Chemical

What are Chemical Pesticides?

Synthetic pesticides, often called chemical pesticides, are made in laboratories using molecules that don’t exist inn nature. However, they usually imitate natural compounds, such as pyrethroids.

However, bio pesticides are extracted from organic or natural sources, such as sulphur or pyrethrin.

Are Chemical Pesticides Worse than Organic Pesticides?

The truth is, just because something is natural it doesn’t make it more or less toxic than something with chemical origins.

However, when it comes to growing cannabis plants, this does indeed seem to be the case. Synthetic pesticides have longer safety periods than organic products, and they also have much stricter residue and container elimination protocols.

Pros and Cons of Chemical Pesticides

When it comes to the pros of chemical insecticides and pesticides, there are a few:

• Immediate action.
• Highly effective.
• Multiple applications not required in some cases.

However, there are also some cons:

• They alter your plants more than bio products.
• They’re more toxic and stay active for longer.
• They can only be used during the growth period.
• Chemical products have very strict safety protocols that must be followed when using and getting rid of the product itself.

We recommend going for chemical products as a last resort if you have a nasty infestation and have no other option. One of the biggest advantages of growing cannabis is the fact that you know what goes into it, so don’t ruin it by not using organic preventive products; it’s much better to prevent it from happening than to have to fall back on chemical pesticides.

Safety Period

Due to the fact that cannabis still isn’t legal to grow in many countries, it doesn’t appear on the list of plants with safety periods indicated by laboratory investigations. It’s highly recommended to go for a longer safety period with cannabis, although it’s not a sure thing as every plant is different.

Keep in mind that safety periods aren’t deigned for indoors grows, but rather outdoor settings where the sun and wind degrade any product used.

This is why we don’t recommend using chemical pesticides during the flowering period. You’ll need to keep in mind that everything that you give your plants will somehow end up in your body if you consume their flowers, which is why chemical products should be used with extreme caution, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Using Pesticides Safely

Whether your pesticides are chemical or organically sourced:

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions from start to finish.
• Cover your eyes, noise, mouth, hands etc. Use all available protective material when handling at all times.
• Do not eat nor smoke when handling or using products; the same should be said for handling fertilizers and substrates.

Getting Rid of Residues and Containers

When dealing with chemical pesticides it’s incredibly important to get rid of any residues and containers in the correct way. Make sure to follow the instructions indicated with each product.

Don’t prepare more product than you’re going to need; if you’re not sure how much you need, you can measure it out by first spraying water and seeing how much is needed. Any leftover product that is drained away could end up contaminating possible water sources and the environment.

Synthetic Pesticides for Cannabis Plants

Some of the most used are:

Lexor 25: gets rid of oidium in cannabis plants.

Lexor 25 by Probelte is one of the most efficient fungicides used to treat oidium, rust and alternaria. This chemical product inhibits the biosynthesis of ergosterol, which means that it directly attacks the cellular membranes of mould and fungi. Lexor 25 can be used to prevent and treat. Spray it on all leaves, top to bottom, on both sides. It can be used during the growth period in order to keep your plants protected before flowering indoors or outdoors.

Skunk: a chemical product used to fight off mites

Skunk by Probelte is made using clofentezine, a compound belonging to the tetrazine group. Skunk gets rid of eggs and larvae, acting via contact. It has a residual period of up to 8-9 weeks. We recommend using it during the growth period. Keep in mind that this product does not affect adult mites. It’s highly efficient as a preventive product, and it does not affect beneficial insects (adults only).

Solfac: used to clean grow tents or grow rooms

Solfac by Bayer is a chemical cleaning product designed for grow tents or grow rooms that don’t have plants in them. It’s never used on plants that are growing or flowering. Solfac contains cyfluthrin a synthetic pyrethroid. Unlike natural pyrethrins, this type doesn’t degrade as easily under the sun.

If you have any questions regarding how to use these chemical products, get in touch with the team of professionals at La Huerta Grow Shop and we’ll help you out.