I just notice those annoying fungus gnats in some of my p...
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That can work and it is safe to use and will actually help to aerate your soil and add oxygen!
I will say though the best treatment is less water. Overwatering is the cause, ultimately they hate dry soil. If you always allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry before watering they will die off. Because the gnats like moist soil to lay eggs in and since they stay in the top 2 inches of soil that dryness also kills the eggs and larvae in the soil.
Plus you will be saving your plants from root rot at the same time!
I will say though the best treatment is less water. Overwatering is the cause, ultimately they hate dry soil. If you always allow the top 2 inches of soil to dry before watering they will die off. Because the gnats like moist soil to lay eggs in and since they stay in the top 2 inches of soil that dryness also kills the eggs and larvae in the soil.
Plus you will be saving your plants from root rot at the same time!
@Succulentnewbie welcome to the sad reality of owning a plant and actually watering them. We’ve all been there and have tried everything and I think it depends on how far you want to take it and how dedicated you want to be to their eradication.
Starting off, it might be your soil. I’ve found if I buy my soil from a box store, undoubtedly it will contain some dormant gnat eggs that come to life when I water my plant. I use some soil from a local nursery and haven’t had any problems with the soil being the culprit. Solution: you can buy different soil and repot your plants.
You introduced a new plant that was already infected with gnats and they found your other plants to join their attempt to colonize your Oasis. Solution: try to isolate new plants to a specific area free of other plants for a few weeks to ensure they are healthy and not introducing new friends.
Now, fixing what is already established in your plants😊. Sticky traps: kills adult gnats and is mildly satisfying, but prevents the adults from laying their 500 eggs in your moist soil. You can also use zevo or something similar to attract and kill adults. Me? I use both when I’m under active attack.
Bottom watering. A lot of people swear by watering by either placing your plant in a basin of sorts and letting the plant soak up soil from the bottom or filling a drip tray with water and letting the plant soak for a while, dumping out what the plant doesn’t use. This leaves the soil at the top dry and unattractive to gnats. They like a moist environment but top watering can be unavoidable when you are trying to keep your plant alive and it’s too big to drag to a basin/bucket, etc.
Beneficial nematodes. They attack and eat gnat larvae. Which addresses the eggs the adults have laid. (Sticky traps only kill adults). Killing the larvae before they can grow up and fly away to brunch on a different plant. It’s a little more costly, and requires more precise preparation and usage. I’ve found it does a great job of preventing adult gnats.
Mosquito bits (Bti). Again this attacks the larvae. It usually requires a soaking of the bits to add to your watering can/bottle (whatever you use to pour water for your plants🤣). Some people throw out the bits after they have treated the water. I just add them to my plants as they flow out of the watering container. This is usually a pretty good treatment that can stop the lifecycle.
(Fun fact: you can treat your plant with both beneficial nematodes and mosquito bits at the same time same time. Neither one will be negatively affected by the use of the other.)
Diatomaceous earth. A white powder you can place as a layer on top of your soil. It works pretty well preventing adult gnats from laying eggs and keeping the larvae from becoming an adult. It only works as best as its last treatment. Once you water the plant it turns to white mush that will need to be covered by another layer of it to be effective. It’s also quite dusty and a mess to control. And you need food grade to avoid making you and your plants sick.
Sand, cinnamon, etc to cover your soil. This one has mixed results in my experience. The cinnamon smells good, but I haven’t noticed it as effectively preventing/treating the soil for fungus gnats. Sand as a top cover. It can trap humidity in the plant and cause other issues like root rot, so if it is used it needs to be monitored closely to ensure your plant will keep thriving. Perlite as a top cover. This one is still up for debate in my tiny little circle of plant friends (ok, it’s my personal opinion), but I’ve not tried it so I can’t speak to its effectiveness. Other top cover (gnat nix): it is pretty effective, but harder to find and expensive if you have to treat a lot of plants.
Hydrogen peroxide/water. Watering your plants with this method will kill the plant larvae but I am too nervous to try it too. I know a lot of people recommend it, but watching it fuzz when it touches practically anything makes me translate that fuzz from attacking the roots of my plants. I have an active imagination so it may be a great treatment, but I’ll leave it up to others to use. It would be the last treatment I would try, right before I throw out the plant out because the gnats are swarming. Thankfully I haven’t had to go that far. Cross your fingers we never have ‘swarming’.🤣
There are other options, but my brain is officially fritzing, so I’m going to stop now.
Hopefully you find something that works well for you and your oasis!
And, don’t take gnats as a sign that you are doing something wrong. You’re not. It’s just a part of being a plant parent. You are doing a great job and Greggers will always lend a helping hand! Best wishes and grow on!! #iwantthatplant
Starting off, it might be your soil. I’ve found if I buy my soil from a box store, undoubtedly it will contain some dormant gnat eggs that come to life when I water my plant. I use some soil from a local nursery and haven’t had any problems with the soil being the culprit. Solution: you can buy different soil and repot your plants.
You introduced a new plant that was already infected with gnats and they found your other plants to join their attempt to colonize your Oasis. Solution: try to isolate new plants to a specific area free of other plants for a few weeks to ensure they are healthy and not introducing new friends.
Now, fixing what is already established in your plants😊. Sticky traps: kills adult gnats and is mildly satisfying, but prevents the adults from laying their 500 eggs in your moist soil. You can also use zevo or something similar to attract and kill adults. Me? I use both when I’m under active attack.
Bottom watering. A lot of people swear by watering by either placing your plant in a basin of sorts and letting the plant soak up soil from the bottom or filling a drip tray with water and letting the plant soak for a while, dumping out what the plant doesn’t use. This leaves the soil at the top dry and unattractive to gnats. They like a moist environment but top watering can be unavoidable when you are trying to keep your plant alive and it’s too big to drag to a basin/bucket, etc.
Beneficial nematodes. They attack and eat gnat larvae. Which addresses the eggs the adults have laid. (Sticky traps only kill adults). Killing the larvae before they can grow up and fly away to brunch on a different plant. It’s a little more costly, and requires more precise preparation and usage. I’ve found it does a great job of preventing adult gnats.
Mosquito bits (Bti). Again this attacks the larvae. It usually requires a soaking of the bits to add to your watering can/bottle (whatever you use to pour water for your plants🤣). Some people throw out the bits after they have treated the water. I just add them to my plants as they flow out of the watering container. This is usually a pretty good treatment that can stop the lifecycle.
(Fun fact: you can treat your plant with both beneficial nematodes and mosquito bits at the same time same time. Neither one will be negatively affected by the use of the other.)
Diatomaceous earth. A white powder you can place as a layer on top of your soil. It works pretty well preventing adult gnats from laying eggs and keeping the larvae from becoming an adult. It only works as best as its last treatment. Once you water the plant it turns to white mush that will need to be covered by another layer of it to be effective. It’s also quite dusty and a mess to control. And you need food grade to avoid making you and your plants sick.
Sand, cinnamon, etc to cover your soil. This one has mixed results in my experience. The cinnamon smells good, but I haven’t noticed it as effectively preventing/treating the soil for fungus gnats. Sand as a top cover. It can trap humidity in the plant and cause other issues like root rot, so if it is used it needs to be monitored closely to ensure your plant will keep thriving. Perlite as a top cover. This one is still up for debate in my tiny little circle of plant friends (ok, it’s my personal opinion), but I’ve not tried it so I can’t speak to its effectiveness. Other top cover (gnat nix): it is pretty effective, but harder to find and expensive if you have to treat a lot of plants.
Hydrogen peroxide/water. Watering your plants with this method will kill the plant larvae but I am too nervous to try it too. I know a lot of people recommend it, but watching it fuzz when it touches practically anything makes me translate that fuzz from attacking the roots of my plants. I have an active imagination so it may be a great treatment, but I’ll leave it up to others to use. It would be the last treatment I would try, right before I throw out the plant out because the gnats are swarming. Thankfully I haven’t had to go that far. Cross your fingers we never have ‘swarming’.🤣
There are other options, but my brain is officially fritzing, so I’m going to stop now.
Hopefully you find something that works well for you and your oasis!
And, don’t take gnats as a sign that you are doing something wrong. You’re not. It’s just a part of being a plant parent. You are doing a great job and Greggers will always lend a helping hand! Best wishes and grow on!! #iwantthatplant
@Succulentnewbie @SuperbRaspfern and what Shannon said!!! Always great advice!!