First timer who could use some help.....

Sorry if this turns out to be insanely long. I have a ton of questions..

Here's what I'm working with:

- 7 clones each in 7 gallon pots outdoors on pallets.
- Pro Mix BX
- Cock A Dooddle DOO Organic Fert
- Planted late first week - early second week of June
- Watered w/ Tap Water from the hose stored in a large covered plastic garbage can outside.
- No neuts of any kind given until 8/4
- Grow area is very hot & humid

I had posted over in the Sick Plants section and got a ton of help recently. As of that posting I have taken a ton of steps to get my plants healthy again. Purchased PH meter for water & soil & a moister meter. Picked up the entire line of Fox Farm Neuts which I have not given to the plants yet. Also grabbed some Safer's 3 in 1 and sprayed my plants the other day.

I Picked up some Thrive Alive (1.0% 1.0% 1.5%) which I flushed the plants with 1/2 strength (2 gallons each) this past weekend because prior to that I had not been checking the PH of my water. I now keep my water as close to 6.5 on the nose as possible. I've been measuring the PH of all of the soils and they also seem to all be in the 6.5 range as of the past couple of days. In addition to the flushing I did on the 4th I also Foiler Feed them on the 5th with the same Thrive Alive 1/2 strength (32 oz split between the 7 plants)

I believe after getting feedback from people here and from some of the other reading I've done is that the major issues I'm having are bugs and mold. See pictures below...

On to the questions....

- Can I re-apply the Safer's 3 in 1 sooner than the recommended 5 to 7 days? I sprayed yesterday and since I saw two bugs today and I'm sure I still have mold issues I want to re apply as soon as I can.

- Should I be removing all the infected leaves? All the ones with spots, white haziness to them, yellow, etc? I removed a ton but didn't know where to stop. I didn't want to take off too much.

- Am I in the flowering stage yet? I know it's not 12/12 but I've also read that some strains start earlier. I need to figure this out so I know what Fox Farm neuts I should be giving it. See pictures below....

- Is there amything in addition to the Safer's 3 in 1 that I could be doing to help with the mold/mildew/fungus

- I removed the top inch or so of soil today and replaced with new. I forgot to wet the soil after I topped off each pot. Is it important that I do that or not an issue?

I'm sure I could think of a ton of other questions but I'll stop my rambling here. Any answers, advice, etc is GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!!

- Can I re-apply the Safer's 3 in 1 sooner than the recommended 5 to 7 days? I sprayed yesterday and since I saw two bugs today and I'm sure I still have mold issues I want to re apply as soon as I can.

answer: With ANY kind of additives you'll be giving your plants, i'd highly recommend not going over the recommended dose ever. They have them for a reason, i'm sure they've tested and came out to find that this is the best way to apply it, so i'd follow along with their directions and watch extra carefully while using something i'm not familliar with.

- Should I be removing all the infected leaves? All the ones with spots, white haziness to them, yellow, etc? I removed a ton but didn't know where to stop. I didn't want to take off too much.

answer: Never remove leaves. They will fall off when they're ready to come off, until then they're still giving the plant energy to thrive. The leaves are like solar panels. Just remember to let them fall off naturally bro. Don't remove anymroe leaves.

- Am I in the flowering stage yet? I know it's not 12/12 but I've also read that some strains start earlier. I need to figure this out so I know what Fox Farm neuts I should be giving it. See pictures below....

answer: By the pictures i can't tell if you're in flower. I highly doubt you are since it's not 12/12. I'd say maybe 3 more weeks before you enter flowering. I am not sure your area though so dont' hold me to it.

- Is there amything in addition to the Safer's 3 in 1 that I could be doing to help with the mold/mildew/fungus

answer: I've never had any of this on my plants, so i'm sorry i can't help you here. Maybe someone else can fill this in, sorry!!

- I removed the top inch or so of soil today and replaced with new. I forgot to wet the soil after I topped off each pot. Is it important that I do that or not an issue?

answer: Well, i wouldn't say it affected your plants wrongly. If you replaced the entire soil, that'd be very bad. But in this case, the top inch isn't going to matter unless there were roots up there, which i highly doubt since they tend to grow down I'd water it, but this isn't something that will do anything to your plants unless like i said you did replace where the roots were. If so you still have a chance to water it before it did major harm. Just water it bro.

Take care and good luck! if you have more questions feel free to ask and i'll try and answer them, if not i'm sure someone else will be more than hapyp to help you out. peace!

~Burn One~
Dewayne

Thanks for the info Dewayne!! So under no circumstances should I ever remove a leaf unless it's dead? The reason I removed a bunch of leaves is because I read that when it comes to mold issues it's best to remove the infected areas so it doesn't spread. I'd much rather not be removing any leaves I'm just worried my problems will get worse if I don't.

well, mold infected leaves you do have a point. If it recommends you to remove the leaves in that situation, it's beyond my knowledge. Like i've said i've not incounted this issue. But definately don't remove because of dead, yellowing, nute burn, ANYTHING unless mold in this case. Which is true it will spread so i see who it's best to remove those.

When it's dead and odne, it will fall off. If it's on there it's not totally dead so don't remove it because you think so. Only mold ones in this case.

~Burn ONe~
Dewayne

Ok first off a couple bugs arent going to ruin you crop unless you get a bad infestation and with the way you plants look i don`t see that. And the mold everyone is talking about is mold on your buds after they form that kills parts of your bud. Im inclined to think what you seeing is made by the insect spray your using. Dont cut any more leaves off and just let them grow a couple weeks and see how they do. sometimes doing to much is a bad thing. Slim Also its late enough i would just use the bloom nutes not the veg nutes. Like i said mold is mostly on the buds and it spreads because of to much moisture and its no different than a rotten spot in a tomato its starts out small and soon it rots the whole thing. Your leaves aren`t going to rot and spread from what your seeing.

Powdery Mildews on Ornamental Plants
HYG-3047-96
Stephen Nameth
Jim Chatfield

Almost all landscapes have plants that become diseased with one of the powdery mildew fungi. Although the fungi that cause powdery mildew are usually different on different plants, all of the powdery mildew diseases are similar in appearance. In most cases, prompt recognition and control actions can prevent severe damage to plants from powdery mildew diseases.
Symptoms

Powdery mildews, as the name implies, often appear as a superficial white or gray powdery growth of fungus over the surface of leaves, stems, flowers, or fruit of affected plants. These patches may enlarge until they cover the entire leaf on one or both sides. Young foliage and shoots may be particularly susceptible. Leaf curling and twisting may be noted before the fungus is noticed. Severe powdery mildew infection will result in yellowed leaves, dried and brown leaves, and disfigured shoots and flowers. Although it usually is not a fatal disease, powdery mildew may hasten plant defoliation and fall dormancy, and the infected plant may become extremely unsightly. On roses, uncontrolled powdery mildew will prevent normal flowering on highly susceptible cultivars.




Powdery mildew fungi infect almost all ornamental plants. They are commonly seen only on those plants more naturally susceptible to the disease. Susceptible woody plants include some deciduous azaleas, buckeye, catalpa, cherry, a few of the flowering crabapples, dogwood, English oaks, euonymus, honeysuckle, horse chestnut, lilac, privet, roses, serviceberry, silver maple, sycamore, tulip tree, some viburnums, walnut, willow and wintercreeper. Powdery mildews are also common on certain herbaceous plants, such as chrysanthemums, dahlias, delphiniums, kalanchoes, phlox, Reiger begonias, snapdragons and zinnias. Remember that each species of powdery mildew has a very limited host range. Infection of one plant type does not necessarily mean that others are threatened. For example, the fungus that causes powdery mildew on lilac does not spread to roses and vice versa.

P.M. on Dogwood leaves P.M. on Euphorbia sp. P.M. on gerba azalea leaves maple leaf
Environment Favoring Powdery Mildews

Most powdery mildew fungi produce airborne spores and infect plants when temperatures are moderate (60 to 80 degrees F) and will not be present during the hottest days of the summer. Unlike most other fungi that infect plants, powdery mildew fungi do not require free water on the plant surface in order to germinate and infect. Some powdery mildew fungi, especially those on rose, apple, and cherry are favored by high humidities. Overcrowding and shading will keep plants cool and promote higher humidity. These conditions are highly conducive to powdery mildew development.
Control of Powdery Mildews

Before using fungicides you should attempt to limit powdery mildews by other means. The following cultural practices should be beneficial for controlling powdery mildews.

* Purchase only top-quality, disease-free plants of resistant cultivars and species from a reputable nursery, greenhouse or garden center. Horticulturists in the green industry and Extension offices should be consulted concerning the availability and performance of resistant varieties.

* Prune out diseased terminals of woody plants, such as rose and crabapple, during the normal pruning period. All dead wood should be removed and destroyed (preferably by burning). Rake up and destroy all dead leaves that might harbor the fungus.

* Maintain plants in a high vigor.

o Plant properly in well-prepared and well-drained soil where the plants will obtain all-day sun (or a minimum of 6 hours of sunlight daily).

o Space plants for good air circulation. DO NOT plant highly susceptible plants--such as phlox, rose, and zinnia--in damp, shady locations.

o Do not handle or work among the plants when the foliage is wet.

o Water thoroughly at weekly intervals during periods of drought. The soil should be moist 8 to 12 inches deep. Avoid overhead watering and sprinkling the foliage, especially in late afternoon or evening. Use a soil soaker hose or root feeder so the foliage is not wetted.

Chemical Control of Powdery Mildews

In many cases, powdery mildew diseases do little damage to overall plant health, and yearly infections can be ignored if unsightliness is not a major concern. For example, lilacs can have powdery mildew each year, with little or no apparent effect on plant health. On some plants, powdery mildews can result in significant damage. Thus, fungicides must be used to achieve acceptable control. For best results with fungicides, spray programs must begin as soon as mildews are detected. Spray on a regular schedule, more often during cool, damp weather. Use a good spreader-sticker with the fungicides. Be sure and cover both surfaces of all leaves with the spray. Fungicides generally recommended for powdery mildew control include: Triadimefon (Bayleton, Strike); Triforine (Funginex), Thiophanate-methyl (Cleary's 3336, Domain) and Propiconazole (Banner).