Triangle Hemp • Go Deeper
IPM Overview and General Advice
A practical, repeatable pest and disease framework. This is how we stay ahead of problems without turning every week into a crisis.
Start here
IPM is prevention first. Scouting, sanitation, environment, and clean inputs do most of the work.
Not sure what you are looking at?
Confirm with a hand lens. Check undersides of leaves, tops, and the media surface.
Quick start plan
If you do nothing else, do these three things:
- 1) Scout twice a week. Same days, same route, same notes.
- 2) Fix the environment. Most outbreaks love weak airflow, humidity swings, and crowded canopies.
- 3) Keep starts clean. Most problems enter through new plants, media, tools, or people.
Go deeper: a simple weekly rhythm
- Scout Day 1: full room walk, check sticky cards, check undersides, check hot spots.
- Midweek: quick walk, confirm trends, flag any plants that changed.
- Scout Day 2: repeat full walk, compare notes, decide if action is needed.
- After any action: rescout 48 to 72 hours later so you learn what worked.
Scouting and monitoring basics
What to look at: new growth, undersides, leaf petioles, branch junctions, and the media surface.
Most pests start in hot spots: near doors, intakes, edges, and weak airflow corners.
Scout like a pro
- Use a hand lens (10x to 30x). If you cannot see it, you cannot manage it.
- Pick a consistent sample size: for example, 10 plants per zone.
- Look for patterns, not single leaves. Patterns are actionable.
- Take photos in the same lighting so you can compare week to week.
Sticky cards: great for trends, not for panic.
If cards jump, scout the plants and the media. Cards tell you activity, plants tell you impact.
Common early signals
- Silvering or scratch marks on leaves (often thrips or mites)
- Speckling that spreads (often mites)
- Sticky residue (often aphids or whiteflies)
- Tiny flies near pots (often fungus gnats or shore flies)
- White powdery patches (powdery mildew)
Prevention checklist
Prevention is mostly boring. That is why it works.
Clean starts
- Quarantine new plants if you can. At minimum, inspect before they enter the main space.
- Assume outside plants bring hitchhikers. Treat them as high risk.
- Do not bring houseplants into the grow area.
Environment
- Keep airflow through the canopy, not just above it.
- Avoid humidity spikes at lights out. That is when disease pressure climbs.
- Do not let the canopy get so dense that leaves stay damp.
Sanitation
- Remove leaf litter and dead plant material. That is free habitat.
- Fix leaks, standing water, and algae. Wet corners create problems.
- Clean tools between plants when you are dealing with active issues.
First moves when you find something
Do not spray first. Confirm what it is and how widespread it is.
- Step 1: Identify (hand lens, photos, compare symptoms).
- Step 2: Map it (one plant, one zone, or the whole room).
- Step 3: Fix the cause (airflow, wet media, crowding, hygiene).
- Step 4: Use the lightest effective control (then rescout).
Shortcut: Use the tool, then confirm by scouting.
When to remove plants
- If a plant is a hotspot and you are early, removing it can protect the whole run.
- If you see webbing, bud rot, or heavy pressure, assume it has been building for a while.
- Bag and remove. Do not carry infested plants through clean areas.
Sprays and rotation strategy
Coverage and timing matter more than brand names. Most failures are poor coverage, poor intervals, or spraying the wrong target stage.
Spray rules we follow
- Spray undersides. Most pests live there.
- Repeat on an interval that matches the life cycle.
- Rotate modes of action so problems do not adapt.
- Test on a few plants first, especially in flower.
- Respect labels, re-entry intervals, and local regulations.
Rotation in plain language
Rotation means you do not hit the same pest with the same type of product repeatedly. If you do, you select for the ones that survive.
- Example: contact tool, then biological tool, then a different contact tool.
- Goal: reduce pressure while keeping options open.
FAQ
How often should I scout?
Twice per week is a strong baseline. More often if you are in late flower, running dense canopies, or bringing in new plants.
Should I spray preventatively?
In veg, preventative programs can make sense if you have known risks. In flower, prevention should lean heavily on environment, canopy management, and clean starts.
How do I know if it is pests or nutrients?
Nutrient issues tend to follow patterns tied to feeding and irrigation. Pest issues tend to show physical signs: stippling, silvering, frass, honeydew, webbing, or visible insects. When unsure, identify first.
What is the single biggest mistake new growers make?
Waiting too long and then overreacting. Catch it early, change one thing at a time, and rescout to confirm progress.
Pest and disease pages
If you already know what you are dealing with, click a page below for photos, scouting tips, likely causes, and a simple plan.
- Aphids
- Botrytis
- Caterpillars and budworms
- Damping off
- Fungus gnats
- Fusarium
- Leaf septoria
- Powdery mildew
- Pythium
- Root aphids
- Russet and broad mites
- Spider mites
- Thrips
- Whiteflies
Still unsure? Use the ID tool first, then come back and click the matching page.
