I've always shuddered at what would happen (as an inside grower) if I got sick and couldn't tend to my plants.
It finally happened last week when I was caught in a spiral of violent shaking chills alternating with hours of profuse sweating and full court press discomfort. 96.5 to 103.5 temp swings, low blood pressure and pulse led to a four day stint in the hospital.
My wife is not ganja-friendly and would only agree to flicking the master/fan and light switch on and off at appropriate times in my absence. Two mature autos and two half-month old seedlings were on their own.
After treatments for pneumonia and flu (they never could decide which) I was released and returned to a dozen small gnat-like insects buzzing about the plants. The seedlings had almost dried out and leaves were starting to curl while the two autos that were almost harvest-ready were fine.
My darling had not paid strict attention to the lighting schedule and I know the plants went an initial two days without lights being turned off. Seedlings grow fast and these had gotten too close to the lights and needed water (feeling poorly I hadn't paid proper attention to them for several days prior to being away).
A couple of holes and a split tip to a lower fan leaf are insect-related I think.
I eradicated these tiny buzz bombs but would like to know where they come from. I don't expect to see insects in winter like this. Proper fan placement would have helped but for some reason the fans were in their static mode as opposed to a normal oscillating swing and the seedlings were getting no breeze. Average grow room temps were 80-85 (warm spell in NE); I normally uncover a blacked-out portion of the window daily which has an exhaust fan in it but wasn't able to this time.
Ph'd water with Cal/Mag for the seedlings and the same with molasses for the matures, proper fan placement, room exhaust on and things are pretty much back to normal. I'll probably lose the lower fan leaves on one seedling but it'll survive.
What are these tiny gnat-like insects-anybody know?
It finally happened last week when I was caught in a spiral of violent shaking chills alternating with hours of profuse sweating and full court press discomfort. 96.5 to 103.5 temp swings, low blood pressure and pulse led to a four day stint in the hospital.
My wife is not ganja-friendly and would only agree to flicking the master/fan and light switch on and off at appropriate times in my absence. Two mature autos and two half-month old seedlings were on their own.
After treatments for pneumonia and flu (they never could decide which) I was released and returned to a dozen small gnat-like insects buzzing about the plants. The seedlings had almost dried out and leaves were starting to curl while the two autos that were almost harvest-ready were fine.
My darling had not paid strict attention to the lighting schedule and I know the plants went an initial two days without lights being turned off. Seedlings grow fast and these had gotten too close to the lights and needed water (feeling poorly I hadn't paid proper attention to them for several days prior to being away).
A couple of holes and a split tip to a lower fan leaf are insect-related I think.
I eradicated these tiny buzz bombs but would like to know where they come from. I don't expect to see insects in winter like this. Proper fan placement would have helped but for some reason the fans were in their static mode as opposed to a normal oscillating swing and the seedlings were getting no breeze. Average grow room temps were 80-85 (warm spell in NE); I normally uncover a blacked-out portion of the window daily which has an exhaust fan in it but wasn't able to this time.
Ph'd water with Cal/Mag for the seedlings and the same with molasses for the matures, proper fan placement, room exhaust on and things are pretty much back to normal. I'll probably lose the lower fan leaves on one seedling but it'll survive.
What are these tiny gnat-like insects-anybody know?
