How to bottom water without.. well, bottom watering.
Gnats. Thatβs all I have to say.
We moved house recently and the landlord had this #DwarfUmbrellaTree in the hallway. All looks fine and dandy and just needs watering every so often to keep it going.
However, this is a BIG BOI. Much bigger than any of my other plants. Wayyy too heavy to lift and put in a tray every week (this would be a least a two person job just to lift the dang thing). So, I have to top water, which isnβt my preference for this very reason. Iβve noticed gnats.
Iβm planning on getting neem oil and some sticky traps so thatβs all taken care of, but how do I stop them coming back? The pot is sat on a tray which I could pour water into, but this guy is so tall and so heavy that Iβm not sure Iβd actually be able to lift him out of the tray to remove the excess water.
Does anyone have any plants like this or have experience with this? Any help would be really appreciated. This guy is right by the kitchen so having gnats around while preparing food isnβt ideal.
Please help π
#HappyPlants #gnats #PestControl #PlantAddict #PlantTherapy #PestsAndPlants #BottomWatering #help
We moved house recently and the landlord had this #DwarfUmbrellaTree in the hallway. All looks fine and dandy and just needs watering every so often to keep it going.
However, this is a BIG BOI. Much bigger than any of my other plants. Wayyy too heavy to lift and put in a tray every week (this would be a least a two person job just to lift the dang thing). So, I have to top water, which isnβt my preference for this very reason. Iβve noticed gnats.
Iβm planning on getting neem oil and some sticky traps so thatβs all taken care of, but how do I stop them coming back? The pot is sat on a tray which I could pour water into, but this guy is so tall and so heavy that Iβm not sure Iβd actually be able to lift him out of the tray to remove the excess water.
Does anyone have any plants like this or have experience with this? Any help would be really appreciated. This guy is right by the kitchen so having gnats around while preparing food isnβt ideal.
Please help π
#HappyPlants #gnats #PestControl #PlantAddict #PlantTherapy #PestsAndPlants #BottomWatering #help

13ft to light, indirect

14β pot with drainage

Last watered 4 weeks ago
@wulala404 @stephonicle thank you so much! Sometimes I forget about literal basic physics ππ Iβll give those ideas a go, thanks!
@PiousWaterfern Anytime! βΊοΈ Also, this Reddit post might be worth checking out. It offers some very thorough advice for killing both the adult gnats AND their eggs (Reddit links won't open in Greg, so you'll have to copy & paste the link into your browser)
https://www.reddit.com/r/houseplants/s/wKwSNwtISE
https://www.reddit.com/r/houseplants/s/wKwSNwtISE
@stephonicle great, thanks! Quick question though, is it standard for neem oil to come in a jelly form that you then melt..? Iβm super busy with exams this week so was looking on amazing for neem oil and itβs all jelly π
@PiousWaterfern it's a somewhat thick, viscous oil, but it shouldn't be like jelly. Maybe let it come to room temp. You'll also be mixing a small amount with water and soap, then shaking the living hell out of it, so the thickness should dissipate by then π
honestly I would use the string tactic here. set your pot in a permanent, bigger pot so that the pot is not touching the bottom of the bigger pot. Then, insert a string through the drainage holes of your pot and fill the larger pot with water so that the water line touches the dangling string, but does not touch the drainage holes themselves. Monitor the water level easily by using a clear larger pot. Ideally, you should arrange it so that you can stick a funnel between the upper and lower pot, allowing you to water without lifting the top pot
unfortunately it is very difficult to remove excess water with this tactic, but I use this on 2 of my plants and I only really change the water once every few months and they do just fine. As long as you're not seeing algae or fungus buildup, you should be fine. Yes, you will still have to lift the pot once every few months, but it's better than weekly or bi-weekly!
oh also I should warn that the string tactic will leave your pot constantly damp. It can be very bad for plants that need little water and I've never had it cause root rot, but I'm sure it easily could thanks to damp conditions. I'm sure you could combat this easily by just leaving the bottom unplugged most of the time and only plugging it when it needs water. So I guess ignore the previous statement
@SesameSeeds777 thanks for the ideas! The pot itβs in right now is the landlordβs so maybe not the best shout to be drilling holes lmao, but putting it in a smaller pot and then putting that in the original pot doesnβt sound too bad. Thanks :)
@PiousWaterfern the mosquito drops work wonders. And, sprinkling the top of the soil with cinnamon to combat fungus. And not overwatering. On some of my plants that like more moisture I just give small sips of water more often to help with that.
As I use a simple cheap turkey baster to remove excesss water. π¦ It is something I use very often nothing special needed. Mosquito Bits work great but I will warn you that they do mold. So if you use them I would let them soak in the water overnight, I use a laundry delicates bag the netting kind to stick the bits in and it makes a tea.
That way you donβt have unsightly moldy mosquito bits on your soil.
That way you donβt have unsightly moldy mosquito bits on your soil.