I have a few questions about the little soil dwelling cocksuckers.It's been a minute since I've grown out plants indoors, but I can remember a few crops that were severely stunted by( I assume fungus gnats). The were little brownish colored bastards about 1mm long. I tried neem drenches, pyrethrin, etc but they would just keep coming back. I never had defoliation occur, but the plants would always droop for an extended period after watering and were really sluggish. Question #1. Is there a specific stage in the plants life in which the H2O2 should be applied? Question#2. When applying a neem oil drench, should it be mixed according to spray directions? Question#3. If you use neem oil as a preventative, does a drench have to be administered as regularly as a spray app.? Sorry if these questions have been answered a million times. I'm having some success with the search, but I'm trying to dial this all in inside my brain compartment before problems arise.
Hey poppy . Ya, they are tenacious little bastards and usually need a couple of treatments to eradicate. Your questions... 1 - No. It should only be used as a direct killer once the larvae have been identified. H202 is good for other things too, but should alwayz be used sparingly, becuz of its extreme root drying side-effects. 2 - IMO - No. Like nutes, I alwayz recommend starting off at a quarter to half the recommended dose. If the plant reacts, it can then be fine-tuned to suit the plant. 3 - A drench should only be a one-time, quick-kill option, as its extremely strong. regular useage of a maintenance spray can be used alongside a drench, as long as a couple of dayz clean-time is given after the drench. Hope this helps. Freak
Awesome Freakbro. Thanks for those tips, as you may have saved the life of some innocent plants later down the road. I've been gathering a lot of knowledge( Great site BTW!!) on the different techniques of using preventatives and contact killers on the most insidious of cocksucking pot bugs known to man(w/ the exception of bud worms LOL)!! I know my way around the outdoor scene pretty good, but indoors mother nature is definitely not on your side, and as we all know you must assume her role. I grow in my outbuilding which used to be totally climate controlled, but I haven't had the funds to by a new a/c unit since the old one croaked, so I am limited in my indoor grow time to fall, winter and early spring. Also, I grow more than enough outdoors each year to keep myself in good sensi, so the indoor thing is just something to keep my winter blues at bay. I have a dehumidifier,heat, and air machines w/ ionization so I can deal with the cold weather growing in there pretty good. But still it's not like growing in an far interior spare bedroom or closet in your home. When you open the door all a pest has to do is fly in and make theirselves at home. I'm trying to decide what is going to be the best series of preventatives I can take, and be prepared for the worst(even if it doesn't happen). Now I've read so many of these stories here about folks opening bags of grow mix and having swarms of gnats flying out it has me really buggered out. I have a few more questions if you have the time. Question #4. When you use sand as a physical barrier on the surface of your pots, does it affect your watering cycles,efficiency,etc. very much? Question#5. Can you safely put an inch or so of sand around starters that have have between 3 and 5 sets of leaves which are growing in jiffy mix? I know it's mainly peat based and has a tendency to retain a lot of moisture if steady evaporation is taken from the picture. Question #6. Is it better to use fine play sand or coarser sand? I'm aware of the fact to never use sand from a marine environment, but we have good clean spring water sand here at our disposal for free. You can find it ranging from very coarse like rough blastin sand to the fine sugar sand like you see on the beaches of the emerald coast.
Hey. You are most welcome and yes, this is a fantastic site. It is very near and dear to ma heart . Im so glad u are preparing yourself and learning before u start to grow. Especially on the preventative side of things, which is where it all starts. If more growerz did what u are doing, it would alleviate alotta future pains from their growz. Its so simple, and a 1000 % return on your investment. Growerz need to know the differences, both good and bad, in outdoor vs indoor growing when it comes to pest attacks. The differences are like nite and day. Cleanliness and good organization is a big thing with me. Also Neem oil is another thing that I truly advocate for prevention of pest attack. If used from the start, chances are, most bugz will turn around and go the other way from the grow. There are a few bugz that will just laugh at it, such a Spidermites (if already infested), Termites dont care, and Locust will break thru it. I highly recommend Neem oil to u and y'all. Sand... Just dont be like some people who go to the nearest playground with a sandbox where all the neighbourhood cats piss and shit in lol. Theres a fine line between being cheap and being an idiot lol . Id just go for a medium grade. Your watering schedule will change for 5 or 6 days, while the sand is in place becuz the soil will obviously retain water longer. Try not to over soak the sand, as it will become a breeding ground for Algae. Just like on the beach. Leave it on for max 5 dayz. If that dont work - on to H202, but thats another episode. Fuck, I talk alot. Did I cover it all ??? Freak
Thanks again Freakbro. Yeah, there's def a shoestring budget on this end, but I figure I can get better quality and cleaner sand from a local, natural source than any I could buy from a big box store. The water source near me is bottled if that is any indicator. Limestone bottom covered with any grade or combination of coarse sand, fine sand, pea gravel, with very little to no organic debris.The" washed" play sand I saw today at the big box actually had algae growing in the bags!!