Suspecting nutrient issues? Look closely for pest !!

Just thought I'd share my experience to try and help others. I have been fighting some issues for 2 grows now that I thought was some sort of nutrient lockout or light stress. This is first time I've ran grows back to back without completely cleaning my grow area. Last grow I had leaves not looking too good high on the plants. It looked like light stress. Noted this and backed off the light intensity for my current grow. This grow I had rust spots and yellowing fan leaves and figured I had a calcium lockout. This is plausible because my tap water is 200ppm. Switched to a hard water micro to help with the issues. Well I'm taking some close up buds shots to post and BAM THERE THEY ARE!! I've had thrips for my last 2 grows. I have gone round and round trying to diagnose nutrient or light issues and the whole time it was thrip damage. Moral of the story is if you see any type of leaf issue don't assume it's a nutrient issue. Look closely for pest. These thrips are TINY and I didn't notice them until tonight. I would see something floating around in the air like dust from time to time. Wasn't dust was a flying thrip.

Obviously I strive to keep a very sanitary grow area but I got thrips nonetheless.
I'm 4 weeks into flower now so I'm going to foliar spray with a citric acid solution this run. After this run shut down shop and bleach the hell outta my area.

So next time you see leaf damage look very closely for pest before moving on to other potential issues. Thanks.

Oh yeah almost forgot. I've been seeing the thrips mostly right on the middle vein of each leaf so look there if you suspect thrips.

You can anyways spot thrips by their shit or their thin white body. One of the easiest pests to eradicate too, just have to stay on them until they're gone. Usually 2-3 sprays and it's over.

macsnax said:

You can anyways spot thrips by their shit or their thin white body. One of the easiest pests to eradicate too, just have to stay on them until they're gone. Usually 2-3 sprays and it's over.

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Absolutely. An easy fix. First time w pest so definitely a learning experience.

Southside112 said:

Absolutely. An easy fix. First time w pest so definitely a learning experience.

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You must now also consider carpeting and fabrics in the vicinity. As well as a fungicide. Not sterile with bleach alone. Virus and germ or unfortunate complex biological. The feces is breeding fungus. Hope this helps.

MICHI-CAN said:

You must now also consider carpeting and fabrics in the vicinity. As well as a fungicide. Not sterile with bleach alone. Virus and germ or unfortunate complex biological. The feces is breeding fungus. Hope this helps.

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So your saying I need to spray a fungicide after applying the citric acid solution to kill the thrips?

Southside112 said:

So your saying I need to spray a fungicide after applying the citric acid solution to kill the thrips?

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No. Just some spinosad if asking. Was referring to the sterilization after.

MICHI-CAN said:

No. Just some spinosad if asking. Was referring to the sterilization after.

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Gotcha. Thanks bro.