Deep Water Culture Tutorial for Newbies

Welcome to another week of my Intro to DWC for Beginners Diary Things are progressing nicely, I decided to remove a few of the older fan leaves to increase Air flow in and around the plants structure. I will also need to use some soft plant ties to help with the branch support as the buds get heavier towards harvest. I have introduced a little Ozi magic Bud swell and Super bloom guano into this last weeks feed and she seems to like this combination. She is still drinking a lot of nutes so will slowly increase feeding strengths until about the 5-6th week of flowering before tapering off again. Feeds this week were Professors nutrients A+B @ 3mls / litre GT Silica @ 5 mls / litre Ozi magic Bud swell @ 4mls / litre Natures own Super bloom Guano Organic @ 4 mls / litre Seasol @ 0.5mls / litre PPM 1200 Ph 5.7 Now For this weeks Tutorial which is Pests and Diseases in the Grow Room Firstly I will list the most common pests found in the indoor grow environment Aphids, also known as plant lice, come in different colors like gray, black and green. Regardless of their color, aphids weaken plants by sucking the juices out of their leaves and turning them yellow. They can be found anywhere on the plant, but often congregate along its stems. Spider Mites Spider mites, at less than 1-mm long, are tiny arachnids with eight legs and oval bodies. Their mouth parts pierce and suck, causing damage by puncturing plant cells, resulting in fluid loss that eventually kills plants. Spider mites look much like grains of sand and are found mostly on the undersides of leaves. The type you’ll see most often is the two-spotted spider mite, which has a dark spot on either side of its body. An adult female can lay up to 20 eggs per day, causing infestations quickly. Eggs are round and clear and become a creamy color just before hatching. If you see webbing, you most likely have an infestation. Thrips Thrips are hard to see at a mere 5-mm long. They leave fecal droppings on plants that appear as black spots. Females bore holes in leaves where they lay their eggs. If your garden is infested with thrips, leaves will eventually look dry—not wilted—and have yellowish spots. Fungus Gnats Adult fungus gnats are small and black with thread-like antennae, long slender legs and clear wings. Their larvae feed on plant roots, causing weak, slow-growing plants. The larvae can be clear or cream-colored with shiny black heads that look like small black specks to the naked eye and grow about a ¼-in. long. The flying adults do not cause damage to the plant, but they lay eggs in the growing media. The larvae feed on the roots, making the plant weak and slow-growing, potentially leading to plant death. Whiteflies Whiteflies resemble small, white moths and are about 1-mm long. An adult’s mouth parts pierce and suck juices from plant leaves, causing white spots and yellowing. Females lay their eggs on the undersides of leaves. Another downside to whiteflies is that they secrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which is a breeding ground for sooty mold. Next I 'll list the most common diseases that attack our plants Downy Mildew Downy mildew is caused by the fungus Plasmopora viticola. Early signs of a downy mildew infection are pale-yellow mottling on the tops of leaves. If left alone, the later signs of downy mildew show a patchwork of abrasions that are red, yellow and brown, also on the upper sides of the leaves. The fuzzy, white downy mildew appears mainly on the undersides of leaves. Powdery Mildew Powdery mildew is caused by a fungus related to downy mildew called Cleistothecia. If it looks like white powder has been sprinkled on the stems and leaves of your plants, powdery mildew could be the culprit. Other symptoms include stunted plant growth, leaf drop and chlorosis (the yellowing of plant tissues). Gray Mold Gray mold is caused by the fungus Botrytis sp. It starts out as spots on the leaves, which lead to fuzzy, gray abrasions that eventually become brown and mushy. AKA the dreaded bud rot White Mold White mold is caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. An infestation looks like wet baking soda clinging to the plant. Plants wilt and leaves appear tattered and bleached. In later stages, the white mold becomes hard and black. Root Rot Root rot is caused by too much water and soil-borne pathogens. Plant growth will become stunted, and then plants will wilt and turn yellow. Roots may become mushy, but not always. So now you have seen what can attack your plants let's discuss Preventions Cleanliness is key to keeping garden pests and diseases at bay. It is imperative you keep floors, growing surfaces, substrates, tools and clothing clean and disinfected. Here are some more things to keep in mind when it comes to preventing pest infestations: Disinfect Tools: A separate set of tools for the growroom is essential. Disinfecting tools with isopropyl alcohol and handwashing before moving from one plant to another will prevent pests and diseases from being transported via you and your tools. Increase Air Circulation: Keep the air in your growroom well-circulated and the humidity around 50%, with daytime temperatures around 75°F and nighttime temperatures between 60 and 65°F, depending on what you’re growing. Prune Plants: Give plants enough room to grow by pruning out dead or diseased leaves and branches. Remove any fallen leaves or other debris from the pots and the growroom floor. Don’t Overwater: Make sure your growing media can adequately drain. If you’re growing using hydroponics, the water needs to be heavily aerated. Roots should never be kept soggy or sitting in stagnant water. Now last but certainly not least is the treatment of the above problems There are a few ways to go about treating a pest infestation, including using beneficial bugs, which is known as integrated pest management (IPM). Beneficial bugs are basically good bugs that eat bad bugs. You can purchase specific predators for a specific pest or general predators that will pretty much eat anything. As a general rule, specific predators are more costly than general predators, but the specific predators usually do a better job, especially if there is already an infestation. Chemical and organic sprays are another way to treat pest and disease infestations. These sprays are toxic to beneficial bugs, so these two methods cannot be used together. There are also insecticidal sprays designed for use on edible plants. Sprays of insecticidal soap, neem oil, habanero pepper and pyrethrum are some examples of common non-toxic sprays, many of which work only if they come in contact with the pests. Sprayers help by creating a fine mist to help get under the leaves and into cracks and crevices. For safety’s sake—both yours and your plants—I suggest visiting your local hydroponics or indoor garden specialists for correct application methods and rates if you’re unsure. When it comes to pest and disease control in the indoor garden, remember these three key factors: identify, prevent and control. Well I hope You enjoyed This weeks Update and Tutorial Next week is a brief note on identifying problems by looking at the colour of the leaves.