Flowering

If you discover insects or fungus on your plants during the flowering period, not all is lost; let’s have a look at how to get rid of insect infestations during this stage.

Insecticides and Fungicides for the Flowering Stage

During the flowering stage you should only be using bio products. The reasoning behind this is simple; cannabis isn’t on the list of plants with approved safety periods, which means that it’s always given the longest safety period when applying products, and chemical products are long-lasting. This is obviously not entirely true, as each type of plant is consumed in a different way.

If you’re growing indoors you’ll also need to keep in mind that safety periods are designed with outdoor conditions in mind, meaning conditions such as the rain and sun, which degrade products on your plants. This doesn’t happen indoors, so they may need even more time to degrade completely.

These are the main reasons you shouldn’t use chemical products during the flowering stage. You can’t guarantee that they’ll be gone by the time it comes to harvest, and consuming those flowers can be bad for your health.

We also don’t recommend using them during the growth period if you want organic results. Recent studies have proven that chemical pesticides build up in cannabis plants. Also, any toxicity produced is increased by combustion when smoked. Using chemical products during the growth stage should only be done under extreme circumstances.

At La Huerta Grow Shop we’re invested in environmentally friendly and bio plant protection.

Bio Insecticides and Fungicides for Flowering Cannabis

Some of the most used eco-certified products are neem oil, insecticidal soap, pyrethrin, horsetail, amino acids and plant oils.

Neem Oil

This type of product comes from Neem Tree seed extract and works best when sprayed. It can be sprayed on your to prevent and treat thrips, leaf miners and white flies. When watered, it can be used against soil pathogens. Neem oil stops insects from feeding and reproducing in a manner of hours, and after a few days they’ll begin to die.

It also works quite well as a repellent; insects don’t like the aroma of this product so they choose other plants to rest on. Neem oil is highly useful as a preventive product. It’s not toxic for people or beneficial insects such as worms, bees and ladybugs. It’s only bad for insects that attack your plants. Bio Neem by Prot Ecto is a neem-based product; it’s an organic, biodegradable preventive product that doesn’t leave any residues and can be used until 15 days before harvesting.

Insecticidal Soap

Insecticidal soap is used against insects and different types of fungi. It acts via contact, with acids that damage the insects’ exoskeleton. It’s used to treat red spider mites, cochineals, thrips, aphids and white flies. Insecticidal soap has a high pH, which is why it’s so effective at getting rid of fungal infestations, although it has limited use as it doesn’t stay active for long and easily degrades.

Insecticidal soap is also used to remove any residues or sticky substances left by insects such as white flies, mites or cochineals. This type of substance can easily allow for fungal infections to spread, and it also attracts ants, among other insects. It can be found in products such as Mobet by Prot-Eco; keep in mind that when using this product, you need to soak both sides of the leaves.

Mobet Prot-Eco Warning: keep in mind that when your flowers are more advanced, you might burn their pistils if this product is directly applied (they go from white to brown). This doesn’t affect trichomes or cannabinoids, but it does decolour the pistils. It does not damage plants or leaves.

Pyrethrin

Pyrethrin is one of the most commonly used insecticides and has been for a very long time. It’s extracted from chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium or Anaciclus Pyretrum. Pyrethrin, when exposed to the sun, degrades in a few days. It acts via contact and affects insects’ nervous system, killing them in no time. It does not affect mammals. It’s highly efficient against insect infestations such as aphids, white flies, thrips and spider mites etc. Spruzit is a product that contains pyrethrin, combined with vegetable oil, a product that can be used up to 15 days before harvesting.

Plant Oils

Some forms of plant oil can asphyxiate eggs and some adults, and they’re usually found in most insecticides and fungicides to increase efficiency. Spruzit, for example, contains rapeseed oil.

Amino Acids

The combination of amino acids and plant oils can stop oidium in its tracks while also activating your plants’ immune system. You can find this combination in products such as Oidioprot, a bio-stimulant that prevents and can cure oidium. Oidioprot isn’t toxic nor does it leave any residues, and it can be used up to 15 days before harvesting.

Horsetail

Horsetail is an extract from Equisentum Arvense L., which contains high amounts of silicon and a saponin that’s toxic for fungi and pseudo-fungi, Equisetonine.

Silicon reinforces your plants’ cell walls, making it much harder for insects and fungi to get to your plants; it’s also highly used in bio agriculture. It does not affect animals or beneficial insects and is highly efficient against fungi and infestations such as red spider mites. You can find horsetail in products such as Ekisan by Trabe, which is sprayed. It’s not compatible with products that contain copper or aminoacids and it doesn’t have a safety period.

If you have any questions regarding which insecticide or fungicide you should use, La Huerta Grow Shop has a team of experts ready to help.