Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL - LED

[COorganics]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Maybe a shoe box with some worms, bedding, and hopefully gnats. The good bugs will squeeze their way in to get after the gnats. I'll state the obvious and say don't leave it in the sun or let it freeze out there for your worms sake. I dig the idea of trapping and relocating centipedes.

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Maybe a shoe box with some worms, bedding, and hopefully gnats. The good bugs will squeeze their way in to get after the gnats. I'll state the obvious and say don't leave it in the sun or let it freeze out there for your worms sake. I dig the idea of trapping and relocating centipedes.

I'm a big fan of protecting the littlest earthlings. "Pest" is often more a state of mind than a statement of truth. I'd rather relocate than kill. Not always, mind you, but I try.

 

[xtrchessreal]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

I'm a big fan of protecting the littlest earthlings. "Pest" is often more a state of mind than a statement of truth. I'd rather relocate than kill. Not always, mind you, but I try.

Me too, I caught a mosquito yesterday in a glass with a heavy card paper to trap it in...then release outside.

 

[COorganics]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Fungus gnat isn't a pest in the sense that aphids, spider mites are. That's for sure. I don't mind a few of them at all. I don't like them flying around my face though, which they enjoy doing. It's a balance thing for me.

 

[xtrchessreal]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Watching Seeking a Friend For The End in the background...love this movie.

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Dunks in the SWICK?

What about trying that?

I do think you will see a lot less gnats if you do nothing, as time goes on. That being said, I've had them in my living room before and they get annoying pretty quick.

If you could put some of your worm bin outdoors when the weathers nice you'll "trap" some predator mites and centipedes and you can then get them into your containers eventually. Once you bring them in they won't ever want to leave unless somehow your house becomes completely gnat free. When prey is out of control introduce more predators. help balance it out.

I like that idea about trapping the predators. I'm planning on putting the worms into a larger bin (not deeper) out on the balcony. Surprisingly, we get centipedes up here on the third floor. The daughter's apartment is next to a walk space between our building and the church building (long ago abandoned) next door. That space stays damp and cool year round. She gets centipedes. They bite.

We have a corner spot with ample shade to keep a worm bin from overheating. Perfect spot.

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Watching Seeking a Friend For The End in the background...love this movie.

I have never seen this movie. Do they offer it on netflix?

No.

Found it on HBO.

 

[COorganics]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Oh yeah. I'm talking about the little centipedes, any will work wonders on pests, but the little ones are the only ones I'm cool with living with in the house. They are all in my worm bin, and hard to photograph. Probably not an inch long. When I screen the castings I notice them in the VC. They then got in my containers and I've seen less gnats. I left my worm bin outside for a couple weeks last summer because there were gnats in it and they were bothering me. The centipedes and mites moved right in and have never left. I got a blessing in disguise sorta thing with that.

I should have clarified. Little centipedes for the house, lol. And a few, not like it's crawling with them. I'll try and take a pic or find one on the web.

 

[COorganics]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Here is what I'm talking about.
Don't bring these in your house. They will eat all the fungus gnats, then pets and small children

The next picture is what I have in my worm bin, a better roommate for the worms too, I'm thinking.

 

[TheBoogyman]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Hi Sue. Can you please explain this line a little more to me, sorry. What is the clockamas mineral mix? "To the base we add 4 cups of the Clackamas Coots-style minerals mix and 1.5 cups of the accompanying. CC-style nutrient mix."

 

[Major PITA]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

You might try OMRI listed "Spinosad" I had thrips and used that per application, spray under and on top of leaves until completely drenched wait 4 days and do it again, I did it one more time just in case 4 more days later and haven't seen one since about a year now. Also try the mosquito bits in the pot trays it activates with water. Has some type of tiny bug that eats them from the inside out called Bacsillyious Thurengenisisis err something like that BT for short. works well for Gnats, I haven't see any around here for a year or so.

I do have BTi dunks in the water and also scattered across the pots so it gets watered in (forgot to mention them in my list).
Keeping the little buggers off the leaves isn't too difficult. Almost any of the products listed above work for that. It is the ones down in the soil that are the nightmare. Thankfully I'm probably only 1-2 weeks out from chopping them. Yield will be very poor, but the end is in sight...at least for this time around.

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Hi Sue. Can you please explain this line a little more to me, sorry. What is the clockamas mineral mix? "To the base we add 4 cups of the Clackamas Coots-style minerals mix and 1.5 cups of the accompanying. CC-style nutrient mix."

Of course I can Boogeyman.

"ClackamasCoots" aka "LumperDawgz" is the user name on sites other than ours of the gentleman who spearheaded the development of this soil mix. I mention his pal BlueJay frequently because his no-till thread, also on another site, is my favorite "school" for what I'm attempting with my own garden. They worked out all the problems and came up with this basic recipe.

Here is the Mix as written by ClackamasCoots: (a copy and paste from Build A Soil)

"Equal parts of Sphagnum peat moss, some aeration deal (pumice, rice hulls, lava rock - whatever is sitting in the garage) and finally some mix of humus - my compost, worm castings some black leaf mold I bought from the local 'worm guy'
To each 1 c.f. of this mix I add the following:
1/2 cup organic Neem meal
1/2 cup organic Kelp meal
1/2 cup Crab meal (or Crustacean meal when available - it has Shrimp meal with the Crab meal. It's a local product from the fisheries on the Oregon & Washington Coasts)
4 cups of some minerals - rock dust

After the plant is in the final container I top-dress with my worm castings at 2" or so and then I hit it with Aloe vera juice and Comfrey extract. Or Borage. Or Stinging Nettle. Or Horsetail ferns. Whatever is ready.

That's it."

Did that explain it? This is one of my favorite shares. This soil recipe is my gold standard. Variation within reason, but stick to the basic ratios.

I'm still learning what all those components are and why they were included. Sooner or later I'll do a breakdown of it. If anyone else would like to take that chore on (CO? 36?) I would not be adverse to the idea at all.

What I do know is that it works. Almost beyond belief.

Gotta run for the bus.

 

[TheBoogyman]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Thanks, sue. I was a little confused, hah. Can ya potentially PM me links to the other threads these guys made? I'd love to take a look. Appreciate the help very much by the way.

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

I do have BTi dunks in the water and also scattered across the pots so it gets watered in (forgot to mention them in my list).
Keeping the little buggers off the leaves isn't too difficult. Almost any of the products listed above work for that. It is the ones down in the soil that are the nightmare. Thankfully I'm probably only 1-2 weeks out from chopping them. Yield will be very poor, but the end is in sight...at least for this time around.

When combatting fungus gnats with dunks, patience and consistency are called for. You have to plan for many later generations of as the already laid eggs hatch and larvae begin the cycle again. I'm sure the same approach is necessary for root aphids. We want the problem solved NOW!, and for good reason, but the drive for life is a strong force and the critters will be working just as hard to continue their genetic line as you are to eradicate their numbers.

All creatures serve a vital function on this planet. We may not know or fully understand what that function is, but with soil it's often easier, and in the long run more effective, to work towards creating an environment so healthy that the "trouble makers" go elsewhere.

From the article I linked the other day.

"Healthy Soil Food Webs Control Disease
A healthy food web is one that is not being destroyed by pathogenic and disease-causing organisms. Not all soil organisms are beneficial, after all. As gardeners, you know that pathogenic soil bacteria and fungi cause many plant diseases. Healthy soil food webs not only have tremendous numbers of individual organisms but a great diversity of organisms. Remember that teaspoon of good garden soil? Perhaps 20,000 to 30,000 different species make up its billion bacteria–a healthy population in numbers and diversity.

A large and diverse community controls troublemakers. A good analogy is a thief in a crowded market: if there are enough people around, they will catch or even stop the thief (and it is in their self interest to do so). If the market is deserted, however, the thief will be successful, just as he will be if he is stronger, faster, or in some other way better adapted than those that would be in pursuit.

In the soil food web world, the good guys don't usually catch thieves, though it happens with some forms of nematodes; rather, they compete with them for exudates and other nutrients, air, water, and even space. If the soil food web is a healthy one, this competition keeps the pathogens in check; they may even be out-competed to their death.

Just as important, every member of the soil food web has its place in the soil community. Each, be it on the surface or subsurface, plays a specific role. Elimination of even one group can drastically alter a soil community. Birds participate by spreading protozoa carried on their feet or dropping a worm taken from one area into another. Too many cats, and things will change. Dung from mammals provides nutrients for beetles in the soil. Kill the mammals, or eliminate their habitat or food source (which amounts to the same thing), and you won't have as many beetles. It works in the reverse as well. A healthy soil food web won't allow one set of members to get so strong as to destroy the web. If there are too many nematodes and protozoa, the bacteria and fungi on which they prey are in trouble and, ultimately, so are the plants in the area."

I appreciate the gravity of your situation Major, and believe me when I say I feel the frustration for you. My emphatic nature means I actually feel your pain. You may be beyond this point now, but evidence strongly suggests that regular applications of neem meal top dressing, neem oil foliar sprays and aloe vera juice drenches will, in time, eliminate these types of problems completely. The long view is always the best approach. It may not be what we're most comfortable with when it's a new way of thinking or acting, but that's part of the evolution of change.

Wow! Gardening has so much correlation with life.

My stop is coming up. Be back soon. They want to send Dale back to the nursing and rehab facility today. Let's all cross our fingers.

(As the doors of the bus open she hits " Submit Reply")

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Thanks, sue. I was a little confused, hah. Can ya potentially PM me links to the other threads these guys made? I'd love to take a look. Appreciate the help very much by the way.

Links are frowned upon and I'm a fan of trying to abide by the site guidelines. No need to PM.

Look for "no-till gardening, BlueJay". His thread (354 pages and growing - be forewarned, not for the faint of heart) is the first pop up.

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Me too, I caught a mosquito yesterday in a glass with a heavy card paper to trap it in...then release outside.

This made me laugh out loud and love you just a little more. Tell the wife I said that. She'll appreciate my knowing what a smart woman she was for marrying you.

Dale said he'd have fed it to his carnivorous plants. LOL! Cycle of life baby.

When I kill gnats I'm always careful to drop their little bodies back into one of the pots.

 

[Duggan]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

 

[GhettoGro]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

LOL @ CO. I don't like bugs in my grow room. I have had to kill off fungus gnats and spider mites. this seems to be the biggest draw back of living soil? Can't kill the bugs without killing your soil?

 

[Doc Bud]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

LOL @ CO. I don't like bugs in my grow room. I have had to kill off fungus gnats and spider mites. this seems to be the biggest draw back of living soil? Can't kill the bugs without killing your soil?

Ahem......you soil should not have any bugs in it! Well, actually that's not exactly right, there will be a few bugs here and there, but no swarms of flying or sucking insects.

Most of the HB gang have ZERO insect problems. I sure don't. I don't spray for them or worry about them. They do no damage and do not require sprays, etc.

Soil with low pH is often the result of 3 factors:

1. Too much organic material in the soil. Organic material acidifies as it breaks down. Bugs love it.
2. Not enough minerals----especially limestone----in the soil
3. Incorrect balance of Calcium, phosphorus and potassium in the soil. Too much potassium will compete with calcium and the plant's immune system will suffer.

Again, if the soil is balanced properly there will not be any bugs! I know that dozens of people here will attest to this fact. Many of us haven't had mites or other issues in years. Oh, there's mites in there....you just can't see any damage from them. The waxy surface of the leaves choke them out. Same deal with gnats, etc. They simply can't stand properly mineralized, living soil.

 

[SweetSue]

Re: Sweetsue's Tiny Closet - Second Grow - Sweet Dark Devil & Bomb Berry Bomb - CFL -

Here is what I'm talking about.
Don't bring these in your house. They will eat all the fungus gnats, then pets and small children

The next picture is what I have in my worm bin, a better roommate for the worms too, I'm thinking.

I'll be laughing about this one all day. See? There it goes again.

This is a brilliant idea CO. Reps for that, and the laugh. I needed both. I'm going to find somewhere with soil to put a small box as you suggested. We're on the third floor with a balcony. There are large pots out there that have been fallow and neglected since 2012 (Lord, this has been almost nightmarishly long!). Do you think I might be able to get better results if I place that box on actual ground level soil? That would be a challenge in my urban paradise, but not insurmountable.

This is why I'm so thrilled to be surrounded by so many creative thinkers. The fact that so many of you also respect the other life forms is a nice bonus.