Cannabis pests : learn how to fight them

Fighting cannabis pests is crucial to ensure a healthy and productive cultivation. Pests can ruin the plants, decreasing both the quality and quantity of your harvest. In this article, you will find effective tips and techniques to prevent and control these threats, using natural products and proper care methods. Let’s tell you everything below.

Why is it important to fight pests in marijuana?

Pests are a big problem for marijuana cultivation, both in small and large plantations. Indeed, they can cause a lot of damage, weaken the plants, reduce the quality and quantity of the final product, and even make the entire harvest go to waste.

Further, in outdoor cultivation, it is very important to prevent problems before they occur. The wind, rain, and other environmental factors can make it easier for pests to enter and spread. That’s why it is crucial to use good materials, marijuana fertilizers, organic products, and clean regularly to keep everything healthy.

Marijuana pest prevention: organic or chemical?

Normal chemicals do not work as well as organic ones in the long term. This is because pests can become resistant to chemicals, whereas organic products not only kill pests but also:

• Help plants grow better
• Make plants stronger
• Improve soil quality

Using organic methods is better for the environment and also helps with overall cultivation. Using neem oil, propolis, or silica-based fungicides are examples of how you can use natural things to fight against pests.

Doing these things not only protects plants now, but also helps to have better harvests in the future.

When to apply pest prevention products in marijuana?

As a general rule, phytosanitary products have recommendations on how to use them and how much and until when they can be applied. Most organic products have no minimum waiting period, so the treated plant can be consumed practically right after application. Although it is not advisable to do so, as even though it should not affect, the taste and consistency may not be entirely pleasant.

To avoid this from happening, regardless of what the manufacturer indicates, it is advisable to avoid applying preventive products of organic origin in the last 15-20 days, before harvest. And if chemical products are applied, it is most recommended not to apply them when the plant is flowering, as it is very easy for them to adhere to the resin and never disappear from the treated plants’ organism.

The best period of time to apply preventive products against pests in marijuana is during the vegetative period and pre-flowering. If possible, in the early morning, and if not, in the late afternoon, before the sun sets completely. It is also important to avoid spraying just after it has rained or a couple of days before it starts raining.

Recommended products to prevent and combat pests in marijuana

To protect your marijuana crop, there are many different preventive products that can be found on the market. These phytosanitary products help keep pests away and ensure that plants grow healthy. Here are some of the most effective ones:

Neem Cake

Neem cake is a very good organic product that prevents insects from feeding and inhibits their growth. The benefits of this product are:

• Natural prevention: it acts as a repellent and inhibitor of insect growth and development.
• Soil improvement: enriches soil characteristics and increases its nutritional content.

Application: Neem cake can be mixed with the substrate or sprayed directly onto the leaves. As it is a systemic product, the plant gradually absorbs it, protecting itself from root to tip.

Propolix

Propolix is a resin produced by bees that is used as an antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral agent. Its benefits are:

• Complete protection: prevents entry of bacteria, fungi, and other pathogens.
• Growth stimulation: helps regenerate tissues after pruning or cutting.

Application: It can be applied as a spray on the leaves or using irrigation water. For greater effectiveness, it is advisable to use a higher concentration in case of severe infestation.

Fungi Boom

The Fungi Boom is a fungicide with silica that helps you prevent common fungi and some sucking insects. Its main advantages are:

• Structural strengthening: Improves the treated structure and prevents problems in nutrient transport.
• Protection against fungi and insects: It is effective against different pests and fungal diseases.

Application: dilute 2 ml/L in water and spray the entire plant (both sides of the leaves, the stem, and the trunk) with a fine sprayer. To prevent it, apply every 10 days; to treat it, every 7 days with a higher dose of 3 ml/L.

Healing paste

The sealing and healing paste, commonly used in pruning and training tasks on large trees or plants, is gaining popularity in cannabis cultivation. This product seals wounds or cuts, preventing the entry of harmful fungi and bacteria. Some formulations include fungicides, and generally contain vegetable oils, elastic resins, softening agents, and pH regulators. The benefits of this are:

• Complete protection of wounds
• Prevention of infections
• Maintenance of crop health
• Greater success in grafting

Application: the wound is covered with the paste using a brush, preferably after cleaning the affected area. For greater effectiveness, it is recommended to spray propolis on the plant after applying the paste.

Biological control

Biological control in cannabis cultivation is primarily recommended for combating pests rather than preventing them, such as the Adalia Bipunctata. This is because introduced beneficial organisms need to feed on specific pests to survive, and without them, these organisms disappear. Although it is not the best preventive method, it is effective if biological control is introduced every 20 days in small crops, avoiding the use of insecticides and maintaining a pollution-free environment. The benefits include:

• They combat and eliminate specific pests
• They do not pollute the environment
• They avoid the use of insecticides in cultivation
• A completely residue-free production is obtained
• They do not combat beneficial pests
• It is the most natural way to combat pests.

Application: it requires ideal environmental conditions for beneficial organisms, and it is crucial to know and maintain these conditions for its effectiveness. It is important to have patience, as pest control is not immediate like with insecticides, and chemicals should not be used together with biological control.

These products not only prevent pests but also improve the overall health of the crop, ensuring that plants are stronger and more resistant.

How to combat pests in cannabis

To ensure a healthy and pest-free harvest, it is crucial to take into account several factors throughout the different stages of cultivation:

• Apply a certain time before harvest: the application of phytosanitary products should be done with sufficient advance to avoid residues in the plants. It is advisable not to apply these products at least 15-20 days before the harvest.
• Avoid organic products in the last 15-20 days: although organic products are less toxic than chemicals, they should also be avoided in the last days before harvest to ensure that no residues remain in the buds.
• Vegetative and pre-flowering period: the optimal time for the application of preventive products is during the vegetative and pre-flowering period. In these phases, the plants are actively growing and can better absorb nutrients and defenses offered by these products.

Marijuana pest prevention

Prevention is the first step that must always be taken when growing any type of plant outdoors, if excellent results are desired at harvest time. Otherwise, it is very easy to encounter increasingly larger problems, caused by the uncontrolled attack and colonization of pests.

Prevention does not only consist of applying products intended for this purpose. It also consists of:

• Planning the cultivation (area, number of plants, space, etc.)
• Using high-quality materials (substrates, pots, stakes, etc.)
• Applying organic products (solid fertilizers, substrates, fertilizers, etc.)
• Disinfecting the area and materials (growing area, pots, scissors, etc.)

These first steps are equally important as all the others, and although they may not seem to offer any immediate results, they may be of vital importance in the future.

Adopting these practices ensures that the plants maintain their vitality and resistance, allowing optimal development without compromising the final quality of the product.