Recovery of plants after pest attacks

Attacks by insects , mites, bacteria, fungi and even viruses are very frequent in indoor, outdoor and greenhouse cultivation, and even if the signs of the infestation will not disappear completely, fortunately there are methods to eliminate them effectively.

What damage can infestations cause to plants?

Here are the main causes of these attacks:

Sucking insects and mites such as tripe and red spider mites cause serious damage to the leaves, where they leave clear signs of their passage. Obviously, the more seriously affected the leaves are, the more problems they will have in carrying out photosynthesis , an essential function for the development of the plant.

After an infestation of insects or mites and once the appropriate treatment has been applied, the excrements and corpses remain on the plants, where they slowly decompose, favoring the appearance of diseases . For this reason it is best to wash the plants a few days after applying the treatment, for example using a hand shower.

Mining insects are microscopic mites invisible to the naked eye that inoculate a powerful toxin into plants via saliva, causing a series of deformations characteristic of this type of attack. Eliminating this toxic substance from plants is not an easy task since their metabolism slows down for a certain period of time, which is why it is often better to adopt drastic solutions and eliminate the plant from the cultivation space.

Some insecticides, acaricides and fungicides cause a certain toxicity to plants which sometimes only aggravates the problem. These are often products of the chemical industry, but even biological pesticides can sometimes be harmful.

This is the case of neem oil , which has a tendency to form a greasy film on the surface of the leaves which hinders gaseous exchange. It is therefore necessary to be careful with plant protection products and not exceed the recommended dosage, particularly with young plants, whose foliage is still fragile.

In any case, following an attack, the plants will be exposed to more or less accentuated additional stress, which will slow down their development during growth and flowering. It is therefore important to intervene promptly and effectively to minimize exposure to stress.

How to repair damage caused to plants?

After the attack of parasites and diseases and once the most suitable treatment has been applied, it is advisable to cut the most affected areas, whether leaves or entire branches. In this way, the healthy parts will resume growth more easily and the risk of relapse will be limited.

An excellent way to reduce stress and accelerate plant metabolism is to use a root stimulator (especially foliar during the growth phase), which often contain vitamin B and other very effective compounds. A very suitable product is ProRoots , it contains various minerals, amino acids and other peptides that fight stress and stimulate plant metabolism , essential for every grower. Other algae extracts such as BioBizz 's Alg-a-Mic are also very effective .

In indoor cultivation, another useful trick is to move the lamps slightly away from the plants for some time in order to reduce the light intensity and facilitate the recovery of the plants.

Another possibility is to transfer the plants to a larger pot, especially if this has not been done for several weeks. Obviously, it is necessary to respect their life cycle and carry out the transplant during the growth and elongation phase rather than during flowering , a moment in which it is advisable to avoid actions such as spraying products on the flowers.

If the plants are at the beginning of growth and have difficulty recovering, it is often preferable to start again with new seeds so as to start with a solid base and not have to face such adverse conditions.

How to prevent problems from recurring in plants?

Following a pest attack or disease, plants will necessarily be weakened and more vulnerable to relapses. For this reason it is essential to avoid reproducing the conditions that led to the appearance of the problem.

If the pest was the red spider mite, inclined to proliferate in hot and dry climates, it will be necessary to guarantee relative freshness and humidity to limit the risk of its reappearance. If the problem was instead powdery mildew or botrytis, two fungi that develop very easily in humid conditions, it will be necessary to keep the environment as dry as possible.

As far as possible and to minimize problems in cultivation, environmental conditions must be stable , with a temperature between 20 and 27 ºC.

Hygiene is another parameter to take into account here. Following an attack, it is essential to thoroughly clean the entire cultivation space, including pots and tools. A little diluted bleach should be enough to effectively eliminate any traces of larvae, eggs, bacteria or mold spores which, in more suitable conditions, could damage the grow again.

Another way to significantly reduce the risk of new attacks are preventive products such as garlic compost, pyrethrum and propolis, to be applied until the elongation phase at the beginning of flowering.

Finally, it should not be forgotten that the best form of prevention is observation . You need to be careful and check the plants continuously, if possible moving them from the cultivation space to be able to inspect them from all angles. Particular attention should be paid to the low leaves , where most of the invasions of insects and mites originate. The traps  chromotropic ones are of great help in detecting their presence in time: the blue ones attract crawling ones and the yellow ones, flying ones.

All information contained is for informational and educational purposes only. We urge all users not to make any practical use of this information in connection with cannabis seeds. In fact, let us remember that:

In Italy the cultivation of cannabis seeds is prohibited (Art. 28 and 73 of Presidential Decree 309/90) if you do not have a specific authorization (Art. 17 Presidential Decree 309/90)

Therefore, cannabis seeds may be used exclusively for collecting purposes and for genetic preservation and are marketed with the reservation that they are not used by third parties in conflict with the law. Cannabis seeds are excluded from Presidential Decree 309/90, which means that they are not to be considered narcotic substances (L. 412 of 1974, Art. 1, Paragraph 1, Letter B; New York single convention on narcotics of 1961 and table 1 Ministry of Health decree 11 April 2006).