New guy with a pest problem

[FlaNatv]

This is my first grow which is outdoors and I am seeing a lot of bugs now that I'm getting into flower. I was using neem oil as a foliar spray but stopped once in flower as that is what I read to do. I am getting some damage but not a ton yet and would like to keep it that way. A few holes in leaves here and there and a few leaves cut in half from the bigger caterpillars. Also have a couple leaves that are discolored in an erratic path. Kind of like a miniature "snail trail" I've seen left on concrete but about 2" long on a leaf.

I have seen some small and medium sized caterpillars. These are pretty easy to pick off and smush. I have seen some small black gnats and some slightly bigger and white gnats/flying bugs that have more mass and don't seem to fly off. I also see some itty bitty green dots on the bottom of leaves but only about a half dozen on any one leaf as well as some baby grasshoppers. These seem like the main pests. I have seen 2 white flies, few black house flies, some very small spiders, one baby lady bug, a couple little beetles, a black bug with some orange lines on their back, and some little triangle shaped flying bugs when looking down on them that are also fairly tall which really can grab onto a stem. I know there are beneficial bugs but not sure which. I will also study up and try to figure out what all these are called but not sure it matters right now. I have also found a couple clumps of orangish eggs on the bottom of a couple leaves.

Today the plants are 38 days old and first started showing pistils around day 25. The buds furthest along are still fairly small and probably what most would call popcorn buds. The plants are anywhere from 15" to 26" tall and probably have another 4 or 5 weeks left. But I stopped spraying neem about 12 days ago because that's what I have read to do. However, I think that is why I am seeing an increase in bug activity. I was also using Natural Guard brand neem that says it is hydrophobic extract of neem oil and not cold pressed and I've read that type isn't very good. So I recently got a bunch of essential oils and mixed up a spray. I used cold pressed neem, clove, cinnamon, lavender, and camphor oils. I have been spraying this and trying to focus mainly on the top and bottom of leaves but some is surely getting on the buds.

As I mentioned I am going the organic route and using a living soil that is water only with a few teas here and there. Can anyone tell me if it is still safe to spray anything? And what the best thing to use at this point would be to keep them from destroying the plants? I would like to stick with organic options and really looking for advise. These got so bad so quick and it seems like there is a little of everything and I don't feel like I have time to learn what everything is and how to treat them before they do some serious damage. Sorry for the long post but I wanted to explain everything. Any help would be great and my plants as well as myself would really appreciate it. Thank you!!!

 

[Eyes on Fire]

Insect Frass,SNS-209 Systemic additive,Frass as a drench and foliar feed/treatment as well.Yes ya can add and spray through flower but that'll change your final product to washing prepping and Oils or clean concentrates.smoking aint gone be fun man.lol.If ya can hack it sure..but not fun n all that awesome for ya in many ways.some concentrates and washed base n brew oil.works well imho.

Have either some Serenade,OxiDate, or similar fungicide, even a homemade Wetting agent like Dawn natural n Water(cap of dawn per gallon shook n spray)...add some Kelp liquids(see their recipe) and you got a hotshot spray right there dude.Softbodied bug dudes n others hate soap n kelp AND a sweet leaf boost?suuure.LOL!

I was gonna say something else dangit..LOL! ill get back to ya.on the upper part maybe..?LMAO!!

and the frass will engage the natural genetics within the plants natural response mechanisms and provide staying power for defense naturally within the plant, and food for that service as well as provide ya with foods as well as a broad span feed too.Systemic additive(SNS-209) is a natural rosemary extract/Concentrate that also boots natural anti Feeding(not nibbling mind ya)abilities through taste and natural chemical responses.If yer feeding only water ya know ta just use it through like a rinse in your soil for a few weeks.but Ive gone later with zero issue btw.

if I missed something lemme know man.I think thats all.Im high n have MS so my memory is kinda lame.LOL!

With your soil.try to increase you Endo spectrum with another (the more the merrier) multi spectrum or homemade inoculate.and that TOO will boost your bug n grow stuff potential.I think you'll find that should cover ya imho.as a starter.ya can get other sprays n belnds n mixes sure.but thats yer point I personally would start.

ok Im done rambling LOL!Imma go burn another LOL! an hour er so later LOL!Really hope that hooks ya up man!Plenty to read here in the organics section.PleeeennT man!Be well friend.

Edit: forgot link
http://www.fungi.com/product-detail/product/mycogrow-micronized-endoecto-seed-mix-1-oz.html

 

[FlaNatv]

Thanks for the reply.

How do others deal with bugs when growing outdoors and in flower? I know I can't be the only one with bugs outdoors. And I know most people aren't going to not smoke their long awaited flowers and only make extracts.

I guess I just want to know how everyone else deals with it. I have been reading plant problems on other forums and with everything that can go wrong it sounds almost impossible to have a successful grow. At this point I'm getting pretty overwhelmed and almost ready to give up. But I am disabled with a lot of health problems and could really use the medicine.

Thanks.

 

[thetreeman]

Something like this would work. During heavy flowering I would spray around your plants, especially the ground right underneath, but not directly on them.
http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/talstar-pro-one-insecticide

Also check out

http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/csi-permethrin-cs-insecticide

I was using sevin spray with less than stellar results, but since switching to talstar I havent had many problems.

 

[Muddy]

I grew outdoors for many years and always had problems with spider mites and caterpillars. I got into the routine of doing weekly sprayings of insecticidal soap as a preventative measure. Insecticidal soap is a contact killer and is water soluble, so a good rain will wash it away. If it came to harvest time and there hadn't been a good rain, I would bring the pots up near the garage and spray them down good with the garden hose a couple days before harvesting. Caterpillars are a different story as insecticidal soap won't kill them. Mostly I picked them off by hand but even then would find a few inside the buds when harvesting. Never more than a few and certainly not so many that I was sacrificing a lot of good bud to them.

@ thetreeman. Sevin is only effective for 3 years. I've talked to my county agricultural agent about it's use and he suggested switching off to another insecticide the 4th year, then going back to Sevin for another 3 years. Personally I don't like using it unless it's an extreme case where nothing else will work.

 

[FlaNatv]

Thanks for the replies!

I am really curious what others do for pests once in flower? How do you stop the constant influx of bugs when outdoors? With autos they flower, or at least have pistils, a lot longer than they veg so your not supposed to spray anything for most of their lives? I have also been germinating a couple seeds every week or two and have seedlings out to 45 days old and they don't seem to bother them until they start showing pistils. Also, mold and mildew seems like it can be an issue at any point. I have asked in a few places and got the most answers here but I can't be the only one that encounters bugs. Are others doing nothing and just taking what's left at harvest time?

Even indoors there would be the constant threat of bugs anytime you enter the room. It sounds like most people spray during veg and don't do much during flower. Do the plants build up some type of immunity so they don't need anything during flower? What stops all the buggies once you stop spraying? Especially if using organic living soil where you don't want to kill soil life.

I'm willing to do anything and buy whatever I need, I just can't find what that is once in flower? All I can really find is you aren't supposed to spray anything on plants during flower. I wanted to grow because then I would know what went into it and because I'm disabled and can't afford local prices. But right now it seems like an almost impossible task. On a positive note, I haven't seen any worms or caterpillars and the bugs I do see don't seem to be doing a ton of damage except the occasional hole in a leaf.

Hopefully the soap will hold them at bay but they are still present after one application. Thanks for reading if you got this far and if you can provide any input at all it would be greatly appreciated. I want to learn but from everything I read it just seems like my hands are tied.