Some interesting facts regarding these insects are:

• You never should worry about your beneficial insects eating your plants as they will only feed on harmful insects
• One Lady Bug may eat 5,000 aphids in 1 year
• Green Lacewings will eat 200 aphids a week
• Spider mite destroyers will eat 40 mites a day
• Predatory Nematodes will kill over 250 different types of insects

The Bad Little Beasties Inside

All of us have dealt with some sort of critter, varmint, beastie, or #$*%@#% as I sometimes have called them.  I am referring to insects that attack our gardens.  There is nothing more frustrating than putting in all the labor involved in making a perfect indoor garden and then having some little critters come in and lay waste to all of our efforts!  How these little #$%$@ know to attack our best & most prized plants I will never know.  In my time I have battled and waged all out WAR on several different destructive insects.  Sometimes I am the winner and sometimes not.  So what are we to do?

My suggestion today is accept the things we can not change, change the things we can, and have the wisdom to know the difference.  Wait…why does that sound familiar? The point is that it can be very difficult to eradicate an insect population, however like in a natural ecosystem we can establish a balance where an “acceptable” level of insects are left in our garden and an ongoing treatment regime is utilized.  To maintain this balance we will use beneficial insects, and organic or non-toxic pesticides (as needed.)  This approach has gained a lot of support as of late, and is better known as IPM or Integrated Pest Management.  IPM is an approach that combines a wide array of crop production practices with careful monitoring of pests and their natural enemies. IPM practices include use of resistant plant varieties, biological controls (such as beneficial insects), and judicious use of pesticides. IPM systems anticipate and prevent pests from reaching economically damaging levels.

Next blog I will discuss beneficial insects, today I would like to talk about my favorite organic insecticides.  The first group of insecticides we will call sufficants include the following products: Neem Oil, Organocide, Einstein Oil, Safer Insect Killing Soap, etc.  These are oils and soaps that work by covering the exoskeleton of insects which they breathe through and literally suffocating them to death.  This type of insecticide is an effective method for spot treating of insects that are slow moving.  However, it is less effective on fast moving insects, flying insects, and egg or larval stages of most pests.

The second class of insecticides is the knock down type.  This group works by impairing the central nervous systems of most types of flying and crawling insects, blocking nerve junctions so that nervous impulses fail, and the insect dies.  The most common active ingredient in this type of insecticide is derived from the chrysanthemum plant and is called Pyrethrum.  It can be found in products under the names: Doktor Doom Spider Mite Knock Out, Pyrethrum TR, Don’t Bug Me, or Safer Houseplant Insect Killer.  Beware of the synthetic or manmade Pyrethroids which are not organic.  Pyrethrum is highly effective on most pests but is only effective if it comes in direct contact with the pests.  It is short lived as it deteriorates in the presence of light within 12 hours.

Now my personal favorite Azamax, this insecticide is derived from the Neem plant but is not a sufficant.  It was discovered that plants treated with Neem oil seemed to show some future resistance to insect attacks.  Research found that there is a compound in Neem oil called Azadirachtin which was responsible for this insect resistance.  Azamax is essentially Neem oil distilled down to get a much, much higher concentration of Azadirachtin.  Azamax has 3 modes of action to control insects.  First it prevents insects from feeding on the treated plant surfaces resulting in damage prevention.  Second it reduces the hatchability of insect eggs resulting in population reduction.  Finally it interferes with insect reproduction resulting in reduction of egg-laying.  All of these combine to drastically weaken, and over time destroy populations of harmful insects.  One of the best things about Azamax is it is systemic meaning absorbed into the plant’s tissue so you do not actually have to contact the insect with it.  It is also proven that Azamax’s effect of weakening insects makes other insecticides much more successful because the insects in question are already weak and thus more susceptible to insecticides such as Pyrethrum.  Azamax is most effective if it is used before an insect attack and reapplied on a regular basis.  Azamax is also not harmful to beneficial insects or bees.

Remember it is better to prevent an insect attack than to have one, but they will eventually find your garden.  Integrated Pest Management will allow you to control the damage caused by pests and not devote all your time to pest control.

Phosphites: Is there a New Class of Blossom Booster???

     Many of us use one brand of Phosphorous boosting supplement or another.  These products which I call “dessert for plants,” tend to increase the size and quantity of flowers and fruit/vegetables produced by most fast growing annuals.  There are many, many to choose from: Via-Bloom, Monster Bloom, Big Bud, Kool Bloom, Beastie Bloom, Awesome Blossoms, Hydroplex, etc.  All of these are similar in their composition supplying a boost of Phosphorous and Potassium which plants need more of during the fruiting and flowering phase of their lifecycle.  Most of the above listed supplements use one or more forms of the chemical molecule Phosphate.  Phosphate is a Phosphorous atom bonded to four Oxygen atoms, and is very stable.  This stability lends to the property of Phosphates to be slow to break down and having poor solubility in water.  For hydroponic growers this necessitates application of large quantities to allow our plants to uptake the amount of Phosphorous they need during flowering and fruiting. 

     There is however mounting research that Phosphates are not our only option.  A very similar molecule called a Phosphite (sold under the name PURE FLOWERS) has some properties indoor growers might enjoy.  Instead of 4 Oxygen atoms bonded to 1 Phosphorous atom, a Phosphite has 3 Oxygen and 1 Hydrogen atom.  This slight change in molecular form causes many significant differences that influence its solubility, plant uptake, and effect on plant metabolism and physiology.  Phosphites are much more soluble in water are also able to be absorbed by plants and microorganisms with greater ease than Phosphates.   An even bigger benefit to indoor growers is that Phosphites have a proven ability to protect plants from harmful fungi; most notably Phytophora & Pythium.  While Phosphites do control the above mentioned harmful fungi they have little effect on beneficial fungi like those found in Piranha by Advanced Nutrients and Sub Culture – M by General Hydroponics. 

      There is dependable evidence that Phosphites are absorbed into plant tissue more easily than Phosphates.  This has been proven in experiments conducted with citrus and avocado leaves.  Using a single foliar application of Phosphites to oranges in a study conducted in Florida significantly increased flower number, & yield when compared to an untreated crop (Abrigo, 1999). 

     All this good news is not without a caveat.  Phosphites can cause phytotoxicity more easily than Phosphates.  Also there is some evidence that Phosphites applied to soil can take several months to truly benefit plants.  So my advice is that you should try PURE FLOWERS (the Best brand of Phosphite based blossom booster) starting with a single foliar application before your plants fruit or flower.  Then apply in place of your traditional blossom booster if you see any signs of root disease.   

Hello Growers,

      After years of growing I have tried many, many additives.  Most are good, but some make the kind of difference we all search for.  Silica is one of the “big difference” products!  I wrote about silica in my blog “Plant Food Buffet” and the three products I will discuss today all contain Silica in the necessary amount to truly benefit your plants.  The three Products are:

• Botanicare’s Silica Blast
• Dutch Master’s Silica
• Advanced Nutrient’s Rhino Skin

      Silica works by allowing plant cells to build thicker cell walls.  Thicker cell walls have several benefits.  Thicker cells in the leaves make it more difficult for insects to pierce the leaf and thus make those plants a less attractive choice. The thicker cell walls make bigger stems and branches which in turn allow more food & water, as well as plant secretions to move up and down the plant’s Xylem and Phloem (the highways of the plant.)  In addition thicker cell walls mean your favorite plants will be more resistant to environmental stressors such as: extreme heat, drought, and the stress caused by transplanting.  These are just a few reasons to add Silica to your feeding program.  There is even evidence coming out in new scientific studies that Silica treatments can systemically lower if not alleviate your powdery mildew problems!!!  What more do you need to hear?

     If you do decide to add Silica there are two things you should know.  First, most fertilizer is acidic and Silica is alkali (it will raise your pH.)  It is best to add it to your water either first before any other fertilizer or add it last but diluted in water (for example 100ml of Silica in 1 gallon of water.)  This dilution in water will minimize localized chemical reactions (that cloud that appears when you pour concentrated fertilizers or pH adjustment chemicals into your reservoir) which make nutrients bind together and become unavailable to your plant. The Second thing to note is that plants only need a small amount of Silica for all of these benefits so please follow the manufacturer’s instructions.  This is Not on of those things that if a little is good more is better!!!

      No one wants wimpy plants, try some Silica and make your plants HEFTY, HEFTY, HEFTY!!!!

     Continuing with the theme of nutrient disorders, diagnosis, & what to do about it; this week let’s talk about pH.  What would you say if I told you that you could have a grow-room designed by a team of MIT engineers, Texas A&M botanists, & a fertilization program designed by top NASA scientists (what are they going to do now that they can’t put more men on the moon anyway?) So basically I am saying you have the very best of everything but if one little thing overlooked, even with all other necessities of plant growth met and surpassed your plants will shrivel and die in a few short weeks? 

      That’s right, it your pH.  PH is short for potential of hydrogen.  You may ask what kind of potential does hydrogen have? Does it want to grow up and become an astronaut?... it still can't go to the moon.  All we really care about is that pH is a measure of acidity and alkalinity.  It is measured on a 14 point scale 1 being the most acidic, 7 is neutral and 14 being the most alkali.  This is a logarithmic base 10 scale so 9 is not just one point more than 8 on the scale, but it is 10 times more alkali, and likewise 10 is 100 times more alkali then 8. 

A couple of tips about pH:

 Always dilute your adjustment chemical (pH up or down) in a solution of water to about 1 part pH adjuster to 100 parts water.  Use this to adjust you reservoir.  Putting in a concentrated acid or base can cause localized chemical reactions and precipitates thereby binding your nutrients and disallowing them from being absorbed by your plants.

Most fertilizers are acidic and will lower the pH of a water nutrient solution.  The main exception is a silica based additive (i.e. Rhino Skin by Advanced, Silica by Dutch Master, or Silica Blast by Botanicare) these are all alkali and will raise your pH. 

Most fast growing annuals, i.e. tomatoes and peppers will thrive at a pH range of 5.5 – 6.5 in hydroponics, and a pH range of 5.8 – 7.0 in soil.

The ideal area to adjust your pH for hydroponics is 5.8, the ideal for soil is 6.3.

Different nutrients are absorbed at different pH values.  It is best to adjust your solution to the lower end of the scale and allow the pH to fluctuate within the ideal range without adjustment so all nutrients are absorbed. 

Chelated - a chemical compound that contains both a metal and an organic molecule in such a way that the metal is bound within the organic molecule and holds onto it like a "claw".

 Why do you need to know this??????????

 Because!  Many of your micro-nutrients are metals and are often supplied in fertilizer in a Chelated form to allow them to dissolve into the water for easier plant uptake.  Iron, Zinc and Manganese for example are often chelated.  Although being chelated makes them more soluble pH extremes can affect their ability to dissolve.  Iron for example can be chelated in two ways:

•  Iron in the form of Fe-EDTA but this will become unavailable to your plant if the pH is raise above 6.0.
•  Iron in the form of Fe-DTPA a more stable molecule (and expensive to produce) will remain soluble up to a pH of 7.0.

Plants like all living things do not exist in a vacuum.   There is a complex web of living entities, chemical synergists, and other microscopic helpers that when added to your growing regime will increase the growth rate, vigor, health, and YIELD of your plants. 

First there are Fungi.  Have you ever noticed on your lawn one day there are no mushrooms and the next there are these gargantuan fungi popping up everywhere?  That is because the root systems of fungi are massive underground structures.  They make and store enormous amounts of energy and when the conditions are ideal they use that energy to grow these massive fruiting bodies we call mushrooms.  Mushrooms are actually the reproductive organs of fungi; producing copious amounts of spores (seeds) for the next generation of fungus. 

So how does this relate to you the indoor grower you ask?  Well, this underground network of fungal roots called Mycorrhiza, form a symbiotic relationship with plant roots that they come in contact with. This relationship facilitates the sharing of some of the plant's storehouse of organic compounds.  The superfine root structures of fungi are more extensive and more effective than plant roots at absorbing phosphorus, and other nutrients as well.  Your plants for their generosity are gifted the increased ability to uptake water as well as the absorption of nutrients like phosphorus and other minerals.  For these gifts we have the endomyccorhizae to thank.  There is also another type of fungi called ectomyccorhizae, which protect the roots from potential pathogens or diseases.

A particularly important fungi is: Trichoderma.  It’s presence stops harmful fungi from colonizing the same root area.  In essence they act as an army defending your plant from harmful pathogens.  In addition they effectively stimulate root development and increase a plant’s ability to handle environmental stress (i.e. high temperatures). 

So by inoculating your soil or hydroponic media with mycorrhiza you will increase your plant's uptake of water and nutrients, & help you plants fend off disease.  Remember my Gardening Gurus that Phosphorus is essential in the fruiting and flowering stage of plant development; if we can give them a better way to absorb it they will reward you by growing bigger and faster!

You can add Fungi to your plants by using any of the following products:

Our second group of microscopic friends is bacteria.  “GOOD” BACTERIA are called rhizobacteria, because they occur in the rhizosphere (around the roots). These bacteria produce a variety of chemicals that stimulate plant growth. While common in natural settings, their populations are often very low or absent in potting soils, and hydroponic systems.  A second group of bacteria are the mutualists that form partnerships with plants. The most well-known of these are the nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

Bacteria perform important services related to water dynamics, nutrient cycling, and disease suppression.  In a diverse bacterial community, many organisms will compete with disease-causing organisms in roots and on aboveground surfaces of plants.  Again these helpful critters will act as an army of defenders fighting off pathogens and disease before they can hurt your plants!

Bacteria can be added by using the following products:

Lastly, I would like to mention those helpful superchargers called enzymes, found in Hygrozyme & Sensizyme.  Enzymes are biological catalysts (they speed up chemical processes and more!). Most, if not all plant metabolic processes are enzyme driven. Plants use energy to move water and nutrient through cells up to the leaves whereby photosynthesis, these elements are converted to sugars and starches.  Plants must produce the enzymes necessary to take up these nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. This process also requires energy (sugars and starches); now consider how much extra energy your plants could use for fruit or flower production if you supplied a good portion of these enzymes?

Enzymes also play other important roles in plant growth. For example, every hydroponic gardener has probably experienced the dreaded destruction of root disease.  Dead and decaying root matter is the substrate upon which Pythium will grow, that is why whenever we have root disease in a hydroponic system we see that our roots are soft to the touch, brown or black, and covered with a slimy mucus substance, and usually falling apart. Enzymes can dissolve decaying root matter and convert it to sugars and starches, thus preventing root disease.

Enzyme formulations are capable of ensuring dynamic root growth and the ensured absence of root diseases in hydroponic and soil situations; in addition to having a positive benefit on your growth.  An enzyme prevents the formation of Pythium and algae, speeds up degradation of dead organic matters and facilitates the uptake of chemical nutrients. It will not harm beneficial fungi or bacteria.

So, go build yourself a microscopic army today!!!  Remember just because you can’t see them does not mean that your plants won’t reward you.  Your plants will Thank You!!!!