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Apr 19, 2014 10:41 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda Hefner
San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b)
San Antonio Daylily Society
Daylilies
I am starting daylily seeds in ProMix BX and I have fungus gnats like crazy. I read that if you use s sterile mix, you get the gnats. I also know that if the medium is too wet they show up. I did a search for organic ways to kill the gnats and found a suggestion to sprinkle cinnamon on the surface. That hasn't worked yet. Any organic suggestions to get rid of the pests?
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Apr 19, 2014 10:49 AM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
Welcome! to ATP!
Check out the comments on this idea:
http://garden.org/ideas/view/c...
I had fungus gnats in a couple of pots of Amaryllis and got rid of them quickly by using a mild solution of hydrogen peroxide and then covering the entire soil surface with fine bird gravel.

If you go to the home page and type in "fungus gnats" (without the quotation marks, that is) in the search box, you'll find lots of references on how to deal with them. Smiling
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Apr 19, 2014 10:51 AM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
I've never ever heard of fungus gnats in ProMix and I've been using it for almost a decade. Are you using recycled soil or fresh from the bag? If it's fresh from the bag return it and get new.

That said, the only way I've had success getting rid of Fungus Gnats is to remove whatever from the soil, wash off the roots and repot in fresh soil.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
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Apr 19, 2014 10:54 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda Hefner
San Antonio, TX (Zone 8b)
San Antonio Daylily Society
Daylilies
Thank you, Woofie.

I will check this out. Smiling
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Apr 19, 2014 11:13 AM CST
Name: woofie
NE WA (Zone 5a)
Charter ATP Member Garden Procrastinator Greenhouse Dragonflies Plays in the sandbox I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
The WITWIT Badge I helped plan and beta test the plant database. Dog Lover Enjoys or suffers cold winters Container Gardener Seed Starter
I do have to agree with Anne, tho. If that's a fresh bag of potting soil, you should not be seeing fungus gnats. Are there gnats in the bag itself?
Confidence is that feeling you have right before you do something really stupid.
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Apr 22, 2014 5:31 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
Linda,

In a "Tip", Goldfinch suggested very dilute Windex for getting rid of gnats:

"A great way to get rid of gnats on your houseplants is to mix 32 ounces of water with one squirt of Windex. Water your plants by making sure the entire soil surface is wet. It's not necessary to saturate the soil."

http://garden.org/ideas/view/g...


This was the best list I could find of Windex's ingredients. Apparently there is much more rubbing alcohol than ammonia! But it may be the detergents that deter gnats. Or maybe it's the fragrance!

http://www.whatsinsidescjohnso...

Ingredients

Water
Isopropyl Alcohol (Carrier) <-- <-- rubbing alcohol
2-Hexoxyethanol (Cleaning Agent)
Videt EGM (Cleaning Agent)
Sodium C14-17 Sec-Alkyl Sulfonate (Wetting Agent)
Ammonium Hydroxide (Cleaning Agent) <-- <-- <-- Ammonia
Propylene Glycol (Carrier)
MirapolĀ® Surf S-210 (Cleaning Agent)
Fragrance
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Apr 23, 2014 11:02 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
Orchids Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Composter Cactus and Succulents Dragonflies Hummingbirder
For fungus gnats, I have been growing Pinguicula beside my container plant that seems to always have fungus gnats, and so far it works in trapping those flying annoying bugs, and makes my Ping a very happy plant too in the process Smiling


Thumb of 2014-04-23/tarev/e0e156 Thumb of 2014-04-23/tarev/775acc
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Apr 23, 2014 11:04 AM CST
Name: Anne
Summerville, SC (Zone 8a)
Only dead fish go with the flow!
Plant and/or Seed Trader Birds Cat Lover Greenhouse Tropicals Bulbs
Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Hibiscus Hybridizer Garden Sages Butterflies
! I like that! bio-control.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams
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Apr 23, 2014 11:26 AM CST
Name: Jennifer
48036 MI (Zone 6b)
Cottage Gardener Houseplants Spiders! Heucheras Frogs and Toads Dahlias
Hummingbirder Sedums Winter Sowing Peonies Region: Michigan Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I have never heard of that! I must try it. My husband is getting very annoyed with the gnats and blames me. He is threatening to heave all the houseplants outdoors
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Apr 23, 2014 11:44 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
Orchids Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Composter Cactus and Succulents Dragonflies Hummingbirder
They are so easy to grow, it prefers my north side window, just bright light, and I have the container sitting in tap water. Not at all picky with the type of water, unlike the other carnivorous plants, that's why I like this one a lot and its dual purpose, ornamental and fungus gnats catcher Smiling
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Apr 23, 2014 11:47 AM CST
Name: Jennifer
48036 MI (Zone 6b)
Cottage Gardener Houseplants Spiders! Heucheras Frogs and Toads Dahlias
Hummingbirder Sedums Winter Sowing Peonies Region: Michigan Celebrating Gardening: 2015
I never have shopped for this type of plant before. I'll have to check around to see where I can purchase locally.
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Apr 23, 2014 8:17 PM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
White fly/aphid yellow sticky panels are effective. Completely non-toxic. The yellow color is what attracts the flying insects. If those suckers even get close to the sticky surface, the are toast. I keep several of these in my greenhouses year-round.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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Apr 24, 2014 7:48 AM CST
Name: Jennifer
48036 MI (Zone 6b)
Cottage Gardener Houseplants Spiders! Heucheras Frogs and Toads Dahlias
Hummingbirder Sedums Winter Sowing Peonies Region: Michigan Celebrating Gardening: 2015
Thank you Ken! That sounds easier than keeping a houseplant alive Rolling on the floor laughing
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Apr 24, 2014 8:37 AM CST
Name: Ken Ramsey
Vero Beach, FL (Zone 10a)
Bromeliad Vegetable Grower Region: United States of America Tropicals Plumerias Orchids
Region: Mississippi Master Gardener: Mississippi Hummingbirder Cat Lover Composter Seller of Garden Stuff
I tip my hat to you. Any time I can simplify the growing of my plants, I do so.
drdawg (Dr. Kenneth Ramsey)

The reason it's so hard to lose weight when you get up in age is because your body and your fat have become good friends.
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