Fungus gnats in “cooking” soil, mosquito dunks?

[GrassBurner]

My soil is still exploding with life, just not fungus gnats It's not an atomic bomb.

 

[Kind Sir]

If you have a gnat problem you're watering too much or not mulching correctly from my experience. Gnats are part of the decomposition process. If your growing in living soil you will always have some gnats. This is why living mulch is a good idea. It takes the guess work out of things. So the ewc is a good idea, but after that you need mulch over it. Like 3 inches deep. that spot on top of the soil under the mulch is the zone that all biolife grows. Keep it covered. Composted mulch is good, Leaf mould is good. But cover that up so that the bugs in the soil will eat the gnat larva. You get the bugs from decomposition. Hence the entire circle of the soil food web.

However if its out of control a small juice glass with some apple cider vinegar a little bit of warm water and 2 drops of dawn dish soap does act as a very good gnat trap. View attachment 4862130

It’s a coots mix from buildasoil sitting in tubs and a tarp, it’s not a crazy amount but enough where I need to do something about it, maby.

Let’s forget about the gnats for a moment, my plan was to get my flower bed (4x4 or 5x5) and fill it with the soil, worms, and companion plants while my cannabis starts in something smaller, then directly into the flower bed. What should I do?

 

[shroomhaze]

I started top dressing with fresh EWC {thanks to the members who showed me], cover with a bit of mulch and soon Hypoaspis miles start to multiply and eat gnat larvae. It takes some time but I feel it will stay with the soil into my next grow. best of luck...

whats EWC sorry if the question is a little stupid

 

[PadawanWarrior]

whats EWC sorry if the question is a little stupid

Earth Worm Castings. They should have beneficial insects like hypoaspis miles mites which love fungus gnat larvae.

 

[shroomhaze]

Earth Worm Castings. They should have beneficial insects like hypoaspis miles mites which love fungus gnat larvae.

oh k it was on my plan to use regularly so that's good I guess switching over to true organics soon and little paranoid about pests hope I won't have to face much of them

 

[PadawanWarrior]

oh k it was on my plan to use regularly so that's good I guess switching over to true organics soon and little paranoid about pests hope I won't have to face much of them

I get most of my stuff from Build a Soil. I've got a link for $5 off an order if you decide you want something from them. I use their EWC, vermicompost, and all kinds of shit from them.

Craft Blend was the first top dressing I ordered when I started on the organic path.

 

[shroomhaze]

I get most of my stuff from Build a Soil. I've got a link for $5 off an order if you decide you want something from them. I use their EWC, vermicompost, and all kinds of shit from them.

Craft Blend was the first top dressing I ordered when I started on the organic path.

thanks for the heads up but im in EU shipping would be crazy, im gonna try to do everything locally

 

[m4s73r]

It’s a coots mix from buildasoil sitting in tubs and a tarp, it’s not a crazy amount but enough where I need to do something about it, maby.

Let’s forget about the gnats for a moment, my plan was to get my flower bed (4x4 or 5x5) and fill it with the soil, worms, and companion plants while my cannabis starts in something smaller, then directly into the flower bed. What should I do?

Go read my thread. I do exactly this and am going over this style of growing in detail. this https://www.rollitup.org/t/m4s73rs-perpetual-organic-led-grow.1033634/