Fuego012
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Yes you can. You are going to kill all the microbes at the same time. I would look at adding beneficial insect and nematodes instead.This may be a dumb a question…
Is it okay to sterilize roots organics soil ? I’m trying to make sure that I don’t have any fungus gnats or any other types of pest larvae in my soil before I transplant my seedlings, but I’m thinking baking the soil will kill all the microbial life in it . Bake ? Or dont bake ?
Fuego
Would that make the soil p.h lean towards alkaline?I found a way to eradicate fungus gnats: baking soda. Sprinkle it lightly on the soil and moisten it enough for it to penetrate about a half inch into the soil. The fungus gnat larvae eat it and die. It needs to be repeated several times up to at least 17 days, which is the life cycle length of the gnats.
This works. I applied baking soda three times on my current grow. The last application was 17 days after the first. I haven't seen a gnat since.
That’s seem like a way better idea than baking , thank you .Yes you can. You are going to kill all the microbes at the same time. I would look at adding beneficial insect and nematodes instead.
Just open the bag and let it dry out for a weekThis may be a dumb a question…
Is it okay to sterilize roots organics soil ? I’m trying to make sure that I don’t have any fungus gnats or any other types of pest larvae in my soil before I transplant my seedlings, but I’m thinking baking the soil will kill all the microbial life in it . Bake ? Or dont bake ?
Fuego
I considered that, and haven't noticed a pH problem. It's certainly not worse than the gnats themselves. My plants are doing well, and that's the best indication of success I know. The gnat larvae eat it, so it could be changed by them digesting it. The gardening advice articles that recommend it haven't mentioned soil pH as being an issue, probably because it's used in relatively small amounts. I used a few tablespoons, at most, with 5-gallon pots of soil. Ultimately, the effect on the pH of the soil most likely depends on the soil. So, with healthy soil, the effect is most likely trivial to negligible.Would that [baking soda] make the soil p.h lean towards alkaline?
That probably would work. The gnats reportedly occupy the upper area of the soil. Can that scraping be done without damaging the roots? Could larvae migrate to the new soil?Scrape away the top 1.5-2” of soil. Replace with fresh out of the bag pasteurized pre mixed soil. Done and dusted.
I understand gnat eggs can remain dormant for months. They can't live in dry soil, though. So, that works if the soil is dry enough for long enough. Apparently, they can survive in moist soil in the bags for months without reproducing. They need to fly to reproduce.Just open the bag and let it dry out for a week
I don't want to remove soil, but I understand what you're saying. That top layer is where the larvae thrive. It's the best place to kill them. That's why sprinkling baking soda and spraying lightly with water is so effective.Hey LG,
scrape away as much as you can. Top dress the fresh soil with diatomaceous earth. Pretty easy to control.
Definitely.Top dress with DE. Don’t mix in.
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