At the first sign of pests, trim any affected leaves, flowers, or fruit. Then, treat your plants with a knockdown solution. You can also do this preventatively when no pests are present or as an initial treatment for a light infestation.
How do knockdown solutions work?
Knockdown solutions are usually emulsified essential oils that kill soft-bodied insects and their eggs on contact. Nothing is 100% effective so these solutions are typically not used as the end-all solution for pest control. However, they are an effective tool to rapidly reduce populations of existing infestations and can be useful to prevent smaller infestations from growing out of control.
What is a knockdown solution?
You can either make your own, homemade soap solution, or purchase a ready-to-use pesticide.
Homemade Soap Solution
- Mix the following in a 32-oz empty spray bottle or small bowl.
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- 1 Tbsp All Natural Soap (examples: African Black Soap or Dr. Bronners Pure Castile Soap)
- Note: Don’t use detergents (which aren’t actually soaps), dish soaps, or any products with degreasers, skin moisturizers, or synthetic chemicals.
- Optional: 1 tsp Baking Soda (suggested product). Works well as a natural fungicide.
- 1 Tbsp All Natural Soap (examples: African Black Soap or Dr. Bronners Pure Castile Soap)
2. Top off the bottle/bowl with tap water and shake or mix well.
Ready-to-Use Pesticide
You can buy an organic and safe insecticide online that requires no mixing and is ready to use. Sierra Natural Science makes great pesticides for home use.
How do I use a knockdown solution?
- Turn off the Gardyn’s lights before applying the solution and leave them off for at least 1 hour after completing the treatment. After mixing a new solution, test it on a small leaf before applying it to the whole plant to be sure the solution isn’t too strong. Wait 30 minutes, then check the test area for signs of burning or yellowing.
- There are two methods for applying knockdown solutions: spray, or dunk.
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- If you choose the spray method, spray both the top and bottom of the leaves (apply liberally to simulate a rainstorm).
- If you choose the dunk method, hold your plant upside down by the yPod and completely submerge your plant's stalks and leaves to ensure 100% coverage. It's okay if the rockwool gets a little wet, too.
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- Leave the spray on the foliage for at least 15 minutes. Then, wipe down or rinse plants after treatment to remove any heavy soap residue.
- Re-apply every third day.
- Check for pests regularly as they can be attracted to the powerful flavors and aromas of certain plants. If you see pests return, treat them immediately. Don’t wait for the pests to multiply, and don’t hesitate to discard the most affected plants to protect your entire Gardyn system.
How often should I treat my plants?
The most important thing to remember is that knockdown solutions need to be applied every third day (treat one day, wait two full days before treating again). This schedule maximizes treatment effectiveness by disrupting the pest’s natural lifecycle.
Remember to turn your Gardyn’s lights off before spraying, and leave them off for at least 1 hour to avoid burning the leaves.
- If using the knockdown solution as a preventative, we recommend applying your knockdown solution as a spray once per week indefinitely.
- If you’re treating an existing infestation, we recommend the dunk method, applying the knockdown solution on every third day for two weeks. Then, assess if the infestation comes under control. If the infestation continues to grow, it may be a good idea to start germinating replacement yCubes away from your Gardyn, just in case you need to replace severely affected plants.
If you decide you'd rather start fresh with a set of all-new yCubes on your Gardyn rather than fighting your current pest problem, be sure to do a Light Cleaning first to sterilize your device and help you avoid a repeat pest problem.
Questions? Reach us at support@mygardyn.com, or chat with us! We're here to help.