08/17/2022
I could literally make a living selling the solution to fungus gnats.🙄 OH WAIT I DO! 😁
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
1. Fungus gnats are a SYMPTOM of over watering. They are there to tell you that there is fungus in your soil. They are not the problem, they are the red flag. The moisture is the problem.
2. Fungus gnats don't really harm plants. They can be an issue for tiny seedlings but they are eating and breeding in the FUNGUS- not the plant itself. If the plant is dying AND you have fungus gnats then you are experiencing root rot and your plant needs help ASAP.
3. Killing fungus gnats is not going to help your plant. A lot of "tricks" to get rid of gnats include watering your plant or spraying the plant with SOMETHING which is just increasing the moisture in the pot and making your real issue (overwatering) way worse.
NOW LETS TALK ABOUT HOW YOU FIX IT.
1. YOUR POT NEEDS DRAINAGE HOLES. no matter how beautiful your pot is it needs to have drainage. If you love said pot but it doesn't have drainage then consider placing a nursery pot inside your decorative pot. Or drilling holes in the pot.
2. ROCKS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE POT DO NOT COUNT AS DRAINAGE. They actually make it much worse. If you want to know why go check out my post on my page Tame Tropicals regarding rocks in pots.
3. BUY A MOISTURE METER. They're like 12 bucks and they will save you so much on replacing plants and soil and pest control etc. Just do it. You don't need a fancy digital one, just an old fashion dial will work perfectly. If you need help finding one, please reach out.
4. POT SIZE. I see this WAY too often. YES YOU CAN KILL A PLANT BY PUTTING IT IN A POT THAT IS TOO BIG. Most house plants like being slightly root bound and the only good reason to repot a plant into a larger container is because it has become so root bound that the plant literally cannot drink water from the soil because there is no soil. Only size up a plant container by a max of 2" at a time. That means 2" larger in diameter and in depth.
5. SUBSTRATE. AKA soil. This is important because sometimes you receive a plant from the grower in a substrate that is not right for your plant. Or when you repotted you just bought some Miracle Gro bag that said "for potted plants". Here is a secret. Those are made for outside flower pots. Not houseplants. Depending on your plant type it has specific needs regarding substrate. Look up what your plant needs in a soil mix and mix it up yourself. If you need help please let me know. I will even make up a substrate and mail it to you if that is what you need. While you have your plant de-potted check out the roots, They can tell you a lot.
6. WATERING PRACTICE. With your moisture meter you are going to wait until the soil dries out before you give it more (there are some plant exceptions so message me with questions) then I recommend you BOTTOM WATER YOUR PLANTS. physically put the plant in a basin of some kind, a cup, a bowl, a drip tray a bathtub, something. Fill the basin with 1 inch of water and leave it for 20 minutes. If it has drank up all that water in 20 minutes it might need a little more for another 20 minutes. If it hasn't then remove the water and allow it to drain any excess.
This works because fungus gnats only live in the top 3" of your soil and if you can keep that part dry then you have nothing to worry about. This also encourages better root growth and directs roots to grow to the bottom of your pot. Trust me. It's a good practice.
7. Air movement and lighting. Conditions like air movements near windows or vents and the amount of light a plant gets will greatly change how much water the plant and the soil will go through. As a rule, less light, less air, less water. If you need help help with your lighting conditions I recommend evaluating your plant type and the "shadow technique". Let me know if you need me to go into that here.
Following these guidelines you should be rid of fungus gnats within a week. (They only have a life span of about 48 hrs)
There are some plant exceptions that require a lot of water and a substrate that stays moist (I can think of maybe 5) and these are going to be tips for those kinds of plants if your plant is an aroid or cactus or something else these are not for you. Again reach out to me with questions.
"I followed all of your rules above and my research said I have to water my plant often because it needs to stay moist all the way to the top of the soil AND that it needs a moisture retaining soil"
Aka. I have a calathea, syngonium, coleus, banana, or palm.
Keep in mind these plants that love being moist are still going to be thriving WITH fungus Gnats.
1. Add a well draining substrate to your planter at the top (specifically the top 2-3 inches) decorative rock, pumice, perlite, orchid bark, charcoal, decorative glass, COURSE sand etc. This will keep the gnats out because they don't like to travel through sharp dry substrate.
2. Antifungals. Yes cinnamon is an anti fungal but powdered cinnamon actually retains water and will cause more damage than good. I recommend adding charcoal to your substrate or treating the top with sulphur powder as this does not interupt your watering cycles. And can be used immediately.
3. Sprays that work (but keep in mind you are adding water here) are copper fungicide or a hydrogen peroxide mix (I do a 50/50 mix) a lot of people recommend mosquito bits but it tends to be pricey as you have to consistently use them each time you are watering (I don't use them because I bottom water)
4. If you are going to use cinnamon then use cinnamon sticks broken into smaller chunks and cover the top of the pot with them entirely.
5. Last but not least. Sticky traps. These do not get rid of gnats. They are a monitoring device to get an idea of how many breeding bugs you have. They only work with mature adult gnats who will be actively reproducing so they are a good indicator but not a treatment.
😁That's all from me..💗
Please reach out with any questions.🥰
