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PSA: That cheap potting soil from the big box store might have gnats
I was at the community garden workshop in Austin last Tuesday and the master gardener there warned us about a certain brand of bagged soil. She said they've been getting tons of complaints about fungus gnat eggs already mixed in. I checked my balcony pots the next day and sure enough, tiny bugs were flying up when I watered. Has anyone else had this problem with a specific brand of soil?
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hugo_jones22mo ago
Wait, have you been microwaving your soil before planting? Kills the eggs dead and nobody talks about it.
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ellis.charles2mo ago
Wait, @hugo_jones2, are you microwaving the soil after it's already in the pot or just the bagged stuff before you use it? I've read that nuking soil can actually kill off all the good bacteria and fungi that help plants grow, not just the pest eggs. If you're only doing it for seed starting mix, maybe it's fine, but for regular potting soil you might be hurting more than helping. Have you noticed any difference in plant health between microwaved and non-microwaved batches?
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