Cannabis growers are constantly worried about blight disease in their plants. And for good reason – blight is a leading cause of plant destruction. But did you know that blight in itself is not a particular disease? It’s really just the name given to a set of symptoms affecting cannabis plants.
Because blight causes can vary, it’s hard to find a foolproof treatment. In the past, finding the best blight treatment has been hit or miss. For that reason it’s important you learn to recognize blight diseases affecting your plants. Once identified, you’ll be better able to combat blight.
Blight Diseases Affecting Marijuana Plants
Most blight diseases are fungal in nature, although there are also one or two bacterial blight diseases. The most common bacterial blight is pseudomonas cannabina, which is a gray aerobic bacterium that causes stem and leaf rot of cannabis.
Fungal blights include the following: leaf blight, twig blight, brown blight, southern blight, and early blight. These are just a few of the more common blights. Symptoms of blight disease include splotchy dark spots on leaves, discolored tips of leaves, plant yellowing, slowed growth, plant wilting and withering.
Controlling Blight Disease on Cannabis Plants
Naturally occurring bacteria. Some growers opt to use beneficial bacteria to fight blight. Believe it or not, there are some forms of bacteria that can prevent the spread of plant diseases while enriching the soil.
One of the best is bacillus subtilis. This bacteria fights blight and other fungi and is naturally-occurring. You can buy bacillus subtilis anywhere online that caters to organic cultivation of cannabis.
Potassium bicarbonate. This is another good way to fight blight on marijuana plants. Potassium bicarbonate is an alkaline compound that has been proven to be toxic to blights and other fungi. It is a powdery white substance available from most agricultural or garden retailers.
To get the best results, mix 3 tablespoons of potassium bicarbonate, half a tablespoon of castile soap, and 3 tablespoons oil for every one gallon of clean water. Spray the concoction on your plants daily as a way to prevent the spread of blight.
Remove infected plants. There are other things you can do if you notice blight disease has attacked your plants. You can immediately remove the infected plants. Once you see blight on your plants, time is of the essence. You need to take action before the blight has a chance to spread to other plants or even infect and destroy your entire crop.
First, snip off infected leaves, branches and other infected parts of the plant. If the plant is too badly infected, it’s best just to remove the entire plant. Then very carefully place all the infected vegetation into plastic bags and be sure to seal the bags tightly. Remember that you don’t want to cause too much motion during the removal process. This only spreads more microscopic spores around the grow area.
As a last step, remove all tools, bags, and people (including yourself) from your growing environment. Be sure that everyone involved in the bagging process thoroughly washes their hands, clothing, and all tools used. Do this before bringing them back into your grow areas. This will ensure you are not reintroducing the disease.
Preventing Blight from Attacking Your Plants
You should make it a practice to ensure your plants are not spaced too near each other. Keeping plants as far apart as possible will reduce the risk of spreading disease. Blights and other fungals and pathogens will have a harder time moving from plant to plant.
Besides proper spacing, an ounce of prevention fighting blight disease in plants is worth a pound (or gallon) of cure. By far the best way to fight the spread of blight is to cut it from your growing area before it gets near your pants.
How? Almost all blights, fungals, and other pathogens are spread through the air. So it makes sense to consider an air purification system.
Pathogen-Free Air
Pathogen-free air is absolutely the best way to ensure the health of your cannabis. So a top-notch air cleaning system will prevent the airborne pathogens from getting into your growing areas.
The leader in ensuring excellent air quality for cannabis growers is the AiroClean420. The AiroClean420 uses NASA-based technology to completely eliminate all airborne pathogens. The air exiting the device is totally free of fungals and other diseases.
For more information about how the AiroClean420 prevents blight in plants, visit us online, or call 844-247-3913 to talk to an AiroClean420 professional today. We are here to answer any questions you may have and help you to achieve the healthiest plant possible.
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