What is the best way to keep out the bugs when an outdoor harvest goes into flower? I’ve heard of wrapping the trunk with copper to keep out the caterpillars and snails. Cedar around the trunks in the above ground fabric pots. Soap?
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Soaps work. Essential oils are a great organic way to keep away pests and rodents. I have used peppermint oils in the past around the base of my plants as an effective outdoor deterrent.
Any other outdoor growers have any suggestions?
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What about companion plants. I’ve heard they work as a distraction to the bugs
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Use netting if your grow area tends to have moths. I’m not sure if its moths or butterflys or both but they lay whitish balls on the top of the colas or all around the plant. When those eggs hatch a really small worm comes out and it starts to go into the buds and starts eating from the inside. You can tell you have them when some colas have a dried out patch on the bud. The worms inch their way across the buds, turning pistils brown, and they usually come out in the morning and at night. Use Bacillus Thuringiensis subspecies Kurstaki for preventative and ongoing treatments.
Always apply weekly pesticides (I use all organic ones) up until week 3 flower or stop as soon as white pistils start to build up. And pray it all goes well. Ive heard beneficial insects outdoors is useless. Keep a plant healthy and you should be good. Oh yeah use silica to make the plant hard for insects to munch on.
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Right on. Thank you.
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I have heard of a ionic water purifier that produces water at two ph extremes I think it’s 3.5 & 11.7? Not sure those numbers are accurate tho . The theory as I understand it is one kills bacteria and fungi and the other kills viruses and disease (I may have this a bit mixed up it’s been a while since I researched it)
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It’s called the kangen water machine. Application is a treatment of both separately back to back one sprayer chases the other they the garden , both ph’s combined to make a neutral pH of 7. Sounds neat but like the hear someone has seen it work . Why doesn’t everyone use this ???
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Irish spring or dial bar soap hung in a strain bag 6 ft or so away from the plant can keep rabbits skunk and deer away;)
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Cool. Collecting information… Please wait… Lol
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Like lavender bro?
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Sure, lavender, coriander and peppermint are great companion plants for keeping pests at bay. Also, plants like alfalfa and clover can help enrich the soil so the cannabis plant has a steady supply of quality nutrients. Always 
your roots!
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Info received. Thank You Brother.
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To keep slugs and other land crawling bugs off, I like to put this on the soil around the “trunk”. You could even powder the trunk a bit with it. It is nontoxic to mammals, but to insects and other critters with exoskeletons (mites and other arachnids) or moist membranes, like slugs, it can be fatal. It works by scratching up or cutting into their exoskeleton, and or otherwise causing them to dehydrate and die.
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Cool . Thank you…
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I have a Kangen machine, I use the water for my plants. Never heard the insect repellent thing tho. Gonna research and give it a try.