Light cycle change in middle of budding cycle

[Roddy]

With the power outage comes a problem...the lights would not operate with the generator I had, I was forced to make a move on 2 of the plants, the other 2 were out of luck. One, the Mr Nice Guy, is badly damaged anyway and may not make it, but was in budding for at least 2 weeks (maybe as much as 3, buds are popcorn, but there), while the Train Wreck was only in for 3 days, no big concern with her?

I took the TW and MNG out of bud and into veg under the T5's which I could still operate, ran the lights 24/7 as norm for veg. As I said, doubt the change is a problem for the TW, she hasn't even started showing bud, but wonder what this change could mean for the older MNG (actually, this question is more for future reference, but if MNG makes it, all the better)...hermie, maybe?

While on the subject, bringing the other two home today, but they too were under a different light cycle, exactly opposite of mine. They are currently in darkness and coming to light in half hour, but will be coming home to the beginning of night here. Any concerns? The plants in question are the White Widow (around 5 weeks or so of budding) and the Big Band (about 2 weeks in budding).

 

[fruity86]

Aslong As It Dosent Happen Time And Time Again The Should Be Fine If It Dosent Hermi You Got A Stable Strain Why Didnt You Just Keep The Budding Plants On 12/12 With Your T5's
Do You Have Plants In Veg Aswel?

 

[Roddy]

Yes, plants in veg as well, but the lights were the only source of heat for them also. The last 4 or 5 days have been a crazy time. All ladies went without light first night due to no generator, the temps dipped to the lower 30's in the house and the ladies (and us humans) froze badly. By mid-day second day, we had power to the T5's and had propane heat for us humans, so light was left on 24/7 to keep ladies alive. Was able to manage lower 50's the rest of the 4 days, the ladies were not quite as warm, but warmer than the night before.

 

[Melvan]

You would have been better off leaving the budding girls in total darkness instead of putting them under light part way through the budding cycle. If it happens again, and here's hoping it doesn't, just leave them in the dark.

I know that power outage has been a long one, 3 days in the dark is probably the most you would have been able to stretch it, and I know you were dealing with not having heat too.

 

[Roddy]

OK, gals are home now and in the bud room. Decided to leave the lights on since they just came out of darkness, will mean running heat all night, but we'll do what we must.

Will keep close watch on them, the stress of being wrapped in blankets, moved out in very cold temps, change of light cycles, cramped and even trained a bit to fit into temporary bud room and then repeated blankets and cold again to come home....hope they're OK!

Question, the guy keeps his water in 5gal pails sitting on the floor of his veg room (1000w MH) and I noticed tons of something similar to (if not) fruit flies in the room, coming out of the soil of a few of his plants and even floating in the water. Would the water be filled with their offspring (do they breed in and thus have little pests swimming about in the water)? If so, is this as bad as I suspect it to be?

 

[Roddy]

You would have been better off leaving the budding girls in total darkness instead of putting them under light part way through the budding cycle. If it happens again, and here's hoping it doesn't, just leave them in the dark.

I know that power outage has been a long one, 3 days in the dark is probably the most you would have been able to stretch it, and I know you were dealing with not having heat too.

I thought this as well, but it would have surely killed them in this situation, the lights provided most of the heat. Will keep in mind though, THANKS!!!

 

[Melvan]

Those are fungus gnats most likely, and tell him to stop doing that!

You're going to need to treat to make sure you don't get an infestation. They don't really eat the plant, but they live and breed in the soil and can deplete it of nutrients. Plus you don't want gnat all over your house.

Easiest way to check to see if they're in your soil is to take a potato, cut it up into squares and lay them on the top soil of the plants. Give it a day, potato will turn black, don't worry about that, makes it easier to see if there are larvae. They love the potato and will flock to it. When you pick up the potato if you see larvae on it, then you have fungus gnats.

Some say use the pest strips to trap the flying adults, but I think if you have them you should order some beneficial nematodes online, it'll cost you around $30 bucks. They water right into the soil and they eat the eggs and larvae. Just follow the instructions that come with them. Keep using pieces of potato, new ones every other day, as traps until the nematodes arrive.

 

[Roddy]

Good info, THANKS Melvan! The gals have around 5 and 6 weeks left of budding, so hope this isn't a new issue.

I did tell him to stop, but getting him to listen is another matter...this is the friend who won't take advice for any reason. Was funny to see his face when I brought my babes in and they just plain dwarfed and shamed his yellowed and sickly looking gals, though. :laugh: He's starting to listen and is even asking advice...there's still hope! I mean, I may not know what I'm doing exactly, but I am more than willing to listen and learn...and to share any knowledge I may pick up along the way!!

 

[Cali*Style]

Roddy, are these in soil?? if so, try about an inch or so of fine sand on top of the soil. It should be really fine though, I have used extra fine media blasting material. Basically ground up glass pellets, it's ph neutral and those little (bleepity bleeps) don't stand a chance.

Okay, since we are talking predators!! I love me some predators for sure! Check this out, some common predators and parasites.

Biological Control Agents

Predators

1. Chrysoperla carnea (common green lacewing) - for aphids, whiteflies.
2. Chrytolaemus montrouzieri (mealybug destroyer, a lady beetle) - for mealybugs.
3. Delphastus pusillus (a lady beetle) - for whiteflies.
4. Predatory mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis, Phytoseiulus longipes, Amblyseius cucumeris, Amblyseius barkeri) - for spider mites.

Parasites

1. Encarsia formosa ( a small wasp) - for whiteflies (not as effective for sweetpotato whitefly).
2. Steinernema carcapsae (nematode, Guardian Nematode, Biosafe and others) - for fungus gnat (larvae).
3. Trichogramma minutum and other species (small wasps) - for caterpillar eggs.


Anyways, smoke big!! Cali :fly:

 

[Melvan]

Once you get them back on track I'd keep a close look out for other critters if they were stored in what you feel was a less than sanitary environment. If he's letting gnats take up residence, you gotta wonder what else is living there. I know you had to take the risk to save the plants, buy you need to check under those leaves everyday for mites, sounds like your buddy isn't being as responsible about his grow as you are.

 

[smokingjoe]

I've often thought of a pre-emptive strike of persimilis. Have my very own army of a couple thousand of the suckers. They'll cannibalise each other if no mites turn up and continue breed sufficient numbers to maintain their platoons.

Does anyone know what the plant of choice for two spotted mites and do you think it would be worthwhile growing a sacrificial plant, like roses to the grape vine?

 

[Roddy]

Inviting the pests in? Wouldn't that be like asking a crook to watch your valuables?

 

[smokingjoe]

Well not so much inviting them in; unless you had a hermetically sealed room, they'd get in if they were about. Outdoors your at the mercy of your environment. They would just attack The Borg!

Grape farmers will often plant roses at the beginning of each row as a bug barometer. Bugs will always have a preference for a particular food source. In this case if the roses get attacked by a pest or parasite you can go thermo nuclear on the main crop to kill every last one of the so & so's.

Persimilis have a ferocious appetite for The Borg, but don't cause any damage to their host plants as they are carnivorous little suckers. They'll hunt spider mites to the end of the earth and keep them from gaining a strong hold on your babies.

The sacrificial lamb as it were is just to alert you to the presence of The Borg.

Mother nature provides us with a non toxic cure. You can buy sufficient persimilis to cause mass borg genocide for about the cost of a decent mite rid.