Hawaii Growers

[Rookie808]

What's up rookie808, your plants have minor damage but they will be fine... Just keep the bugs in check, I'd look at neem foliar applications and/or AACT. There are too many factors involved for me to recommend anything definitive, but I also recommend growing organically if you don't already. Healthy plants with an active soil food web are naturally more resistant to diseases and pests.

thanks. ya im going organic. currently looking for the right microbes and beneficial fungi. going to pick up some neem based foliar spray.

Plants look OK Rookie, remove the leaves with damage, the leaf miner is inside the leaf still. Get your watering and feeding tightened up and you on.

damaged leaves removed, thanks got an idea where i can learn about feeding/watering schedules unique to this climate (hilo area)?

 

[Mohican]

The plants should tell you what they like. Make sure that the roots get good drainage. Cloth pots are the best. They are harder to use in dry climates because you must water more often to avoid dry soil. I prefer the #7 smart pots. However, you can use garden screen and make any size you want like one of the members here did. He made an eight foot long planter with 2x4s and garden cloth. His grow was killa!

Soil can be anything from sand to clay and every combination in between. Compost, compost teas, worm compost, and local forest soil are all great foods. I wish I knew what the Kula farmers used back in the day to grow those Maui onions and potatoes. Maui's Chinese farmers have mad skills!

 

[HiloReign]

Watering depends on a ton of factors and was an aspect of growing I didn't pay as much attention to as I should have.

I'd like to help you, but I've watered by feel since as long as I can remember. I'm still convinced that my watering timing/amounts are definitely NOT optimal.

Though, for smaller potted plants I keep a bucket half way full with water and dunk pots in there till the water level is the same as the top of the soil. I wait til the water has penetrated the surface of my medium til I pull them out of the water and sit them over another bucket to drain into. Even watering, if nothing else.


Any big islanders with soil building plants? I'm looking for mostly perennials, N-fixers and native Hawaiian plants. I live on lava rock and cinder and would like to develop my property from the ground up. I'd love to trade but unfortunately don't have much of anything to offer (besides money).

 

[kaloconnection]

What are you looking for in particular?
You sound like the perfect candidate for a hugelkultur. Basically you just throw some soil over a pile of logs from a tree you just fell and it becomes an instant raised bed. The decomposing tree creates the perfect microbial environment.
I'm going to try it soon, I've been discovering many piles of old wood in my yard and been generating new piles even quicker.

 

[kaloconnection]

thanks. ya im going organic. currently looking for the right microbes and beneficial fungi. going to pick up some neem based foliar spray.



damaged leaves removed, thanks got an idea where i can learn about feeding/watering schedules unique to this climate (hilo area)?

Dont look too hard, Im pretty sure theres only a couple of companies actually producing mycorhizal inoculants but there are many that are repackaging it, adding a cartoon character and some filler (i.e. great white) and selling it for astronomical prices. I use mykos and azos by extreme gardening, buildasoil has a good option on their site.

Also, only use 100% cold pressed neem by dynagro or ahimsa organics. Anything not cold-pressed is not worth your money. You will need to emulsify with something like silica to get it to mix with water properly.

 

[Mohican]

Great tip! I use hot water and coco wet (soap). I need to get some neem cake.

 

[HiloReign]

I got a bed with a bunch of tree logs in there. It produced well and held lots of moisture despite my red cinder being above and below... Tons of mushrooms have popped up since it had been going for about a year. I'll try get some pictures going... I have another mound made in much the same fashion that's doing me well.

Nonetheless I appreciate the advice kalo. Also thanks for expanding on the neem spray. Emulsifying it with silica helps a ton. The foliar will remain in contact with the sprayed surface longer.

In particular, nothing really. I want to fix as much nitrogen as possible but i get a kick out of planting natives,

 

[Rory808]

man, i got a (nuther) problem. So im prepping my soil even tho my girls arenet even a foot tall and realize that the 5 pots i prepped 3 weeks ago and have been sitting on the patio (floor is 10 feet off the ground, and i make a mix of my own soil btw) and they all have red ants in them. son of a Fin B... i sprayed off the pots and they keep coming out the holes. i put some fire ant grains on the floor and placed the pot over them. i havent sprayed anywhere near anything ever. thats the best i got with what i have here now.

am i screwed? do i have to toss it and do over? does anyone place their pots in a tray that will create a moat around their plants to prevent these f$&#s from getting in?

thanks. this place is overrun with fire ants and we keep our kitchens and garbage spotless because of it. thanks for any tips

 

[SurfdOut]

Can you dump the pots into a wheelbarrow and turn the soil until they leave?

 

[HiloReign]

Fire ants suck, I am plagued by them (and am typically stung by them) just about everyday in my yard. For what it's worth:

• Wherever I find black ants, I don't find fire ants. (I don't know why)
  
• Amending with neem (in my experience) has helped to shoo them out of my soil mix.
  
• Tea tree oil feels nice after sticking your hand into a fire ant hell.

I've also found that the more "mature" my soil was, the less ants I found. Good luck with your ants and please come back and let us know if you find a solution...

 

[Rory808]

after researching, i found this stuff: any experience?

this one suggests soaking the soil in "seven"
TREATMENT OF POTTED PLANTS INFESTED WITH LITTLE FIRE ANT:
http://www.littlefireants.com/LFA Fact sheet 1.2.pdf
(i have no idea how that will affect a cannabis plant)


I'm buying trays today to keep my pots in. Gunna keep them filled with soapy water:
http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-features/controlling-spread-little-fire-ants

"For minimally infested areas that are shipping products, soaps and detergents can help prevent ants from traveling on fruit, vegetables or flowers. Any crop that can be safely immersed in cold soapy water for up to 15 minutes can be treated by this method. Since soaps break the surface tension of water, ants can’t float on soapy water or survive in the air bubbles. Soap also disrupts the ant’s protective cuticle layer causing them to drown quickly in the soapy water.

Agitating ¼ teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent per gallon of cold water and completely submerging the commodity in the solution for 15 minutes will kill the ants and they can then be washed off with clean, clear water. This technique is not recommended for sensitive commodities or those that are bruised, cut or torn. Treated products must be placed in a little fire ant-free holding area to prevent further contamination. A moat of soapy water can serve as a barrier. Placing table legs in a container of soapy water can prevent ants from crawling up them and re-infesting clean products."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

aluminum cast of fire ant nest. fuuuuu....

 

[Rory808]

so just as an update: good news

the ants seem to have disappeared. i replanted 2 of the pots and couldnt find a red ant anywhere. i even bought off-white work gloves so theyd be easy to see before they jumped onto my wrist and started gettin all amazon on me. so they mustve bailed. ill check the other 2 tomorrow. if i see any real problems, from what ive researched, a boiling water drench will do the trick. in the process of getting moats...

as for my leaf miner problem, its completely gone. cut out the infected areas and bought some sticky traps just to see what they would catch and they work great. wish i knew what species i was looking at. im lookin at em though a 40 - 60x microscope too. pretty crazy.

put a light light misty neem coat on top and undersides this morning. first ever.

started my feeding schedule and dayum did they light up after that. 7 very healthy, happy lookin plants here growin like theres no tomorrow. this is also in part to learning how to water correctly via this thread.

so ya in short, problems fixed alls good, thanks.

 

[HiloReign]

Right on Rory, thanks for the update and all the info. Being proactive with neem/silica foliar has been very effective for me (when I'm not too lazy to do it LOL) in terms of pests/disease.

 

[Rory808]

thanks HiloReign. I didnt even know about "silica" until you mentioned it. learned, gunna get some.

also, ive been learning about fungi (mycology) like crazy lately cuz im a nerd like that and wonder if anyone can point me to anything that would have to do with any symbiotic relationship between any fungi and cannabis, beyond the mycorrhizal (awesome stuff).

for instance, Paul Stamets is a guy (quirky dude) on youtube (video is called Paul Stamets - the future is fungi [how to save the planet]) whos come up with an ant bait (yes he mentions fire ants specifically) that will attack with a fungus that is spread by and grows within the ants eventually killing them. anyone?

the subject of the plant/fungi relationship is a trip (literally sometimes) and the field is generally speaking, vastly underdeveloped. anyone knows of links to help steer me, im all eyes.

 

[HiloReign]

The book "teaming with microbes" is an absolute must IMO. I strongly suggest joining the forums at Livingorganicsoil.org, it's a literal treasure trove for the kind of information you're seeking. There are many threads with in-depth knowledge on MANY subjects. There is A LOT to cover and I personally recommend starting with the term Soil Food Web. I'm not sure if that forum is open to public but if you go over there and sign up, you can use my username (Steward) as a reference.

Good luck, you're headed in the right direction.

 

[rob333]

after researching, i found this stuff: any experience?

this one suggests soaking the soil in "seven"
TREATMENT OF POTTED PLANTS INFESTED WITH LITTLE FIRE ANT:
http://www.littlefireants.com/LFA Fact sheet 1.2.pdf
(i have no idea how that will affect a cannabis plant)


I'm buying trays today to keep my pots in. Gunna keep them filled with soapy water:
http://westhawaiitoday.com/news/local-features/controlling-spread-little-fire-ants

"For minimally infested areas that are shipping products, soaps and detergents can help prevent ants from traveling on fruit, vegetables or flowers. Any crop that can be safely immersed in cold soapy water for up to 15 minutes can be treated by this method. Since soaps break the surface tension of water, ants can’t float on soapy water or survive in the air bubbles. Soap also disrupts the ant’s protective cuticle layer causing them to drown quickly in the soapy water.

Agitating ¼ teaspoon of liquid soap or detergent per gallon of cold water and completely submerging the commodity in the solution for 15 minutes will kill the ants and they can then be washed off with clean, clear water. This technique is not recommended for sensitive commodities or those that are bruised, cut or torn. Treated products must be placed in a little fire ant-free holding area to prevent further contamination. A moat of soapy water can serve as a barrier. Placing table legs in a container of soapy water can prevent ants from crawling up them and re-infesting clean products."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

aluminum cast of fire ant nest. fuuuuu....

 

[Rory808]

The book "teaming with microbes" is an absolute must IMO. I strongly suggest joining the forums at Livingorganicsoil.org, it's a literal treasure trove for the kind of information you're seeking. There are many threads with in-depth knowledge on MANY subjects. There is A LOT to cover and I personally recommend starting with the term Soil Food Web. I'm not sure if that forum is open to public but if you go over there and sign up, you can use my username (Steward) as a reference.

Good luck, you're headed in the right direction.

gold. paydirt. eureka, etc.... thanks! if i didnt have to bounce right now id check it, but later tonight...

this virgin grow of mine is just puttin the biggest smile on my face. ill pull up a chair and watch these things grow multiple times a day. another feeding today, ph balanced... the lights spread out because theyre now about 6 - 8 inches wide. look healthy as shlt. primo seeds from amsterdamn so stoked about em... and cant wait to weld my eyes on all that soil food web stuff and get addicted to all this in depth nature i either forgot or never knew. thanks again

 

[Rory808]

random... did some searching here for threads about when to transplant, and im guessing im about due? started in 12 oz cups, now in 1 gallon, ending up in 25 and 30 gallon pots. the pots theyre in now are about 6 inches across i guess. i had em out today for a bit of the first decent sunshine hilo has seen in over a week. theyre going into the pot below them in the picture... going to add mychorizzal or however you spell that whenever i do this... any other tips? the transplant from seedling to these went fine, but ya final home coming up and i know nothing practically...


also, found this. was interesting from a guy who knows the stuff so well, he sells his own formula. im unaffiliated of course...

 

[Puna Bud]

I have mixed emotions about med cards. Especially after this weekend's greenharvest activity. Those assholes circled my house low and slow trying to look in my greenhouse from all angles twice last week.
I think getting " signed up" is putting your name and address on their list of next people to be harassed on the next numbers count they do.

Let me try and put it in perspective for everyone. AS history points out, anybody in power who is set to lose that power usually runs amok in their last days of power. AS NED will be handing the program over to the Dept. Of Health after the first of the year . So they are putting the screws to us one last time! Things should die down after that! The DEpt. Of Health won't be flying and checking out of gardens. After all the Dept. of Health has been running the Needle Exchange program on Oahu for around ten years or more, and they have never checked up on the junkies that come and grab needles. It makes sense to have your card after the first of the year for sure!

 

[Mohican]

Progress!

The triploid baby is a male:




Cheers,
Mo