Grow tents have become very popular in recent years for all types of indoor growers. These grow tents offer the grower control over the environment that the plants are growing in from the air to the light. Many plants, especially flowering plants, need very specific climates to flourish and produce bountiful harvests. This includes the control of pests that could easily ravage a whole garden in a short period of time.
Pests such as spider mites are so small you can barely see them without a magnifying glass. The spider mite is by far the most common pest associated with most indoor grows. Spider mites have eight legs and are classified as spiders rather than insects, which have six legs. You can find spider mites on the undersides of leaves. You typically can’t see them but signs of spider mite damage include small spots on the leaves and if it’s really bad you can even start to see webs. These damaged spots on the leaves are from the spider mites sucking out the plant matter right from the leaves. It is recommended to use a 10-30x magnifier to be able to properly identify if you have spider mites. Severe spider mite problems can completely ruin a whole harvest.
The best way to keep spider mites and other pests away from your plants are by using a grow tent to take control of your growing environment. You want to make sure to keep the tent nice and clean, disinfecting tools regularly. Keeping the climate-controlled can also help keep these pests away. Spider mites thrive in a dry 70-80 degree climate and reproduce even faster in hotter temperatures. You can create a hostile environment in your grow tent by lowering the temperature down to 60 degrees and then blasting the undersides of leaves with a cold jet of water. This will actually knock them off of the leaves.
If these tactics don’t work, you will probably have to use some type of spray to kill them off. Try to do this as a last resort though and only use organic sprays when possible. Remember that whatever you spray on your plants, will stay there and will eventually make its way into your body.
