Professional Marijuana Grower May-June 2019 Issue | Page 8

Cannabis growers should always change their clothes
or avoid going into their gardens after visiting another
indoor garden (even if that garden seems unaffected by
spider mites).
Another simple preventative measure any cannabis
horticulturist can take to prevent spider mites is to keep
a clean growing environment. Dead leaves, discard-
ed soil, and previously used planting containers are
places for many types of pest insects to live and breed.
A clean growing environment is benefi cial in many re-
gards and is one of the most simple and effective ways
to prevent pest insects.
Seal the Indoor Garden
Let’s get
growing
naturally
Although it is nearly impossible to have a hermetically
sealed indoor garden, a grower should strive to seal
his or her grow room as much as possible. Spider mites
are drawn to the warm, moist conditions of an indoor
grow room. By keeping an indoor garden relatively
sealed, the grower limits the spider mite’s access to the
environment. Caulk and/or expanding foam insulation
are both effective ways to fi ll in the cracks and crannies
of an indoor garden. It is also imperative to assess the
grow room’s ventilation system. Unfi ltered intake ports
are easy access points for a number of pest insects.
Mesh or a fi ne screen covering the ventilation openings
of an indoor garden will greatly reduce the chance of
spider mites and/or other pest insects from entering. An
intake fi lter, such as a HEPA fi lter, can be an invaluable
investment for avoiding a spider mite invasion.
Grow from Seed
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8 • Professional Marijuana Grower
As previously mentioned, a well-meaning gardener who
shares genetics may, in fact, may also be sharing their
spider mite problem. Spider mites are very small and
are not easy to spot with the naked eye. Just because a
plant looks “clean” doesn’t necessarily mean it is free
of pest insects. Often, a plant may be free of adult pest
insects, but may contain eggs or larvae buried in the
medium or tissue of the plant. Perhaps the best spider
mite preventative measure an indoor gardener can
take is to start his or her cannabis garden from seed.
Although this will mean the grower will have to wait a
little longer before the fi rst harvest, it also means the
grower will start with a spider mite-free cannabis gar-
den. Starting from seed is also the best way to recover
from a devastating spider mite infestation. After losing
signifi cant yield while battling spider mites, many grow-
ers will wisely choose to “start over”. In other words,
they remove all of the plants and treat the grow room
and all of its equipment with a bleach-water solution. In
my opinion, when starting over, it is best to do so from
seed. The last thing a grower wants to do after dealing
with a devastating spider mite infestation is to accept a
cutting from someone and contract the same problem.
May/June 2019