The fungus gnats are back in my pothos and philodendron pots. I let the top couple of centimeters dry out and stopped leaving water in the saucers. Adult flies disappeared for a week, then returned. The lower soil still feels damp when I check with a wooden stick. Yellow traps catch the adults, but obviously aren't solving whatever is happening in the mix. Would bottom watering make any difference, or should I be thinking about treating the larvae and changing the potting medium?
Fungus gnats returning after the soil surface dries
- houseplants
- fungus
- gnats
- returning
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3 replies
Bottom watering won’t fix larvae that are already in the mix, but it can help keep the top layer drier. If the lower soil is staying damp, t...
Bottom watering won’t fix larvae that are already in the mix, but it can help keep the top layer drier. If the lower soil is staying damp, they’ve still got what they want.
Yeah, the adults are just the part you notice. I’d be looking at the soil itself, because the mix can stay wet way longer than it looks on top.
When mine kept coming back, I ended up repotting one plant and using a lighter mix for the others. Not fun, but the sticky traps alone never...