So who here is growing in true organic living soil?
- Thread starter Rrog
- Start date
fattiemcnuggins
Well-Known Member
now that is thick! cool sht
fattiemcnuggins
Well-Known Member
I know I have predator mites, I wonder how I could isolate them and raise em up for sharin
Rrog
Well-Known Member
Here's a cut and paste from my notes. This is a collection of comments and links, but mostly the info from ONE DUDE, who I rudely and ignorantly forgot to note. So to whoever provided this so kindly once, I am passing it on in honor of your work.
Couple different mite strategies below. One feeds the soil (with nematodes) so the mites eat them. The second is raising them in pails and feed them bulk pollen.
Order Hypoaspis Mites for fungus gnats and thrips. You can propagate them in a soil bin you never till or use. Simply add nematodes and they will have a feast that will last for 2 months plus. I reintroduce them to the flowering and vegetative rooms after transplants are done by scooping top layers of soil out of the rubber-maid I propagate them in. These little guys will destroy anything that gets near the root systems as they live a couple of inches on the outer soil layer. As long as they have a food source they will stick around and in massive numbers. You will see your soil moving after watering or before if you look at it close enough. They are extremely fast and mobile as well as small enough to penetrate the entire root ball. They are not mobile on the entire plant however. They like the lowest parts. They will destroy even the worst fungus gnat infestation in 2-3 days. This is why you need to add nematodes if you want to keep them around because they will reproduce quicker than the fungus gnats as well as kill the fungus gnats a long side the Hypoaspis Mites. This is the only way to conquer recurrent and seasonal infestations.
For predator mites that stay on the plant above ground go with the ones that target the type of mite you have. For two spotted I would get Amblyseius fallacis and Phytoseiulus persimilis. You can propagate them in vermiculite and pollen. So screw female seeds and use some male pollen to keep them a live =)
Early Merry Christmas present to all of you suffering from pests.
In short just make sure they have a constant supply of pollen. I just throw a flowering male plant in every 2 weeks or so you can continue to water it or just chop it if it is in full pollen mode and throw it in the bin of vermiculite. I would add 2-3 table spoons of pollen throughout a 10-15 day period in a 35 gallon rubber-maid if I was propagating them with fresh pollen probably. You will have to experiment with raw sifted pollen a bit as I mostly always have male plants flowering so pollen is used from them. I also think that bee pollen may be good food for them, but I have not tried it yet. I will be coming up though. There are many types of pollen that can be ordered very cheap on line to feed them with if you do not want to use MJ pollen.
http://www.bee-pollen-buzz.com/buy-bee-pollen.html
Here are some links of places to buy bulk pollens:
http://www.pollencollectionandsales....products.shtml
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale/...en-powder.html
General info on predators at Cornell University:
http://www.biocontrol.entomology.cor...eoseiulus.html
Also:
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/...2#.UHXdxcXA-vR
Quote:
ABSTRACT
Populations of the two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae, and its acarine predator, Amblyseius fallacis, were propagated on alfalfa in the greenhouse at constant temperatures in the range 65 to 85 °F (18.3–29.4 °C). The predator limited the initial increase in prey abundance only at temperatures above about 70 °F (21.1 °C). At 80 and 85 °F (26.7 and 29.4 °C) fluctuations in prey and predator numbers increased in amplitude as propagation continued. The age structure of the predator population reared at 75 °F (23.9 °C) differed from that of populations propagated at the other temperatures.
Link to more papers, but you have to have the $:
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/acti...s&publication=
Temperature and humidity information on several beneficial species:
http://www.rinconvitova.com/predator...te Biocontrols
You can also keep them in corn grits just keep feeding them pollen. If you lose colony order more.
SO: you can raise your own or raise them and sell them to others. Same with Nematodes
Couple different mite strategies below. One feeds the soil (with nematodes) so the mites eat them. The second is raising them in pails and feed them bulk pollen.
Order Hypoaspis Mites for fungus gnats and thrips. You can propagate them in a soil bin you never till or use. Simply add nematodes and they will have a feast that will last for 2 months plus. I reintroduce them to the flowering and vegetative rooms after transplants are done by scooping top layers of soil out of the rubber-maid I propagate them in. These little guys will destroy anything that gets near the root systems as they live a couple of inches on the outer soil layer. As long as they have a food source they will stick around and in massive numbers. You will see your soil moving after watering or before if you look at it close enough. They are extremely fast and mobile as well as small enough to penetrate the entire root ball. They are not mobile on the entire plant however. They like the lowest parts. They will destroy even the worst fungus gnat infestation in 2-3 days. This is why you need to add nematodes if you want to keep them around because they will reproduce quicker than the fungus gnats as well as kill the fungus gnats a long side the Hypoaspis Mites. This is the only way to conquer recurrent and seasonal infestations.
For predator mites that stay on the plant above ground go with the ones that target the type of mite you have. For two spotted I would get Amblyseius fallacis and Phytoseiulus persimilis. You can propagate them in vermiculite and pollen. So screw female seeds and use some male pollen to keep them a live =)
Early Merry Christmas present to all of you suffering from pests.
In short just make sure they have a constant supply of pollen. I just throw a flowering male plant in every 2 weeks or so you can continue to water it or just chop it if it is in full pollen mode and throw it in the bin of vermiculite. I would add 2-3 table spoons of pollen throughout a 10-15 day period in a 35 gallon rubber-maid if I was propagating them with fresh pollen probably. You will have to experiment with raw sifted pollen a bit as I mostly always have male plants flowering so pollen is used from them. I also think that bee pollen may be good food for them, but I have not tried it yet. I will be coming up though. There are many types of pollen that can be ordered very cheap on line to feed them with if you do not want to use MJ pollen.
http://www.bee-pollen-buzz.com/buy-bee-pollen.html
Here are some links of places to buy bulk pollens:
http://www.pollencollectionandsales....products.shtml
http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale/...en-powder.html
General info on predators at Cornell University:
http://www.biocontrol.entomology.cor...eoseiulus.html
Also:
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/...2#.UHXdxcXA-vR
Quote:
ABSTRACT
Populations of the two-spotted mite, Tetranychus urticae, and its acarine predator, Amblyseius fallacis, were propagated on alfalfa in the greenhouse at constant temperatures in the range 65 to 85 °F (18.3–29.4 °C). The predator limited the initial increase in prey abundance only at temperatures above about 70 °F (21.1 °C). At 80 and 85 °F (26.7 and 29.4 °C) fluctuations in prey and predator numbers increased in amplitude as propagation continued. The age structure of the predator population reared at 75 °F (23.9 °C) differed from that of populations propagated at the other temperatures.
Link to more papers, but you have to have the $:
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/acti...s&publication=
Temperature and humidity information on several beneficial species:
http://www.rinconvitova.com/predator...te Biocontrols
You can also keep them in corn grits just keep feeding them pollen. If you lose colony order more.
SO: you can raise your own or raise them and sell them to others. Same with Nematodes
Someacdude
Active Member
I have juiced Habanero in a spray bottle. I havent cooked it down or used it at all. Any ideas , talk about fire weed .
Someacdude
Active Member
Im waiting to remix all my soil after this last run, how much should i add to 90 gallons of soil..
ndogg
Well-Known Member
This is what I have done the couple times ive gotten them.
1 pint of water
2 habenaros peppers
2 cayenne peppers
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 Tbls. Olive oil
1 Tbls. Lemon juice
3-4 drops of dish soap
Blend in a mixer for 2-3 minutes or until all is blended well. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into spray bottle and voilà you have made your own bug spray.I have found that it works best to completely saturate your plants as sooon as your lights turn off. Continue this everyday until they are gone. I have found that it can take anywhere from 3 days to a week.Also be sure too clean! That means pulling everything out sweeping, vacuuming, and using a 10% bleach and water solution to wipe everything down
1 pint of water
2 habenaros peppers
2 cayenne peppers
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 Tbls. Olive oil
1 Tbls. Lemon juice
3-4 drops of dish soap
Blend in a mixer for 2-3 minutes or until all is blended well. Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into spray bottle and voilà you have made your own bug spray.I have found that it works best to completely saturate your plants as sooon as your lights turn off. Continue this everyday until they are gone. I have found that it can take anywhere from 3 days to a week.Also be sure too clean! That means pulling everything out sweeping, vacuuming, and using a 10% bleach and water solution to wipe everything down
HGK420
Well-Known Member
for real!?!?! imagine loading a 12 gauge shell up with a blob of that stuff.... salt shot eat your heart out!
st0wandgrow
Well-Known Member
I would like to grow comfrey. Have to figure out where to buy it from.....