Mold and Fungus Gnats - How To Deal With Them Indoors - Pepper Geek
Vložit
- čas přidán 5. 08. 2024
- Get our new eBook!
peppergeek.com/ebook
Join Patreon and grow with us:
/ peppergeek
In this video, we're talking about a few common problems with indoor growing. Namely, mold and fungus gnats. Most molds love damp, moist, stuffy conditions, and fungus gnats do too. Learn some of the techniques we use to deal with these issues during seed starting and growing pepper plants inside.
*************************************
Products mentioned (affiliate links):
Yellow sticky traps:
amzn.to/37fWP3s
Mosquito bits:
amzn.to/3CDKpOt
Seed starter mix (choose one without added nutrients):
amzn.to/37ezb7t
Clip on fan (our 'Lasko' brand fan is super quiet on the lowest setting):
amzn.to/3t5j18T
*************************************
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:53 About mold and fungus
1:33 How to deal with mold
4:24 Damping off disease
5:18 Fungus gnats
*************************************
Thanks for watching Pepper Geek!
#peppers #mold #fungusgnats #problems #growing - Jak na to + styl
Had terrible fungus gnats in my house plants, finally found something that worked. Just put an inch of sand on the top of your soil (obviously for larger plants). Water from the bottom, spray neem oil on the soil and then add the sand. It stops the cycle and we now have ZERO gnats.
Mold is gold.... soil life is super
Okay so… to avoid fungus gnats, I mixed my own starting mix this year, and poured boiling water in it to get it wet. You can also bake your seed starting mix. So far, I’m fine, and I have a ton of starts indoors! I also take the lid off of my trays as soon as I see the starts come up. And yes, watering less often! When I water, I remove the starts from their trays, put them in another tray for watering for about 20 mins, and then put them back so they aren’t sitting in water. Fungus gnats were a big problem for me last year, but so far I’m good this year!!
ah thanks [=
This also kills all the microbial life
Try crushed vermiculite. It kills fungus gnat larva. I also put peroxide in my watering spray bottle.
Boiling water!
@@donhorak9417 yep! It’s worked for me ever since! The year I made that comment and ever since, I’ve never had a problem with gnats. All my plants turn out healthy, too.
I’ve never had this issue likely because I pour boiling water in any seed start mix I buy and when I make my own. Learned it from steve at the rusted garden channel. Certain bugs will eat the roots. Why I love to learn from numerous master gardeners. This channel is great too.
Great tips, I used multiple methods. Boiled water to help kill, cinnamon, top dressing vermiculite, bottom water with misquote bit tea, sticky traps and a fan.
Love the video guys…. Definitely gonna check the book out…
Thanks for the info. Now I'm ready to get started!!😁👍
Just wanted to say thank you, because your videos helped me save my plants! I had just finishing transfering my pepper plants to their outdoor pots when we got hit with several days of rain. Cue the mold and droopy yellow leaves. I let them dry out and applied cinnamon and luckily they've bounced back! A couple of them even have around a dozen peppers growing already. The squirrels also seem to dislike the cinnamon as well. This is my first time growing so I've been obsessing a bit haha. Thanks again!
That is great, glad the plants are bouncing back and starting to fruit for ya!
Thanks for those amazing tips
Omg thank you so much this is exactly what I needed right now
I've had horrible fungus gnats...My wife is ready to toss ALL our plants because it's gotten so bad. We've done it all, including taking our plants outside, un-potting, rinsing the root system and re-potting in NEW pots with "sterilized indoor potting soil", which is crazy expensive. We've tried to bake the soil, we've tried the boiling water, we've even tried (horrors) malathion, all with NO LUCK. We're sick of it to be honest, but I don't want to lose all my plants. I've got at least 20 BIG amaryllis that I've been growing for 20 years now (started from 2 bulbs), I've got some Peace Lily's (though, those might just have to go, they aren't doing well at all...well, the 20 year old one is doing OK, but the newer ones just don't like what I'm doing), and of course our basil plants that I clone over the winter to get them a head start for the spring (we make LOTS of pesto at our house)...ready to do a 100% start over after a few months of not having any plants...maybe then we'll be able to have some luck...
Gravels a good one to put on top of the compost, I use decorative gravel, probs wouldn't recommend it for seedlings but mature plant it works awesome for me as the flys cant get access to the soil, gets rid of em pretty quick cos they cant bury the eggs 🙂
So excited to try the mosquito dunks!! Thank you. I think I'll make a "trap" flower pot, with very wet soil and plenty of mosquito dunks. 😍
I grow Sundew plants (Drosera) in my grow tent along with my seed starts to keep the Fungus gnats under control. They do a good job and get well fed.
What I notice about fungus gnats is that, some potting soil or any growing medium you may have purchase may contain them in some while others don't. Observe which brand or substrate that have them to avoid adding more of them in the future.
What solved my fungus gnat issue is cold drafts. Growing indoors, certain locations of the house can be more suitable for certain creatures to thrive while causing some to leave. In my experience the gnats have disappeared when I moved my plants to a drafty area. My theory is the drafts made some airflow preventing mold, however, mushrooms ended up growing in the soil of some pots. It may not work for others but for my setup it worked.
Put a thin layer of sand across the top of your pots. Its cheaper than cinnamon.
Thanks for the quality content!
It's our pleasure
Bassilus thuringiensis for gnats.
Also
The more fungal growth on my soil the better. Cover crop and mulch with worms in it too. Happy growing.
Beneficial nematodes are a great defense for various things. Strong microbial life in the soil helps boost the plants immune system and helps deter pests and sickness too
I have zero issues with mold and gnats (or even spider mites).
All my sprouts are bottom watered and I use up to 2 inches of sand on top.
There is also a gentle fan providing a breeze.
If needed, I do have gnat sticky fly traps. I've only needed those on one or two occasions.
I live directly next to a forest.
I don't live next to a forest but it's rural enough that we don't have street lights and we do see lots of coyotes and other animals 😜 however. ..we Never had an issue either ...when Ive seen a sign of mold in my domes I take it off and get rid of top layer and then let it dry out for a day then Usually see sprout soon after . If no mold or any other issues I let everything stay under the done until they get true leaves then I transplant to bigger pots
Good idea I'll try the sand track later in the year when I bring any survivors back in the house to over winter....
This year got totally serious. So frustrated with battling the gnats. It's my own fault for loving houseplants that continue the problem. Moved 95% of the plants down to my house. They will be in quarantine for about three months.
Using a nice layer of rice hulls definitely helped with the fungus gnats. And of course, those yellow strips for good measure and to see if they're there. Sometimes by the time you notice if you don't have those strips, your soil will be a fungus gnat farm
Also good to use UVc in light spectre or use to treat more powerful lamp. That is used on in greenhouses.
I've been having luck with surfacing the seed trays with perlite.
It blocks the light to prevent mold and makes the surface inaccessible to the gnats.
Perlite on top of seeds helps. Also I used fungus gnats nematodes that I got on Amazon. They really made the difference.
They work out pretty well then? I've been thinking about going that route instead of using chemicals I use Neem oil but still would like to be more efficient.
You can also add a layer of sand to kill larva. Or diatomaceous earth
Or get yourself a few Sundews to control the gnats and the fruit flies. (Sundews are a common carnivorous plants which are a living flypaper. They catch the flies and then digest them.) And they are fun to watch too. Very easy to grow.
I always get white/green aphids. Whether I'm growing indoors or out until I get everything established outside and he ants figure out they're there. The yellow stickys work for me with the gnats, pretty well. But they don't help with aphids except for the mature flying ones. So I just spray with dish soap from day one and cover the tops of soils with diatomaceous earth. Bottom water as much as possible.
I had a problem with aphids last fall too, when I brought some plants in from outside without proper disinfection and quarantining, and ended up getting rid of the affected plants. More recently I've also noticed tiny brown and black beetles on the bottoms of leaves and husks from some tiny insect molting on the tops of the leaves (perhaps from those beetles). I thought the beetles were just dirt until I looked at a leaf under a microscope. This winter has been quite an ordeal and I'm looking forward to moving everything outdoors where beneficial insects can help me again.
I'm dealing with mold right now. I just started my seeds yesterday.
you can use the fruit fly trap idea, but with just water and dish soap. Gnats are looking for moisture and drown instead. I will agree with bottom watering and sterilizing your soil before planting. I use the boiling water trick and it works great, no infestation this year.
I always use a bit of white wine in a saucer, and it works beautifully to trap gnats. Someone told me white wine works well because it is slightly sour and the gnats love it.
Going to try your method next time those pesky things trouble me. 👍🏻
At the beginning of each season the temp waffles quite a bit and occasionally my expectation of warm days leads to damp soil. This is especially problematic with other less hearty herbs I grow. My measures include bunches of yellow traps, occasional watering with a light peroxide solution (several sites show the breakdown) and 1" of cactus soil on top. Once plants + containers are large enough and the warmer weather picks up It's not really an issue.
I really enjoy your videos. Last year was my first shot at the pepper game and they did amazingly well. Had only one out of 5 overwinters fail this spring. Bought way too many new pepper plants this year. If they do well I'll be watching all your "what to do with all these dang peppers" videos you have. Thanks so much.
If you ever have too much dry them.. Its great
@@beeMeAlways YES! This reminds me, I still have some dried chili to grind. Lately I've been using the dehydrator for dog treats but originally the purchase was for herbs and chili.
I watered my houseplants with one part peroxide (Dollar store) to four parts water. It kills the eggs in the dirt and doesn’t hurt the plant. Repeat a second time a week later. Worked great.
Then if you see a few more knots flying around, Spray with water, a little vinegar and dish soap. Gone!
Thank you , I will be trying this method!
2nd year gardener here, haven't had to deal with fungus gnats yet, but I just got my first jug of Mosquito Bits
Excellent, glad to hear things are growing well. We've used that technique as well, a small layer of peat/coir on top for germination with nutrient-rich media below
@Pepper Geek Hey I left a comment on this video...BTi is NOT a chemical toxin.
BTi stands for Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis...it is a bacteria
Lol, state bird. Good one
The number one trick is UVB and you can get that from CMH lights lots of airflow fans
I'm not sure how this affects nutrients but after being plagued by F. Gnats for years, I started sanitizing my soil with boiling water before use. I've never had an issue since.
Only do with seed start mix or soil without nutrients as boiling kills everything good and bad.
I do it for starting seeds as a given 👍🏽
ive only seen the mold on top when using sterile potting mix combined with a granular organic fertilizer it just molded like crazy. i got the impression soil needs biology to use the fertilizer or else mold will take over with no competition, since i never had the problem when un-sterile compost was in the mix
Interesting take - thanks for sharing
I never knew that about cinnamon I’m going to us that hack!!
I have a few plants inside a grow tent and lucky to only have those annoying flies. Im using an organic potting mix from Home Depot. I have trapped some in a tiny cup of oil. But i need to treat the soil too. Next time I will bake my potting mix to kill all bugs
Here in Sweden we have this thing called nemablom witch is nematods that eats the fungus gnats larva
Here in America we have gnatrol, nematodes as well. Super effective!
@@SeventhSamurai72 great!
I have allot of success by using Neem oil ☺️👌
I've got some perlite, and started adding some to the top of the soil. Not sure if it's helping yet. I don't have one of those yellow sticky tape things but I did hang up a regular flytrap and it's caught quite a few.
I used peroxide, and sticky fly paper, to get rid of my gnats this year. Yeppers, I did it. They wiped out so many of my plants, that I had to replant some of them 3 times. I was done with it. Threw my soil in a kiln and heated it to 260° for 2 hours, and treated it all with peroxide. It worked.
I spray my soil with diluted vinegar whenever I see mold popping up, combined with less frequent bottom watering it works great for me.
Im getting white mold on my soil thanks for the tips. But im worried about damping off disease. My temps in my tent are 21-24° during the day when my light is on but at night they drop to 17-19 when the light is off. My humidity runs at 80-90% and my plants are in the basement so they get colder at night. What could i do to make my tent warmer other then moving it? Or should i be worried?
Good content like the beard by the way.
A fan definitely helps...less air circulation, more likely you're gonna have some kinda mold. Also peppers don't need that much water they'll let you know when they're thirsty. The leaves will start to sag a little bit like they're some new age hipster. Lmao
Do you guys offer a physical version of your book? Would love to buy one if it exists
I had a problem with fungus gnats last year and now what I do is top the compost with either coco coir or sand and touchwood I've not had any problems with fungus gnats so far
Gnatrol is a bit pricey but works quickly to kill an infestation. I have not had near as good results with the mosquito bits.
I found instead of using fertilizer in my starts. I use bagged worm castings. I started tomatoes/peppers in repurposed yogurt containers and had the most healthy starts ever. I didn't have to pot up and didn't have any gnats.
Awesome .
Do you poke holes in bottom of container and water from below ?
@@jasongCLJ Yes, the best way to water.
From my experience sundews are the best against fungus gnats. I assume nepenthes may work similarly, but I haven't tried those.
So the misquote bits don't cause any issues with the edible plants? Been wondering if that was a ting for a few months now.
One way I deal with the gnats (both types) is use 3% peroxide (usually the main type you see in stores) in a 1 to 4 ratio mix of water...ex 4 cups of water gets 1 cup of peroxide. The peroxide provides oxygen which helps the soil and kills the eggs and larva.
Do you recommend heating pads?y grow tent is in my basement and is significantly colder than the rest of the house. I’m in Ohio so it’s pretty cool here. I would say the temp runs from 63-69.
Use a jar, punch a hole in the lid, paint the lid bright yellow like the strips, cover with plastic wrap and use a pin to poke a few holes in the plastic above the hole that was punched in the lid, fill jar with apple cider vinegar. Works like a charm for both fruit flies and fungus gnats. It's true, it doesn't take care of what's in the soil, but it takes care of the flies and Will stop the cycle in a few days...
What's your thoughts on a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide for gnat larvae? I used it last year and it seemed to help
What is the best organic fertilizer for peppers? ( make at home )😊💚💚
Do fungus gnat eggs go dormant? I never had an issue until last year. I watered a potted plant and within days, I had a massive swarm of them. We did not see any gnats before that incident so it is weird. I can't imagine they managed to breed and grow that many in that short time.
At 7:36, you say mosquito bits use a toxin, but they are a bacteria. Also, I find they work better when allowed to brew like a tea for a day or two in water.
He is correct... I read here online to get some apple cider vinegar and dish soap and I put it out and they didn't touch it one bit so apple cider vinegar does not work on fungus Nats. And the source did say fungus Nats so I was kinda disappointed that he didn't know what he was talking about ( when I say source I mean the other person that told me to use the apple cider vinegar with fungus Nets not the guy in this video.. the guy in this video knows what he's talking about )
Thank you for tips! I have used nematodes to fight off gnats. Have you tried that in the past?
We haven't, but I have heard of it and several other commenters mentioned that they use them as well. If we end up with a bad enough problem we may have to give it a try
How to get beneficial fungus like mycorrhizal and how will i know if my soil have beneficial bacteria
Have you used hydrogen peroxide for the gnat phase in the soil?
Cool beard!
I have got fungus gnat in my coco peat bag. My plants are grown up. How to remove them.
Hi, i have a question about how you treat a overwintered pepperplant. I know seedlings need to harden before you let them go outside full time, but do the overwintered plants need this? I did put them out today and one of them got ''floppy'' leafs (even tho it was only 12 celcius outside. It feels like thay dont need it, but since thay have been inside for sometime now would it make sence to give them a slow start to the outside world again? there is a 1000 of things i would like to know about overwintered plants, i dont want to lose my fav pepper plant :) Would be super nice get some tips and answers.
I think the plants need to be moved outside slowly and put in shade at first. Good luck
Aye first comment lol any tips on a composter
Ok what about using hydrogen peroxide to treat mold n fungus?
Referring to The soil you added nutes too, is that mold or mycelium from beneficial fungi?
Mycelium is not fuzzy, it has a more opaque white color. Mold is fuzzy and usually shows up in splotches
Another pro tip - always microwave any soil that you plan on using for seed starter. Even if it is packaged and sealed. This kills off any potential eggs that may be in the soil.
Why not use boiling water? The microwaves emitted from the microwave...might just kill any good microbes the soil.
Awesome video, thank you! From (probably excessively) trying to kill our fungus gnat larvae, I fear we've stunted our Peppers by overwatering. They clung to life and came back, but don't ever seem to get taller than 2" now. Is there hope? We overwatered them with Mosquito bit tea for clarification 😄 Thanks!
What ended up happening?
@@stinky_lizard I wonder also what happened? Guess no one will answer🙃🙃🙃
About those mosquito bits…they seem to work but I find that the substrate that the BTi is distributed on can itself cause mold/fungus. It is a nutrient so I make a tea and water with that. 4 tablespoons of mosquito bits in a gallon of luke warm water, mix vigorously, let steep for 1-2 hours and then filter through a kitchen filter, I got a nice one on Amazon, stainless steel with nylon mesh. I took some of the residue that was captured on the filter and place it in a covered Petri dish. I allowed it to incubate in my grow room at ~78F for a few days and I observed thread like fluffy white fungus/mold growth. I didn’t try to feed it to fungus gnats, but I imagine that they would find it tasty. I have since then found a source of concentrated BTi that I can directly dilute with my watering water. So far it also seems to work.
Try neem cake. It's the only thing that worked for me.
Thank you, great info. Here in the Colorado high plains the winters are brutal. I move plants indoors in the fall. Gnats come in with the plants. I get beneficial nematodes from hydro-gardens Inc, and within a week 95% are gone. Shortly after that they all disappear.
Interesting - how are the nematodes applied/released into the grow space? Via watering?
i used this method too. this or lacewings depending on the availability in my state
@@PepperGeek you release through watering. the ones i use is powder mixed in 2 gal water then place on top
@@PepperGeek yes, they come on a 2"x4" sponge that you put in water, then you mix that water into a watering can. Put a little of that water into each plant. The flies become infected and everywhere they go they spread the nematodes. The most effective solution I've found after years of being buzzed in the face (why do they fly in our face!?)
Yes! No love for my nematode bro's?! I had a huge problem with fungus gnats last year. I got a little pack of 6 million nematodes and did 3 treatments which completely eradicated them. Cheap, and I had great fun releasing my personal army of nematodes. I bought a pack this year and have been using them preventatively - no sign of any gnats.
Just use a pesticide like permethrin for the gnats.
Wondering if sprinkling a layer of vermiculite you help against mold and fungus growth?.
Probably, but feeding with nutrients over the top may still lead to some mold growth
Hi Pepper Geek - my pepper plant seedling's leaves turned black and I have no idea why. There doesn't seem to be too many examples online. Roots look healthy. Top leaves in the center are still green. It doesn't look like leaf scorch. Has anyone else experienced this?
I think its normal for Some peppers, i have seen pics online
Cover the top of the soil with perlite, the adult gnatts cant get down to lay their eggs and they eventually die out
It seems to me that fungus gnats are more of a nuisance than a real pest.
I have never seen them harming healthy pepper plants. But I suppose very young seedlings might be at risk. Or maybe they just die because of the conditions that happen to also attract fungus gnats (too moist, to many nutrients, mold).
The larvae are the problem. They eat the roots so can damage the tiny seedling's growth.
@@steveegbert7429 As a pest control professional, I must disagree. Fungus gnats eat fungus, hence the name. P n G is right; the conditions beneficial for fungus are detrimental to seedlings. The gnats are actually helping to slow the growth of the fungus. If you kill the gnats without fixing the environmental factors, the fungus will grow faster and kill the plants even more quickly. At least that's been my experience.
Fungus gnat larvae eat seeds from the inside out.
Are mosquito bits safe to use on vegetables? i didn't see that listed on the packaging
Yes they’re considered safe for veggies
@@PepperGeek thank you
Nothing wrong with fungi that's gold lol
I know it sounds odd, but baking your soil will kill any fungus gnat eggs. I just toss some in the oven in a casserole dish, set it to 400, and leave it for 45 - 1 hr. That does the trick.
Thats what i read online. Baking the soil will kill any bugs
@@MiguelY22 True. You do want to keep in mind that it also kills any beneficial organisms, so I wouldn't use this method if you're adding soil to your outdoor garden; it is helpful when starting seedlings, though.
Mosquito bits fixes the nat problem
Couldn't some of that mold just be mycorrhizal or otherwise beneficial fungi?
YOOOOO sick beard
Thanks! It’s a seasonal thing 😄
The best thing of all is to prevent the gnats in the first place. Strict quarantines on anything brought inside is well worth the trouble if you are going to have plants inside all winter, I wish I had taken that to heart last November. Fungus gnats are almost impossible to eradicate, the best I've been able to do is control them somewhat.
Cinnamon has a second benefit I've heard of, which is to repel fungus gnat adults. I used it some last year, with some success. This year I am trying several techniques and still have big problems with fungus gnats; so far Mosquito Bits do not seem to be helping me at all, and when I resorted to top-watering to use them it actually made things worse, at least in the short run. Their instructions say to soak them in water, filter out the bits, and water your plants with it, I will try doing that with bottom watering next. I also tried a horticultural oil spray, which kills adults and larvae near the surface, but can damage or kill young seedlings if it gets on new leaves, which I found out the hard way. Yellow sticky traps are the best I've found so far, they are great for monitoring and killing some percentage of nearby adults, just be careful to keep them away from leaves.
Perlite on the surface to just cover the soil…gnats can’t get to dirt but you can still top water if necessary. Stops 99% of the problem.
I couldn't imagine being a new grower and thinking mycelium is a bad thing. Certainly can't imagine telling someone to kill it off. Literally taking the life out of living soil...
Not having trouble with those, but I am having trouble with thrips. 😣😣😣
Yep, those can be brutal as well. If they're indoors, spray them off in the tub, and potentially use an insecticidal soap on a regular basis to reduce their numbers. Sterilizing new soil can help, but they often come in from houseplant soil or potting mix
@@PepperGeek The thrip nymphs are worse, I am having to peel them off with soapy water on a cotton swab. Spraying did not work. I hopefully have them under control now, but this was a nightmare! I think they're even worse than spider mites.
I use cinnamon on mine .no problem.
Are you sure that’s mold ? Not beneficial mycorrhiza?
Good fungus lives in the soil. Mold lives on the surface.
my guy looks exhausted
Although the sound is great, that microphone is quite distracting.
Would you sell me fresh peppers super hots can't find anymore
No sorry we don't sell fresh pods
Use boiling water….add it to your potting mix to hydrate it. Have not had a single creature in my plants to date.
A light layer of CLEAN sand will deter gnats.
I have a bag of new sand i can try that with
@@MiguelY22 I would wash it either way to be safe. Vermiculite works too.
………… mold???? Sprinkle cinnamon on the soil
Use an ionizer in the room for 35 minutes
Nats are a PITA rule one dont over water rule 2 use top dressing rule 3 allow drying of medium between waters( i now thee are times you can't) rule 4 don't over water, rule 5 kill nat adults rule 6 don't over water. thats the 6 rules for nats some do repeat based on importance.
Damn, this dude grows peppers like this and doesn’t know the white mold is mycelium and good…. The green algae is a clear indicator of overwatering…