🧠 Intelligent Alien Fungi Are Attacking Your Plants, and Learning Your Weaknesses, with Matthew Gates

Pest expert Matthew Gates is back, and this time you're in for a doozy! The boys start the show by discussing a recent infestation in Jordan's garden, of a pest that is seemingly less common in indoor spaces: leaf miner type insect pests. Often confused with thrips damage, these particular pests need to be approached with a totally different strategy, and Jordan shares his non scientific trial of spraying down his plants with an abundant solution of living nematodes. The conversation turns to powdery mildew- which is one of the oldest, most ancient, fast spreading, and adaptable plant pests on planet Earth. Not only do these intelligent species of fungi adapt their genes to resist your attacks as a farmer, but they can mutate and adapt in as little as a few weeks. Also, the fact that PM relies on similar pathways as beneficial fungis like myco, may point to a hint that PM was once a beneficial, who has since gone rogue and turned to the dark side. If it's true, as many mycologists theorize, that fungi can survive space travel, and may have been some of the first life to land on this planet via asteroid, then this enemy your dealing with is a truly ancient, and highly intelligent one.

Timestamps:

Introduction

0:00

Discussion on Leaf Miners

3:01

Control Strategies for Leaf Miners

12:37

Introduction to Powdery Mildew

25:28

Understanding Powdery Mildew's Intelligent Behavior

28:26

Strategies for Managing Powdery Mildew

44:58

Final Thoughts and Resources

51:59

GrowCast Seed Co KLM DROP IS LIVE! Members get $20 off per pack- this Key Lime Madness Drop is going to be Rich's best work yet, so don't miss it!

GRAND PHENO HUNT ROUND TWO - Who will walk away with $1,000 and the title of Hunt Champion? We've started round two, but there's still time to get in! You have til March 1 to get your seeds wet, find out more at www.growcast.com/hunt 

Code growcast15 now works with grow KITS from AC Infinity! www.acinfinity.com use promo code growcast15 for 15% off the BEST grow fans in the game, plus tents, pots, scissors, LED lights, and now REFILLABLE FILTERS!