in just one area of your grow. If it happens over and over, but stays in one spot, you might have a leaky A/C or water dripping in from somewhere else. Often times, powdery mildew is caused by contamination. Carrying spores into your garden by walking through the weeds outside is probably something that happens everyday. Powdery mildew loves moisture. High temperatures and just slightly above normal humidity and you have a hotbed  of potential fungal activity on your hands.

Powdery mildew treatment: plan A

Maintaining a proper environment is always fundamental, but it is especially vital in preventing powdery mildew from ruining your crop. Once you have your environment dialed in, there are a number of powdery mildew treatment solutions that will kill spores and prevent new ones from taking hold.  Manual removal is a great way to remove powdery mildew on the surface of the leaves. Removing the affected areas is the right place to start, but make sure to glove-up and wear a simple filter mask. After you’re done you’ll want to treat your crop with a foliar spray, unless you are absolutely confident you’ve eradicated the problem. An application of neem oil, commonly sold as azadirachtin, works as a broad spectrum fungicide. It is an ingredient in many ORMI certified products, so its use still qualifies as organic. Harvested from the seeds of a unique breed of evergreen tree, azadirachtin works by coating the spores and dehydrating them. It fundamentally ends the cycle of life and is a safe alternative to some of the more harsh commercial alternatives. A light spray once a week will kick your pm problem, usually in less than a month.

Powdery mildew treatment: plan B

Another powdery mildew treatment is a hydrogen dioxide solution that is commercially available under a variety of brands. Hydrogen Dioxide, or H2O2, sounds scarier than it is. Another certified organic product, hydrogen dioxide is a highly concentrated form of the stuff you used to pour on cuts as a kid. In a diluted solution, it’s safe to apply as much as you want right up until the day before harvest. In it’s concentrated form it can be harsh to the skin, so always use protection when crafting your mixture. The bottom line: just because you see some powdery mildew spring up in your cannabis garden, it’s not the end of the world. Just be proactive about your powdery mildew treatment and be mindful that it can be just as harmful to the grower as it can be to your marijuana harvest.

Have you experienced powdery mildew, what did you “dew” about it? Let us know on social media.

If you are growing cannabis in Colorado, then you know that there are really only a handful of pests that will make up the bulk of your infestation problems. Root aphids are one of those pests. The term “root aphid” actually refers to a variety of species of root dwelling aphids.

How root aphids terrorize cannabis plants

They burrow deep into the soil and then feed on the sugars and starches contained within the root structure. They form colonies and using their long, needle-like mouth to suck the life right out of your plants. Fortunately there are a number of safe and effective methods of ridding your garden of root aphids and ensure happy, healthy cannabis. Root aphids leech nutrients from the root system, preventing them from making their way to target areas within the plant. This will result a yellowing of the leaves, cankers,  and in extreme cases, death. The early stages of a root aphid infestation might appear to resemble a nutrient deficiency. In this case, the nutrient deficiency is a symptom, not the cause of the problem. No level of nutrient adjustment will compensate for the damage being done by those little cretans of cannabis destruction.

You know it’s bad when root aphids get wings…

If you start to see winged root aphids crawling around your soil, your problem is worse than you might think. This means that they have passed through a sufficient number of life cycles for the winged variety of aphid to have been born. That means that the nitrogen deficiency you’ve been trying to fix for the last month, isn’t just a nitrogen deficiency. And that powdery mildew that just started to form? Yeah that too is probably caused by the overall weakening of the cannabis plant, which was left vulnerable to mold and disease by the aphid infestation.

Root aphid cannabis treatment

Understanding how to get rid of root aphids is easier than you might think. In trying to maintain a more natural cannabis garden, stay away from harsh chemicals and pesticides. There are too many organic and biological controls available to even consider using any of the over-the-counter cure-all solutions. In the early stages of your grow cycle, predatory nematodes are a great way to not only fix a problem, but prevent one. Considered a biological method of pest control, nematodes are microscopic eel-like creature that resemble earthworms. They consume the root aphids, then they themselves die, leaving your root system as clean as can be. Soil and coco often come with dormant aphids, so treating your medium with nematodes in the beginning can ensure you won’t have a problem later.

Natural solutions to root aphid infestations

Neem oil or azadirachtin is an incredible natural solution for aphids. Made from an oil pressed from the fruits and seeds of the neem tree, azadirachtin suffocates the pest by clogging the breathing holes of the aphid. Drenching your root system with a treatment of azadirachtin will stop those pests in their tracks. There are a number of other natural or organic treatments that will help if your aphids make their way up the stalk and onto the leaves of your plants. A foliar treatment of an insecticidal soap or a natural pyrethrin are both very effective ways to stop crawling and winged aphids. Pyrethrin is an insect neurotoxin made from Chrysanthemum flowers. Whenever you can help it, stick with more natural pest control products, as they help foster a more natural ecosystem.

When it comes to root aphids, prevention is key

The key to maintaining a healthy cannabis garden is preventing problems before they start. Treat your soil with nematodes to prevent aphids from springing up and use an azadirachtin drench if the problem resurfaces. Staying one step ahead of your pests is the key to maintaining a vibrant and fruitful garden.

Have you experienced the plight of root aphids? Let us know about your experience on social media.