I've been dealing with fungus gnats in the soil of my indoor and outdoor potted plants. I'm looking for natural solutions to tackle the problem without using chemical pesticides since I'm growing vegetables. I've heard that coffee grounds might help—does anyone know if that's true? And are there other household items or methods I could try?
2 Answers
One super effective method is to replace all the soil in your plant pots. Just take the plants out, rinse the roots, and replant them in fresh, clean soil. Remember to wash the pots too! If you go this route, just do all your indoor plants at once. Keep the new soil sealed away from the gnats until you're ready to plant. I tried covering the soil with sand and keeping my plants dry, but those didn't work for me. The only real success I've had was with Mosquito Bits soaked in water—then just use that water for your plants. It really does help!
If you're trying to fight those pesky gnats, sticky traps can be really effective for catching the adults. You might also want to look into using BTI (like Gnatrol or Mosquito Bits/Dunks), hydrogen peroxide, or diatomaceous earth. Just a heads-up though: DE can be indiscriminate, so it’s not the best choice for outdoor use. I've heard that putting a thick layer of sand on top of the soil can help as well, but I haven't tried it. Also, try to reduce how often you water, and maybe just bottom-water your plants. Just know that getting rid of them might take some time, so stay persistent!
Thanks for the tips! Is there a particular brand of those products you recommend? I see different types like sprays and powders when I search and I'm a bit confused about which one to use.
Sounds like a big job! ? I'm not sure I can afford to replace all the soil right now, so I think I'll explore those other methods first. How exactly do Mosquito Bits work? Is it a powder you mix in water?