Dealing with garden pests can be a nightmare for growers, but it can especially be stressful when growing cannabis. With so much at stake, it is important growers understand the strategies that can help them deter pests, so their plants grow healthy and strong. With this guide, cannabis growers will be better prepared to take action.
Take the First Steps Towards a Healthy Harvest
The goal of planting cannabis is to achieve a healthy harvest of buds. Getting a healthy harvest first begins with the need to find cannabis seeds. Starting with healthy seeds is highly important for ensuring healthy plants develop. It is also important growers have the right growing location, soil, fertilizer, light, and water. With all of these elements in place, cannabis growers will find their crops grow much healthier and produce better buds.
8 Strategies for Deterring Pests
Protecting cannabis plants is highly important. While growing indoors allows for a better level of control, outdoor growing conditions can sometimes lead to pests. Pests can chew away at marijuana plants and create massive damages in a short amount of time. Being proactive will help cannabis growers to deter these pests and keep them away.
1. Companion planting can be highly effective in keeping pests away from cannabis plants. Herbs like mint, garlic, and chives are all ideal companion plants.
2. Steam sterilization of the soil will help to keep pests at bay. Sterilizing the soil prior to planting will help to kill off most of the threats residing in the soil.
3. Introducing beneficial insects into the soil will be helpful. These insects kill more destructive pests and prevent them from causing plant damage.
4. Diatomaceous earth causes damage to insect pests because of the microscopic shards of fossils that are present. This can be added to the soil before or after planting.
5. Neem oil will kill many types of pests, including aphids. It will not harm plants, making it a sound solution.
6. Sticky pads should be placed around your plants, to help catch some flying and crawling insects. While they will not stop the problem entirely, they will greatly reduce the number of pests.
7. Netting is highly beneficial in keeping certain pests out of a cannabis garden. Unfortunately, this will not deter the larger pests.
8. Finally, fencing is ideal for keeping out animal and human pests alike. Without access to cannabis, pests cannot cause damage.
Protect From the Very Beginning
It is wise for cannabis growers to protect their crops from the very beginning. Taking a proactive approach is much easier than attempting to get rid of a problematic pest invasion. Acting proactively will help growers to protect their cannabis plants from damage.
Conclusion
One of the biggest threats to cannabis growth is pests. Insects and other pests will eat away at cannabis plants and cause catastrophic damage that leads to plant death. Protecting cannabis plants against pests is important for growers. Taking the above steps will help to ensure pests are less likely to consume your buds before harvest.
It takes a concerted effort to prevent pests from devouring cannabis plants. Making the plants less attractive to pests is one beneficial way of preventing problems.
Growing cannabis can be fun and highly rewarding, but it takes a concerted effort to protect tender cannabis plants as they grow. With the right level of protection against cannabis pests, growers will find they will be able to obtain a bountiful harvest.