does it do this.. or am i trippin? it seems that my soil likes to stay moist when i put shit over it.. such as sand, or perlite, or even diatomaceous earth. im battling gnats right now and its owning me cause i cant water when my soil stays moist ya know?
"In horticulture, perlite can be used as a soil amendment or alone as a medium for hydroponics or for starting cuttings. When used as an amendment it helps prevent water loss and soil compaction." - Wikipedia I believe perlite is mixed into the soil. That is what I have done in the past. Also, mulch is an additive that helps retain heat, water, and eventually adds organic matter to the soil.
Anything covering the surface of the soil will keep the moisture in. You're supposed to mix the perlite really well into your soil.
Thats what mulch's do; cover the soil to retain moisture. The perlite is acting much like that toplayer of mulch would. If thats what you want to happen, to increase time between watering and reduce soil compaction, keep it. But if you want to be able to adjust things quicker scrape it off. I grow outside, and as the perlite settles out over time I tend to keep it on top for just this water retention
If you mix the perlite into the soil, it will drain better and therefore not stay moist. I mix in about 30% perlite into my soil. Ever since I started to put a layer of perlite on top, i haven't had a gnat problem. Try the sticky traps that you put on the ground. Wipe up all water that drains out too.
dude you still have fungus gnats? youve been talking about them since like july. quit bieng lazy and clean all of your equipment and the walls. you REALLY have to clean flood trays, empty pots, hoods, anywhere they can hide. replace any duct tape in your room. clean walls and floors with bleach. remove every single dead leaf, down to the smallest fragment the eye can see. make sure there are no build up spots of moisture anywhere, like puddles. fungus gnats are inevitable after a while in a grow but there are SOME things that they thrive on, like uncleanliness. if your STILL having this problem after all this time, well i dont mean to be a dick, but throwing sand on your soil isnt gonna do anything. so many different people have given you advice, great advice and it makes me wonder if you even took it because of your re-occuring pests. they dont only lay eggs on the top of your pots, they go in the drainage holes in the bottom, too. again, ive seen you post here with this problem so many times. with the effort your putting into it you will never aliviate your gnat issue. now get up and do somthin! and dont just add more sand! i mean all this in the nicest way possible. sorry, but it is frustrating to me when i see somebody constantly reaching out for help and they say yeah ok great and than 3 weeks later they dont do what you tell them. like, come on dude!
osu, the thing is, its in my soil, i can get rid of them, but that means my soil will be moist. and moist soil aint good. ill rather have gnats than moist soil :\