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Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
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You can transparent tarps that let a lot of the sun through.

I recently covered up the plants as we are heading into about a week of rain. Put it up yesterday and today turns out to be sunny.. how about that. it might cut out a bunch of the sunlight but at this time of the year I’m more worried about the rain I think.View attachment 16110

View attachment 16109

You could easily just cover that whole thing and netting instead of a tarp.
Since I have to cover all sides I'm safest using the mosquito netting I think. Last thing I want to do is not have proper airflow, and that is why I haven't gone with a tent/portable greenhouse. If I wasn't growing on cement I'd be on easy street and just use a few stakes in the ground, then drape the netting over the top of them and use zip ties or something. Maybe I should use PVC piping?
 

Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
25,475
32,244
You know what's fucking stupid and not uniform? The way gardening shit is measured
We're talking feces here, so I would think universally it would be measured in pounds, not gallons. If we were talking urine, gallons would be the proper measurement. I think globally we could all agree on that (unless we get the third world country queers in here talking about the metric system).
 
M

member 3289

Guest
We're talking feces here, so I would think universally it would be measured in pounds, not gallons. If we were talking urine, gallons would be the proper measurement. I think globally we could all agree on that (unless we get the third world country queers in here talking about the metric system).
Yeah but then we get into cubic feet and I'm fucking lost
 

ThatOneDude

Commander in @Chief, Dick Army
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
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It is a process that takes about 6 months. I'd prefer to just pay for worm shit whenever I need it, which isn't too often. $20 isn't exactly an arm and a leg.
You could have worm shit 24/7/365(366) if you just got worms.
 
M

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Papi Chingon @Papi Chingon you make compost tea, right?

I find that using worm castings as a top dressing take a little longer than commercial fertilizer to see results, but it results in more significant growth (i.e. branch formation rather than branch extension or simple leaf growth)
 

Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
25,475
32,244
Papi Chingon @Papi Chingon you make compost tea, right?

I find that using worm castings as a top dressing take a little longer than commercial fertilizer to see results, but it results in more significant growth (i.e. branch formation rather than branch extension or simple leaf growth)
I use it in several different applications, but primarily in tea. When blending soil you can use it as an amendment and you can also top dress. You could do all 3 if you want. I've even started seeds and seedlings in 100% black gold. Immediate results are with tea and your roots will love you for it.
 

ThatOneDude

Commander in @Chief, Dick Army
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Compost/worm tea is awesome stuff. I want to get into using red worms for composting.
 

Papi Chingon

Domesticated Hombre
Oct 19, 2015
25,475
32,244
Compost/worm tea is awesome stuff. I want to get into using red worms for composting.
That's why you were trying to sell me on being a worm shit farmer!!!! You thought if there were two of us on this board it would normalize it and you wouldn't get teased as much. "Yeah well, Papi Chingon @Papi Chingon does it too!" Nice try. I'm on to you.
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
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@conor mcgregor nut hugger have you ever had to use a pesticide on your citrus?

We are that fucked up time of the year where everything is infested with aphids. Happens every year, and there are billions of them on everything with leaves. Only lasts a few weeks to a month, but they do some damage in that time. I don't recall them ever hitting my calamansi tree in the past, but they are hitting the young potted one I have pretty hard, and now I have a bunch of fucked up leaves. They chew into the leaves and suck the sugars out, which basically sucks all of the life out of whatever they are feeding on. I think the flowering trees like crape myrtle are responsible for drawing them in (those trees are very common landscaping trees here), but they will spread to just about anything with leaves. I've used neem based insecticide on trees and shrubs before, but never on a citrus. I have isolated the plant in the garage now, and killed and removed as many as I could last night. But these fuckers are still around in huge numbers for another 2-3 weeks probably. In past years, infestations have been so bad that they can kill almost all of the leaves on a full size mature red oak tree (if left untreated). Shit happens every year, not really much to do about it except treat what you want to save. Any recs for citrus safe insecticide/pesticide? I grew this thing from seed, and it's getting decent in size, so I'm going to be pissed if these little fuckers kill it.
 

ThatOneDude

Commander in @Chief, Dick Army
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
35,390
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@conor mcgregor nut hugger have you ever had to use a pesticide on your citrus?

We are that fucked up time of the year where everything is infested with aphids. Happens every year, and there are billions of them on everything with leaves. Only lasts a few weeks to a month, but they do some damage in that time. I don't recall them ever hitting my calamansi tree in the past, but they are hitting the young potted one I have pretty hard, and now I have a bunch of fucked up leaves. They chew into the leaves and suck the sugars out, which basically sucks all of the life out of whatever they are feeding on. I think the flowering trees like crape myrtle are responsible for drawing them in (those trees are very common landscaping trees here), but they will spread to just about anything with leaves. I've used neem based insecticide on trees and shrubs before, but never on a citrus. I have isolated the plant in the garage now, and killed and removed as many as I could last night. But these fuckers are still around in huge numbers for another 2-3 weeks probably. In past years, infestations have been so bad that they can kill almost all of the leaves on a full size mature red oak tree (if left untreated). Shit happens every year, not really much to do about it except treat what you want to save. Any recs for citrus safe insecticide/pesticide? I grew this thing from seed, and it's getting decent in size, so I'm going to be pissed if these little fuckers kill it.
Our aphids seem to be worse earlier in the summer.
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
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Our aphids seem to be worse earlier in the summer.
These are the little white furry fuckers. They are in full swing here now. It's crazy, billions of them and they are everywhere. We take our son on a walk around the neighbor hood most nights, and the past week or so they are all up in your face and shit the whole time. Just walking around the block it looks like it's snowing with all of these little white fuckers flying around. My neighbor has a hackberry tree on our shared fenceline (garbage trees, but aphids like them), and there are 20-30 aphids under almost every leaf that I could see. It's crazy how many of them show up so quickly.
 

ThatOneDude

Commander in @Chief, Dick Army
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
35,390
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These are the little white furry fuckers. They are in full swing here now. It's crazy, billions of them and they are everywhere. We take our son on a walk around the neighbor hood most nights, and the past week or so they are all up in your face and shit the whole time. Just walking around the block it looks like it's snowing with all of these little white fuckers flying around. My neighbor has a hackberry tree on our shared fenceline (garbage trees, but aphids like them), and there are 20-30 aphids under almost every leaf that I could see. It's crazy how many of them show up so quickly.
Interesting, even when they get bad here they don't get that bad.
 

Grateful Dude

TMMAC Addict
May 30, 2016
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Interesting, even when they get bad here they don't get that bad.
One of the most annoying parts is if you park under an infested tree. They suck the sugars out of the leaves, so their shit is basically simple syrup. It leaves a nasty sticky coating on whatever is underneath, and if left for too long becomes really hard to wash off. In past years, the sticky droppings have coated and killed the grass in my yard under infested trees. Fortunately we have had a couple of rain days to slow that down a bit.
 

ThatOneDude

Commander in @Chief, Dick Army
First 100
Jan 14, 2015
35,390
34,272
One of the most annoying parts is if you park under an infested tree. They suck the sugars out of the leaves, so their shit is basically simple syrup. It leaves a nasty sticky coating on whatever is underneath, and if left for too long becomes really hard to wash off. In past years, the sticky droppings have coated and killed the grass in my yard under infested trees. Fortunately we have had a couple of rain days to slow that down a bit.
Damn, that sounds pretty terrible.
 
M

member 3289

Guest
@conor mcgregor nut hugger have you ever had to use a pesticide on your citrus?

We are that fucked up time of the year where everything is infested with aphids. Happens every year, and there are billions of them on everything with leaves. Only lasts a few weeks to a month, but they do some damage in that time. I don't recall them ever hitting my calamansi tree in the past, but they are hitting the young potted one I have pretty hard, and now I have a bunch of fucked up leaves. They chew into the leaves and suck the sugars out, which basically sucks all of the life out of whatever they are feeding on. I think the flowering trees like crape myrtle are responsible for drawing them in (those trees are very common landscaping trees here), but they will spread to just about anything with leaves. I've used neem based insecticide on trees and shrubs before, but never on a citrus. I have isolated the plant in the garage now, and killed and removed as many as I could last night. But these fuckers are still around in huge numbers for another 2-3 weeks probably. In past years, infestations have been so bad that they can kill almost all of the leaves on a full size mature red oak tree (if left untreated). Shit happens every year, not really much to do about it except treat what you want to save. Any recs for citrus safe insecticide/pesticide? I grew this thing from seed, and it's getting decent in size, so I'm going to be pissed if these little fuckers kill it.
The spider mites are so bad here that I spray my lemon tree weekly with concentrated neem oil. It is 100% safe for citrus, just make sure you drench all sides of the leaf, the branches, and the trunk. I'm not terribly familiar with aphids, but it wouldn't hurt to spray the top of the soil as well.

Neem oil works I've found, but it doesn't completely exterminate the problem. It only keeps the pests at bay. Papi Chingon @Papi Chingon is a lot more versed in pest control than I am so he might be able to offer some tips