The Ultimate Growing Competition

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Big Perm

Big Perm

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Playing with some test intro-vids. I'm going to change the logo soon, but any favorites? Trying to find a 'genre', or a few. Link Thanks for any input.
 
Big Perm

Big Perm

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It went through midnight in a few players' time-zones, so now everyone has an extra day.
 
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H.A.F.

H.A.F.

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@Kushash, a small oscillating fan blowing at soil level can help with the gnats, and you can use either a 1:4 peroxide/water spray on the soil to get the top inch or so moist, or even flush the soil with a more diluted (like 1:10) ratio to kill the larvae. The initial oxidizing factor of the h2o2 will kill the larva (very fragile) but then it just breaks down into more water and oxygen.

And no, I'm not pulling a BP trick ;) On my first grow I was thinking about giving up weed and harvesting fungus gnats. They can be devastating.
 
Kushash

Kushash

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H.A.F. said:
@Kushash, a small oscillating fan blowing at soil level can help with the gnats, and you can use either a 1:4 peroxide/water spray on the soil to get the top inch or so moist, or even flush the soil with a more diluted (like 1:10) ratio to kill the larvae. The initial oxidizing factor of the h2o2 will kill the larva (very fragile) but then it just breaks down into more water and oxygen.

And no, I'm not pulling a BP trick ;) On my first grow I was thinking about giving up weed and harvesting fungus gnats. They can be devastating.
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Thanks, I appreciate it.

I'm always looking for new ways to attack them. I'll never eliminate them only control them.
Two things going in there favor is I have a perpetual and water at different times for different plants.
Second benefit for them is I always have an organic smorgasbord for the larvae to feast on in my top soil. Probably also benefits me because the larvae have tons of food and probably aren't as interested in the roots.

I have tried different concentrations of H2O2.
I find 1 part 3% h2o2 and 12 parts water is about the most I'm able to thin out the mix and still be affective.
I also did 1 part h2o2 / 8 parts water and noticed a bunch of lower leaves fell off unexpectedly several days later. Overall healthy looking lower leaves. I figured it might have been the h2o2 but haven't tried it again to confirm it was the reason so for now it could be confirmation bias.
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
Kushash said:
Thanks, I appreciate it.

I'm always looking for new ways to attack them. I'll never eliminate them only control them.
Two things going in there favor is I have a perpetual and water at different times for different plants.
Second benefit for them is I always have an organic smorgasbord for the larvae to feast on in my top soil. Probably also benefits me because the larvae have tons of food and probably aren't as interested in the roots.

I have tried different concentrations of H2O2.
I find 1 part 3% h2o2 and 12 parts water is about the most I'm able to thin out the mix and still be affective.
I also did 1 part h2o2 / 8 parts water and noticed a bunch of lower leaves fell off unexpectedly several days later. Overall healthy looking lower leaves. I figured it might have been the h2o2 but haven't tried it again to confirm it was the reason so for now it could be confirmation bias.
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I never spray it on leaves, just the soil. It might be OK on the leaves at lights out, (no light no oxidizing) but I wouldn't chance it.
'Letting the soil dry is also key, so maybe adjust your schedule a little to get one day that they all get fed the same day? Soak the topsoil good and let it set for a bit, then feed. Should thin out any possible adverse stuff if there is any, but after it does it's thing.
 
homebrewer

homebrewer

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Kushash said:
Thanks, I appreciate it.

I'm always looking for new ways to attack them. I'll never eliminate them only control them.
Two things going in there favor is I have a perpetual and water at different times for different plants.
Second benefit for them is I always have an organic smorgasbord for the larvae to feast on in my top soil. Probably also benefits me because the larvae have tons of food and probably aren't as interested in the roots.

I have tried different concentrations of H2O2.
I find 1 part 3% h2o2 and 12 parts water is about the most I'm able to thin out the mix and still be affective.
I also did 1 part h2o2 / 8 parts water and noticed a bunch of lower leaves fell off unexpectedly several days later. Overall healthy looking lower leaves. I figured it might have been the h2o2 but haven't tried it again to confirm it was the reason so for now it could be confirmation bias.
Click to expand...
I once saw subcool top-dress his pots with sand to eliminate gnats. It works. I've also seen folks top-dress rockwool cubes with perlite.
 
Kushash

Kushash

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H.A.F. said:
I never spray it on leaves, just the soil. It might be OK on the leaves at lights out, (no light no oxidizing) but I wouldn't chance it.
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No, I didn't mean I sprayed the leaves.

When I used 3% at 1 part h2o2 and 8 parts water and watered it into the soil till run off I had some healthy leaves all of a sudden falling off of plants several days later. Again I don't know for sure if the reason they fell off was from the h2o2.
 
Kushash

Kushash

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homebrewer said:
I once saw subcool top-dress his pots with sand to eliminate gnats. It works. I've also seen folks top-dress rockwool cubes with perlite.
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sand is on top of my list to add to the fight.
I have avoided it because it's heavy but I'm ready to try it.

My plan is going to be to water all plants thoroughly.
Add a thin layer of sand. (When I get it)
Add a thin layer of DE.
Then a thin layer of perlite.
Then a thin layer of DE.
Then a thin layer of perlite.


I do the above now with all of my plants in the flower room at about the 2nd week of flowering then the protective layer lasts for the next 7 or 8 weeks till harvest.

Sand will be a new addition at some point.
DE rocks are something I would like to try also.

I use pyrethrin from concentrate.

Neem I use in the veg tent.

Tried mosquito Dunks crushed and soaked in a 5 gallon bucket with no harm to the plants but not sure it helped with the larvae.

Sand will be a good addition to the arsenal.
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
Kushash said:
No, I didn't mean I sprayed the leaves.

When I used 3% at 1 part h2o2 and 8 parts water and watered it into the soil till run off I had some healthy leaves all of a sudden falling off of plants several days later. Again I don't know for sure if the reason they fell off was from the h2o2.
Click to expand...
yup - hard to tell if it was what you were killing, or what you were killing it with. I guess if the plant didn't die and you only lost some leaves, it worked.
 
H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
Kushash said:
sand is on top of my list to add to the fight.
DE rocks are something I would like to try also.
Tried mosquito Dunks crushed and soaked in a 5 gallon bucket with no harm to the plants but not sure it helped with the larvae.
Click to expand...
I like the sand idea, and have a few jars of white 'craft' sand, hermetically sealed that I inherited (unknowingly) from the ex ;) Another reason I keep everything.

From what I have read, I don't know if the perlite (or anything the gnats can crawl through) would be beneficial as is. Since I hand water, I usually end up with a layer of perlite at the top after a month or so (floats up). And I regularly let my soil dry, and it did nothing to have dry perlite on top.

That said, perlite (or something) that is soaked in and impregnated with something anti-gnat might work great. By flower my plants have a carpet of roots right under the perlite. The tops die off just like the stuff that grows through the bags. Anywhoooo - there is protection between the live roots and something placed on top of the soil, as long as you don't water it in.

So in theory, you could actually use something rather harsh if needed. Soak the perlite in whatever, then drain it good. Put that on top of the soil between watering's, then remove it before the next one. Any thoughts? o_O I believe it only takes about 3 days to break their breeding cycle.

I am thinking that this could lean more towards an oil (neem, some organic tea?) that is pungent with anti-gnat stuff. but I am new to this.

For what it's worth, this is the kind of discussion I was hoping for when the damn competition started LOL
 
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H.A.F.

H.A.F.

Well-Known Member
Another thing for discussion might be what growing experience everyone has. Not for bragging or anything, just to get this thread back to being about growing flowers.
 
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