Cannabis plants need help to defend themselves from insects and fungi. If insects manage to get to your plants, or an illness is left untreated, you may end up running into issues. Insecticides and fungicides used when treating plants, apart from being effective, also need to leave no residues behind; when it comes to growing cannabis, everything that’s in your plants when you consume them will also be going into your system. Learning to combine phytofortifiers can be a way to avoid this.
Many products, generally synthetic or chemical, as well as being bad for the environment, can also negatively impact your health. You need to keep in mind that:
- When you consume cannabis via combustion or vaping, the heat also modifies the toxicity of the pesticide in the material (whether it’s flowers, extracts etc.)
- Plus, if you use cannabis that’s been treated with synthetic pesticides to make extracts, the residue concentration is increased.
At La Huerta Grow Shop, we opt for respecting the environment to achieve healthy, high quality, toxin-free products.
Sustainable Growing with Natural Fortifiers
The use of phytofortifiers started to be researched in the 70s, looking for an ecological solution to pesticides.
Phytofortifiers, meaning plant fortifier, are additives, they’re not fertilizers although they do generate extra defenses in your plants, making them more resistant to insects, illness, or stress. These naturally sourced products protect plants by increasing each species’ strength or via their defense mechanisms.
The Benefits of Phytofortifiers in Plants
Imagine that this type of product is to your plants what some supplements (vitamins etc.) and types of food are to your diet; a way to improve the immune system. This means that plants can receive extra help to be healthier and less vulnerable to insects and illnesses.
Let’s have a look at some of the benefits of using this type of additive in your cannabis grow.
- They fight with pathogens over the substrate.
- They create additional resistance.
- They act as a barrier for insects and illnesses produced by fungi.
A plant that isn’t stressed or sick can spend all of its energy growing and flowering, which is why the healthier your plants, the better your harvest will be. Additionally, some products also promote growth and flowering.
This type of product, when used correctly, have quite a low risk for plants and the environment, leaving no residues – this is why they can be used so close to harvesting.
Do Phytofortifiers Get Rid of Insects?
No. It’s important to keep in mind that phytofortifiers don’t have any sort of direct effect on insects and illnesses, strengthening your plants, offering them a stronger structure and helping them to recover; they don’t get rid of insects. This is why prevention is an essential task.
Protect your Cannabis Plants with Prot-Eco
Combining different phytofortifiers can increase your plants’ protection. A great example of this are products made by Prot-Eco, a local company that’s dedicated to protecting the environment. Their products, naturally sourced, are highly effective and are sold in biodegradable containers.
Prot-Eco has two product ranges, one which helps the plant to resist fungi and illness, and another which is more focused on preventing insect infestations.
However, you can combine the benefits of both product ranges by using products together, depending on your plants’ needs, for example:
- Against budworms: Bio 6000 Pyrethrin Plus defends your plants against infestations such as budworms, and Botryprot protects them from Botrytis, a fungi that can get into your plants’ buds through budworm bites. When these two products are combined, you can keep these issues at bay, which are common in outdoor grows.
- Anti-fungi combo: Fungus infections are a growers’ worst nightmare. Pathogens can appear, especially, during the flowering period indoors (when it’s extremely hard to keep at bay), as well as under bad weather conditions outdoors. Two of the most common fungi in cannabis plants are oidium and botrytis. To prevent and help your plants fight them off, you can use Botryprot and Oidioprot, a combination that also provides your plants with nutrients.
Combining Prot-Eco products is easy and efficient, all you have to do is keep in mind the following:
- Do not combine them with alkaline products, copper, or sulphur.
- Don’t mix more than two products at once.
It’s easy to do – For example, if you want to combine Botryprot with Bio-Neem in a litre of water, you’ll need to add the corresponding amount of Botryprot, mix well, and then add Bio-Neem depending on the amount recommended by the manufacturer.
Prot-Eco Phytofortifiers That Shouldn’t be Mixed
There’s always an exception to every rule, and in this case it’s Cinnaprot and Esencialprot, which need to be applied separately – first Cinnaprot, and then 2 or 3 days later, Esencialprot. In order to get the desired results, repeat this process 7-10 days after the first dose up to 3 times if necessary.
To help you understand the possible combinations available, we’ve prepared two charts with the most common combos for each insect and fungal infestation.
In this first chart, you can find some of the most common insect infestations in cannabis plants, as well as product combos designed to help you prevent them.
The following chart is about common fungal infestations in cannabis plants and how to combine products to prevent them and help your plants get rid of them.
Now with Biodegradable Containers
Prot-Eco is a pioneering company when it comes to using biodegradable containers, which decompose once used without leaving residues behind.
The materials used to make these containers come from sugar cane, which has a 75% smaller carbon footprint than plastics used normally, and 90% lower than the footprint produced when making glass containers. Only their 100ml containers are biodegradable right now, but over the next few years Prot-Eco is planning on making it happen for all their products.
Combine Phytofortifiers for The Best Protection
As we were saying, combining Prot-Eco products is highly effective when it comes to preventing and treating insects and illnesses in cannabis plants. We previously mentioned a few examples and shared a couple of charts to make it clearer. Let’s have a look at the process in detail.
How to Treat Oidium
- If this fungi manages to make an appearance in your plants, or if you’re looking to prevent it (remember these are bio products), combine Oidioprot with Cinnaprot to increase the efficiency of both products when it comes to oidium.
- In serious cases of infection, in which your plant is 60 – 70% infected, we recommend using Oidioprot alongside Equiprot. Oidioprot activates your plants’ immune system and stops the fungi from growing, while Equiprot dries the fungi up, speeding up the process.
How to Get Rid of Common Infestations in Cannabis
Against mealybugs, white flies, thrips, aphids and leaf miners:
- A good combination is Mobet and Bio Neem as preventive products to keep insects from getting at your plants – both products work off each other and last longer together on your plants.
- Mobet and Bio 6000 Pyrethrin Plus, however, are perfect for when you already have insects on your plants.
Other combinations used by growers are:
- Bio 6000 Pyrethrin Plys and Botryprot against budworms and botrytis.
- Botryprot and Bio-Neem against botrytis and other insects, while fortifying the plant.
- Botryprot and Oidioprot are the perfect combination for protecting your plant in rainy climates.
- Bio 6000 Pyrethrin Plus and Mildiuprot+ against insects and illnesses.
- Bio Neem and Bio 6000 Pyrethrin Plus is a potent combination capable of finishing off many different insect infestations.
The need for healthy, respectful agricultural practices has made laws more restrictive when it comes to regulating health products, and many of them are removed from the market.
Learning to use phytofortifying products is a necessity if you’re going to keep your grow free of insects and illnesses.
Until next time!
