Top Tips For Pest Prevention

We've all heard that age-old saying, "prevention is better than cure." Whoever came up with that was clearly talking about pest/disease control in their hydroponic garden. Prevention is 100% better than cure when it comes to your plants' defence against pests. We've compiled our top tips to help you keep your indoor garden a pest-free zone.

Our top 3 tips to prevent a pest and disease outbreak are:

• Keep your growing area clean.

• Control your environmental factors.
• Use preventative measures throughout your plants' life cycle.

Keeping your Hydroponic Garden clean is one of the best pest/disease prevention methods. Pests can come in on dirty clothing and shoes, so make sure you don't wear contaminated clothing inside your grow room. Clothing and shoes can get infected if you've visited anywhere bug-friendly – for example, your backyard, damp spaces, or even the beach. Having a set of garden tools just for your hydroponic garden is essential to pest prevention. It helps you avoid picking up any diseases your outside plants could have – such as mould, mildew, or even insect larvae. Another excellent tip for cleanliness is to make sure you remove any loose bits of plant. After you defoliate, don't leave the discarded leaves in the growing area, this is a breeding ground for any unwanted visitors you may have.

Environmental factors can create the perfect breeding ground for pests and diseases. High humidity is a breeding ground for gnats, mould, and every other problem. Ideally, you should keep your humidity around the low end of the scale (50-60%). Temperature-controlled fans are your best defence against high humidity. They switch on when your room gets to a specific temperature – helping to keep the room cool. All Mountain Air fans come with temperature controllers; we recommend getting one especially if you are having mould issues. Don't keep your medium sodden by over-watering. Over-watering will contribute to the humidity of your grow room, and wet medium is the preferred breeding place for most pests – particularly gnats.

Another good preventative measure is to use an organic pest control aid – such as Neem. Neem can be mixed in regularly with your plants' food and can go a long way in stopping pests before they wreak havoc on your garden.