Sound off on Spider Mite Prevention

Ok, so I have seen lots of threads on here and other forums about what to do once you get Spider Mites, but I was hoping to find out how to prevent them from ever getting into a crop. I am about to start my first grow. My veg and flower boxes will be in my spare bedroom. The flower chamber is 2' x 4' x 6' and the veg chamber is 2' x 2' x 4'. I would much rather take preventative measures than have to worry about getting rid of them after they have infested everything.

Anyone that has any info would be greatly appreciated. I am looking for the easiest most natural way to do it so I will not have to worry about hurting the crop. What does everyone around here use to help prevent spider mites and other bug infestations? Thanks ahead for your help!

Plants that Repel Pests

There are a number of plants you can add to your garden that repel pests. These include:

• Basil – asparagus beetles, tomato heartworms and thrips
• Green Bean – Colorado potato beetles
• Nasturtium – Colorado potato beetles and squash bugs
• Tomato – asparagus beetles
• Wormwood – slugs
• Rue – aphids, cats, dogs, Japanese beetles, onion maggots, slugs and snails
• Anise – aphids, snails and slugs
• Borage – cabbage worms and tomato heart worms
• Sage – cabbage loopers, carrot flies, flea beetles, imported cabbage worms and tomato heart worms
• Thyme – cabbage loopers and white flies
• Radish – cowpea curculio, cucumber beetles, harlequin bugs, Mexican bean leaf beetles, squash bugs and stink bugs
• Garlic – aphids, cowpea curculio, flea beetles, Japanese beetles, Mexican been leaf beetles, root maggots, spider mites and squash vine borers
• Onion – bean leaf beetle, cabbage loopers, carrot flies, flea beetles, harlequin bugs, Mexican bean leaf beetles, mice, rabbits, spider mites and squash vine borers
• Potato – bean leaf beetles
• Turnip – bean leaf beetles and harlequin bugs
• Oleander – codling moths
• Catnip – aphids, corn earworms, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, Japanese beetles, squash bugs and mice
• Marigold – aphids, corn earworms, leaf hoppers, Mexican bean leaf beetles, rabbits, squash bugs, thrips and tomato heartworms
• Hyssop – imported cabbage worms
• Oregano – cabbage butterflies and cucumber beetles
• Rosemary – imported cabbage worms and slugs
• Dill – aphids, cabbage moths and spider mites
• Lavender – mice, mosquitoes, moths, rabbits and ticks
• Fennel – aphids, slugs, snails and spider mites
• Pennyroyal – ants
• Mint – ants, aphids, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, imported cabbage worms, rodents, squash bugs and white flies
• Tansy – ants, cucumber beetles, Japanese beetles and squash bugs
• Coriander/Cilantro – aphids, Colorado potato beetles and spider mites
• Horseradish – potato beetles
• Geranium – Japanese beetles, leaf hoppers
• Butterfly (white) Sage – asparagus beetles
• Larkspur – Japanese beetles
• Chives – aphids, Japanese beetles and spider mites
• Cloves – cowpea curculio, spider mites and squash vine borers
• Lettuce – carrot flies
• Petunia – leafhoppers, Mexican bean leaf beetles and squash bugs
• Parsley – asparagus beetles and carrot flies

Read more at Suite101: Natural Garden Pest Control: Repel Pests with Plants, Ladybugs and Home-Made Pesticides http://organicgardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/natural_garden_pest_control#ixzz0iGgGagXL
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http://organicgardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/natural_garden_pest_control

I bolded the ones on the list that claim to work for spidermites. Companion planting is usually a great way to prevent insects, but be careful which you choose because some repeal one insect while attracting others. (Marigolds for instance work well for aphids but can attract spider mites. )

AquafinaOrbit said:

http://organicgardens.suite101.com/article.cfm/natural_garden_pest_control

I bolded the ones on the list that claim to work for spidermites. Companion planting is usually a great way to prevent insects, but be careful which you choose because some repeal one insect while attracting others. (Marigolds for instance work well for aphids but can attract spider mites. )

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I really like this idea. So say I decide to do Basil and Garlic to help keep away thrips and spider mites. Should I grow these in the cabinets with the weed? Or should it be right outside the passive intake? If I put them inside the cabinet will it affect the taste of the bud? I wouldn't want some serious garlic tasting buds. Should this only be used with veg or flowering too? Thanks for the advice!

Can't comment on onions, but I've always just placed the companion plants in the same room or within a couple feet outdoors and its never affected the taste or smell of a finished plant. Also its important to do some research and makes sure the variety you are getting produces the correct odors and with enough potency to cover your area.

AquafinaOrbit said:

Can't comment on onions, but I've always just placed the companion plants in the same room or within a couple feet outdoors and its never affected the taste or smell of a finished plant. Also its important to do some research and makes sure the variety you are getting produces the correct odors and with enough potency to cover your area.

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For the last 3 weeks I have been spraying with neem oil or azamax, and along with eliminating a thrip problem, I have not seen any other insects at all. Neem also has systemic properties. I have started to use it as a soil drench as well. I am going to see how long it takes for effective levels of neem to build up in the plant. Neem is organic and non toxic to humans and animals. Not sure how often you should spray as preventitive, I am playing with a schedule right now but I'm thinking once every 7-14 days. Hope this helps.

I spray azamax every 10 days in veg all the way until the second week of flower is over. Low dosage for preventative treatment. Worked great my plants are pest free this time but last grow i forgot to spray diligently and I spotted a few mites in the last two weeks of flower. Luckily there were not enough to be detected after harvest.

My plants are in week three of flower and I do not want to spray them anymore. They are mitefree and it is mandatory for me to keep them that way. What I did was layed out coffee filters one for each plant and I put a slice of an onion on each coffee filter and then I sprinkled chili powder on the onions and put one filter on top of each plant. Mites hate onions and chili powder and will avoid plants that have them near. This will also work with garlic, eucalyptus and lavendar.

This thread is from 2010 MAN! Do you have the cure?

The date of the original post is irrelevant and I was aware this thread is 2 years old. The topic is a subject that people will have to deal with for a lot longer then two years. Mites will always be a growers enemy. I see these forums as a library of information and they should be treated as such. The information typed here is referenced by thousands of people on the internet. (not just RIU) As far as a cure thats easy, but I speak on the organic side of things.

MalcolmMustang said:

The date of the original post is irrelevant and I was aware this thread is 2 years old. The topic is a subject that people will have to deal with for a lot longer then two years. Mites will always be a growers enemy. I see these forums as a library of information and they should be treated as such. The information typed here is referenced by thousands of people on the internet. (not just RIU) As far as a cure thats easy, but I speak on the organic side of things.

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+1 registered just to say thanks for bumpin this up, I'm researching exactly this subject right now.