Home Remedies for Fungus Gnat and Damping-Off Control - Garden Pest Tip

by Arzeena Hamir

Late winter and early spring is a great time to start seedlings and get the gardening season underway. Growing your own seedlings from seed is highly rewarding and can open doors to even more species that are not often found in garden centers. However, a couple of problems can sometimes curb the indoor green thumb and seriously affect the success of growing seedlings. Fungus gnats and damping-off are two afflictions that commonly affect gardeners. However, before you spend money on expensive chemicals, the solution to these problems may actually be much more low cost that you suspect.

Fungus gnats
These tiny, black insects seem innocuous enough as they buzz over your plants. While the adults rarely cause any problems to plants, if the young larvae are in large numbers, they can damage your seedlings. Fungus gnats search out moist soil in which to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the larvae will feed on the roots of your plants. Healthy seedlings will often be able to withstand this feeding but any seedlings that have small root systems like onions and leeks and those that are showing symptoms of nutrient stress can be put back quite significantly.