Alys Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Last year on my 2nd grow I was plagued by fungus gnats. Horrid things. I have since seen a lot of different growers who believe that their infestations came from the compost they had purchased. With this in mind would I be sensible or mad to buy 30 L of compost and treat it from the offset with nematodes? I want to do 2 plants (photo fems) finishing off in 11L pots, so I am guessing I will need around 25L-28L through the cycle from seedlings to final pots. My plan is to fill 2 x 1L pots, 2 x 3L pots, 2 x 5L pots and then put just 5L in each of the 11L pots and treat them all in one go. I am assuming the nematodes will live for the duration of the grow - roughly 15 weeks ~ 5 veg/10 flowering. Pros and cons please guys, all opinions most welcome. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QFMAC Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 I had to get rid of my Notill pot a while back due to a move, so I'm a bit rusty with Nematodes but I used to just water them in. As I recall they only last about 6 weeks. Don't let the soil dry out (wet/dry cycle) keep moist. One pack will last you a grow and cheap enough. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Buy 50L , it never goes as far as you'd like , pots invariably take about ⅓ more compost than the stated volume I find. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shumroom Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 I haven't tried it myself but I believe you can heat treat compost, then just make sure to replace the beneficial bacteria with trichoderma/mycorrhizae I'm sure we're all looking forward to another "Growing with Grandma" diary Atb 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alys Posted March 21, 2022 Author Share Posted March 21, 2022 @Shumroomthank you for your thoughts and believe me when I say Grandma can't wait to get another grow on. I left home last October but I will be back in residence in April!! So just thinking ahead and doing some planning 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shumroom Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Have you had any thoughts on what you were gonna grow? Atb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alys Posted March 21, 2022 Author Share Posted March 21, 2022 @Shumroom I want to grow everything I read about! Definitely a Do Si Dos and undecided on the other just now. Can only run one cycle until I see what energy costs are so I just might pop a few girls in the woods and see if I can manage a bit of yield from outdoors. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shumroom Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Give @Seedstockers-Mark a shout for some seeds for a diary. That's a good deal for both of you He's also running an outdoor grow comp. Might be worth having a go? Atb 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revive Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Hey Alys.. not long now till grandma gets her green fingers dirty again maybe buy something decent from a stockist that stores it correctly.. I think half the issue is it being stored outside so maybe even a smaller garden center that doesn't have an outside space.. Obviously as the title of the thread states prevention certainly is better than cure so id get them lil fellas ordered.. ive read diff things on how long they live for so this could well be part of a sales pitch, you know the ku.. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 @Revive palletised compost doesn't really suffer from rain ingress if it's still wrapped , it does sweat like buggery though. Part of me thinks its this sweating that creates the ideal conditions for sciarid flies as I myself have had them in media straight off a technically dry pallet on more than one occasion (I like to get first dibs on a few sacks when we crack a fresh pallet of the good compost at work) But yeah, anywhere that has a hoofing gurt warehouse or at least an awning/lean to covering compost bags would be a better option for compost purchasing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revive Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Just now, BilgePump said: palletised compost doesn't really suffer from rain ingress if it's still wrapped , it does sweat like buggery though. Hey dude.. yeah I hear that but sadly its just stacked in piles and lots of garden centers and left outside..ive picked up loads in my time that are just water logged.. they just throw them about when they stack them up plus folk tearing holes in them to check the quality.. im sure not all garden centers are like this bilgepump but they certainly are round my chavvy neck of the woods 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Mate our forklifter snags a fair few bags it's true , these bags get written off immediately though so don't get sold (we use them in-house for potting up) I guess not all g.c's care as much as they should. Once a pallet is unwrapped though they're fuckin wringing as soon as it rains (well the top 5 or so layers are) Also far less fungus gnats in peat free I've noticed (especially New horizon as it's mostly twigs and grit ) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revive Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 Just now, BilgePump said: New horizon as it's mostly twigs and grit ) I thought that was for putting around the play areas incase the kids fall off the swings man that shit is pants.. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Badgeley Posted March 22, 2022 Share Posted March 22, 2022 @Alys I hope you went somewhere warm for the Winter? I can highly recommend Tropic Bat Mix as a medium. I've used it for a few years and never once seen a Gnat. It's light and airy and really good stuff. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alys Posted March 22, 2022 Author Share Posted March 22, 2022 @Larry Badgeley thank you for your recommendation I shall look at that and see where I can get some. Nowhere warm unfortunately - Grandma duties in Hampshire, but I am definitely going to spend all of next January abroad in the sun 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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