Marijuana Business Magazine September 2018

As with Sacred Flower’s nutrient plan, farm plants are used to make ferments that can be used in sprays to keep pests off plants and protect against disease. When it comes to repelling pests, Simpkins said they hate strong smells, so he grows several different fragrant herbs – including peppermint, lemon balm, lavender and rosemary – that can be fermented, diluted with water and used as a foliar spray. He also makes a ferment from jalapeno and habanero peppers. Simpkins uses the same process to make the pest-prevention sprays that he uses to concoct nutrient ferments. When using the mix preventatively, he dilutes it by about 1,000 parts water and one part mix. If he spots pests, the mix will be stronger, diluted by 100 parts water and one part mix. “Those really potent, strong-smelling herbs really help drive bugs away.They don’t like those intense smells,” he said. Next season, he plans to try companion planting these fragrant plants in mari- juana beds to deter pests. Once the plants hit a certain size, or get into flower mode, Simpkins stops spraying and instead introduces preda- tory bugs. “Once you get to a certain size, foliar spraying becomes far less effective because you really need full coverage,” he said. Simpkins found a non-GMO preda- tory bug supplier, Natural Enemies in Clackamas, Oregon, from where he mainly gets Amblyseius andersoni and Amblyseius swirskii predatory mites to fend off Russet mites. They come in slow-release sacks with a cardboard hook that you can attach on a stem. One per plant is ideal, Simpkins said, but having one on every other plant often suffices for prevention. You should reapply the sacks every three or four weeks, Simpkins said. Simpkins said Sacred Flower spends $7,000 to $10,000 per year on preda- tory bugs, making it one of his biggest expenses. And if a cultivator can say their big- gest expense tops out at $10,000, they’d be pretty pleased, considering many growers spend 10 times that much or more on electricity, or 10 times that much or more on nutrients, and other cultivation necessities. There’s also something to be said for cannabis grown in a closed-loop system. “The more you can do it in tune with nature, the better the product is going to come out,” Simpkins said. “It’s not extremely difficult,” he added. “It’s just having fun in the garden.” ◆ Comfrey grown at Sacred Flower Farms is prized for its high nutrient content. Photo courtesy of Sacred Flower Farms Once plants enter the flowering stage, Sacred Flower Farms employees replace herbal pest control with predatory insects. Photo courtesy of Sacred Flower Farms 54 • Marijuana Business Magazine • September 2018