Growing Daylilies Together

Does anyone have any great recommendations for controlling insects? In previous years, I've had a BIG problem with fungas gnats when I start my seeds in our basement. I've used 4 -5 fly strips in the past and had to change them at least once a week as they were loaded with thousands of those nasty buggers.
And they were still flying around everywhere. I've tried sprays before but hate the smell and they couldn't be doing much for my lungs either in a closed environment.

This year, I've tried something different, Bayer Advanced Insect Killer (Home Depot) and it works GREAT! Just takes a tablespoon per gallon of water and you water your plants with it. Kills surface insects in 24 hours and soil borne insects for up to three months, which means it goes a long way.

I started my seeds mid December and have only seen 4-5 gnats in all this time and figure those came from my bag of potting soil. Gnats are not even listed on the bottle of what all this product kills. I highly recommend it.

Becki

So far I haven't had the problem. Melanie Mason suggested to me when I first started growing dls from seed to mix the Promix with hot/boiling water before planting the seeds in it. Just let the mix cool down before putting the seeds in. The hot water is suppose to kill any eggs that might have gotten into the mix.
However, if I do see any gnats, I'll remember your recommendation.

I put a layer of vermiculite and a layer of perlite on top of the pro-mix. The result? NO FUNGUS GNATS. They can't access the fungal mycelium in the peat, the vermiculte and perlite act as a physical barrier. No chemicals and 100% effective, what's not to love?

You have to apply the layers when you sow your seeds otherwise it's pretty messy.

I will be trying both of these suggestions as I have tried the boiling water and still ended up with the fungus gnats and they drove me crazy!

I WAS WONDERING HOW THICK THE LAYERS OF VERMICULTE AND PERLITE HAVE TO BE?

I COULD NOT FIND ANY PROMIX AROUND WHERE I LIVE AND ENDED UP FIRST USING MIRACLE GROW AND THEN I GOT SOME SOIL FROM A LOCAL NURSERY WHO MIX UP THEIR OWN SOIL. SEVERAL OF THE PLANTS THAT I STARTED IN THE MIRACLE GROW AND I COVERED WITH PERLITE HAVE SOME GNATS COMING THROUGH THE PERLITE WHEN I MOVE THE POTS AROUND THEY CRAWL OUT FROM UNDER THE PERLITE AND ARE VERY EASY TO SEE AGAINST THE WHITE PERLITE.

I OBVIOUSLY HAVE NOT PUT IT ON THICK ENOUGH OR MAYBE THE PROBLEM IS THAT I HAVE NOT USED A COMBINATION OF VERMICULITE AND PERLITE.

ALSO, IF IT IS TOO THICK WILL IT CAUSE A PROBLEM WITH THE GERMINATION OF THE SEEDS?

In a effort to totally eliminate the problem with fungus gnats I seem to have every year when I start my daylily seeds in my basement, I've done quite a bit of research on products containing peat, which is the base composition of all the seed-starting and soiless mixes. I've read everything I can find on the internet and contacted over 25 companies this past year to ask what if any, sterilization or other procedures they use that would kill or eliminate insect eggs (including fungus gnats) in their products. I also tested almost a dozen name brand seed starting mix products myself by placing a good amount of moistened product in a clear plastic container with a lid and keeping it in a room temperature environment. Within a few weeks, all had fungus gnats flying around the inside of the container.

I received only a handful of responses from all the companies I contacted and all of them said they do not 'sterilize' their peat products.

Here is a copy of just one of the response I received when I told them about my fungus gnat problems and asked them if they sterilized their products. From Scott's Miracle Grow:
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Thank you for contacting us concerning Scotts products. As always, it is our goal to make sure that our customers are completely satisfied with our products and services.
I am sorry to hear of your experience with Miracle-Gro Potting Mix. The soil you purchased is a natural product. We do not sterilize the soil nor do we claim to on the package. In addition, soils and mulches may become infested with insects while in storage as they are waiting for sale.

In some cases, soils become infested with fungus gnats. Fungus gnats enter the bagged product through the tiny air holes in the bag that are necessary for the soil to "breath". Fungus gnats are often mistaken for fruit flies. They do little damage but are unpleasant if present in large numbers. These insects do not feed upon plants, but lay their eggs in soil that contains organic matter. After a week the eggs hatch, and the larvae crawl through the upper layer of the soil. The larvae are white, 1/4 inch long, and have black heads. They feed on fungi that grow on organic matter. The larvae usually do not damage plants but, when present in large numbers, may feed on the roots of some plants, killing very young seedlings. The larvae feed for about 2 weeks before maturing into adults. There can be many generations in a single year.

Below are some steps you can take:
1. Let the soil dry out more between each watering. Dry soil can help kill the larvae. Most people tend to over water their plants, and this can make the problem worse. It's especially important to drain the saucers of excess water. Anything left after an hour should be poured out.
2. Apply at least 1/2 inch of sand on top of the soil of potted/container plants. Larvae cannot burrow through the sand and will die. Sand should be left on the container for several weeks, until the problem is solved.
3. Insects will not disappear overnight. It may take several weeks but you should begin to see a reduction in insect numbers. All houseplants in the home should be treated.
We want you to be confident in our products. For that reason, we offer a product guarantee to our consumers. Simply mail me your original itemized cash register receipt or the UPC barcode from the product packaging and I will promptly issue a refund check. My mailing address is:

Miracle-Gro Consumer Service
Attn: Sharon Newell
Case # 9234115
Marysville, Ohio 43041

Again, thank you for taking the time to let us know of your concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of any additional help to you.
Sharon Newell
Consumer Service Representative
The Scotts Company and Subsidiaries
14111 Scottslawn Road
Marysville, OH 43041
800-645-8166
Ref # 9234115
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It's been my experience that fungus gnats can easily crawl through vermiculite or pearlite, both coming out of the soil and returning into it to lay their eggs. A good layer of sand is much harder for them to get through but still is not the best solution of a fungus gnat problem. The best solution I have found is a chemical solution. There are several on the market. I don't want the product to be selective about what kind of bugs it kills or at what stage of their development. I don't want to have to spray the product because I don't want to have to breathe it. I want it to kill ALL insects. Bayer Advanced COMPLETE Insect Killer does just that. Available at Home Depot or Lowe's for about $13. for a 40 oz. bottle. It's a concentrate that I mix up one tablespoon in a one gallon milk jug of water and water weekly with it. I go through two bottles a season for about 1000 daylily seedlings. I've seen less than about a dozen fungus gnats since mid-Sept. when I first started my seeds in my basement. These probably came from an opened bag of potting mix. If you have a fungus gnat problem, try this product!

Becki

Thanks for the info Becki, I will definitely look for the Bayer Advance Complete insect killer at Home Depot, there are no Lowe's stores around my area.

Valerie

Thanks for the info Becki, I will definitely look for the Bayer Advance Complete insect killer at Home Depot, there are no Lowe's stores around my area.

Valerie