Planting or up potting tips.

[Erick Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Erick]

Hi everyone I hope your year is going well. I went out to water my trees outside (potted trees) and was looking at the dirt around the top layer. There was gnats flying out of my soil. I know I got some sand to put around the top of my cuttings inside to try and help this problem. Was wondering what you all do to help with this? Will they try and get in coir as well? What do you do about the bottom holes?
Thanks zone 6b Kentucky

[cis4elk Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close cis4elk]

I usually get some predatory nematodes about this time of year and water all my potted figs a couple times. HomeDepot has a contract with a company, their prices and product are good, especially if you order some other stuff and get free shipping.
Many people just ignore them outside and eventually you'll get something in nature to eat them and make their lives difficult.

[don_sanders Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close don_sanders]

Is this the stuff you are talking about Calvin? http://www.homedepot.com/p/Nema-glob...=gnat+nematode

Does it completely wipe out the fungus gnats?

I've tried using a top layer of sand and mosquito dunks with limited results.

Outside I don't worry about them. Inside I try to eliminate them.

[cis4elk]

Yes. It works pretty good, I use it inside in late winter/early spring as well when I have cuttings going. This year I used a heavy mix of Gnatrol to initially moisten my cupping mix or I would alternately water them the first time with the same heavy Gnatrol mix and that was the only time I ever had to treat the cutting cups because the gnats could never get a foothold in the cups. I used the nematodes on my small figs and other plants that I kept in the sun room over the winter. Once or twice the gnats would start to appear, I would treat them with nematodes and within a week they are pretty much gone. The only thing with the predatory nematodes..it seems there really is the predator-prey relationship. Once they eat up the gnat larvae and there is nothing left in the soil, I guess their numbers must drop out pretty good because 2-3 months later the gnats will start to come back. Between the Gnatrol in the cupping mix and the nematodes I had the least amount of gnats this year. There were some around, but they were never a problem and not even enough to be a nuisance.

I like to treat my outside pots once in the spring/early summer because it really knocks them back. I just can't stand seeing hundreds of fricking gnats running around on my fig pots. By time the gnats make their comeback the pots have a good population of little centipedes going, those things are death on gnat larvae. I could be something else, but it seems the anytime I see a pot with little centipedes I am not seeing much for gnats.

[Rafaelissimmo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rafaelissimmo]

Try gnatrol drench.

[rusty hooks]

once every 3 days with the gnatrol for 3 separate drenches...then dry them out

set up some yellow sticky boards around the trees while you're going through the drenches...to assist with trapping the adults

I add a top spray in between each drench.......your choice...pyrenthium or stronger

I hate little critters, especially wormy little nematoads...can you tell?

[Erick Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Erick]

Well I think they was the gnat babies in the dirt with my first group of cuttings.. I've almost got them under control I hope. I really was wondering how everyone got rid of them.. They get started so fast. Thanks for all of the information..

[jmaler Fig Phenom Find all posts View Profile Close jmaler]

What i use indoors on kitchen counter around fruit. Will work in grow roon around pot plants to some degree. Does not eradicate but helps control.

For me best results is obtained with yellow lid peter pan jar with 1/8 inch hole drilled in center of lid. The liquid is apple cider vinegar.