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killing pests


Question
i am growing indoors and have got little black flys how can i get rid of them preferably none chemical but will use chemical

Answer
Ray,

The bugs are fungus gnats. They are there because the soil is too wet and the roots may be beginning to rot. Set the plants in the sink and remove the drain tray to drain as
much water as possible. Then do not water the plant till the soil feels very dry. If you want to let me know what kind of plants they are I will be happy to let you know how often they should be getting watered.  

You can also pick up a bag of horticultural charcoal and a bag of perlite at you garden center. Then gently unpot the plants and remove as much potting soil as possible without disturbing the roots too much. Then mix the soil with the same amount of perlite and add a handful of charcoal. Then repot the plant with the newly mixed soil.  Your soil will
drain better and not attract fungus gnats in the future.

Just drying out the soil will get rid of the gnats if you can be patient. If not put some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the surface of the soil with it. You will kill any fungus gnats that it hits on contact. But that is only a temporary fix. Keep your plants dryer and they will go away. Two hours after you water your plants dump the water out of the drain tray so the plants are not sitting in water and they are less likely to be overwatered. More plants are killed by too much water than by too little! Good luck.

Darlene Kittle

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