First outdoor grow ever

Watch out for bud worms. They are more prevalent in cornfields. BT, silica and potassium bicarbonate should be your best friends by now.

What strain is that? They are pretty far into flowering already. Looking good!
Good luck friend!
 
Look for the hole they bore. Take a razor blade and carefully split the stem. Then pop them out and kill them. If they are on the outside. Just kill them and in the future, give them silica.
You should also spray the plants with BT and potassium bicarbonate. The bt kills the worms and the silica and potassium bicarbonate protects the plant from fungal infections. Also helps to put a ring of diatomaceous earth around the base to stop crawling bugs. And a good smear of something sticky like vaseline around the stalk to stop ants from bringing in aphids helps too.
 
I got some potassium silicate powder here--add 1/4-1/2t per gallon to water and drench the roots periodically. The plants will take it up and incorporate it systemically. Also has the benefit of strengthening the stalks.

https://www.kisorganics.com/products/agsil-16-h-potassium-silicate

And you can get powdered Bt to mix up your own solution here: https://www.fedcoseeds.com/ogs/dipel-df-8753

But lots of other places to buy it too.

Your photo looks like a hot and hazy afternoon in Indiana. But I suppose could be anywhere in the Midwest. Good luck, looks like a nice safe spot and your plants look healthy.
 
JimmiP said:
You should also spray the plants with BT and potassium bicarbonate.
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Do you combine these ingredients together in a single spray? So far I've just been doing Bt but wondering if adding potassium bicarbonate would help keep botrytis at bay?
Also, what's your thought regarding spraying Bt at dawn vs. dusk? From my research it sounds like dusk gives the Bt maximum time to do its work before the sun breaks it down, but dawn is better in terms of not having your plants sopping wet all night which could encourage mold/fungus.
 
NewEnglandFarmer said:
Do you combine these ingredients together in a single spray? So far I've just been doing Bt but wondering if adding potassium bicarbonate would help keep botrytis at bay?
Also, what's your thought regarding spraying Bt at dawn vs. dusk? From my research it sounds like dusk gives the Bt maximum time to do its work before the sun breaks it down, but dawn is better in terms of not having your plants sopping wet all night which could encourage mold/fungus.
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Yes, I mix them both separately then combine them in the sprayer with a little dab of organic soap. And I spray in the evening because that is when the caterpillars are going to be feeding most. The potassium bicarbonate is fungicide and keeps the molds and mildew from growing. So I dont worry about the spray being on the plant all night. It will dry up by the morning. And if its humid and the plant is taking longer to dry there is less chance of any photosensitive reaction from it drying quickly once the sun heats things up. It has worked well for me (this way) this time of year.
 
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Deeterdanks said:
Ive only niticed them on the outside i will get some BT and silica thanks alot for the info
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If you have seen them there are going to be a lot more hiding that you haven't. Gently look through the buds and get as many gone as you can (tweezerswork great for this). Then check the stems again for bore holes. They will destroy everything you have been working for. When in the stem, boring bugs can kill entire branches. If they are in the flowers, they eat the flowers. And then their excrement is food and accelerant for botrytis further damaging the bud from the inside out. The worst part is that the damage spreads from the inside to surface. So by the time you've noticed its often late.
 
Garden centers, greenhouses, Amazon. There are powders, liquid concentrates and rtu sprays. I just use what ever liquid concentrates they happen to have at our local greenhouse when I'm shopping. I think thuricide is the most widely available bt.
The potassium bicarbonate is really cheap on Amazon and works great. You could buy green cure but powdered potassium bicarbonate with a little organic soap is basically the same thing and way cheaper.
 
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Also if you find them in the stem. Splitting the stem lengthwise to remove and kill them won't kill the branches. They will heal quickly. Just cut on one side and only far enough to get to the little bastards.
The bt has to be eaten by the worm and if they are inside the stem already they won't come into contact with it. So you have to kill them or accept the damage they cause.
 
JimmiP said:
Also if you find them in the stem. Splitting the stem lengthwise to remove and kill them won't kill the branches. They will heal quickly. Just cut on one side and only far enough to get to the little bastards.
The bt has to be eaten by the worm and if they are inside the stem already they won't come into contact with it. So you have to kill them or accept the damage they cause.
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Thanks alot for the tips everything helps
 
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