My dad, back in the 1960's-70's, used Hertz flea powder (for animals) on his plants for pest infestations/control. And in the 70s, I used mayonnaise as a leaf shine...lol Today I don't have pest problems, that I see or that has possed a problem with my plants. I contribute that to my watering... I shower my plants throughly and let drain completely, the soil is "moist" bahaaa. And thanks to your Genius shower idea...it makes showering my plants fast and easy!
The slow release fertilizer is a great idea. I usually water my poles with a weak fertilizer. I don’t really subscribe to putting mosquito bits into soil/moss/substrates whole because they’re only effective for a certain period of time before the bti is used up. Soaking the bits or dunks in water overnight and then using that water is more effective.
@@charlottecobain6986 thank you for your reply. I have found that mosquito bits have worked great. I started using it in my moss poles when I noticed the fungus knats. I don't use soil in my pots or allow water to sit in the bottom of my pots, so I figured they were coming from the poles. They have worked great to get rid of them.
@@charlottecobain6986 I have been adding some ferns to my collection and when I do I will definitely use your method to water them. I'm super fond of knats 🤨
You are made of stronger stuff than me. I had to admit defeat with the fungus gnats and moss poles. I couldn’t stand them any more. I ditched all the moss poles and don’t grow Aroids any more. Any plants that climb can do so on trellis or just hang. I also changed all the plants over to Leca with almost 100% success and I have no fungus gnats any more. I do get spider mites from time to time but the fungus gnats are well and truly gone.
I usually take my plants into the shower about once a month and give them a good hose-down. It seems to be working really well, and its pretty easy to do!
😂 I’ve been watching for several months… I laugh every time you say you haven’t fixed that seat. I think I’ll have to try the soil mix in my poles. I use the moss and I have to water twice a week. I’ve found that just scotch tape works well to hold the plants on the poles. I’ve used the Velcro but I don’t thing it’s tight enough to the pole. Off to the store to buy a piece of foam board for a plant shower.
To be fair... Yesterday I went downstairs with intentions of repairing the chair. I brought screws and a screwdriver but the screws were too short. So the loose seat continues.... Let me know how your portable plant shower construction goes
Gorgeous collection Jeff! As for pests, I routinely shower down my plants in the laundry with my directional forcet (if it's too cold outside) or 'blast' them with the hose outside. If they have noticeable pests like spider mites or thrips then I give them a THOROUGH spray with pure castille soap/water mix and do that weekly for a month while isolating the plant. It' takes time but for my peace of mind I bear it😬 Plus I love being with my plants no matter what the reason is...they always bring me joy so I totally agree with you about not stressing about them. I look at it as maintenance just like we have to do home chores. Our homes will never be free of dust or 'rubbish' that we clean often....same goes for plants except it's far more enjoyable than house chores 😜
I really appreciate you giving perspective about pests and enjoying your plants despite the stress of pests! Thanks Jeff 🤗💚 Need this reminder sometimes!
Thanks for the informative video. I don’t know about the Verrucosum, but have heard that some tropical plants develop brown leaf edges from mineral buildup that clogs the veins. Had this problem with some Aglaonemas and Calatheas. Using rainwater resolved the issue. Good luck! 😺✌️
I mist my houseplants with a mix of dish soap, alcohol, water and neem oil and then use a rag or mitts to wipe the leaves. And I’ll sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the soil It seems to be doing the trick 🤷♀️ I definitely need to try perlite for some of my alocasias, I’ve transferred most of mine to leca But I’m still not having much luck with the corms, need to try the perlite prop box again
Great video!!!! We love how you laugh now!🥰. You are so chill🤩! BTI has changed my world! Toodle Loo Fungus Gnats! I use tree fern fiber( the larger fiber) in many of my newer moss poles along with some sphag. BTI IS THE TRICK!!! ITS ORGANIC.... Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis. It doesn't stink. You have to mix and use, not keep it hanging around. Your plants and prop boxes are awesome, so are you!!! We love youuuuuu 🤩😍🤩
I'll have to see if I can get that here in Canada.... A lot of the plant care products available in the USA are not available in Canada. I would like to get systemic for my indoor plants but you can't buy that here 😞
I spray for mites with with an mix of water, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and a soap that contains oil. Lots of people use Castille soap, I use Murphys oil soap cause I use it for cleaning other things and haven’t had any issues. Ratio is 2:1:1 and a tablespoon or so of soap per pint.
I bought a philadrendrum pink princess… it started to get droopy and leaves diying, so I took it out of its pot, cleaned the roots and saw that it was the cutting of a cutting of a cutting, i just thought wow that plant nursery sure chopped up this plant….. i put it in new soil and it seems to be ok. I did remember you a lot when i saw that it was a cutting, and a middle one at that. Regards from Peru.
Gnats are the reason I moved all of mine to LECA, infuriating little things, although you do get better at snatching them out of the air as time goes on
Oh and I just wipe my leaves off w/a damp cloth since you asked. It gives me a chance to check them over every wk or two. Even though I almost never get pests. I've only ever had mealy bugs (from Home Depot) n fungus gnats, knock on wood! LOL! Anyway, thanks.
Jeff I use the same Safer’s spray as you. I hate fungus gnats so much I only have plants that can dry out completely between waterings. That Silver Bay is beauty.
I’m going to start switching over to planks. I’ve had terrible spider mites this year and I’m convinced that they’re evading treatment with the help of the moss poles. I’m also convinced that flat mites are in some of the forest moss I used for some of my poles and it’s been a maddening pest control struggle all year that’s really messed up my peak growing season.
If you like the smell you could make a cinnamon tea slash boiled and strained cinnamon through a coffee filter. There's a lot of misinformation about cinnamon and plants but 2 things that are true or that it's a powerful antifungal and bug repellent.
Might need to switch up the soil and moss pole to chunky soilless pot and pole mix full of coconut chunks and the common mix for airoids, love your channel btw!! Thanks for sharing!!
im so incredibly lucky to have never had any serious pest outbreaks. i had aphids on one pothos ajd i sprayed it ohtside and it never spread. there were spider mites on one english ivy which was also living outside and i sprayed him with the hose daily to deter the mites (they like dry enviornments) and they never came back. my biggest issue has been ants, though which is my biggesr issue here in east texas during thw summer! they set up shop in one of my peoeromias and there were hundreds of them in that one 4 inch pot. i sprayed the windowsill with poison where they were coming in from outside and i took cuttings from that plant and just got rid of everything left in the pot. it was crazy
I've been considering making a moss pole with a combo of aroid + sphagnum (just to help retain some moisture in my dry climate), so it's very encouraging to see your aroid mix poles succeeding! i always end up learning cool new tips + tricks from your videos. most of my plants are outside + mealybugs seem to pop up every so often, so i do a weekly spray of diluted neem oil + diluted fertilizer mix. When I inevitably have a pest outbreak, I think I'm going to try beneficial pests to attack the unwanted pests 😊
That makes me happy to hear that you learn from my videos..... That is the reason why I make them. Let me know how your new aroid pole works out for you
The PPS is fabulous 😅 Have you tried beneficial mites? These are amazing for fungus nats (you just water them into moss or soil) and spider mites. You can use them as preventative or get bigger shakers for a bit of an invasion, hope these are available where you are as they’re a game changer. I do love your calm attitude to plant bugs, such a good message compared to panic slash and burn approaches.
Oh and btw, all my Alocasia are in either pon or LECA and they are thriving (Sydney winter right now) and all of them are pushing out 2-3 new leaves right now. AND I also keep them on a heat mat (except for my Regal Shield) and they are going gangbusters!
My personal favourite in your wonderful collection is the Philodendron Splendid!...something to do with how light reacts with the leaf surface, making the veining look almost luminous, and giving the leaf surface a fine velvet-like sheen (I wonder if some plant foliage fluoresces under ultra-violet light?). To deal with spider-mite I wipe down both sides of leaves & stems with a slightly moist (🙂) cotton-wool ball, and then use an insecticide. This method cleared my variegated Ficus elastica completely (3 months on still clear!).
Moist 🤣 I have been slacking a bit lately with spraying my plants down because of camping. Now that camping is slowly coming to an end, I can focus on my plants again
I needed to hear you say not to get too upset if our plants get pests. I tend to take it to heart… Just curious - can you give us a rough idea of how long it takes for you to tend to all of your plants? I’ve spent entire weekends tending to mine on a regular basis. There always seems to be something to do in addition to watering and spraying them down. Yes, gnats are very irritating! I use the little yellow sticky sticks and they work very well. Thanks for your post!
It can be extremely frustrating and we all get bugs.... It definitely takes a lot of time watering but I try and go through my plants during the week that way I don't have to water them all at once. It's really tough to give you an exact answer because honestly I really don't know lol Thanks for always supporting my channel and leaving kind e comments
@@EverythingPlants Thanks. No problem. I also do water during the week as needed and still, many of my weekends are still consumed by plant chores. I’ll have to build myself a pps (I think you called it a portable plant shower? Not certain.) I don’t think I could keep up if my daughter was still a young child living in the home. She’d have to fend for herself! 😂
Systemic all the way. Especially when I bring home new plants, it gets treated, bugs or not. If used responsibly I don’t see the problem with it. And preventatively, I sprinkle it on everyone else once a year and never had any issues.
By systemic do you mean Bonide granules? Curious because I’ve been unable to find a systemic in the US that has effectiveness on mites. Bonide is great for thrips but it can cause a boom in spider mite populations. Thanks in advance for any systemic recommendations!!
Yes, the regular Bonide granules. However, I personally have not encountered any issues with spider mites because of the Bonide systemic after application. I have been doing this method for about 2 years now without problems. Again, those are just my own personal experiences.@@charlottecobain6986
Using that safers spray I thought you need to spray the whole plant, the soil and everything, I find it really messy so I’ve switched to a nematodes tea to use when watering and a mix of water and NEEM oil for the foliage. It cuts down the gnats quite a bit for me, but I’ve always had a few flying around. I’ve been blessed though never having thrips or spider mites (oops jinx!)
I have noticed lesser fungus gnats after I use the electric pest killer. Its for mosquitoes (dengue outbreak here) but I'm not complaining abt the good side effects 😇 As with all plant stuff, its on a timer for after dark hours.
Hello Jeff... Yet another great video 👏👏 I spray my plants in the shower a couple times a month as pest prevention.. works like a charm... If some little suckers do appear, i use BAC vitality plus 😊 Love you're content ❤
I've been slacking a bit with spraying off my plants because we've been camping quite a bit. Now that camping season is slowly coming to an end, I can now focus more on my plants and hopefully eradicate those pesky bugs. Thanks for watching and always appreciate the support
I saw a video in which the UA-camr suggested to use neem cake (soaked in water), and use the solution to treat fungus gnats. You might want to try that . I am curious how you propagate P. verrucosom from node cutting. Please share your method. Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and tips. I really appreciate it. 🙏👍😍
Hi Jeff. Just wondering if you ever thought about extending, taping or somehow adhering a top part of laminated foam board to the top of your PPS lol (portable plant shower) so you can clean taller plants? It would be similar to extending moss poles, right? Without adding moss, of course. LOL! Just a thought because you take the bigger plants outside to spray off and it might make things easier on you. I'm anal about keeping my plant's leaves clean and I'm seriously thinking about making my own PPS, thanks to you and your awesome idea. Thank you for another video, I couldn't keep my eyes from going to the Summer Glory the whole video, so beautiful! Be blessed! 🙏
I've always got fungus gnats to one extent or another. A great solution I've found is to invest in some carnivorous plants! I have a sundew and a pinguicula that are loving the gnats. I get more plants and I get fewer gnats overall! Win-win. I also have two venus fly traps, but they don't do as well for fungus gnats because they're very small. I feed them mealworms once a month. They're just fun to have!
PPS 😂😅😊 Thanks for the pep talk about pests. I needed to hear it. I had to dump another plant that was full of mealies. But it was a small 4-inch pot, pilea. Now another plant may have had thrips. I sprayed it down and drowned it in insecticidal soap. 😅
@EverythingPlants I will. I will have been super busy, but trying to inspect as many as possible and treat even if they're clean. But yes, I will cut leaves off in a heartbeat.
Will perlite work for larger plants? Have you tried it? I use it for young plants, but then switch to something heavier (soil, leca,.pon, etc) as it gets larger. I keep thinking the weight of the plant will pull it right out of the pot...
I tried using insecticides and all the things recommended by plant youtube on my first encounter with a mealy bug infestation. Nothing worked and I ended up losing half my plants and wasted lots of money on treatments. Now, whenever I see things on the leaves: Rubbing alcohol and paper towels/q tips. Buzzy bugs: Mosquito bits in the water and hydrogen peroxide soaks in the soil if its real bad.
@@EverythingPlants Things like neem oil, insecticidal soap, etc. Eventually I found someone who was like "IF you want them gone, use rubbing alcohol, a magnifying glass, and surgically go in and remove. Now any sign of anything on the leaves it instantly gets a paper towel and rubbing alcohol to start. Then I go from there. I am very interested in learning more about using planks though! Will be looking through your channel later today for info :)
You can put mosquito dunks into the water to control the fungus gnats, but moss poles alone shouldn't attract them. So you may have your moss poles too full of moss causing it to hold too much water and causing root rot. The only time that fungus gnats come around is when there is rotting organic material. I had to teach myself not to stuff them as full as I wanted to because I had the same problem, but you have to make sure they're full enough to hold moisture for more than a day! It's a balancing act. Also, the brown crispy edges with the yellow ring around it is an indication of it getting too much water. This was a lesson that I had to teach myself as well, and I'm still struggling with some plants, so good luck. I remember watching one of your other videos, it may have been when you put this one on a moss pole or one of your other ones that you put on a pole; but you had a lot of soil in the pot with the other organic matter. The soil holds a lot of moisture and you have to keep that moss pole moist so that soil is getting wetter every time you water the moss pole. This is probably what's causing the dead brown crispy area with the yellow water ring, this could be attracting the pests. If you repot it with not as much actual soil, it will help.
My brain is hurting from all the info 😅 I’ve been battling fungal gnats for a while now. And I don’t even have moss poles. I have supplies ready to make some but now I am scared. 😝 Maybe I will try the mosquito bits in the moss. 🙈
Rather than putting the mosquito bits in the moss I definitely recommended soaking them in water overnight and then watering them with that. They can get moldy when places into substrates and they also become ineffective over a few weeks since there’s a limited amount of bti contained in them.
does the “amazon” moss poles that are not real loose moss help grow bigger leaves? I wasn’t sure if they would help because they’re harder and i don’t think the roots can get inside of them
I haven't tried any from Amazon before but I can tell you plants like pothos, tetrasperma and syngonium should do well on them. Philodendron are a bit tougher to get roots growing with anything other than a moss pole....in my experience
Your video has been a godsend for me. I'm a newbie caring for 3 different alocasias (silver dragon, bambino and black velvet), and the perlite thing sent me! I have a huge bag of it and found several corms when I was repotting my bambino and black velvet, so I know what I'm doing... making a prop box! Do you have any recommendations for when an alocasia is making flowers? My silver dragon decided to make 2 flowers, and I have a 3rd that has started to grow. The 2 have already flowered, but I'm unsure what to do with the flowerbulbs (?).
I'm making another alocasia perlite video very soon. Now as for flowers, unless you plan on pollinating different plants then I suggest just cutting them off so that the plant can focus energy on leaf growth and not flowers
@EverythingPlants I spray them into the moss and into the soil. I find it takes about 2 weeks to get rid of the gnats but you have to spray ALL of your plants or they will come back.
Verrucosum…. I threw it away after it got one thrips infestation and two spider mites infestations😔 and i don’t know why i get so much fungus gnats thesedays. Thinking to do mosquito dunks🤔
Filtered tap water with pH down and fertilizer. Distilled water gets to be a lot of work when you have a lot of plants and need to buy jugs from the store haha
I just started using moss poles for my golden dragon and my syngonium albo. Do you think putting mosquito bits in a spray bottle and saturating the moss pole every once in a while would work?
I started using perlite for propagation after seeing others doing it and am finding it is causing root rot on all my plants. Do u know what I am doing wrong? Thanks
Add “The Baking Community” to that list! Everyone one *LOVES❤🤤* a moist cake🍰🧁 The only thing that should be dry is a pie🥧bottom. A pie with a soggy bottom is THE DEVIL👿…LOL😂
Yay Moist!!!! Lol! Ya know, we’re growing plants that live in the tropics where it’s moist year round and the only seasons are less moist and more moist, so we need to decide if we want bigger plants and put up with the insects or smaller plants and less insects. I go through this frustration myself and I have stickies all over the place to deal with the cyclical outbreaks. I just keep reminding myself that they are not harmful if accidentally ingested and being any kind of parent is sometimes painful but worth it in the end! 🪲🪲🪲
I've been using mosquito bit "tea" to water poles about every 2 weeks and its been really helpful. 😊
Great tip!
Came here to recommend the same 👍
I use that with every water on my plants and it’s drastically reduced the number of gnats. In fact, I rarely see any of them anymore.
Do you think it's bad to put mosquito bits in the moss pole?
I'd assume the bits will eventually decompose,, but not sure.
My dad, back in the 1960's-70's, used Hertz flea powder (for animals) on his plants for pest infestations/control.
And in the 70s, I used mayonnaise as a leaf shine...lol
Today I don't have pest problems, that I see or that has possed a problem with my plants. I contribute that to my watering... I shower my plants throughly and let drain completely, the soil is "moist" bahaaa.
And thanks to your Genius shower idea...it makes showering my plants fast and easy!
I add mosquito bits and slow release fertilizer to my moss before making my moss poles.
Thanks so much for this!
The slow release fertilizer is a great idea. I usually water my poles with a weak fertilizer. I don’t really subscribe to putting mosquito bits into soil/moss/substrates whole because they’re only effective for a certain period of time before the bti is used up. Soaking the bits or dunks in water overnight and then using that water is more effective.
@@charlottecobain6986 thank you for your reply. I have found that mosquito bits have worked great. I started using it in my moss poles when I noticed the fungus knats. I don't use soil in my pots or allow water to sit in the bottom of my pots, so I figured they were coming from the poles. They have worked great to get rid of them.
@@charlottecobain6986 I have been adding some ferns to my collection and when I do I will definitely use your method to water them. I'm super fond of knats 🤨
I love your outlook on the care of your plants! Don’t stress and enjoy the plant. One leaf and all! I LOVE IT. Thank you for sharing.
I used to get upset or even throw a plant away (I still occasionally haha), but you just have to end the GOOD and the BAD.
You are made of stronger stuff than me. I had to admit defeat with the fungus gnats and moss poles. I couldn’t stand them any more. I ditched all the moss poles and don’t grow Aroids any more. Any plants that climb can do so on trellis or just hang. I also changed all the plants over to Leca with almost 100% success and I have no fungus gnats any more. I do get spider mites from time to time but the fungus gnats are well and truly gone.
I've never been a huge fan of moss. Thanks for sharing your experience with it
I usually take my plants into the shower about once a month and give them a good hose-down. It seems to be working really well, and its pretty easy to do!
This is a great pest management method for sure....nice work!
😂 I’ve been watching for several months… I laugh every time you say you haven’t fixed that seat.
I think I’ll have to try the soil mix in my poles. I use the moss and I have to water twice a week.
I’ve found that just scotch tape works well to hold the plants on the poles. I’ve used the Velcro but I don’t thing it’s tight enough to the pole.
Off to the store to buy a piece of foam board for a plant shower.
To be fair... Yesterday I went downstairs with intentions of repairing the chair. I brought screws and a screwdriver but the screws were too short. So the loose seat continues....
Let me know how your portable plant shower construction goes
Gorgeous collection Jeff! As for pests, I routinely shower down my plants in the laundry with my directional forcet (if it's too cold outside) or 'blast' them with the hose outside. If they have noticeable pests like spider mites or thrips then I give them a THOROUGH spray with pure castille soap/water mix and do that weekly for a month while isolating the plant. It' takes time but for my peace of mind I bear it😬 Plus I love being with my plants no matter what the reason is...they always bring me joy so I totally agree with you about not stressing about them. I look at it as maintenance just like we have to do home chores. Our homes will never be free of dust or 'rubbish' that we clean often....same goes for plants except it's far more enjoyable than house chores 😜
I really appreciate you giving perspective about pests and enjoying your plants despite the stress of pests! Thanks Jeff 🤗💚 Need this reminder sometimes!
I think we all need this reminder from time to time.... I can be stressful but I've been learning that pests will always be a part of owning plants
Your videos are always informative with practical examples. Thanks for sharing Jeff!
Glad you like them!
Thanks for the informative video.
I don’t know about the Verrucosum, but have heard that some tropical plants develop brown leaf edges from mineral buildup that clogs the veins.
Had this problem with some Aglaonemas and Calatheas. Using rainwater resolved the issue.
Good luck!
😺✌️
That makes complete sense.... Thanks for this comment
Using rainwater as well! Less crisping.
I mist my houseplants with a mix of dish soap, alcohol, water and neem oil and then use a rag or mitts to wipe the leaves. And I’ll sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the soil
It seems to be doing the trick 🤷♀️
I definitely need to try perlite for some of my alocasias, I’ve transferred most of mine to leca
But I’m still not having much luck with the corms, need to try the perlite prop box again
I hope perlite works for you!
Thanks for your encouragement! 🎉
Any time!
Your way to transplant with pole is very smart ty for your video
Great video!!!! We love how you laugh now!🥰. You are so chill🤩!
BTI has changed my world! Toodle Loo Fungus Gnats! I use tree fern fiber( the larger fiber) in many of my newer moss poles along with some sphag. BTI IS THE TRICK!!! ITS ORGANIC.... Bacillus Thuringiensis Israelensis. It doesn't stink. You have to mix and use, not keep it hanging around. Your plants and prop boxes are awesome, so are you!!! We love youuuuuu 🤩😍🤩
I'll have to see if I can get that here in Canada.... A lot of the plant care products available in the USA are not available in Canada. I would like to get systemic for my indoor plants but you can't buy that here 😞
@@EverythingPlants PrettyinGreen
BTI is what is in mosquito bits,I think. Mosquito bit tea may work the same 💓
I spray for mites with with an mix of water, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and a soap that contains oil. Lots of people use Castille soap, I use Murphys oil soap cause I use it for cleaning other things and haven’t had any issues. Ratio is 2:1:1 and a tablespoon or so of soap per pint.
Crazy Keiki Cloning Paste is AWESOME to get those auxiliary buds a jump start! Within a week you will see new growth!
I completely forgot that I have some. I'm going to go put some on right now
I bought a philadrendrum pink princess… it started to get droopy and leaves diying, so I took it out of its pot, cleaned the roots and saw that it was the cutting of a cutting of a cutting, i just thought wow that plant nursery sure chopped up this plant….. i put it in new soil and it seems to be ok. I did remember you a lot when i saw that it was a cutting, and a middle one at that. Regards from Peru.
Gnats are the reason I moved all of mine to LECA, infuriating little things, although you do get better at snatching them out of the air as time goes on
Oh and I just wipe my leaves off w/a damp cloth since you asked. It gives me a chance to check them over every wk or two. Even though I almost never get pests. I've only ever had mealy bugs (from Home Depot) n fungus gnats, knock on wood! LOL! Anyway, thanks.
Jeff I use the same Safer’s spray as you.
I hate fungus gnats so much I only have plants that can dry out completely between waterings.
That Silver Bay is beauty.
That is awesome! Thanks for watching
Yes, I totally agree 💯 I perfer the Wooden Planks. And also if I'm not mistaken that Plant has a Sticky Sap ,that that gnats likes.
I’m going to start switching over to planks. I’ve had terrible spider mites this year and I’m convinced that they’re evading treatment with the help of the moss poles. I’m also convinced that flat mites are in some of the forest moss I used for some of my poles and it’s been a maddening pest control struggle all year that’s really messed up my peak growing season.
If you like the smell you could make a cinnamon tea slash boiled and strained cinnamon through a coffee filter. There's a lot of misinformation about cinnamon and plants but 2 things that are true or that it's a powerful antifungal and bug repellent.
Very interesting.... I've never heard this before so thank you!
I keep my Verrucosum moist but I have other problem with trips and this plant is a magnet to them. I had to cut it down dramatically
I keep trying but luck of time sometimes takes it over
Thrips are the absolute worst
Might need to switch up the soil and moss pole to chunky soilless pot and pole mix full of coconut chunks and the common mix for airoids, love your channel btw!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thanks for watching!!!
im so incredibly lucky to have never had any serious pest outbreaks. i had aphids on one pothos ajd i sprayed it ohtside and it never spread. there were spider mites on one english ivy which was also living outside and i sprayed him with the hose daily to deter the mites (they like dry enviornments) and they never came back. my biggest issue has been ants, though which is my biggesr issue here in east texas during thw summer! they set up shop in one of my peoeromias and there were hundreds of them in that one 4 inch pot. i sprayed the windowsill with poison where they were coming in from outside and i took cuttings from that plant and just got rid of everything left in the pot. it was crazy
I've been considering making a moss pole with a combo of aroid + sphagnum (just to help retain some moisture in my dry climate), so it's very encouraging to see your aroid mix poles succeeding! i always end up learning cool new tips + tricks from your videos. most of my plants are outside + mealybugs seem to pop up every so often, so i do a weekly spray of diluted neem oil + diluted fertilizer mix. When I inevitably have a pest outbreak, I think I'm going to try beneficial pests to attack the unwanted pests 😊
That makes me happy to hear that you learn from my videos..... That is the reason why I make them. Let me know how your new aroid pole works out for you
The PPS is fabulous 😅
Have you tried beneficial mites? These are amazing for fungus nats (you just water them into moss or soil) and spider mites. You can use them as preventative or get bigger shakers for a bit of an invasion, hope these are available where you are as they’re a game changer. I do love your calm attitude to plant bugs, such a good message compared to panic slash and burn approaches.
Oh and btw, all my Alocasia are in either pon or LECA and they are thriving (Sydney winter right now) and all of them are pushing out 2-3 new leaves right now. AND I also keep them on a heat mat (except for my Regal Shield) and they are going gangbusters!
I might try peppermint oil. I've been using Neem oil and potassium soap spray. Also use those yellow sticky cards.
My personal favourite in your wonderful collection is the Philodendron Splendid!...something to do with how light reacts with the leaf surface, making the veining look almost luminous, and giving the leaf surface a fine velvet-like sheen (I wonder if some plant foliage fluoresces under ultra-violet light?). To deal with spider-mite I wipe down both sides of leaves & stems with a slightly moist (🙂) cotton-wool ball, and then use an insecticide. This method cleared my variegated Ficus elastica completely (3 months on still clear!).
Moist 🤣 I have been slacking a bit lately with spraying my plants down because of camping. Now that camping is slowly coming to an end, I can focus on my plants again
...back to your leafy encampment! @@EverythingPlants
Also I LOVE THE PPS! Going to see if I can’t find a collapsible tub.
Thanks lol I laughed by myself when I said PPS while filming
I needed to hear you say not to get too upset if our plants get pests. I tend to take it to heart…
Just curious - can you give us a rough idea of how long it takes for you to tend to all of your plants? I’ve spent entire weekends tending to mine on a regular basis. There always seems to be something to do in addition to watering and spraying them down.
Yes, gnats are very irritating! I use the little yellow sticky sticks and they work very well.
Thanks for your post!
It can be extremely frustrating and we all get bugs....
It definitely takes a lot of time watering but I try and go through my plants during the week that way I don't have to water them all at once. It's really tough to give you an exact answer because honestly I really don't know lol
Thanks for always supporting my channel and leaving kind e comments
@@EverythingPlants Thanks. No problem. I also do water during the week as needed and still, many of my weekends are still consumed by plant chores. I’ll have to build myself a pps (I think you called it a portable plant shower? Not certain.) I don’t think I could keep up if my daughter was still a young child living in the home. She’d have to fend for herself! 😂
You have beautiful alocasias like the rest of your plants. So many beauties ! 😍
Thanks so much, Grace
Systemic all the way. Especially when I bring home new plants, it gets treated, bugs or not. If used responsibly I don’t see the problem with it. And preventatively, I sprinkle it on everyone else once a year and never had any issues.
We are unable to get systemic here.... Otherwise this is what I would be using for my indoor plants. Want to send me some? Lol
You bet!. @@EverythingPlants If you’re comfortable sending me your info, consider it done.
By systemic do you mean Bonide granules? Curious because I’ve been unable to find a systemic in the US that has effectiveness on mites. Bonide is great for thrips but it can cause a boom in spider mite populations. Thanks in advance for any systemic recommendations!!
Yes, the regular Bonide granules. However, I personally have not encountered any issues with spider mites because of the Bonide systemic after application. I have been doing this method for about 2 years now without problems. Again, those are just my own personal experiences.@@charlottecobain6986
Perhaps a magnesium deficiency is causing the lower leaves to yellow then turn brown.
Using that safers spray I thought you need to spray the whole plant, the soil and everything, I find it really messy so I’ve switched to a nematodes tea to use when watering and a mix of water and NEEM oil for the foliage. It cuts down the gnats quite a bit for me, but I’ve always had a few flying around. I’ve been blessed though never having thrips or spider mites (oops jinx!)
I usually spray the leaf, petiole and stem with an insecticidal spray or soap. I don't normally spray the soil.... But I guess it would make sense to
@@EverythingPlants I have no idea which way works best. Just thought I’d mention it
also works for me! Don’t use anything else (no sprays, just water)
I have noticed lesser fungus gnats after I use the electric pest killer. Its for mosquitoes (dengue outbreak here) but I'm not complaining abt the good side effects 😇 As with all plant stuff, its on a timer for after dark hours.
And it just zaps them???
@@EverythingPlants yes the light attracts them and then they get zapped when it gets close
Hello Jeff... Yet another great video 👏👏 I spray my plants in the shower a couple times a month as pest prevention.. works like a charm... If some little suckers do appear, i use BAC vitality plus 😊 Love you're content ❤
I've been slacking a bit with spraying off my plants because we've been camping quite a bit. Now that camping season is slowly coming to an end, I can now focus more on my plants and hopefully eradicate those pesky bugs. Thanks for watching and always appreciate the support
I saw a video in which the UA-camr suggested to use neem cake (soaked in water), and use the solution to treat fungus gnats. You might want to try that .
I am curious how you propagate P. verrucosom from node cutting. Please share your method.
Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and tips. I really appreciate it. 🙏👍😍
I'll definitely be making a propagation video with the plant very soon
I use bonide and neem oil soapy water
Hi Jeff. Just wondering if you ever thought about extending, taping or somehow adhering a top part of laminated foam board to the top of your PPS lol (portable plant shower) so you can clean taller plants? It would be similar to extending moss poles, right? Without adding moss, of course. LOL! Just a thought because you take the bigger plants outside to spray off and it might make things easier on you. I'm anal about keeping my plant's leaves clean and I'm seriously thinking about making my own PPS, thanks to you and your awesome idea. Thank you for another video, I couldn't keep my eyes from going to the Summer Glory the whole video, so beautiful! Be blessed! 🙏
Another great video. Thanks Jeff!
Thanks S Douglas
I've always got fungus gnats to one extent or another. A great solution I've found is to invest in some carnivorous plants! I have a sundew and a pinguicula that are loving the gnats. I get more plants and I get fewer gnats overall! Win-win. I also have two venus fly traps, but they don't do as well for fungus gnats because they're very small. I feed them mealworms once a month. They're just fun to have!
I learned that sundew plants exist today :D Thank you! They're gorgeous little things!
@@roxazaloah they are! And there are lots of different kinds, very nice for collectors.
I have pitchers and sundews outside!!!
@@EverythingPlants I haven't gotten a pitcher yet, but it's on my list!
The only thing that worked for me against gnats was those "raid" blue tablets that kills mosquitos.
Beautiful plants 💚🪴
Thanks for watching!
I think your moss pole may be overpacked and dense with moss. I would keep it semi loose since you have a plastic backed mole to retain moisture.
I'll keep it loose next time, thanks!
PPS 😂😅😊
Thanks for the pep talk about pests. I needed to hear it. I had to dump another plant that was full of mealies. But it was a small 4-inch pot, pilea. Now another plant may have had thrips. I sprayed it down and drowned it in insecticidal soap. 😅
For some of the badly damaged leaves.... If you have them then simply cut them off.
@EverythingPlants I will. I will have been super busy, but trying to inspect as many as possible and treat even if they're clean. But yes, I will cut leaves off in a heartbeat.
Will perlite work for larger plants? Have you tried it? I use it for young plants, but then switch to something heavier (soil, leca,.pon, etc) as it gets larger. I keep thinking the weight of the plant will pull it right out of the pot...
Wow..Your philodendron Splendid props!!
I tried using insecticides and all the things recommended by plant youtube on my first encounter with a mealy bug infestation. Nothing worked and I ended up losing half my plants and wasted lots of money on treatments.
Now, whenever I see things on the leaves: Rubbing alcohol and paper towels/q tips. Buzzy bugs: Mosquito bits in the water and hydrogen peroxide soaks in the soil if its real bad.
I'm curious to know what type of products UA-camrs were recommending because rubbing alcohol on a qtip is the correct treatment....
@@EverythingPlants Things like neem oil, insecticidal soap, etc. Eventually I found someone who was like "IF you want them gone, use rubbing alcohol, a magnifying glass, and surgically go in and remove. Now any sign of anything on the leaves it instantly gets a paper towel and rubbing alcohol to start. Then I go from there.
I am very interested in learning more about using planks though! Will be looking through your channel later today for info :)
You can put mosquito dunks into the water to control the fungus gnats, but moss poles alone shouldn't attract them. So you may have your moss poles too full of moss causing it to hold too much water and causing root rot. The only time that fungus gnats come around is when there is rotting organic material. I had to teach myself not to stuff them as full as I wanted to because I had the same problem, but you have to make sure they're full enough to hold moisture for more than a day! It's a balancing act.
Also, the brown crispy edges with the yellow ring around it is an indication of it getting too much water. This was a lesson that I had to teach myself as well, and I'm still struggling with some plants, so good luck.
I remember watching one of your other videos, it may have been when you put this one on a moss pole or one of your other ones that you put on a pole; but you had a lot of soil in the pot with the other organic matter. The soil holds a lot of moisture and you have to keep that moss pole moist so that soil is getting wetter every time you water the moss pole. This is probably what's causing the dead brown crispy area with the yellow water ring, this could be attracting the pests. If you repot it with not as much actual soil, it will help.
My brain is hurting from all the info 😅 I’ve been battling fungal gnats for a while now. And I don’t even have moss poles. I have supplies ready to make some but now I am scared. 😝 Maybe I will try the mosquito bits in the moss. 🙈
Rather than putting the mosquito bits in the moss I definitely recommended soaking them in water overnight and then watering them with that. They can get moldy when places into substrates and they also become ineffective over a few weeks since there’s a limited amount of bti contained in them.
Thanks for watching and let me know how the mosquito bits do...
I love your Aglaonema silver bay. I just put one in my cart in Etsy. It’s a stunning plant.
Awesome video as always, thank you! Could you please do an update on your Rose succulents, they're so cool?!
does the “amazon” moss poles that are not real loose moss help grow bigger leaves? I wasn’t sure if they would help because they’re harder and i don’t think the roots can get inside of them
I haven't tried any from Amazon before but I can tell you plants like pothos, tetrasperma and syngonium should do well on them. Philodendron are a bit tougher to get roots growing with anything other than a moss pole....in my experience
Your video has been a godsend for me. I'm a newbie caring for 3 different alocasias (silver dragon, bambino and black velvet), and the perlite thing sent me! I have a huge bag of it and found several corms when I was repotting my bambino and black velvet, so I know what I'm doing... making a prop box! Do you have any recommendations for when an alocasia is making flowers? My silver dragon decided to make 2 flowers, and I have a 3rd that has started to grow. The 2 have already flowered, but I'm unsure what to do with the flowerbulbs (?).
I'm making another alocasia perlite video very soon. Now as for flowers, unless you plan on pollinating different plants then I suggest just cutting them off so that the plant can focus energy on leaf growth and not flowers
Do you think an aroid mix pole is better? Do you have any problems with pests using them? What about a wooden plank?
beneficial nematodes are the only thing that work and continue to work on fungus gnats for me
Do you put them right in the moss or in the soil?
@EverythingPlants I spray them into the moss and into the soil. I find it takes about 2 weeks to get rid of the gnats but you have to spray ALL of your plants or they will come back.
Verrucosum…. I threw it away after it got one thrips infestation and two spider mites infestations😔 and i don’t know why i get so much fungus gnats thesedays. Thinking to do mosquito dunks🤔
No issue with the word moist 😂
Like moist cake 🎂 🥮 moist of all.....
Are you using distilled water? Or you could collect rain water also. I think it makes a world of difference
Filtered tap water with pH down and fertilizer. Distilled water gets to be a lot of work when you have a lot of plants and need to buy jugs from the store haha
I just started using moss poles for my golden dragon and my syngonium albo. Do you think putting mosquito bits in a spray bottle and saturating the moss pole every once in a while would work?
Sounds like that is what others are using. Personally I have not tried this
Thank you for your response!@@EverythingPlants
I started using perlite for propagation after seeing others doing it and am finding it is causing root rot on all my plants. Do u know what I am doing wrong? Thanks
Do you have any standing water at the bottom of the container?
@@EverythingPlants I think that may be it after watching your video close to the end. Thanks
Looks like it’s time yo pull some of those Alocasias out of the prop box and pot up.
So that alocasia that had beautiful varigation, thats actually a fungus?! Like the black lines through it?! Its So pretty though!
Yes....it is called the dasheen mosaic virus.
I’ll be shocked when you fix your stool you sit on down in the basement. Lol 😂
It will get done today!!! I can not keep putting it off lol
You need a bigger basement 😂
Tell me about it 🤣
Fungus gnats don't hurt anything
Just say damp! There’s no excuse to use that hideous word! Saturated, wet, humid…the list goes on…😂
🤣
Maybe bakers use the word lol 😂
Oh I didn't even think of that....moist bread 🍞
Maybe choose another word if you can’t say, moist with a little confidence, instead of juvenile implication to body fluids😂
Homebakers like me love MOIST cakes. Haha
I stand corrected hahahha
😂😂😂😂
Add “The Baking Community” to that list!
Everyone one *LOVES❤🤤* a moist cake🍰🧁
The only thing that should be dry is a pie🥧bottom.
A pie with a soggy bottom is THE DEVIL👿…LOL😂
Hahaha...I love this!
@@EverythingPlants😅
Yay Moist!!!! Lol! Ya know, we’re growing plants that live in the tropics where it’s moist year round and the only seasons are less moist and more moist, so we need to decide if we want bigger plants and put up with the insects or smaller plants and less insects. I go through this frustration myself and I have stickies all over the place to deal with the cyclical outbreaks. I just keep reminding myself that they are not harmful if accidentally ingested and being any kind of parent is sometimes painful but worth it in the end! 🪲🪲🪲