Moldy potting soil

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Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
Got some happy frog soil I purchased a year ago that has white mold on top. From what I've been reading it should be all gd to use. I'm just worried about mold spores during late bloom. Will they effect my plants during flowering or is it a different form of mold that attacks the plant? Hoping someone can weigh in on it.

My plan is to remove most of the mold then mix it up and use. I also plan to sterilize and reuse some older soil from my last grow. Any thoughts/help is greatly appreciated.
 
conor c

conor c

Well-Known Member
Grow Monster said:
Got some happy frog soil I purchased a year ago that has white mold on top. From what I've been reading it should be all gd to use. I'm just worried about mold spores during late bloom. Will they effect my plants during flowering or is it a different form of mold that attacks the plant? Hoping someone can weigh in on it.

My plan is to remove most of the mold then mix it up and use. I also plan to sterilize and reuse some older soil from my last grow. Any thoughts/help is greatly appreciated.
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Thats nothing to worry about it it just shows your compost has life in it
 
G

Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
TCH said:
If you sterilize it, you may as well just use some yard dirt.
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I'm sterilizing cus I had a bad gnat problem I believe came with the soil. Bought alot of it that I don't wanna toss cus of cost. I plan to add nutes and mychorizea to restart the living soil. From what I've read online microwave sterilization doesn't kill nutes or beneficials. Its says it's helpful in alot of ways, killing bugs, bacteria and some forms of fungi. Thought I'd try it but of course would rather hear from someone that knows more then myself on the subject.
Is there a better way to treat the infested soil? I've tried all the goto stuff for gnats but want a fresh start without them.
 
weedstoner420

weedstoner420

Well-Known Member
Grow Monster said:
I'm sterilizing cus I had a bad gnat problem I believe came with the soil. Bought alot of it that I don't wanna toss cus of cost. I plan to add nutes and mychorizea to restart the living soil. From what I've read online microwave sterilization doesn't kill nutes or beneficials. Its says it's helpful in alot of ways, killing bugs, bacteria and some forms of fungi. Thought I'd try it but of course would rather hear from someone that knows more then myself on the subject.

Is there a better way to treat the infested soil? I've tried all the goto stuff for gnats but want a fresh start without them.
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In organic soil, fungus gnats are more of a nuisance than they are a threat to your plants. Two easiest things to try are (1) letting the top few inches of soil get nice and dry for a few days, and (2) Mosquito Bits (available at your local hardware store). They're a specific strain of bacteria that kills mosquito and fungus gnat larvae. Make a tea with a handful or so of mosquito bits per gallon of water, let it soak overnight, shake it up, water it in, and scratch the remaining bits into the soil surface.
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Disregard those unnecessary steps in using that soil.
Any “ fungus “ or “mold “ you think you are seeing is perfectly normal - in fact it is extremely beneficial as it shows the microbial life is thriving.

Zapping the soil in the microwave is counter intuitive - kill the soil then re-amend it with new myco ?

Fungus gnats happen - Add neem meal to your soil bags. I add to every bagged soil medium i get. They can infect pallet loads and enter from outside storage of product. Neem meal can be made as a simple soil drench too - mixing up a simple solution to add to a potted container when needed.
 
G

Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
weedstoner420 said:
In organic soil, fungus gnats are more of a nuisance than they are a threat to your plants. Two easiest things to try are (1) letting the top few inches of soil get nice and dry for a few days, and (2) Mosquito Bits (available at your local hardware store). They're a specific strain of bacteria that kills mosquito and fungus gnat larvae. Make a tea with a handful or so of mosquito bits per gallon of water, let it soak overnight, shake it up, water it in, and scratch the remaining bits into the soil surface.
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Tried mosquito bits and neem oil. It seemed to work after about 4 weeks of constant back and forth with the 2 of em. Some gnats can be tolerable but I had an infestation. Should be better using them as a preventative before an issue exists.
 
Budzbuddha

Budzbuddha

Well-Known Member
Grow Monster said:
Is it any different then using the neem oil? I'm reading it's npk is 612. I see some down to earth time release and some powder form. Which do u suggest?
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IMG_5052.jpegIMG_5053.jpeg

When I buy more than a few bags of retail soil ( FFOF / happy frog / Kellogg / dr. Earth / etc. ) - I dump into a large plastic tote ADD the Neem meal / extra perlite - pumice and mix it thoroughly. Seal tote and store for use.

Container soil filling is pretty straightforward using the “ amended “ soil you choose. No liquids necessary.
However you can still scratch in a small amount into the topsoil ( top dress ) as needed. Yellow stickies are still important to drop the adult flyers ( egg layers ).
 
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G

Grow Monster

Well-Known Member
Budzbuddha said:
View attachment 5330238View attachment 5330239

When I buy more than a few bags of retail soil ( FFOF / happy frog / Kellogg / dr. Earth / etc. ) - I dump into a large plastic tote ADD the Neem meal / extra perlite - pumice and mix it thoroughly. Seal tote and store for use.

Container soil filling is pretty straightforward using the “ amended “ soil you choose. No liquids necessary.
However you can still scratch in a small amount into the topsoil ( top dress ) as needed. Yellow stickies are still important to drop the adult flyers ( egg layers ).
Click to expand...
Thanks for advice. I will try your recommendation instead of the microwave sterilization.
 
rasterman

rasterman

Member
Grow Monster said:
I'm sterilizing cus I had a bad gnat problem I believe came with the soil.

[Snip]

Is there a better way to treat the infested soil? I've tried all the goto stuff for gnats but want a fresh start without them.
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With living soil you're bound to get a few gnats. If you get some rove beetles and beneficial nematodes you'll never have enough to worry about.

I don't mix it with water like the instructions say. I sprinkle it on top of the soil below the mulch and mix it in a little bit with my fingers and make sure it's moist. I also transfer dirt between pots to innoculate. It's been almost a year since I bought them. I don't know if the nematodes are still around, but I saw a rove beetle yesterday and only occasionally see fungus gnats flying around.
 
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