Hey everyone! I'm a first-time indoor gardener in zone 7A, planning to start Bell Peppers, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, and Lettuce indoors. I caught a bit of a cold last week, so I'm finally getting around to starting my seedlings this weekend. I recently read about gnats being a potential issue with certain soils and I want to avoid that. I bought the Premier Horticulture Organic Pro Seed Starting mix, but now I'm worried it might attract gnats or fungus larvae. Can anyone suggest a pre-made, sterilized soil mix that's safe for indoor use? I need a solution ASAP since I want to keep the family from worrying about sticky traps popping up everywhere. Thanks a ton!
3 Answers
I totally understand your concerns! My first year with indoor seeds led to a gnats takeover. I started hydrating my seed mix with boiling water; it’s been a game changer. Sure, it kills beneficial bacteria too, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do! As a backup, I add a bit of Mosquito Bits when I up pot and use some yellow sticky traps just in case. You won't get rid of them completely, but it definitely reduces their numbers!
Fungus gnats were a nightmare for me a couple of years back! I started using Mosquito Bits and soaking them overnight in my watering water. That solved all my gnat issues. I stopped boiling the soil too because it wipes out good bacteria. Just some good practices and precaution should keep those pests at bay!
Don't stress too much! Your seedlings will grow just fine without sterilized soil. If bugs are a major concern, you could bake your soil in the oven to kill off any nasties. Sticky traps work wonders too. Just keep an eye on things and you should be good!