I ended up with those last year, after bringing home some new herbs from a plant sale. It sucked! I spent $45-50 on herbs and lost them all because I didn't know what to do with them. I just ended up taking them outside and die. Now I know what they were and how to treat them! Thank you!
Thankyou for the thorough descriptions of your remedies. I've not had a fungal gnat problem this year, thankfully. I will be prepared though, if I have one in the future.
Glad you’ve been spared! I am now determined to avoid it in the future. I lost easily half of my seedlings including some very mature tomato plants that represented seven weeks of time. :(
Thanks, we're coming into winter here in Australia so they're not much of a problem for a few months but will keep your ideas for when the summer rolls around :-))
Thank you for this video! I just tossed 4 seedlings because I thought they were dampening off but when I returned to my grow tent I saw a smalll gnat flying around 🤦🏽♂️
I have a lovely "closed" Fishbowl terrarium with springtails and Isopods. I noticed Fungus Gnats flies today ! How did they get in there, and how to kill them without killing springtails and Isopods ?
I’m guessing their eggs were already present in the soil or other media that you added to it. I’ve only dealt with them via hydrogen peroxide…no idea what would be safe for the other insects, sorry! But you could try drying out the environment a bit, adding beneficial nematodes (if they won’t attack the others?) or sticky traps where only the gnats would come in contact?
@WellGroundedGardens no the terrarium is over a year old ,I guess the gnats got in when I took of the lid to let the terrarium breath! Sticky traps are a no go ! I don't want springtails or my grey wood lice to stick to it !! This infestation is the worst of the worst
Thank you for bringing this to everyone’s attention. It’s so disappointing to see all your hard work go down the drain. I started treating all my potting soil with boiling water (you have to dampen the soil anyway) and letting it sit and cool off before seeding. (See The Rusted Garden Gary Pilchark) and haven’t had a problem since. Can I ask what kind of “pots” that you have your seedlings in? I’m starting soil blocks and need to pot up for our garden club plant sale and those look like a great size!
I saw the boiling water suggestion and intend to use it going forward-to your point, I have to dampen my coir blocks, anyway. 🤷♀️. We got our grow bags on Amazon: Nursery Bags,Plant Grow Bags,200pcs 7.8 x 8.6 Inches,Biodegradable Solid Plants Grow Bags Plant Fabric Seeding Bags Home Garden Supply a.co/d/3xw4YMa
The worm you showed is much fater and whiter than fungus gnats larvae. They are almost clear and very small/skinny. Your advice is great for fungus gnats, but what you showed is something else. Wish I knew how to add an image, I would put up one of a larvae .
I suspect that I had MANY odd things living in the potting soil when I filmed this. The treatment did reduce the presence of visible fungus gnats in the greenhouse so it achieved that outcome, but I was probably fighting off a variety of foes.
Neem Oil is meant to be used as a foliar spray, it is not intended to be put into the soil. The oil can create a hydrophobic layer on top of the soil, and the lye in castille soap is not good for the roots.
I drenched my soil with neem and all the gnat larvae came out and actually died, just spraying was not working. If they 💀 they 💀🤷🏾♀️ the only that finally killed all mites was Raid.
The soap and peroxide kill off the good bacteria in the soil, as well as the bad bacteria that could be the partial cause of the poor health of your seedlings. With my indoor potted plants, I use mosquito bits or systemic house plant granules. I am sure that the garden store would have a alternative for edible plants to kill off fungus gnats that you can mix into the soil.
They do kill off the good ones along with the bad…but once I transplant the starts out into my garden soil, they’re once again surrounded by the good stuff for the rest of their lives.
Good info! Don't forget to use the hydrogen peroxide on the tools you use. The microscopic eggs will stay on your tools and transfer to other soil, sadly. Also note that the DE and Neem oil will also kill the good earthworms. Not sure if it also kills the needed ladybugs.
Not only did you end up with a bunch of dead seedlings, but you gained a more enlightened audience! I've been using the boiling water method the last couple years with success, but this year I bought a Maine organic seedling product and didn't want to "boil away the organic" so I just planted away smiling that I was doing my part for Mother Earth. Well, the gnats are here but seem controlled with cute butterfly cut out fly paper and another "natural product" spray. Thank you, I'm going to get some hydrogen peroxide before the town watches this and we have a run on the stuff!
I ended up with those last year, after bringing home some new herbs from a plant sale. It sucked! I spent $45-50 on herbs and lost them all because I didn't know what to do with them. I just ended up taking them outside and die. Now I know what they were and how to treat them! Thank you!
Oh man, I am sorry to hear that. I know the feeling of helplessness very well. 😕 Fingers crossed we all escape this, going forward.
Thankyou for the thorough descriptions of your remedies. I've not had a fungal gnat problem this year, thankfully. I will be prepared though, if I have one in the future.
Glad you’ve been spared! I am now determined to avoid it in the future. I lost easily half of my seedlings including some very mature tomato plants that represented seven weeks of time. :(
Thanks, we're coming into winter here in Australia so they're not much of a problem for a few months but will keep your ideas for when the summer rolls around :-))
I’m glad that you’re free of them for awhile :)
I would consider buying some yellow sticky traps to catch any adults that might be lurking about. They really do help a great deal.
That’s my next step!
Thank you for this video!
I just tossed 4 seedlings because I thought they were dampening off but when I returned to my grow tent I saw a smalll gnat flying around 🤦🏽♂️
You’re welcome! I just spotted one in my grow light area, yesterday. Time to start the fans and get out the peroxide.
I have a lovely "closed" Fishbowl terrarium with springtails and Isopods. I noticed Fungus Gnats flies today ! How did they get in there, and how to kill them without killing springtails and Isopods ?
I’m guessing their eggs were already present in the soil or other media that you added to it. I’ve only dealt with them via hydrogen peroxide…no idea what would be safe for the other insects, sorry! But you could try drying out the environment a bit, adding beneficial nematodes (if they won’t attack the others?) or sticky traps where only the gnats would come in contact?
@WellGroundedGardens no the terrarium is over a year old ,I guess the gnats got in when I took of the lid to let the terrarium breath! Sticky traps are a no go ! I don't want springtails or my grey wood lice to stick to it !! This infestation is the worst of the worst
Thank you for bringing this to everyone’s attention. It’s so disappointing to see all your hard work go down the drain. I started treating all my potting soil with boiling water (you have to dampen the soil anyway) and letting it sit and cool off before seeding. (See The Rusted Garden Gary Pilchark) and haven’t had a problem since. Can I ask what kind of “pots” that you have your seedlings in? I’m starting soil blocks and need to pot up for our garden club plant sale and those look like a great size!
I saw the boiling water suggestion and intend to use it going forward-to your point, I have to dampen my coir blocks, anyway. 🤷♀️. We got our grow bags on Amazon: Nursery Bags,Plant Grow Bags,200pcs 7.8 x 8.6 Inches,Biodegradable Solid Plants Grow Bags Plant Fabric Seeding Bags Home Garden Supply a.co/d/3xw4YMa
There were lots of options; I do like this size
Thanks. Will you get a small $ if I order them through your channel?
Nope! That’s just a regular Amazon link. I should probably set that up, though :)
The worm you showed is much fater and whiter than fungus gnats larvae. They are almost clear and very small/skinny. Your advice is great for fungus gnats, but what you showed is something else. Wish I knew how to add an image, I would put up one of a larvae .
I suspect that I had MANY odd things living in the potting soil when I filmed this. The treatment did reduce the presence of visible fungus gnats in the greenhouse so it achieved that outcome, but I was probably fighting off a variety of foes.
Neem Oil is meant to be used as a foliar spray, it is not intended to be put into the soil. The oil can create a hydrophobic layer on top of the soil, and the lye in castille soap is not good for the roots.
It can be used as foliar spray(I use it myself in that way) but also is commonly used as a soil drench.
I drenched my soil with neem and all the gnat larvae came out and actually died, just spraying was not working. If they 💀 they 💀🤷🏾♀️ the only that finally killed all mites was Raid.
This helped me a lot!! Especially the cures primarily the H2O2. My tomato seedlings and i thank you.
I’m so glad!
The soap and peroxide kill off the good bacteria in the soil, as well as the bad bacteria that could be the partial cause of the poor health of your seedlings. With my indoor potted plants, I use mosquito bits or systemic house plant granules. I am sure that the garden store would have a alternative for edible plants to kill off fungus gnats that you can mix into the soil.
They do kill off the good ones along with the bad…but once I transplant the starts out into my garden soil, they’re once again surrounded by the good stuff for the rest of their lives.
Thank you! 🌷💚🙃
You’re very welcome!
I didn't know about this use for h. peroxide. Am definitely trying this! Thanks♥
Hope it helps and you can avoid my fate. :)
Good info! Don't forget to use the hydrogen peroxide on the tools you use. The microscopic eggs will stay on your tools and transfer to other soil, sadly. Also note that the DE and Neem oil will also kill the good earthworms. Not sure if it also kills the needed ladybugs.
Good tip on tool cleaning! I do that with pruners but didn’t extend that to the fungus gnats.
Mosquito bits are also useful to get rid of fungus gnats. (Bt).
I saw that! May give it a try, as well
Thank you for being so selfless and killing all your seedlings just to teach us!😱🥰. Wonderful help! Thank you.
Ha, yes, pure altruism on my part. :) I am genuinely glad if it helps somebody else!
Not only did you end up with a bunch of dead seedlings, but you gained a more enlightened audience! I've been using the boiling water method the last couple years with success, but this year I bought a Maine organic seedling product and didn't want to "boil away the organic" so I just planted away smiling that I was doing my part for Mother Earth. Well, the gnats are here but seem controlled with cute butterfly cut out fly paper and another "natural product" spray. Thank you, I'm going to get some hydrogen peroxide before the town watches this and we have a run on the stuff!
Thank god SOMETHING good came from it. I am also going to snag some yellow sticky traps
Thank you
You’re welcome. Hope it helps. :)