The Enigmatic

i got 2 problems, the first is probably easier delt with than the second. my grow is in the garage, in the back inside another room and i went to check my plants today and i look at the soil to see how dry it is and i see **** moving.....i look closer and there are a lot of these tiny little black GNATS! tiny tiny little bastards, what do i do ? is there any insecticide that wont kill my plants ? the second problem is the leaves seem to be curling downward at the tips & edges with a slight tinge of yellow at the very tip......the lower leaves at the stalk on the very bottom are kinda yellowing too, i have used NO nutes whatsoever.....at 3 weeks old i transplanted them to 5 gallon buckets with fresh soil so i figured they were good for another 3 weeks since the new soil had more nutrients in it, they have been in the new buckets for 2 weeks and have grown quite a bit.....i have peters 20-20-20 that i havent opened yet, should i use 1/4 strength next time i water (in about 3 days) ? i believe they are starting to show preflowers, little millimeter long things sticking out at the nodes (pointing upward)....dunno though, can someone help ? i'm more concerned with the GNATS than with the curling of the leaves, will the GNATS **** my plants up ? thanks for any help

DigitalT

Yellow Sticky paper traps attract those buggers or pyrethum. If you don't mind chemicals I hear Safer brand is the best.

If the soil wasn't prefertilized I'd say it's time for some nutes, but, upward curl is usually lack of nutes. Check this chart, it will show you the way, grasshopper.

http://www.overgrow.com/faq/browse.php?qa=97

The Enigmatic

looks like a cross between the nitrogen deficiency and overwatering but the soil is always dry when i water.....dry like 5" down atleast.........ill try 1/4 strength 20-20-20....

The Enigmatic

at http://users.lycaeum.org/~sky/data/grow/c10.html it claims -
"Gnats are attracted to moist soil that is rich in partially decayed organic matter such as manures. To discourage gnats when using manures, cover the top few inches in the pot with the soil mixture and no manure. Drench the soil with malathion solution for gnats or any other soil pest. Flypaper will also help against gnats as well as whiteflies" i thought malathion was a no no ? that sh*t is hella poisonous, will it ruin the plants ?

DigitalT

I don't use that, you can buy other bugs and good bacteria to kill them. look for a company called "hired bugs" they sell from mantis eggs to bugs that kill gnats and their larvae.

lilbuddie

Dude that is way overkill for gnats ... The Safer Insecticide Soap is cheap and easy to use.


A low amount of gnats present will not really harm your plants though. I think they are more annoying than anything else.... Sipermites and whiteflies no there is a problem

LB

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DigitalT

Look Lil I said safer at the beginning, I was just telling him everything to kill them that I know of.

Pesci

Yes, I have had past experiences with both the insecticidal soap and the safe insects. Both have been positive. I think the safe insects are best for outside plants. They are more useful in a long term prevention plan except for the lady bugs. I think they come as larvae? and continue to hunt into adulthood. The insecticidal soap is excellent when immediate results are needed though. Ive had to use it on inside grows as well. Just didnt use that much. As far as the curling up, I think all the previous suggestions are possiblities along with a Mg deficiency. Ive run into it several times using normal potting soil and many liquid fertilizers usually dont have enough of it. I always add a little to my fert just in case

The Enigmatic

i think im gonna hit it with some malathion, spray the entire inside of the garage with the sh*t too....i don't want any more probs with pests. i wonder how the bastards got in though ? in the garage then inside a back room....my plants smell like horses, maybe that did it ? horse flies next ? i'll try epsom salts & peters 20-20-20, how much epsom ? grow on.

Rummy13_1

OK i'm reading my growers hand book as i go ...
epsom salts are to cure magnesium deficiency ... it is recomended to be used at a rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon of water ... i think i went stronger than that, but is not recomended.
I thought you could kill Gnats easy, ... just let the soil at the top of the pots dry out between waterings, ... end of Gnats ? no ???