humidity, and gnats

[datrippp]

Hey everyone, I seem to be having a problem, I dont have pics yet, but I have some issues hopefully someone can help with. I have 3 plants about 7-8 inches, in one small cabinet under 3 cfl's, & 5 seedlings in another cabinet under some cfl floods. First, i think I need a humidifier, The humidity is only 20%, will this stress the plants, and keep the leaves dry to the touch. I have a few leaves that have tiny tiny pin holes in them, and some small brown spots that are kinda like water rings after you spray the leaves down. I used a vitamin b-1 green for foliage spray mixed at about 50%.. 2nd is Somehow I have some tiny gnats in with all the plants. Could they be from the soil mixture? Im using scotts soil and I have technaflora nutes.. Please any help asap would be greatly appreciated. thanks

 

[Zodiakgrower7]

Hey datripp welcome to the site. First of all during veg you want your humidity to be between 50%-65%, so yes you will want to raise it with a humidifier is the easiest. As far as the spots on your leaves, could be burn marks are you spraying your leaves with the lights on? If so the water drops can act as a magnifying glass and burn circles on your leaves. In reference to the gnats, probably the soil. Scotts is made by Miracle Grow which anyone on this site will tell you is bad, it is not a good soil for our plant they are a little more picky than tomatoes. Hope this helps, keep asking questions because there is an unbelievable amount of knowledge on this site and I'm sure I'm the first of many to chime in on your problem. Best of luck on your grow.

 

[Screwnuts33]

If you have gnats in your grow area there is a good chance the spots and holes in your leaves are bugs. Look at the back of each leaf for signs of critters. You may need a magnifying glass to see them.

 

[GREENSAVAGE]

in regards to humidtity and gnats yes to the humidifer as long as you have plenty of ventalation if not you will cause a mold problem heat and humidity are the perfect habitat for powdery mildew and others... so be careful with the amounts of moiture... the gnats are from the soil and lay eggs and breed in the soil and the larva feed on roots so get rid of them you can use panty hose to cover to tops of the containers or drench the soil with neem oil or a product called i belive damacuos earth and is avail at most garden stores.... is like razor blades to the insects trying to burl in to the soil and breed i find that damacous earth and panty hose work best.. dont like chems natural or not..scotts and miracal grow soils have non organic nutes and are not the best for something you are going to ingest...they have alot of heavy metals wich im sure is not good to smoke... plus it leaves a metalic tase to your bud... go organic if you can... will solve alot of futher problems.. now for the small pin holes in the leaves... are what is called the stomata wich is what is used to evaporate water from the leaf and is part of the plants growth cycle and also is how the plants draw water up the stem to the leaves during photosenses ...these are on the top of the leaves and are not noticeable on the undersides.. hope this info helps good growing to ya

 

[datrippp]

right on, thanks guys. Unfortunatly where I live there is no real garden centers or any hydro shops. Denver is probably the closest, and thats a 4 hour drive.. Anyway, yes I sprayed them with the lights on. Will not do again.
Now if I use the neem oil, do I dillute it? and how much. Also would the soap and cooking oil pest spray thats in the pest control thread work for the gnats.
And if I pasturize the scotts soil, would that help at all. All I can find here is scotts, miracle grow, and organichs choice. Would the OC be a better soil to use or am I gonna have to order from the net..
Also, I have a magnifying glass, and the leaves all look bug free, Just some brownish and wilting going on. I do believe I overwatered them at first, but am now waiting till they are light feeling, and using a light/PH/Moisture meter I got from home depot. Thats the best I could find here. Its the little one with 2 long probes for ph, and moisture. and when should I start giving them nutes. they are 3 weeks old as of thursday the 3rd. I will get some pics up later 2day. Thanks everyone, this forum really feels more like a family than just a social website.. I appreciate it..

 

[GREENSAVAGE]

yes the organics choice is a better soil the gnats are also in the enviroment outside and because they are so small there not seen but are there in the lawn ,bushes, threes and shrubs and every where else.. and somehow found there way in.. hence the panyhose is to keep them at bay... you could sterilize the soil with boiling water as long as the plants havent been put in the new soil yet ..and then cover with panty hose too keep them out follow all direction as far as oil sprays go!! and there all ready plated in the soil just covering the containers with panty hose will contain them and will not be able to breed and evetully will all die off..just takes a few day or so soaps and cookig oils are not too good in the soils cooking oils are the worst if use too much causes suffacation of roots and can be bad for the nutes in the soil so i would not recommend this unless top spraying of the soil lightly same with soaps booth work by suffacation of the insects and there larva and eggs.. another way is to use sticky strips to catch the one flying around.. the neem should be used sparingly also if used it is a oil and can cause some problems on it own if too much is used! prevention is the best way keep thos little buggers a way.. sticky strips just above soil and panty hose covering tops of containers and a clean and sealed room! and thay will no longer be a prob...

 

[datrippp]

right on thanks a bunch greensavage.. I appreciate all the help..

 

[GREENSAVAGE]

Good grows to ya!

 

[datrippp]

heres some pics. wow, thats a job to post em.. lol any ideas..

 

[datrippp]

ok, try this.. the other three didnt go on the first try..