Are you planning to grow cannabis? Great idea indeed!
Whether you’re an expert or an amateur, the journey to grow outdoor cannabis plants is always overwhelming and exciting. Things may look satisfactory to you, but certain aspects need to be kept in mind. You would never wish your hard work to go in vain due to silly mistakes or ignorance, right?
You have to nurture your cannabis plants like your own baby. The process of growing outdoors may not be simple for you. Your plants may face attacks from pests, and treating them can be challenging.
But don’t worry, as you have the guidance of this blog post.
This post will guide you in combating pests for ensuring the best growth of your cannabis plants. I have shared my expertise and knowledge to enlighten you with the best ways to save your outdoor cannabis plants from annoying pests.
You will enjoy this article as I have ensured easy-to-understand steps, tips and ways for your pest combat situation.
How To Save Your Cannabis Plants From Pests?
Outdoor cannabis growth operations pose the threat of pests attacks far more than indoor cultivation. But that shouldn’t stop us from working towards the best harvest!
Sure, you can think about using the conventional method of pesticides, but do you really want to consume something harmful? Not to mention the risk it contains to contaminate your hard-earned cannabis buds with chemicals.
Don’t worry, my friends! I have the best solution for you waiting in the next section of this post. So, tighten your belts and let’s start the journey towards effective pest control.
Method 1: Companion Planting
Companion planting is the widely used method that has proven to give exceptional results in fending off uninvited pests from your cannabis garden.
I recommend this method as it will not only wipe off pests but add aesthetic appeal and add other species to your garden, making it rich with diversity. Oh! I almost forgot to say that you can use these companion plants for dinner.
The name itself suggests the very ideology of this method. You have to grow additionally plants around your cannabis plants to create positive effects in your garden.
My friends, you’re doing nothing but growing plants within polyculture biodiversity in your growing area, similar to the forests. That’s how nature intends the plants to grow!
You have to incorporate your cannabis plants to grow in a poly-culture system rather than grow in rows and isolation to witness their growth in a natural environment. I assure you this will recreate a surrounding that will protect your cannabis plants from pests and pathogens.
If you follow my lead with a polyculture system of using companion plants, you will enjoy the help from beneficial predatory insects. Not to forget, these will act as your natural pesticide.
Don’t worry about the type of plants that you need to grow as a companion. You can pick up any of these excellent companion plants like coriander, peppermint, melissa, basil and lavender.
Your mint plant disperses a strong, potent aroma to confuse the invading pests and protects your cannabis plants. However, I advise you to limit the use of mints to pots. You can later use it for making culinary dishes too!
You can choose Nasturtium as a sacrificial companion plant to lure away the insects and pests from your cannabis plants. The flowers of this plant attract insects and safeguard your cannabis growth.
Method 2: Sterilization of Soil
I recommend that growers sterilize their garden soil to eliminate the risk of pests. Your potting soil may contain pests and pathogens within them without your knowledge. Nothing to worry about, though!
You have to simply sterilize the soil by getting exposure to it. You can bring the soil to exposure to high temperatures through the steam sterilization method or solarization. I assure you this will help to kill the major amount of pests and other potential threats within your soil.
One important note, sterilize your soil before you plant your cannabis seedlings. This will ensure the optimal growth of your plants.
Method 3: Introduction of Beneficial Insects
The introduction of beneficial insects into your cannabis garden is one of the best ways of pest management. I have experienced a lot of harvests where beneficial insects have proved to be my friend. However, you must know the proper usage technique for these predators.
These predators feed on the insects with an appetite for cannabis and may end up damaging your harvest.
I recommend you introduce the Ichneumonidae, a parasitic wasp, into your cannabis garden. They will help reduce the number of caterpillars in your gardens as these critters can damage your crops internally and externally.
The female parasitic wasp sends their eggs into the living caterpillars on your plants. These eggs convert into larvae which ultimately consumes the caterpillar from inside. Sounds awful, right? As long as it helps the vitality, health and productivity of your cannabis plants, I say you do it.
Introducing praying mantis is another great choice to protect your cannabis plants from caterpillars. These beneficial predators love to feed on caterpillars, making an excellent solution for you.
Method 4: Diatomaceous Earth – Your Area Barrier!
Ground dwellers like ants can be a significant problem for your outdoor cannabis growth. This situation calls for the perfect solution – Diatomaceous Earth!
The pronunciation may be hard, but the usability is easy. This is a mix of microscopic shards made of fossils that helps to damage the insects that come in contact with it.
I personally call it the ‘protective barrier for cannabis plants!‘ You have to use it to create a barrier against the insects and ground dwellers like ants. Great stuff, isn’t it? Get it from any gardening store and start your combat against the pests and dwellers.
Method 5: Neem Oil – Your Natural Protector!
My friends, I have got something cheap and effective for your pest combat essentials. Neem Oil! Yes, this natural extract of neem plants is a great way to alleviate pests like aphids from your cannabis plants.
The use of this ‘natural protector‘ is quite simple. You have to make a concoction of water and neem oil, place it in the mister, and wait for the results. This action helps your cannabis plants to fight off numerous invaders, especially aphids.
Method 6: Sticky Pads To The Rescue!
I have covered the possible pest attacks on the ground, but now I must enlighten you with pest attacks from the air. My personal favourite is sticky pads to catch the airborne invaders of your cannabis plants.
You can place the sticky pads around your cannabis plants to catch these airborne pests like gnats. These pests easily land on the pads and get stuck there. It won’t eliminate the entire issue of pest management, but I assure you that it will show a significant reduction in the number of pest attacks.
Method 7: Netting – The Ultimate Saviour!
So far, I have covered every method to protect your cannabis plants from tiny creatures. But now, I want to address the bigger concerns. Don’t get nervous, as bigger concerns involve threats from bigger creatures like birds. I have a solution for that too, and it’s ‘Netting’ – The Ultimate Saviour!
Birds and larger insects consider your cannabis plants as their nourishing snacks, so you have to deal with them too. You have to erect netting around your cannabis garden perimeter to keep the birds away from munching on your cannabis seeds or plants. I assure you it will be an easy and effective way, as it involves only a few minutes of labor. That’s it!
You won’t have to worry about the lights as your plants will receive plenty of it through the net holes. At times, these birds help you by eating the caterpillars, but we already covered that solution. So, why take the additional risk of damage from birds.
Method 8: Fences – Your Saviour from Pets!
I know you love your pets, and they have a special place in your hearts. However, you cannot watch over their mischievous activities all the time.
Dogs and cats love to spend time outdoors, especially in the garden area. They may urinate, dog holes or run fast around the garden, destroying your hard-earned cannabis growth. You can either train them not to do so or simply put a fence around your cannabis crops for optimal protection.
Wrapping Up
Saving your outdoor cannabis plants from pests is an excellent way to ensure the optimal, healthy growth of your plants. It will protect your hard-earned cannabis plants and assure the top-notch quality buds at the end. For further details on Cannabis, please visit top cannabis seeds company, i49
Happy Growing!
