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Marijuana Pest and Disease Control: How
to Protect Your Plants and Win Back Your
Garden
Why is the FloridaGardener reviewing a
book on Marijuana Pest and Disease
Control? Well, I received an e-mail from
Ed Rosenthal (who has studied and
written about the marijuana plant for
more than 35 years) by way of the Garden
Writers Association that starts out “I
have a new book that I would like to
send you if you have an open mind…” and
became intrigued. So I responded “Yes, I
am interested in reviewing the book”. I
am pretty sure that there are many
gardeners out there (legal* or
otherwise) trying their hand at growing
marijuana and they might be interested
in knowing about pests and diseases that
may strike their plants and how to repel
or kill them.
Gardening expert Ed Rosenthal, with a
touch of wit and in an easy to read
amusing writing style, examines 21 pests
and diseases likely to strike many
flower and vegetable gardens. While the
book focuses on pests and diseases
afflicting marijuana plants, they are
also garden pest and disease problems
faced by all gardeners. A partial list
includes aphids, spider mites, ants,
whiteflies, powdery mildew, stem rot,
and mammals such as gophers and rats.
While many of these pests and diseases
are more of a threat in outdoor gardens,
much of the information presented is
also applicable to indoor or greenhouse gardens.
Ed Rosenthal starts with the premise
that “by understanding your opponents’
strengths and weaknesses you can make
smarter decisions about how to fight
them”, thus the first part of the book
details the life stages of the pest or
disease explaining what and how it eats,
reproduces, and its idiosyncrasies and
vulnerabilities.
The second part of the book suggests
numerous remedies to try that may
control the pests and diseases discussed
so a gardener may choose the solution
best suited to his or her own garden. Ed
is adamant that dangerous chemicals
should not be used in the garden,
especially on any plants that will be
ingested. All the solutions and controls
suggested in the book are safe for the
gardener and the environment.
Marijuana Pest & Disease Control
relies on barriers, biological controls,
plant based and other natural pesticides
and fungicides to satisfy a grower’s
insistence on fast, safe and effective results.
Some of the solutions for pest and
disease control include formulas using
baking soda, black pepper, chamomile
tea, cinnamon oil and tea, citrus oil,
coriander oil, garlic, hydrogen
peroxide, milk, neem oil, peppermint
tea, sesame oil, silica and vinegar.
Biological Controls are discussed also
and cover the use of beneficial
bacterial controls such as Bt (Bacillus
thuringiensis), Saccharopolyspora
spinosa, Lady Beetles, Damsel bugs,
Mycorrhiza, and parasitic wasps.
Marijuana Pest & Disease Control is an 8” x 10”
paperback which includes over one
hundred full-color photos and
illustrations.
View Excerpts from the book:
Table
of Contents,
Aphids,
Controls
* Sixteen states and the District of
Columbia allow the use of marijuana
medically: Alaska, Arizona, California,
Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine,
Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey,
New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island,
Vermont and Washington. Legislation is
pending in Alabama, Connecticut, Idaho,
Illinois, Kansas, and Maryland.
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