from Canadian Xpress

Do you know how many diseases are waiting to attack the roots of your hydroponic crop? The effect of root disease can be mild through to devastating. Most growers have had the experience of thinking that their crop is going to be great only to find that, within the space of a few days, the crop’s condition has degenerated markedly. For example, the leaves start to change colour and it begins to wilt. Almost without exception, your crop has been attacked by one of the myriad root diseases that lurk in the nooks and crannies of most hydro systems waiting for an opportunity to start feasting on your plant’s roots.

What are these diseases? There is Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Phytophthora which are the most common. In addition, there are several others which are less common but nevertheless very dangerous if they infect your crop. Among these are Thielaviopsis, Fusarium, Sclerotinia and Cylindrocladium.

Pythium is the most commonly found root disease in both hydroponic systems and in the soil. The symptoms are quite specific. If the plant’s roots go brown and smelly and the plants wilt when the lights are on, then you are probably dealing with Pythium. Before blaming a disease, however, check that the nutrient aeration is ok. Lack of oxygen in the system can cause similar symptoms.

When plants are growing strongly, they can usually fight off the effects of the disease. They are able to produce chemicals which attack the disease organisms. When the plants are under stress, however, they produce much less of these chemicals and the disease organism can take hold.

Stress situations can occur at any time but flowering is always a stressful situation and is the time that disease is the most likely to get the upper hand. This occurs also because the plant’s energies are going into flowering and root growth tends to be limited to replacement of dead roots only.

Pesticide - safe to humans and animals

There is no withholding period. One of the big challenges you will face as an indoor gardener is the constant attacks by pests and diseases and keeping your plants clean and free of them. The most serious pest you are likely to see is the two spotted mite or spider mite. This pest is also known as red spider, red spider mite, or sometimes red mite. They are called spider mites because in heavy infestations they spin webs on the plant. Hidden beneath the leaves of your plants, they carry out their work with deadly efficiency. They are tiny creatures, barely visible to the naked eye, but they pack a mean punch. With the right conditions, just one pair of mites getting on to your plants can build up to over 10,000 within a month. As it only takes five mites per leaf for the plant to start suffering the effects, you can see the problem. Left untreated, these mites will quickly destroy your plants and any hope you have of getting a crop. Before the introduction of Spray Safe, they could only be controlled by very toxic pesticides. Months of work can be ruined in a very short time. We have seen growers lose crop after crop to these pests so that they eventually had to give up growing. Spider mites are so common, now, that it is not a matter of IF your crops will be attacked but WHEN?

What are the effects? Well, the first effect is an alteration of the plant’s metabolism. There is also injury to the leaf cuticle causes water stress and reduced ability to utilize light. In severe cases of injury, it is necessary to reduce the light intensity as not only is the extra light wasted, it also stresses the leaves as they also lose their ability to cool themselves down when they have been injured by mites. Once the injury has occurred it cannot be repaired. If it occurs early in the plant’s life, then you can at least grow them on for a bit longer to replace the leaf area that has been lost. If the damage occurs in the bloom period then nothing can be done but accept a loss of production.

You do not need to risk your crops any more. Examine your plants twice a week and if you have any suspicion what so ever that you may have spider mite then you need to act. There are some toxic sprays occasionally available but a far healthier option is Spray Safe. It is an organic based non toxic and highly effective alternative to toxic remedies. In fact, independent studies have shown that Spray Safe kills mites up to 30 times quicker than conventional sprays and is far more effective than any other organic product. Spray Safe is also effective for the control of aphids.

Don’t wait until you have spider mites. Keep a bottle handy so you can act as soon as your crop is attacked.