Why would you even think about using a systemic anything on your Moms??
:confused:
For a few reasons based on science and not emotion. I had used neem and found it to be ineffective, the spores eventually came back.
After 90 days, plants sprayed with Eagle 20 show no traces when tested. Even less when put under sun light. That's 12 weeks.
It is systemic meaning that it kills the disease INSIDE the plant.
So... spray the mom, take cuts after a while, grow the cuts into new moms, take more cuts grow those. I don't grow all my moms, just usually one or two. That means whether I take a 3rd generation of cuts to grow them out to smoke, or just keep them as mothers, more than 90 days will have passed. I have done this with any systemic I have ever used based on how long it will take to break down.
I would never spray on something I would be smoking, just mother plants that would be used to make.... another mother plant, free from pm. So I usually grow out a third generation of cuts after spraying the original mom to keep as a mom or to grow out.
When I do spray anything toxic and I have had too before. I have a Tyvek suit, Full face respirator, chemical gloves etc and stay out for 12 hours. I have to do this kind of thing at work sealing surfaces, so I have all the gear. All the warnings about Eagle 20 have to do with people spraying unprotected with no gear which is moronic. My grow is not in my home, so I have this luxury.
That being said. I haven't had to use Eagle 20 more than once a few years back, having taken precautions. It immediately stopped bad pm and it never came back. I don't enter if I had touched anything in the yard and I filter my intakes. I clean between grows with 10% bleach. I will sometimes take all the plants out , spray with bleach solution and put them back. I also will vacuum.
So based on the science of using these things in a logical and unemotional way, I was able to eliminate it quickly and prevent it from coming back. Based on science, by waiting for the systemic to work it's way out of the plant as it breaks down and new cells grow, and growing out several more generations of mothers, I have no risk of smoking it.
As far as neem oil, I tried 3 different brands and types to deal with fungus gnats, 2 spotted spider mites, broad mites and harmful nematodes over the years. Worthless. I used them all in my yard as well on my tomatoes, roses and orange tree. Worthless except for a temporary stop to white flies. I tried it straight and with a wetting agent.
What has worked best against everything has been horticultural oil. It even knocks back nematodes.
http://www.masternursery.com/product/master-nursery-pestfighter-yr-spray-oil-pt-5/ This is the only oil I now use in my outside garden.
A healthy plant is less succeptible to disease so I have been using this product every other watering and the results have been amazing.
https://ogtea.com/veganic-special-sauce.html
I work 50 hours a week and also have an overwhelming personal responsibility so I don't have time to make a tea from scratch anymore. Mix and stir and I get it cheap.
I've eliminated gnats, broads , 2 spotted mites, spider mites and am almost stem nematode free ( new moms have no symptoms!, waiting for a few more generations of moms). But only by using a combination of organics for health and systemics for pests to save irreplaceable moms.
I got all my diseases from getting cuts from a single grower. I lost moms to broads and he gave me cuts back. With broads and stem nematodes. He lost his moms, I still have all of mine.
