Integrated Pest Management for a Home Grow Tent
IPM is a routine, not a product. Home growers who follow one rarely have to treat an infestation, because they catch problems while they are still three insects on one leaf.
1. Keep pests out
Quarantine every new clone for 7-10 days away from your tent. Change clothes after gardening outdoors. Keep houseplants out of the grow room. Filter your intake air if you can.
2. Monitor weekly
Yellow and blue sticky traps in the tent, and a jeweler's loupe inspection of leaf undersides once a week. Five minutes weekly beats three weeks of treatment.
3. Control the environment
Most pests and pathogens have preferred conditions. Holding your stage-appropriate temp, humidity, and airflow targets removes their advantage.
4. Escalate carefully
Manual removal, then biologicals like predatory mites and nematodes, then soft sprays in veg only. Never spray flowering buds.
Frequently asked questions
- Should I preventatively spray?
- In veg, a light preventative program is reasonable. Regular unnecessary spraying stresses plants and can build resistance.