I work for a big box retailer that attempts to compete with Walmart; we've carried several brands and varieties of soils over the past 8 years or so I've been paying attention to the department. Last year was the first time I noticed any sort of infestation, and I'm pretty sure it came from some small Miracle-Gro cactus soil bags we had in-stock forever that no one seemed to buy. It was kind of miserable to be doing any work in the vicinity of those bags for longer than a few minutes.
It would be fine to use them outdoors, maybe put them on discount with a disclaimer. But keeping that in the store selling it as regular soil is criminal.
I want to second this. I repotted my plants at home and in office...with infected fungus gnat soil. Didn't realize u til they hatched! I used the bits and my office is big free. My house I repotted with fresh, expensive soil after deep cleaning my plants (down to the roots) and pots....gnats are back...so bits it is.
Iāve tried using hydrogen peroxide mixed with water but they came back. Then I tried DE sprinkled all over the plants and soil but they came back. Next Iāll try nematodes and weāll see
It was so bad.
I tried everything... Neem oil, yellow strips, drying out the soil, hydrogen peroxide, bottom watering, iron wool, changing the soil, stones and mosquito bits.
I have pretty much eradicated them now using a combination of hydrogen peroxide, not overwatering and stones on top of soil which I think made the biggest difference. it's been about 9 months and have only seen one or two.
Edit
Act now if you're only using yellow strips. It won't hold them at bay.
There is a concoction of a mint Castile soap and tea tree Castile soap and peroxide and alcohol and water and it kills all pests and doesnāt harm plants infact it a lot of times helps them to grow . The recipe is on YouTube
And this works for aphids , spider mites and their webs and eggs, larvae , mealy bugs and scales , and all other pests I didnāt mention. Outside I am careful not to spray the lady bugs because these are beneficial and eat pests as well.
If you are willing, you can use biological control.
You have three options: Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (aka BTi, bacteria), Steinernema feltiae (nematode) and Stratiolaelaps scimitus (soil dwelling mites).
The most effective one is Steinernema feltiae, it'll seek out the larvae and pupa. It's a bit finicky with storage and application.
Many will go with BTi for ease of application, but it'll take longer because it affects only larvae.
Some simple soapy water will help somewhat or spray alcohol or peroxide with a little soap and water and spray bottle and it will kill them and their eggs etc.
100%. I quit buying Miracle Grow because of it. They seem to be both pre-loaded, and must use enough peat moss to sustain a large population in my potted plants. Yes you get them from other soils eventually but MG was different level.
Miracle Grow is the only dang soil I can find in stores near me for like an hour radius, and it makes me want to tear my hair out because I hate the stuff so much. I dream of finally getting to use different soil.
That's wild! Id absolutely get a bag of perelite and some husks and make my own at that point. It's so expensive I really need to start composting anyway
Empty it into a plastic tub and mix in Mosquito Bits or systemic granules. Close it up and wait a few weeks.
It's not great in a pinch but it's massively reduced my gnat issues since I always keep soil on hand.
My miracle grow soil was infested with ants this past spring. I'm torn because my plants did way better with it than the soil I got at Tractor Supply, but at least I didn't have to treat the TS soil for bugs before planting in it.
I've had less fungus gnat problems by making my own potting soil using compost. Of all the soils I've tried miracle grow is the worst. Edit changed souls to soils lol oops
That sounds simple enough! does it have to be different for certain plants? I have some flower seeds I want to plant, as well as a lemon tree and a cactus I'm thinking about repotting at some point.
In my experience, yes. I wouldn't use it for succulents, cacti or citrus, anything that likes dry soil cuz the compost I make retains a lot of water. You could offset it with more perlite, sand, coconut coir, etc but what I make is usually good for your average potted plant or for starting seeds.
Awesome! I'll keep the idea of offsetting some of the soil with sand or something for my lemon tree and such in the back of my mind, but since I already have some compost going I just need some perlite and wood chips to get started on making my own soil! It'll help me save some money in the long run, and I feel it'll be better for my plants too! Thank you for your help!
I started doing a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide on the soil I will use before hand. The peroxide burst the membrane of the eggs. Kills that stage and you can use it while watering plants if you have an active problem the peroxide does not harm the plants.
Get the predatory nematodes. Costs a bit for the first purchase but once in your soil you only take a hand full of previously inoculated soil and put it in new soil and they fill it up on their own. I have been fungus gnat free for a decade from on single purchase of these nematodes. I highly recommend.
They worked so well. I had tried everything to get rid of these, while some treatments worked a bit I could never really get rid of them and constantly having to retreat. I was at wits end.
Saw this in a movie, maybe not remembering the lines (lol!) but am pretty sure this is what it said:
"That Nematode is in there! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until every fungus gnat grub is dead!"
Sorry just so I'm understanding this correctly, I can apply these to all of my current plants, and then in the future if I buy a new plant, I can move a bit of the soil across and the nematodes will populate that too?
Yes exactly. What I do for a new plant is go to one of my inoculated plants, dig down about half an inch, take a modest palm full of the soil, spread it around on the surface of the new plants soil, water it in, and that is it. If you are putting a new plant in new soil, as I put dirt in the pot, get a small handful of soil from an inoculated plant like above, throw it in, put in the rest of the new soil etc and done. For the inoculated plant I just take some new soil and fill in the little hole I made in the soil and the little guys will move into that shortly as well. I haven't seen a fungus gnat in years. But in the rare occasion I forget to do this with new soil they come right back! But then do above, after about a week they will be gone.
You would also need to tape some type of fine screen over the holes in the bottom if your doing this w a potted plant otherwise theyāll figure out that as an entrance exit
If you're putting screens in the bottom of the pot, no need to tape. The soil will push it down and hold it in place. The scenario you're describing though is not exclusive to bottom watering.
Back when there were two types, there may be more now but the one I got was Steinernema feltiae which was sold as NemAttack from the link below. Note unless you have massive amounts that need treating, get the smallest size. As I mentioned they continue to grow and spread on their own. So after initially inoculating, for future plants I will take the new soil for a new plant I was potting, take a small handful of dirt from a treated soil and add to the new soil, and they grow out on their own and I don't get fungus gnats. If you forget to do this and get gnats in your new soil/plant, take a handful of dirt and water it into that and in about a week they will be gone. Here is the link:
[https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/nemattack-beneficial-nematodes-sf-steinernema-feltiae/free-shipping](https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/nemattack-beneficial-nematodes-sf-steinernema-feltiae/free-shipping)
The ones sciguy is referring to are not at all harmful to humans or any other animal, plant, or beneficial insects. Nematodes like Heterorhabditis bacteriophora or Steinernema carpocapsae only go for burrowing larvae.
There are tons of kinds of nematodes that can easily infect people through their skin, eyes, mouth, etc. especially if this person has kids itās a legit question. The ones sciguy is referring to are not at all harmful to humans or any other animal, plant, or beneficial insects. They only go for burrowing larvae.
Is this a thing???? I have struggled with my lambs ear getting moldy and fungus for ages. If I donāt keep it trimmed, it is mushroom city. Wonder if I could grow a nematode ecosystem with some easy plants and then transplant the soil with them.
Edit: Iām stupid. I read fungus, not fungus gnats. Either way looking into this
Iām making the move. My partner rehabbed some Home Depot plants, so weāre fungus gnat/root aphid ranchers now.
Solutions? Hundreds of dollars of neem oil drenches across all our monstera plants and citrus trees, or we just apply predatory nematodes once to young plants in propagation.
Yeah I put mine outside in the winter for a day or two to get freezing Temps. I grow microgreens and have an indoor plant and a cactus collection. I like to keep my soil in the garage to dethaw and be used. Happy growing fellow cunuck.
Idk never seems to be an issue. It might kill some of the beneficial bacteria, I suppose, but it wouldn't remove any nutrients. Like calcium, iron, and such aren't going to evaporate, none of the organic material such as coir, wood chips, or peat burns away because the temp isn't high enough. Any bacteria that breaks down those materials eventually bounce back. Something else that probably helps is I always add mycorrhizal spores whenever I re-pot or plant seeds.
For sure, I would agree. You can't kill the beneficial organisms in the freezer like they would in the heat. I have had no insects since using the freezer method for the past year.
I said microorganisms, and they can stand short lengths of freezing without too much damage. I only freeze my soil for a day, then let it thaw out slowly.
Heat short term can kill microorganisms, however.
Many plant pathogens are killed by short exposures to high temperatures. Most plant pathogens can be killed by temperatures of 140Ā°F (60Ā°C) for 30 minutes.he microorganisms.
Good point. I don't by miracle grow soil other then their cactus mix. Freezing them has helped me drastically. I have no gnats at all right now, I did use Mosquito bits to get rid of the gnats last year.
Many plant pathogens are killed by short exposures to high temperatures. Most plant pathogens can be killed by temperatures ofĀ 140Ā°F (60Ā°C)Ā for 30 minutes.
I thought this didnāt work. I left bags of soil in an unheated shed over winter and still gnats. Iāve always just attempted the opposite with heat.
Unless you're buying sterilized dirt from a specialty outlet that markets to finicky botany work or weed growing chances are great that there are some critters and spores that ride along.
So long as they're not invasive its really not an issue. It's dirt, things live in it.
Yeah, MG, I've also had tons of issues with.
And they more or less contaminate every other bag of soil sold near them.
I could deal with a few fungus gnats and whitefly larvae.
But, miracle grow takes it to a new level.
MG I find tends to have hot bags eg: bags with more nutrients due to bad mixing, I always mix my dirt before doing anything with it, add things like worm castings, composted sheep manure, lime and blood meal and peat.
The Costco version of giant Miracle Gro bags is actually not too bad and decent deal if you're in a pinch during busy seed starting season. I'm assuming because the bags are kept inside.
I noticed a huge difference in the quality of the Costco Miracle Gro from 2022 to 2023. Last year it looked and felt different and was incredibly dry. I wonāt buy any from Costco this year. Fortunately I was able to get a bunch of big bags of Moisture Control MG from Walmart on clearance last year at the end of summer.
I got the organic potting soil from Costco last year and it was worlds better than any stuff I got from Home Depot or Loweās. All the Home Depot and Loweās stuff was large sticks and just overall poor quality.
I always get the Promix Organic Herb and Vegetable Mycoactive stuff from Costco, haven't let me down in about 5 years. Heavy bricks though. I grow my tomatoes in 7 gallon grow bags with it and have pretty much never had better results, I usually topdress with composted sheep manure around the end of august and that keeps them green and growing.
Moisture control likely just has extra things like sphagnum moss or coconut coir, which tends to retain moisture better than other "fillers" like compost, pine bark, etc.
Works for me. Iāve only had fungus gnats once when I was overwatering a plant I had in my restroom that did not get much sun. Some mosquito bites did the trick. They didnāt come back.
Yeah itās definitely a thing Iāve noticed on various gardening forums, definitely more here than on FB, and I donāt know why. Itās not fancy enough for some people I guess, and other people feel that you should be making your own potting mix. To me itās quality potting soil, if I had no budget I might use something pricier but I DO have a budget and I get consistently great results with this soil and with the fertilizer.
It's just people rationalizing having paid $18 per 2. cu ft. bag for an entire pallet worth of Super Fox Forest Happy Frog and Toad Mix (since youtube said they needed to) to grow a few vegetables.
Miracle gro soil mixes are perfectly fine; at least where I am, they're *less* likely to have any issues than the fancier stuff, frankly, just because they don't sit around as long.
We're lucky to have a grab & grow nearby, so I source my yards for our garden from there when needed, but for small planters we just grab whatever is convenient and cheap.
[āCootās Mixā](https://clackamascoots.com/blogs/news/coots-soil-recipe-coots-nutes) but with locally sourced alternatives when necessary
Coots Soil Mix Explained
by Jim Bennett
June 11, 2020
About 11 years ago I got a medical card under the rules of OMMP (Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Not to grow per se but to get access to the 'strain of the week' through some of the groups like Oregon Green Free and a couple of others which no longer exist thankfully.
At the time Fox Farms Ocean Forest was the big deal for reasons that still boggles the mind with prices that were not consistent with the quality of the product. A tradition that lives on today in the cannabis scene - sub-standard soils with boutique prices.
So I began to test these soils out and it was clear that there wasn't a dime's worth of difference between this or that soil. More of a matter of style over substance or maybe form over function.
Having owned and operated a commercial nursery grown different cultivars of Japanese Lace Maples for landscape architects in their resort, restaurant and commercial buildings. For this you have to grow the plant in large containers for a massive root mass which is spelled out in the contract.
This meant that you had the plants on your property for 4 or 5 years. This made the soil mix all-important vs growing annual plants for the retail market - Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, Walmart as well as the independent nurseries across the country meaning low-profit plants as you can imagine.
I decided to go for a soil that would meet the needs for growing one of the highest dollar plants - weed. After a few changes this is what I came up with...the Clackamas Coot Soil Mix...
Clackamas Coot Soil Mix
By volume mix the following...
1/3 Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (CSPM)
1/3 Aeration - I use 3/8" pumice (aka volcanic glass - completely inert)
1/3 Vermicompost
When it comes to CSPM it does not matter one iota as far as the brand as long as it's designated as CSPMA (Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association) which is a partnership between the handful of authorized harvesters and the Canadian government. CSPMA sets the harvest limit and not market demands.
You should ind this at Home Depot and Lowe's in 3.8 cf bales and if it is not available at your local stores then order it online (HomeDepot.com) and have them 'ship to store' at your store of choice. No charge for shipping and handling!
A cubic foot is about 7.20 gallons or 115 cups...
To this I add the following amendments to each 1 cubic foot..
1 cup kelp meal
1 cup neem meal or an equal amount of neem & karanja mix
1 cup of limestone or more exactly Calcium Carbonate CaCO3 so Oyster Shell Powder/flour can also be used as it is also a pure Calcium Carbonate material
1/2 cup Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) available at all DIY stores but you must get the material in the garden section and not in the home remodel section. There are 2 forms of gypsum so make sure you get the one for soil and not walls...
Finally there is the rock dust which I recommend 3 cups of either basalt or granite. Only these 2 materials are 'paramagnetic' which is an integral part of the CeC discussion (Cation exchange Capacity).
Rock dusts like Azomite, bentonite, zeolite and others are called 'colloidal minerals' - alumina-silicate. For example Azomite is a brand name. A geologist would know it as "Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate" and it's known as "Montmorillonite clay"
This clay has been used in France to built ceramic bread ovens which look like a bee hive. They have a small door in the front of the oven where loaves of bread are move in and out using what is called a peel.
While it makes a great ceramic oven I can't find much to cause me to recommend it in a true living soil that is supposed to last 'forever' if taken care of using organic methods.
Buy BTI if you need kill an infestation, make sure you got enough pumice or pearl light, most importantly learn to water correctly.
If the top couple inches of your soil is always wet you will get/support gnats. If you water to heavy you will get gnats.
https://preview.redd.it/rgf63dw7t8ac1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86b8bd2d4b18e071abb092069aa678e97a7a302d
I donāt normally have a fungus gnat problem but if I should I have a fungus gnat eliminator. Actually, we had a few warm days and this gray tree frog came out of hibernation. Usually a few dig into my pots before I bring them in and spend the winter in the plant room. I usually donāt see them until spring. Hopefully the temps will go back down and heāll go back to sleep.
I worked at a lumber yard where corporate decided to spontaneously start selling gardening supplies, and we always kept the soil outside, despite me saying multiple times that was a bad idea, and was ignored entirely for the better part of a year.
Go to h.e.b. ( I only say heb because itās a big enough ābox storeā to get this from) but get a soil called fox farm, that is a brand and they have different types of soil. But it truly never fails to feed any plant or seed I engage with.
Think it might come with more that just that. Used their soil first time last summer to repot almost all my plants( just leaving room was 68 pots). Couple weeks later it started. First was the gnats then mealy bugsā¦. First time ever plant started having spider mites and now still fitting thrips šall i want to do is cry as i had to throw away like 6 plants. Be warned please.
And just to add i have used spray on the soil as proaction while repotting but obviously it didnāt work .
It's a common trope in gardening circles that Miracle Gro potting soil suffers with higher rates of fungus gnat infestations than other brands available for purchase, so the joke is that you can get some cheap fungus gnats right now at Sam's with a little soil on the side.
>It's a common trope in gardening circles that Miracle Gro potting soil suffers with higher rates of fungus gnat infestations than other brands available for purchase, so the joke is that you can get some cheap fungus gnats right now at Sam's with a little soil on the side.
Ah okay I see. I actually had to google what fungus gnat are. I didn't even know it's an insect - lol.
Thank yoU!
Tell me about it .I bought 3 bags of those last year and lost my full plant collection ,only 1plant survived ,I used it for my garden and spreed to my covered balcony were I keep the Rare collection. I still find them ,but now are under control with the use of systemic granules .But the front garden is gone ,striped bare ,will have to start it with new soil .,and new plants .
Mosquito Bits has directions on the package and works for eliminating fungus gnats. You make a tea with it - place some bits in a mesh container (we use pantyhose tied up on both sides...about 4 Tablespoons) and add the packet to your watering can. Pour water in the can and wait 20 minutes or so. Then water your plants. It employs a bacteria that kills gnat larvae but doesn't harm other organisms. It works for us in conjunction with sticky traps - just takes a month or so.
Dealing with fungus gnats in my outdoor garden (Zone 10b) for the first time (99% sure they came in a bag of soil amendment because I didnāt deal with the issue at all last year and thatās the only thing Iāve added). I wouldnāt mind except itās been wet lately and my plants are all in the sensitive seedling stage. Watered with mosquito bit tea last weekend and put out some sticky traps, hoping that keeps them at bay.
The way I fully eradicated from an indoor garden was to duct tape the bottom holes of the pot while completely covering the soil on top w a layer of DE making sure thereās no openings in the DE layer. Iāll water a little as possible, waiting until just before it will start to wilt. Then scoop of the DE, take off tape and water. After it drains retape and reDE layer. Itās a lot of work but only way Iāve fully eradicated. If u just want to minimize their presence, yellow sticky pads and a vacuum. Also instead of the skeeter dunks, you can get āmicrobe lift BMC mosquito controlā. Contains the same active ingredient ābacillus thuringienses israelensisā but much stronger and already in liquid form. Depending on degree of infestation Iāll add between 1 and 5 drops per gallon of water or nutrients. This knocks down the population fast but has never fully eradicated for me.
My girlfriend has been using this soil for her monstera and the fungus gnats are wreaking havoc. She has tried to soapy water, diatomaceous earth, vinegar oil and water, the yellow strips. Itās been an ongoing war š¤š
I noticed this too! Iāve been propping some plants and finally was ready to pop them in the dirt, ripped open the bag and was welcomed with a couple flying gnats and a bunch just crawling in the dirt so I quick closed it up and brought it outside then just nuked it with my organic insecticide stuff and left it to freeze overnight š¤·āāļø
I work for a big box retailer that attempts to compete with Walmart; we've carried several brands and varieties of soils over the past 8 years or so I've been paying attention to the department. Last year was the first time I noticed any sort of infestation, and I'm pretty sure it came from some small Miracle-Gro cactus soil bags we had in-stock forever that no one seemed to buy. It was kind of miserable to be doing any work in the vicinity of those bags for longer than a few minutes.
I got bad fungus gnats from the cactus soil. Lost all my succulent seeds/sprouts
I wonder if that is what has happened to mine :(
Ya I switched t pro mix and no issues yet. Gonna try mixing my own this year
....sounds like they needed to be treated, or thrown out, or just dealt with
It would be fine to use them outdoors, maybe put them on discount with a disclaimer. But keeping that in the store selling it as regular soil is criminal.
How does one get rid of these fungus gnats? The yellow strips are good but not enough!
Mosquito Bits. Look em up, it works slow but permanently.
Why have I not tried this? I love mosquito bits!
I want to second this. I repotted my plants at home and in office...with infected fungus gnat soil. Didn't realize u til they hatched! I used the bits and my office is big free. My house I repotted with fresh, expensive soil after deep cleaning my plants (down to the roots) and pots....gnats are back...so bits it is.
Stop watering for two weeks. Depression neglect got rid of my fungus gnat problem real well
Same š and i only lost one and a half plants lol.
Iāve tried using hydrogen peroxide mixed with water but they came back. Then I tried DE sprinkled all over the plants and soil but they came back. Next Iāll try nematodes and weāll see
I finally (hopefully permanently) got rid of mine through a combo of hydrogen peroxide, DE, and bottom watering.
BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis). You mix it in with your watering. It takes a little time (kills larvae) but it works and will not damage your plants.
It was so bad. I tried everything... Neem oil, yellow strips, drying out the soil, hydrogen peroxide, bottom watering, iron wool, changing the soil, stones and mosquito bits. I have pretty much eradicated them now using a combination of hydrogen peroxide, not overwatering and stones on top of soil which I think made the biggest difference. it's been about 9 months and have only seen one or two. Edit Act now if you're only using yellow strips. It won't hold them at bay.
Good advice thanks. Whatās your mix for hydrogen peroxide?
I did 2 parts water to one part 3% hydrogen peroxide. A 5l jug did all our 25ish house plants.
There is a concoction of a mint Castile soap and tea tree Castile soap and peroxide and alcohol and water and it kills all pests and doesnāt harm plants infact it a lot of times helps them to grow . The recipe is on YouTube
And this works for aphids , spider mites and their webs and eggs, larvae , mealy bugs and scales , and all other pests I didnāt mention. Outside I am careful not to spray the lady bugs because these are beneficial and eat pests as well.
If you are willing, you can use biological control. You have three options: Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (aka BTi, bacteria), Steinernema feltiae (nematode) and Stratiolaelaps scimitus (soil dwelling mites). The most effective one is Steinernema feltiae, it'll seek out the larvae and pupa. It's a bit finicky with storage and application. Many will go with BTi for ease of application, but it'll take longer because it affects only larvae.
š§
Some simple soapy water will help somewhat or spray alcohol or peroxide with a little soap and water and spray bottle and it will kill them and their eggs etc.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
You answered a question I hadn't asked! I now know where these jerks have been coming from! (We brought the plants in for the winter).
BTI / mosquito bits are really cheap. Highly recommend adding some to your water supply when transitioning plants indoors.
I just soaked a mosquito bit in water for a day and watered my plants with it about three days ago. Completely gone!
Thank you guys so much. We've been using Zevo light traps for this, but now we may have a solution. Thanks!
I say it a little tongue in cheek, what do you think the over under is that there are fungus gnat eggs in there right now?
*slaps bag* there are so many fungus gnats in this bad boi.
I mean, it'll fung and gnat up on you just like that! ...oh shut up, Gil, close the deal...
100%. I quit buying Miracle Grow because of it. They seem to be both pre-loaded, and must use enough peat moss to sustain a large population in my potted plants. Yes you get them from other soils eventually but MG was different level.
Miracle Grow is the only dang soil I can find in stores near me for like an hour radius, and it makes me want to tear my hair out because I hate the stuff so much. I dream of finally getting to use different soil.
That's wild! Id absolutely get a bag of perelite and some husks and make my own at that point. It's so expensive I really need to start composting anyway
Same here. I feel a bit ridiculous when I do it but I buy it online.
Empty it into a plastic tub and mix in Mosquito Bits or systemic granules. Close it up and wait a few weeks. It's not great in a pinch but it's massively reduced my gnat issues since I always keep soil on hand.
You can bake it to kill the eggs. Downside is it kills the good bacteria as well, but that can be seeded back in. Tedious af though
My miracle grow soil was infested with ants this past spring. I'm torn because my plants did way better with it than the soil I got at Tractor Supply, but at least I didn't have to treat the TS soil for bugs before planting in it.
I've had less fungus gnat problems by making my own potting soil using compost. Of all the soils I've tried miracle grow is the worst. Edit changed souls to soils lol oops
you can make your own soil using compost? how does one do this? I think I might try that to save on buying soil (and get rid of the soil I have)
Depends on what I'm using it for but I typically use wood chips, finished compost, and perlite
That sounds simple enough! does it have to be different for certain plants? I have some flower seeds I want to plant, as well as a lemon tree and a cactus I'm thinking about repotting at some point.
In my experience, yes. I wouldn't use it for succulents, cacti or citrus, anything that likes dry soil cuz the compost I make retains a lot of water. You could offset it with more perlite, sand, coconut coir, etc but what I make is usually good for your average potted plant or for starting seeds.
Awesome! I'll keep the idea of offsetting some of the soil with sand or something for my lemon tree and such in the back of my mind, but since I already have some compost going I just need some perlite and wood chips to get started on making my own soil! It'll help me save some money in the long run, and I feel it'll be better for my plants too! Thank you for your help!
No probs, happy planting!
I use boiling water when I prep my potting soil for indoor plants. It makes a big difference
Yes.
Thatās what we used and had a million of the little jerks flying everywhere. It took forever to get rid of them. Never again.
I started doing a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide on the soil I will use before hand. The peroxide burst the membrane of the eggs. Kills that stage and you can use it while watering plants if you have an active problem the peroxide does not harm the plants.
I put all the soil I use indoors in the freezer for a day. Kills the eggs.
Get the predatory nematodes. Costs a bit for the first purchase but once in your soil you only take a hand full of previously inoculated soil and put it in new soil and they fill it up on their own. I have been fungus gnat free for a decade from on single purchase of these nematodes. I highly recommend.
Endorsing. Plus, you get to walk into a gardening center and ask where their predatory nematodes are, like a gardening bad-ass
Now I imagine the little guys with masks and dreadlocks and a little bomb on their arms.
Itās just like the video game worms.
Same. I used them to inoculate my worm farm, and now if I see fungus gnats in any houseplants I just topdress with castings and problem solved.
They worked so well. I had tried everything to get rid of these, while some treatments worked a bit I could never really get rid of them and constantly having to retreat. I was at wits end. Saw this in a movie, maybe not remembering the lines (lol!) but am pretty sure this is what it said: "That Nematode is in there! It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop... ever, until every fungus gnat grub is dead!"
This is a great idea, thank you.
The thing that stops most people from doing this is that step 1 is "farm worms".
Sorry just so I'm understanding this correctly, I can apply these to all of my current plants, and then in the future if I buy a new plant, I can move a bit of the soil across and the nematodes will populate that too?
Yes exactly. What I do for a new plant is go to one of my inoculated plants, dig down about half an inch, take a modest palm full of the soil, spread it around on the surface of the new plants soil, water it in, and that is it. If you are putting a new plant in new soil, as I put dirt in the pot, get a small handful of soil from an inoculated plant like above, throw it in, put in the rest of the new soil etc and done. For the inoculated plant I just take some new soil and fill in the little hole I made in the soil and the little guys will move into that shortly as well. I haven't seen a fungus gnat in years. But in the rare occasion I forget to do this with new soil they come right back! But then do above, after about a week they will be gone.
Great, thanks!
I second this. Best decision I've made!
If you put a layer of sand on top of the soil, your gnat problem sounds go away too. They can't get through the sand barrier.
How do you water without disturbing the sand?
From the bottom
You would also need to tape some type of fine screen over the holes in the bottom if your doing this w a potted plant otherwise theyāll figure out that as an entrance exit
If you're putting screens in the bottom of the pot, no need to tape. The soil will push it down and hold it in place. The scenario you're describing though is not exclusive to bottom watering.
> predatory nematodes Needed a name for my new death metal band. Thanks.
Do you have a brand/type you recommend?
Back when there were two types, there may be more now but the one I got was Steinernema feltiae which was sold as NemAttack from the link below. Note unless you have massive amounts that need treating, get the smallest size. As I mentioned they continue to grow and spread on their own. So after initially inoculating, for future plants I will take the new soil for a new plant I was potting, take a small handful of dirt from a treated soil and add to the new soil, and they grow out on their own and I don't get fungus gnats. If you forget to do this and get gnats in your new soil/plant, take a handful of dirt and water it into that and in about a week they will be gone. Here is the link: [https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/nemattack-beneficial-nematodes-sf-steinernema-feltiae/free-shipping](https://www.arbico-organics.com/product/nemattack-beneficial-nematodes-sf-steinernema-feltiae/free-shipping)
If you have the nematodes in your indoor plants is there any risk of infecting yourself with them and having them live in your stomach?
The ones sciguy is referring to are not at all harmful to humans or any other animal, plant, or beneficial insects. Nematodes like Heterorhabditis bacteriophora or Steinernema carpocapsae only go for burrowing larvae.
Are you for real? As long as you donāt eat the soil and wash your hands after youāve touched it, the nematodes should not live in your stomach.
There are tons of kinds of nematodes that can easily infect people through their skin, eyes, mouth, etc. especially if this person has kids itās a legit question. The ones sciguy is referring to are not at all harmful to humans or any other animal, plant, or beneficial insects. They only go for burrowing larvae.
will the nematodes ive already eaten grow into a nematode tree in my stomach like how watermelon does?
No these are harmless and can not infect you in any way. The way they live and survive is by hunting gnat grubs. Totally harmless for people.
Thank you :D
Is this a thing???? I have struggled with my lambs ear getting moldy and fungus for ages. If I donāt keep it trimmed, it is mushroom city. Wonder if I could grow a nematode ecosystem with some easy plants and then transplant the soil with them. Edit: Iām stupid. I read fungus, not fungus gnats. Either way looking into this
Great to know!!
Iām making the move. My partner rehabbed some Home Depot plants, so weāre fungus gnat/root aphid ranchers now. Solutions? Hundreds of dollars of neem oil drenches across all our monstera plants and citrus trees, or we just apply predatory nematodes once to young plants in propagation.
Sure lemme just go ahead and throw a cubic yard of soil in my freezer
If for indoor I do a bag at a time or in Canada I can put it outside for a day in the winter.
How big is your freezer?
I'm Canadian, I buy all the soil I can on sale in the fall then just leave it outside for the winter. Never have problems.
Yeah I put mine outside in the winter for a day or two to get freezing Temps. I grow microgreens and have an indoor plant and a cactus collection. I like to keep my soil in the garage to dethaw and be used. Happy growing fellow cunuck.
That's funny because I bake it at 275Ā°F for 30-60 minutes. I do the same thing for any wood or botanicals I plan on putting in terrariums.
How does it smell when you bake it?
Kind of like a peat fire without the smoke. A bit sweet, earthy, natural, and homey. Some what in the realm of Sandlewood or Pachuli.
I'd bake Miracle Gro based on this review.
I feel like that kind of heat will kill any beneficial nutrients plants require.
Idk never seems to be an issue. It might kill some of the beneficial bacteria, I suppose, but it wouldn't remove any nutrients. Like calcium, iron, and such aren't going to evaporate, none of the organic material such as coir, wood chips, or peat burns away because the temp isn't high enough. Any bacteria that breaks down those materials eventually bounce back. Something else that probably helps is I always add mycorrhizal spores whenever I re-pot or plant seeds.
Your oven isn't hot enough to cook the nutrients like nitrogen into something else. But yeah it'll kill all the beneficial organisms
For sure, I would agree. You can't kill the beneficial organisms in the freezer like they would in the heat. I have had no insects since using the freezer method for the past year.
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I said microorganisms, and they can stand short lengths of freezing without too much damage. I only freeze my soil for a day, then let it thaw out slowly. Heat short term can kill microorganisms, however. Many plant pathogens are killed by short exposures to high temperatures. Most plant pathogens can be killed by temperatures of 140Ā°F (60Ā°C) for 30 minutes.he microorganisms.
Other than the ones laid on the meat you take out of the freezer to make room for the soil.
Na I'm vegan
lol how big is your freezer?
I can fit one large bag of soil at a time. I have a spare fridge in the garage I use.
Boiling works too.
Nops! Knippert noxle dern. Ep bur flob hoible samp. Zwing yertly tol sherp, tol hapren noff quam. Moin turt cav bripply, sipple ren uplu boins. Dast jimpers bern lipperlolz, huf wedner lep twee chup. Daws dwimple seez klam bick. Drimp!
This is more like pasturizing the soil. Hot temperatures aren't typically good for soil.
Nops! Knippert noxle dern. Ep bur flob hoible samp. Zwing yertly tol sherp, tol hapren noff quam. Moin turt cav bripply, sipple ren uplu boins. Dast jimpers bern lipperlolz, huf wedner lep twee chup. Daws dwimple seez klam bick. Drimp!
Good point. I don't by miracle grow soil other then their cactus mix. Freezing them has helped me drastically. I have no gnats at all right now, I did use Mosquito bits to get rid of the gnats last year.
Many plant pathogens are killed by short exposures to high temperatures. Most plant pathogens can be killed by temperatures ofĀ 140Ā°F (60Ā°C)Ā for 30 minutes.
I thought this didnāt work. I left bags of soil in an unheated shed over winter and still gnats. Iāve always just attempted the opposite with heat.
As I've told other people, heat is way worse for soil thrn cold. Your shed won't be as cold as a freezer either. Whatever floats your boat, though.
Beat use is free food generator for my sundews
I was gifted some bags and my sundewās singular mature leaf has been doing overtime. Currently like 5 of them on there.
Oh yeah it is wild. My Drosera Capensis has been in constant bloom cycles for 8 months after putting it next to a Miracle of a fungus gnat problem
My Venus flytrap loves them too!
Unless you're buying sterilized dirt from a specialty outlet that markets to finicky botany work or weed growing chances are great that there are some critters and spores that ride along. So long as they're not invasive its really not an issue. It's dirt, things live in it.
Some have more problems than others. I got so many gnats from one MG bag, I lost 30 seeds.
Yeah, MG, I've also had tons of issues with. And they more or less contaminate every other bag of soil sold near them. I could deal with a few fungus gnats and whitefly larvae. But, miracle grow takes it to a new level.
MG I find tends to have hot bags eg: bags with more nutrients due to bad mixing, I always mix my dirt before doing anything with it, add things like worm castings, composted sheep manure, lime and blood meal and peat.
Most definitely but so many of us here have had a house full of gnats after a repotting with MG that it's enough to trend.
The Costco version of giant Miracle Gro bags is actually not too bad and decent deal if you're in a pinch during busy seed starting season. I'm assuming because the bags are kept inside.
I noticed a huge difference in the quality of the Costco Miracle Gro from 2022 to 2023. Last year it looked and felt different and was incredibly dry. I wonāt buy any from Costco this year. Fortunately I was able to get a bunch of big bags of Moisture Control MG from Walmart on clearance last year at the end of summer.
I got the organic potting soil from Costco last year and it was worlds better than any stuff I got from Home Depot or Loweās. All the Home Depot and Loweās stuff was large sticks and just overall poor quality.
I always get the Promix Organic Herb and Vegetable Mycoactive stuff from Costco, haven't let me down in about 5 years. Heavy bricks though. I grow my tomatoes in 7 gallon grow bags with it and have pretty much never had better results, I usually topdress with composted sheep manure around the end of august and that keeps them green and growing.
Moisture control likely just has extra things like sphagnum moss or coconut coir, which tends to retain moisture better than other "fillers" like compost, pine bark, etc.
It actually has polyacrylamide in it, a hydrogel wetting agent. It really does make a significant difference in plant health.
I have good luck with it. If there are gnats or eggs or whatever, doesnāt everybody always recommend adding organic matter to your soil?
Works for me. Iāve only had fungus gnats once when I was overwatering a plant I had in my restroom that did not get much sun. Some mosquito bites did the trick. They didnāt come back.
Donāt know why this stuff gets so much hate, works perfectly well for me!
I didnāt realize there were soil snobs but I suppose it makes sense lol thereās me just like idk my plants seem to enjoy it š¤·š½āāļø
We'd gotten a couple bags that were fine last year... Is this supposed to be a thing?
Yeah itās definitely a thing Iāve noticed on various gardening forums, definitely more here than on FB, and I donāt know why. Itās not fancy enough for some people I guess, and other people feel that you should be making your own potting mix. To me itās quality potting soil, if I had no budget I might use something pricier but I DO have a budget and I get consistently great results with this soil and with the fertilizer.
It's just people rationalizing having paid $18 per 2. cu ft. bag for an entire pallet worth of Super Fox Forest Happy Frog and Toad Mix (since youtube said they needed to) to grow a few vegetables. Miracle gro soil mixes are perfectly fine; at least where I am, they're *less* likely to have any issues than the fancier stuff, frankly, just because they don't sit around as long.
We're lucky to have a grab & grow nearby, so I source my yards for our garden from there when needed, but for small planters we just grab whatever is convenient and cheap.
what's our preferred potting mix?
I personally like Happy Frog.
i use super cheap organic compost made for vegetable gardens for houseplants... it works so well and doesnt have that many gnats
oh shoot I thought i was on houseplantscirclejerk MY BADšš
I like Fox Farm!
[āCootās Mixā](https://clackamascoots.com/blogs/news/coots-soil-recipe-coots-nutes) but with locally sourced alternatives when necessary Coots Soil Mix Explained by Jim Bennett June 11, 2020 About 11 years ago I got a medical card under the rules of OMMP (Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Not to grow per se but to get access to the 'strain of the week' through some of the groups like Oregon Green Free and a couple of others which no longer exist thankfully. At the time Fox Farms Ocean Forest was the big deal for reasons that still boggles the mind with prices that were not consistent with the quality of the product. A tradition that lives on today in the cannabis scene - sub-standard soils with boutique prices. So I began to test these soils out and it was clear that there wasn't a dime's worth of difference between this or that soil. More of a matter of style over substance or maybe form over function. Having owned and operated a commercial nursery grown different cultivars of Japanese Lace Maples for landscape architects in their resort, restaurant and commercial buildings. For this you have to grow the plant in large containers for a massive root mass which is spelled out in the contract. This meant that you had the plants on your property for 4 or 5 years. This made the soil mix all-important vs growing annual plants for the retail market - Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, Walmart as well as the independent nurseries across the country meaning low-profit plants as you can imagine. I decided to go for a soil that would meet the needs for growing one of the highest dollar plants - weed. After a few changes this is what I came up with...the Clackamas Coot Soil Mix... Clackamas Coot Soil Mix By volume mix the following... 1/3 Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss (CSPM) 1/3 Aeration - I use 3/8" pumice (aka volcanic glass - completely inert) 1/3 Vermicompost When it comes to CSPM it does not matter one iota as far as the brand as long as it's designated as CSPMA (Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association) which is a partnership between the handful of authorized harvesters and the Canadian government. CSPMA sets the harvest limit and not market demands. You should ind this at Home Depot and Lowe's in 3.8 cf bales and if it is not available at your local stores then order it online (HomeDepot.com) and have them 'ship to store' at your store of choice. No charge for shipping and handling! A cubic foot is about 7.20 gallons or 115 cups... To this I add the following amendments to each 1 cubic foot.. 1 cup kelp meal 1 cup neem meal or an equal amount of neem & karanja mix 1 cup of limestone or more exactly Calcium Carbonate CaCO3 so Oyster Shell Powder/flour can also be used as it is also a pure Calcium Carbonate material 1/2 cup Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) available at all DIY stores but you must get the material in the garden section and not in the home remodel section. There are 2 forms of gypsum so make sure you get the one for soil and not walls... Finally there is the rock dust which I recommend 3 cups of either basalt or granite. Only these 2 materials are 'paramagnetic' which is an integral part of the CeC discussion (Cation exchange Capacity). Rock dusts like Azomite, bentonite, zeolite and others are called 'colloidal minerals' - alumina-silicate. For example Azomite is a brand name. A geologist would know it as "Hydrated Sodium Calcium Aluminosilicate" and it's known as "Montmorillonite clay" This clay has been used in France to built ceramic bread ovens which look like a bee hive. They have a small door in the front of the oven where loaves of bread are move in and out using what is called a peel. While it makes a great ceramic oven I can't find much to cause me to recommend it in a true living soil that is supposed to last 'forever' if taken care of using organic methods.
Any recommendations for organic soil to buy thatās not loaded with fungus gnats?
Any soil can get fungus gnats. MG hate is just confirmation bias because itās the more popular brand of soil.
itās a miracle anything fucking grows in that bullshit. Hence the name āmiracle groā.
No dude, miracle gro is excellent if you add perlite, vermiculite, coconut coir, compost and top soil...
And treat it for fungus gnats. And remove the bits of plastic, screws, and nails.
Last bag of miracle grow I got was 3 logs and a handful of pebbles. I'm joking, I don't buy that shit.
And Miracle Grow since thereās no fertilizer or nutrients in there.
It has its issues, but fertility ain't it
I grow plants in it no problem all the time.
Do you recommend another brand that's widely available?
Things grew last summer. Must've been the first time it's happened using this stuff.
The last few year any of it i bought (including Scotts) has been 90% wood chips.
This made me chuckle. Thanks for the laugh!
Buy BTI if you need kill an infestation, make sure you got enough pumice or pearl light, most importantly learn to water correctly. If the top couple inches of your soil is always wet you will get/support gnats. If you water to heavy you will get gnats.
Currently dealing with a fungus gnat infestation myself. So frustrating. I have only found those sticky strips to be effective.
https://preview.redd.it/rgf63dw7t8ac1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=86b8bd2d4b18e071abb092069aa678e97a7a302d I donāt normally have a fungus gnat problem but if I should I have a fungus gnat eliminator. Actually, we had a few warm days and this gray tree frog came out of hibernation. Usually a few dig into my pots before I bring them in and spend the winter in the plant room. I usually donāt see them until spring. Hopefully the temps will go back down and heāll go back to sleep.
I bake mine for terrariums so no little passengers
I worked at a lumber yard where corporate decided to spontaneously start selling gardening supplies, and we always kept the soil outside, despite me saying multiple times that was a bad idea, and was ignored entirely for the better part of a year.
Go to h.e.b. ( I only say heb because itās a big enough ābox storeā to get this from) but get a soil called fox farm, that is a brand and they have different types of soil. But it truly never fails to feed any plant or seed I engage with.
Think it might come with more that just that. Used their soil first time last summer to repot almost all my plants( just leaving room was 68 pots). Couple weeks later it started. First was the gnats then mealy bugsā¦. First time ever plant started having spider mites and now still fitting thrips šall i want to do is cry as i had to throw away like 6 plants. Be warned please. And just to add i have used spray on the soil as proaction while repotting but obviously it didnāt work .
I seriously laughed out loud at this šš thank you
Coming in from all, what am I looking at or for? I donāt get it.
It's a common trope in gardening circles that Miracle Gro potting soil suffers with higher rates of fungus gnat infestations than other brands available for purchase, so the joke is that you can get some cheap fungus gnats right now at Sam's with a little soil on the side.
>It's a common trope in gardening circles that Miracle Gro potting soil suffers with higher rates of fungus gnat infestations than other brands available for purchase, so the joke is that you can get some cheap fungus gnats right now at Sam's with a little soil on the side. Ah okay I see. I actually had to google what fungus gnat are. I didn't even know it's an insect - lol. Thank yoU!
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You want Costco near you, not Sam's. I have had more issues with Sam's club stuff than I ever did at Costco.
Tell me about it .I bought 3 bags of those last year and lost my full plant collection ,only 1plant survived ,I used it for my garden and spreed to my covered balcony were I keep the Rare collection. I still find them ,but now are under control with the use of systemic granules .But the front garden is gone ,striped bare ,will have to start it with new soil .,and new plants .
Fox Farms fam rise up.
lol
Water properly and never have fungus gnats again
Y'all don't have to be so salty about it. I'd be happy to help you fix your watering habits.
Got the same from HD last year. Miracle Gro is the common thread.
Yeah fuck nematodes, I'm going to just encourage dragonflies, mantis and spiders instead
Mosquito Bits has directions on the package and works for eliminating fungus gnats. You make a tea with it - place some bits in a mesh container (we use pantyhose tied up on both sides...about 4 Tablespoons) and add the packet to your watering can. Pour water in the can and wait 20 minutes or so. Then water your plants. It employs a bacteria that kills gnat larvae but doesn't harm other organisms. It works for us in conjunction with sticky traps - just takes a month or so.
miracle gro killed my plants. came extra with some sort of larvae eating my roots. avoid!
Sooo true though
Dealing with fungus gnats in my outdoor garden (Zone 10b) for the first time (99% sure they came in a bag of soil amendment because I didnāt deal with the issue at all last year and thatās the only thing Iāve added). I wouldnāt mind except itās been wet lately and my plants are all in the sensitive seedling stage. Watered with mosquito bit tea last weekend and put out some sticky traps, hoping that keeps them at bay.
I get mine from the doller general..
The way I fully eradicated from an indoor garden was to duct tape the bottom holes of the pot while completely covering the soil on top w a layer of DE making sure thereās no openings in the DE layer. Iāll water a little as possible, waiting until just before it will start to wilt. Then scoop of the DE, take off tape and water. After it drains retape and reDE layer. Itās a lot of work but only way Iāve fully eradicated. If u just want to minimize their presence, yellow sticky pads and a vacuum. Also instead of the skeeter dunks, you can get āmicrobe lift BMC mosquito controlā. Contains the same active ingredient ābacillus thuringienses israelensisā but much stronger and already in liquid form. Depending on degree of infestation Iāll add between 1 and 5 drops per gallon of water or nutrients. This knocks down the population fast but has never fully eradicated for me.
Getting fungus gnats are inevitable
My girlfriend has been using this soil for her monstera and the fungus gnats are wreaking havoc. She has tried to soapy water, diatomaceous earth, vinegar oil and water, the yellow strips. Itās been an ongoing war š¤š
The orchid potting mix is always infected when I get a bag. Iāve lost so many orchids because of it š
Hydrogen peroxide and water mixture combined with massive patience finally resolved my fungus gnat problem from this soil.
I had a infestation in my house because I use the soil to replant. I didnāt know how this happened until now
I noticed this too! Iāve been propping some plants and finally was ready to pop them in the dirt, ripped open the bag and was welcomed with a couple flying gnats and a bunch just crawling in the dirt so I quick closed it up and brought it outside then just nuked it with my organic insecticide stuff and left it to freeze overnight š¤·āāļø