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help with neem oil question

I saw a single gnat flying around my plants that I was unable to catch and get rid of, so im assuming he found a home in my soil. I want to take some proactive measures and am looking at buying dyna grows pure neem oil and see that it needs to be mixed as its not water soluble, and it looks like they suggest dyna grow Pro Tekt


my question is, does anyone on the forums mix their neem oil with Pro Tekt, or do you just use dish soap

and is the pro tekt safe for vegetables that i plan to eat.
 
A single gnat should not be a reason to deploy the insecticides. Especially since you didn't see where it went nor exactly what it was.

The first rule in insecticide or pesticides use in general is to properly identify the target.
 
I had a severe infestation of fungus gnats on a small pumpkin plant I was growing. I ended up throwing it out, but they somehow made their way inside and started to get into my pepper plants. From what I read, Gnatrol is one of the better solutions. It is organic, but isn't made with neem or cedar oils. I found it on Amazon in smaller repackaged containers for fairly cheap.

Don't use dish soap. It will kill your plants.
 
i also use hydrogen peroxide WalkGood to treat some top soil algae. I think I am going to purchase the dyna gro neem oil and pro tekt just for a proactive measure. From what I read it looks like a lot of people swear by it. Maybe im wrong

I may also order the gnatrol.

Do you think using gnatrol after seeing one gnat is overkill? Bear in mind, i'm using currently no insecticides. Only tap water, MG fertlizers, epson salt's. Ive only got about 30 days left until last frost date and want to ensure my 50 or so plants make it outside.
 
There will be different things that will work. First, as mikeinsc above says, don't overreact. If you do have an ongoing problem, here is what has worked for me:

Neem Oil spray weekly as long as you see evidence. Don't mix in any surfactants like soap or anything. Just warm water and neem oil spray mix per the label (this is 4 tablespoons or 60 milliliters per gallon if using 70% neem oil)

Put a layer of white sand on top of the soil. The bugs don't like going through it to do their thing. Of course try to make sure you aren't using sand with salt in it.

Good luck!

Big Mike

Visit us Online: Knot2Worry.us
 
looks like the active ingredient in AzaMax is azadirachtin, which is the same chemical in Neem Oil.

im also seeing that gnats are most commonly caused by over watering, i'm going to not water for a few days till the plants droop
 
Damn fungus gnats. I'm seriously considering all hydro in the house next planting season. I'll put them in the dirt when May comes.

But I digress, you have been given good advice with Azamax/ Azatrol. They will kill the gnats larvae quick, the trick is making sure all the adults are dead so they can't lay any more eggs. I have been fungus gnats free for several weeks until I came home from work today and saw 5-10 flying around. Looks like I'll spend tonight doing soil drenches.
 
I had a big fungus gnat problem when I was over watering my plants early on. I tried hydrogen peroxide and it didn't seem to do a lot, I put up fly paper, and I watered with pieces of mosquito dunks crushed in the water. This all helped, but it turned out the cheap soil I used initially was infested before I even opened the bag. Now that I'm using better soil the only plants I ever have issues with are the ones that still have a bit of the old brand in it. I've even gone back to watering from the top and still rarely see them now. I think the most important things are watering only when needed and not using soil that has shredded trees or whatever it is that harbors them in it.
 
Using the neem oil with a phosphate free dish soap is fine, you just need a couple drops though. Just enough to lower the surface tension so the oil spreads evenly over the leaves. Don't forget to coat the top and bottom of all the leaves, especially if you're using neem oil as it'll act as a horticultural oil by suffucating insects/eggs. Azadirachtin acts as a natural systemic insecticide, it's absorbed by the leaves then will poison anything feeding on them disrupting their hormone levels. It's not effective against all insects though, so proper identification is important. The difference between neem oil and azamax is azamax solely uses azadirachtin to control the infestation, whereas neem oil uses both the chemical and suffocating properties of hort. oils. The difference between neem oil/azamax and gnatrol is that gnatrol is a bacterial innoculant meant for fungus gnats, it's like unleashing the black plague on them. If you only have a couple though, you're better off letting the pots dry out more between waterings like you've already found out.

They suggest adding Pro-Tekt because it's a potassium/silicon additive, both minerals are needed to build thick cell walls which help prevent insect/fungal/viral problems. You're better off investing in a better environment to grow in first though, better lighting and air flow will make a bigger difference then nutrient additives. Once the environment is dialed in, then it's worth investing in supplements to increase growth. Until then you get more bang for your buck elsewhere.
 
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