Cannabis pests and diseases

Cannabis is a plant that, like any other crop, is exposed to a variety of pests that can compromise its growth, production, and final quality. From small insects to fungi and bacteria, pests can cause havoc if you don't control them in time and let them run their course, for they can even completely ruin your harvest and ruin your efforts over the last few weeks. Thus, it is not unusual to see how growers use a series of phytosanitary products intended for pest control to ensure the health of their plants, whether they are organic or chemical products.

Well, instead of resorting to chemical pesticides that can leave unwanted residues on the plant and, no less importantly, damage the environment, biological control in marijuana cultivation has become an increasingly popular and sustainable alternative. This approach involves the use of natural enemies of pests to keep the ecosystem in balance, allowing for effective and ecological control of unwanted pests in cannabis cultivation. Today we will tell you all about this practice and present some of the options available to you on our website.

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Mealybugs can represent a serious pest for marijuana plants. While they rarely attack indoor plants, they are normally found in outdoor crops.

In today's article we are going to see the main characteristics of this sucking insect, as well as what we can do to prevent their appearance or to get rid of them in the most effective way possible.

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Without a doubt, in the world of cannabis cultivation, the red spider (Tetranychus urticae) is one of the most feared and problematic insects, especially if we talk about indoor cultivation. This tiny arachnid can wreak havoc on cannabis plants, leaving significant damage in its wake that affects both the quality and quantity of the harvest, and can even ruin it if the pest is not controlled.

With its ability to multiply rapidly and its preference for warm, dry environments, spider mites represent a constant threat to growers. In this article, we will explore in detail everything you need to know about spider mites, from their life cycle to their control and prevention methods, so you can protect your plants and ensure a healthy and prosperous harvest.

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In recent years, the marijuana plant has become increasingly sensitive to the attack of the so-called powdery mildew fungus, also known as PM, white mold, ash, etc... It is a parasitic fungus of the erisifáceas family, which attacks the aerial parts of plants.

Although the infection is relatively easy to cure, it can have very serious consequences, since it can damage crops and make them 100% useless. In the first phase, it develops on leaves, to later move on to petioles, trunks and finally to the buds, completely destroying the resin and leaving the marijuana completely invalidated for smoking, since the spores of the fungus are solid matter that we would absorb when inhaling.

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In the vast kingdom of microorganisms, Erwinia emerges as a genus of bacteria in the family Erwiniaceae that has captured the attention of scientists, farmers and biotechnologists alike. Although some strains of Erwinia have been recognized for their pathogenic role in plants, others have proven to be allies in industrial production and scientific research, a fact that only increases interest in it.

Today we invite you to learn in more detail what Erwinia is and how it affects crops, exploring everything from the symptoms of infection that plants present to its impact on agriculture or how to prevent and treat it.

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If you have ever cultivated, even if you have never done it before, surely you know that fungi are one of the main enemies of crops throughout the world. These microscopic organisms can spread rapidly in plants, causing a variety of diseases that can significantly reduce crop production and quality. Fungal pests can affect a wide range of plants, from cereals and vegetables to fruits, forest crops, and of course cannabis, causing damage with a significant economic impact for farmers and the food industry.

Septoria is a fungal disease that affects a wide variety of plants, including crops such as tomatoes, potatoes, and wheat. This disease is caused by fungi of the genus Septoria, which spread through spores and are characterized by the appearance of small, dark spots on the leaves of the plant, which eventually spread and become necrotic. In this article, we will explore the causes, symptoms, and preventive and control measures of this disease to help you protect your crop.

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Against the backdrop of the global Covid-19 outbreak and while the theme of infectious diseases is at the forefront of our minds, we'd like to take this opportunity to talk about how important quarantine procedures are in the control of plant pathogens that could potentially spoil our entire homegrown cannabis crop, something that becomes a particular risk when we introduce new clones into our garden.

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What is neem?

Neem oil is a by-product from a tree endemic to India and Burma and other tropical and subtropical areas, known as neem or nim tree (Azadirachta indica) among other names. It's an evergreen tree (doesn't lose its leaves in autumn) which can reach more than 20 meters in height, and it doesn't need large amounts of water to develop. Nowadays, and due to its multiple uses (from the pharmaceutical industry to agriculture), it can be found virtually in all tropical areas of the planet, except for those at high altitudes. Its relationship with humankind goes back several millennia, as confirmed by some neem leaves found in 4500 years old archaeological sites along the Indus basin, in present-day Pakistan.

Besides its health benefits, neem oil's insecticidal and fungicidal properties are well known in the field of ecological agriculture, since it's a product 100% organic and environmentally friendly. Its main insecticidal compound, azadirachtin, is widely used in all kind of crops as insecticide all over the world both in indoor and outdoor cultivation, and it's an excellent option for ecological agriculture thanks to its repellent and insecticidal properties. Today, we are focusing on this useful substance and will see how it can help us to keep a healthy and pest-free garden.

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At this point in the season, when outdoor plants begin flowering and indoor grows are suffering the highest temperatures of the year, it's common for pests to make their first appearance in our garden, which can be particularly difficult to combat precisely because of the high temperatures, that on most occasions will favour their development and propagation. Our plants are therefore more sensitive than ever to insect pests and, later on and once they have developed buds, to the dreaded fungi.

Because of this, it's the season of the year where the most insecticides (early summer) and fungicides (late summer) are used, because no grower wants to watch their efforts and dedication be ruined by a pest or disease. However... are we making the best use of pesticides? How can we limit its impact on our health and the environment? This article was born from my own experience during the years that I spent cultivating cannabis outdoors in my garden, when I saw the fauna in it gradually diminish and, fortunately, how I've seen its resurgence in recent years thanks to a more responsible use of phytosanitary products.

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What are Fungus gnats?

Fungus gnats or sciaridae flies (sciaridae), are small flying insects of the Diptera order with a size between 3 and 5mm. These small, dark-coloured flies usually appear on the lower parts of the plants and in the substrate. They feed on molasses, sugars, and decomposing organic material. Their favorite environmental conditions are low light intensity and high humidity, as well as warm temperatures; thus, they are common guests in greenhouses and indoor crops. Hydroponic systems are especially sensitive to this pest, although organic substrates with excess moisture are also an excellent habitat for these insects.

There currently are about 1.700 species of sciarid flies known. Still, it’s estimated that the total number of species in this family can reach around 20.000 (located mostly in the tropics), 600 of them established in Europe. Their body and wings are dark and elongated, and in many species the females are wingless.

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What is Alternaria?

Alternaria is a genus of ascomycete fungi. Alternaria species are known to be major plant pathogens, responsible for at least 20% of all agricultural spoilage, and are common allergens in humans, associated with hay fever, asthma, skin problems and are a cause of opportunistic infections in immunocompromised people.

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What is Fusarium?

Fusarium is, in fact, the name of a genus of filamentous fungi that live in the soil in association with plants, including cannabis. Most species are saprophytes, i.e. they feed on the debris of other organisms. Thus, Fusariosis is the name given to the disease caused in plants by certain species of Fusarium fungi (phytopathogens), which in this case develop as parasites.

They form an important contaminating agent in laboratories, and some Fusarium species attack cereals and produce mycotoxins which can affect humans and produce diseases like fungal keratitis, onychomycosis Panama disease, also several types of skin infections.

The Soviets have been accused of using Fusarium as a biological weapon in Laos, Cambodia, and Afghanistan, while in the United States, it was proposed as a weapon to eradicate coca plantations in Colombia.

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What are aphids?

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What is Mildew?

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Almost any cannabis grower has had to deal with some type of pest at one time or another. Pests and diseases can be carried by vectors, living organisms that carry insects, spores or viruses without even noticing and spread them around, thus affecting nearby plants. Normally, humans, animals and other plants carried by humans are the most commonly found vectors.

If we want to have a crop free from these annoying plagues, we should follow a number of simple steps: prevention, identification, managment and eradication. Some of the pests affecting marijuana plants can be devastating if not treated early, so proper prevention of these potential threats is crucial. Also, as soon as we observe any problem, we should quickly identify its source: is it an insect? A mold? A virus?

In this post we'll elaborate a brief list of the most common pests and diseases in cannabis plants and tell you how to prevent and get rid of them.

Insects, mites and marijuana plants

There are literally hundreds of insects and mites associated with cannabis. For this reason, we'll only take a look at the most commonly found pests in our beloved plants.

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