unwanted beasties

[digweed]

hey everyone, its been a while, but once again i'm lookin for some advice .

 

i've got some babies coming along on my front porch, bout 200mm high, at the mo i'm watering em once every two days, with a bit of liquid fish emulsion, they seem happy enough.

 

firstly, whats the best way to get rid of insects - few interesting colours but mainly white things - not aphids tho.?

 

also whats the best watering regime for month - month and a half old plants?

 

thanks again guys, look forward to your help.

cheers

[Luke Skywalker]

Hi digweed. Sounds like you've got some whitefly causing you trouble. If you gently shake the plant these insects will come flying out from under the leaf blades... then resettle back down again. They suck the sap from the cells of the leaf and other tissues, and it leaves stipples or small white pin prick like marks on the top of the leaf.

 

Anyway, they can be easily cleared up with a white oil or soapy water spray. Make sure you apply white oil in cool temps, and do a test on a single leaf before applying it to the whole plant. Spray the plants underside and top sides of the leaf. Coverage is important. Keep them slightly shaded if you're growing outdoors, just so they don't transpire too much. You can also assist the plants by giving them a good watering before application.

 

I can't give you a watering regeime for your plants because watering is probably the most individual of all the tasks a gardener must undertake. There is some info in the Grow Faq I think, you'll find that the pots, media, temps, wind, and plants themselves will all affect the frequency of watering. You don't want the plants to go dry, but you definitely don't want them to be soggy either. The key is moist. Moisture meters are a good buy for soil growing, you can get them at most harware/garden centers for less than 20 bucks, and they'll tell you just when you need to water.

A general guide most people give is to stick your finger in the soil, if it's moist at 2 knuckles then it should be ok for now, but if it's dry, it'll need watering. But that's only an approximation, and yeah, it won't take into account all the variables. Try and describe them as much as possible, and you might be able to get a slightly more specific answer. All I can really say about when to water them really, is, when they need it.

 

Hope this has helped, if you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask.

[digweed]

much appreciated luke, i'm soaping up some water already.

as for the watering regime, yeah, i figured that'd be all you could offer, cheers anyway, i might just relax, think some happy thoughts at my babies and see how they go.

 

thanks again.