help with my plant! my first post

[gusty83]

I have a hab ive been growing since last summer. It did well through the winter but recently lost its kick. I pruned it to give it the extra energy just recently. Since I moved it upstairs it seems to have aquired some type of ailment. I see small winged insects in the soil. I also see even smaller almost microscopic winged insects moving around in the soil. It doesnt seem like a real infestation but there are a small amount of the aforementioned insects throughout. Another thing to keep in mind is an aphid problem this plant has had since I brought it inside. Ive kept that under control via soapy water. Any suggestions for how I may bring it back to full health?

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thanks!

 

[Hot Pooper]

Could be fungus gnats. Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some "mosquito dunks." I broke them up and disolved them a bit in water, then watered my plants. Im assuming you could also sprinkle the top of the soil with it, THEN water. Either way, I did that and hung up some sticky fly traps. I no longer have this problem.
Hope this helps!

 

[gusty83]

Could be fungus gnats. Go to Lowe's or Home Depot and get some "mosquito dunks." I broke them up and disolved them a bit in water, then watered my plants. Im assuming you could also sprinkle the top of the soil with it, THEN water. Either way, I did that and hung up some sticky fly traps. I no longer have this problem.
Hope this helps!

oh my god. thats exactly what they looks like. So these things will inhibit growth or feed on the roots or what? Thanks im going to home depot in an hour or so!

 

[Urban Garden]

Try a product called SM90( kills bugs and fungus issues) if you can find it. It can be used in as spray or as a root application( also in a hydro rez)
Along with that, if you're keeping the soil really wet. Let it dry out a bit more between waterings and take the breading grounds away from
what sounds like maybe fungus gnats. Gnatrol works too but it's not as friendly and is even harder to find in small amounts as most resellers rebottle
small amounts and make their own label from the 2.5 gal it normally comes in.

 

[Siliman]

+1 on the mosquito dunks. Nice organic way to fight the larvae of the funking gnats. I let my dunks sit for a day before use. Throughly drench soil, repeat once a week x 3. Check the run-off water from the container you'll see the tiny larvae swimming around. Gross.

I'd suggest trimming the plant down a bit more, and get it into a sunny location. Add some nutes to the dunk water.

Generally, the gnats won't totally kill a big plant like that, but they will eat some roots and spread around the house.

+1 on the yellow sticky traps. Lay them flat next to your plant and catch the adult flyers. Loads of fun....

 

[Hot Pooper]

Yeah, there are different things you could try. Someone suggested the mosquito dunks to me, so I went to Lowe's, bought them, took 'em home and used. I would say about a week later, no more gnats!

 

[gusty83]

wow thanks. so hopefully it will start growing again. So Im going to trim it down more but i really hate to do that!

 

[Siliman]

wow thanks. so hopefully it will start growing again. So Im going to trim it down more but i really hate to do that!

Well, go with your heart. Supposedly trimming will put more energy into the roots. Might not matter much with a few weeks to go.

FWIW, Many over-wintered plants look like crap right now, especially those of us that live in the northern tier of the country. Once you get her back outside, all will be well.

Are you planning on putting it into the ground or staying in a container?

 

[gusty83]

Well, go with your heart. Supposedly trimming will put more energy into the roots. Might not matter much with a few weeks to go.

FWIW, Many over-wintered plants look like crap right now, especially those of us that live in the northern tier of the country. Once you get her back outside, all will be well.

Are you planning on putting it into the ground or staying in a container?

Hey Im actually going to transplant to a bigger container and have it outside for the summer. I trimmed it down a little bit more and have it under one of those generic grow bulbs. Ive gotten an organic pesticide by ortho. Ive sprayed it down a couple of times the past week. Killed off all the remaining aphids. However, a couple of types of small critters still emerge from the soil once it dries a little bit. The flies seem to be gone, or at least adults arent laying any longer. I did go to lowes and get mosquito dunks, well see if the problem gets any better.

 

[Siliman]

Glad you knocked back the aphids, that is prolly the biggest threat. Stay vigilant, they might return in a week or so.

For the fungus gnats, I would definitely drench your soil with the dunk water. The BTi in the dunks kills only the larvae and it takes about 3 days. Look very closely at the runoff water for any tiny little white larvae flipping around. If you don't see anything, maybe you're good to go. My dozen or so over-wintered plants took 3 treatments because of the stubborn life cycle.

I'm not an outdoor container grower, so maybe others with experience will respond. Perhaps the gnat issue is greatly diminished once outside in the new container. But I wouldn't want to transplant into a new container with the larvae in your old soil. I'd still nuke the lil bastids with the dunk / BTi juice prior to transplant.