Late winter and early spring is a greattime to start seedlings and get the gardeningseason afoot . Growing your seedlings from seed is highly rewarding and can open doors to even more species that are not often found ingarden eye . However , a yoke of problems can sometimes curb the indoor green thumb and seriously affect the succeeder of growing seedling .
Fungus gnats and damping - off are two affliction that ordinarily affect gardeners . However , before you drop money on expensive chemical , the solution to these trouble may be much more low cost that you suspect .
Fungus gnats These lilliputian , grim insect seem innocent enough as they seethe over your industrial plant . While the grownup rarely do any trouble to flora , if the untested larvae are in large numbers , they can damage your seedlings .
Fungus gnat research out moist stain in which to consist their eggs . When the eggs think up , the larvae feed on the roots of your plants . Healthy seedlings will often be capable to withstand this eating , but seedlings with small root systems like onions and leeks and those showing symptoms of nutritive stress can be put back quite importantly .
The easy style to prevent fungus gnats is towater your plantsproperly . Overwatering , which causes your potting mix to remain dampish for extended periods of prison term , seems to attract fungus gnat . If your plant are already infected , set aside the soil to dry out between lachrymation . or else , sprinkle a ¼ ” of sand on top of your dirt to confound the adult . Since the sand drains water quickly , it can sometimes play a joke on the grownup into reckon the filth is teetotal .
Potting mixescontaining peat seem to be particularly touch by fungus gnats . If the problem is reoccurring for you , think about switching from a peat - establish commixture to one that only control perlite and vermiculite . Lastly , if the grownup fungus gnats are annoying , trammel them by make your own sticky yap . The adults are attracted to the color yellow . Make your own viscous hole by daub Vaseline or Tanglefoot on a yellowish surface and hang it up close to where the adults congregate .
Damping-off
Not only will controlling your lacrimation supporter to foreclose fungus gnat , it will forbid the 2d mostcommon problem , damping - off . This condition is make by several kingdom Fungi such as Phtophtora and Pythium .
These kingdom Fungi live at the soil cable , just where air meets the damp soil airfoil . When overwatering keeps your potting grime continuously moist , the fungi attack your seedling . The revealing symptom is a constricted stem , just at or below the dirt open . Once seedlings are infected , they lean to fall over at the soil line .
As mentioned , allowing the soil surface to dry out will go a long fashion in preventing this problem .
If , for some intellect , your potting mix rest smashed for an lengthened menstruum of time , look to your kitchen locker to help foreclose the disease . Cinnamon powder is a natural fungicide and has been shown to be peculiarly effective against damp - off . In addition , Weak camomile tea ( after it has cool down ) is another natural fungicide .
Home Remedies for Fungus Gnat and Damping - Off Control
by Arzeena Hamir
Free Garden Catalog
