Growgreatplants

Spider Mites - Get Ready To Go To War! Spider mites are members of the Acari (mite) family. They generally live on the undersides of leaves, where they spin protective webs, causing damage to leaves by puncturing the plant cell walls to feed. Spider mites thrive in hot, dry, dusty conditions. Under optimal conditions (27 C), the spider mite can hatch in as little as 3 days, and become sexually mature in 5 days. One female can lay up to 20 eggs per day and can live for 2 to 4... weeks, laying hundreds of eggs. This reproductive rate allows spider mite populations to adapt quickly to pesticides, so using the same treatment repeatedly can become ineffective. Spider mites are extremely small and nearly impossible to see. It's their webs and their damage that first alert us to their presence. Affected leaves on an otherwise happy-looking plant will start to turn yellow, and/or develop white spots on leaves, oftentimes while it is still actively putting out new growth. The webs are almost always found on the undersides of the leaves, which makes them easy to miss. After the undersides of leaves are covered they will start webbing around the edges and top of leaves. Area Treatment 1) Isolate affected plant, preferably in a cooler, humid environment. Inspect and treat any other plants in the immediate vicinity of the infested plants. 2) Clean the entire area where your plants were to ensure the environment is mite free. Use a disinfectant cleaner or a solution of hydrogen peroxide. Infected Plant Treatment Wipe the leaves down with a solution of 500ml warm water, 5 drops mild dish soap and 10ml (3%) hydrogen peroxide. Use a cue tip or small brush to apply. Spray remainder of solution on top and underside of leaves, saturating leaves and top of soil. You can also wipe them down with a solution of Neem Oil (3ml/500ml water), which is safe for most plants. Spray remainder of solution until plant and soil both are saturated and dripping. Spray remainder of solution on top and underside of leaves, saturating leaves and top of soil. Keep plants in isolation and repeat treatments every 5 days, varying treatment each time, until pests are gone. Inspect plants thoroughly before reintroducing. Spider mite are not easy to get rid of but with a little persistence, you can win the war!

Banana Peel Tea - Feed Your Plants Naturally! Like most growers these days I'm always looking for ways to feed my plants naturally while helping the environment. This had led me to recycle as much kitchen waste as possible. Using old banana peels to make compost tea has become part of my plant nutrient regiment. Banana peels are a rich source of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, along with a host of other minerals that help your plants thrive. Making banana tea is ea...sy and only takes a few days. Recipe 3 Banana peels (preferably ripe) 750ml Non-chlorinated water Strainer or cheesecloth Mason jar or similar container with lid Put ripened banana peels into mason jar. Add water to fill up remainder of container leaving 3/4" from top of container. Close lid and store in cool place for 2-3 days. Agitate container once a day to help with infusion and release any pressure from the container. After a few days take the mixture and pour it through a strainer, leaving only the liquid. Discard the leftovers in the strainer. This liquid is your finished concentrate. Dilute this concentrate 3:1 with water. You should end up with approx. 3L of finished tea. Your banana tea is ready to use. Just water into soil.

All Natural Citrus Fermented Insecticide Here's a fantastic all natural insecticide that can be used throughout all plant growth stages, including bloom! It's a little bit of a process but it works wonders against pests. Recipe (makes approx. 1.25L of concentrate) 2 cups citrus peels... 1/2 cup brown sugar 1tsp. yeast 4 cups water 1 cup apple cider vinegar Directions: 1) Dice or mince the citrus peels. 2) Take 4 cups of non-chlorinated water and add citrus peels. 3) Next add brown sugar and yeast. Mix well. 4) Now cover and let ferment for 2 weeks. 5) After 2 weeks strain off solids and add 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Your concentrate is ready! 6) Dilute using 60ml (2 oz.) of concentrate in 3.78L (1 gal.) of water. You should yield approx. 40 gal. of diluted product. Once your comfortable with this recipe you can increase the strength of the solution. Now your ready to spray your plants. Spray liberally making sure to get both top and bottom of leaves. Do not apply in direct sunlight. Any left over concentrate can be store in a fridge for up to a week. I think you'll love this recipe but I think your plants will love it more! SHARE

Best Ways To Increase Soil Aeration and Drainage Poor soil drainage in your soil can negatively impact the health of your plants causing all kind of issues. Root rot, pests mold, nutrient deficiencies are all common problems from poor soil conditions. Common Soil Drainage Problems Runoff: This is when soil becomes compacted and water cannot penetrate the soil causing nutrients and precious topsoil to be washed away. ... Root suffocation: Roots need oxygen just like you and I do. When soil becomes compacted it removes the air from the soil. This eliminates the amount of life living in your soil (remember bacteria, fungi, and beneficial insects also need to breathe), and will choke roots. Baked Soil: This happens when soil is compacted and dries out in the sun. It can heat up extremely hot since there is no moisture or air in the soil to act as an insulator to keep the soil at appropriate temperatures. The soil in your garden should be well draining, loose, fluffy, and not clumpy. Solutions Perlite Perlite is a volcanic rock that is puffed like popcorn. It helps to loosen soil, and prevent soil from clumping. It also has the ability to absorb water which can help soil from baking, cracking, and helping keeping proper air/water ratio in your soil. Vermiculite Vermiculite is another volcanic rock similar to perlite. This glassy flat looking material is extremely absorbent and will break up even the hardest of soil and turn it into a well balanced soil. The main differences between vermiculite and perilite is that vermiculite holds more moisture and keeps it available in the soil longer than perlite will. Perlite is also slightly alkaline, while vermiculite tends to be closer to neutral pH. Keep this in mind if you do not want to raise the pH of your soil. Sand Sand is one of the cheapest things you can add to your garden soil that will help to break up the soil. The small particle size of the sand will get in between soil clods and break them up, increasing drainage, and helping to aerate the soil for good root development. Compost Compost is an obvious, but often overlooked thing to fix soil. The problem with many hard, heavy, and compacted soils is that there is a lack of organic matter. When organic matter is added to soil, it acts as a sponge. It is one of the most effective ways to break up clumps and prevent soil compaction. It also provides nutrients to the to your plants helping to maintain balanced soil conditions. Mulch This method is more of a long term solution to compacted soil. Mulch holds water very well, breaks down and decomposes slowly, protects the soil from baking and it allows worms and other garden insects to feed on the slowly breaking down material. This softens soil, and in between one and two years you should have perfectly loose, properly draining soil.