...lol, waste of time AND money.
bozo
bozo
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Tired of having to fight gnats every time you get a brick of coco?
- Thread starter StankyBeamer
- Start date
i was reading the Girl's got Skills grow thread by Aspenou820 and saw an idea that cpould be used with some of the other tricks mentioned here to help limit gnat access to the grow media. see post # 86.
She uses black panty hose around the outside of her airpots to keep her coco medium from washing out and potentially stopping up her drain tray pump. I figured the mesh would also work to help prevent the gnats from getting to the medium through the holes in the pot to lay a new round of eggs. Seems pretty simple, inexpensive and brings the McGuyver. Hope it can help.
She uses black panty hose around the outside of her airpots to keep her coco medium from washing out and potentially stopping up her drain tray pump. I figured the mesh would also work to help prevent the gnats from getting to the medium through the holes in the pot to lay a new round of eggs. Seems pretty simple, inexpensive and brings the McGuyver. Hope it can help.
Boiling water is doing it the dumb way. The easy way is to place your bricks in the oven and bake them for a few hours (350-400 degrees). Hell, you can fit 30 bricks in a kitchen oven turn it on at night and take them out in the morning. I guarantee no egg will survive that kind of heat. Imagine having to boil 5 gallons per brick x 30 OMG! Probably end up scalding yourself a few time in the process. Think people.
I do small grows and use a rice cooker to prep my coco.
Is there any potential for fire in baking dry bricks in the oven,
does seem like a good idea on paper, so to speak.
Is there any potential for fire in baking dry bricks in the oven,
does seem like a good idea on paper, so to speak.
I haven't tried a brick yet, but I do loose coco in turkey bags at 175°-180° for an hour or two. Just needs to be hot enough to pasturize it. Kills bugs without completely drying it out.
With bricks, might try putting it in a turkey bag with some water so it will heat faster, better heat transfer.
With bricks, might try putting it in a turkey bag with some water so it will heat faster, better heat transfer.
StankyBeamer
Professional A$$hole
I found that the bricks in the oven left a lot of living eggs because the dry coco does not conduct heat efficiently throughout the brick, it takes soooo long to get the center up to the same temps as the surface that it ends up heating your house up excessively. I have to boil maybe nine pots of water to prep a brick, and once it's mixed with perlite I get 40-45 gallons of medium, which is more than enough if you're using coco properly, you don't need five gallon pots per plant with coco, I pull a half pound dry from a plant in a 2gal just fine.
Takes me a half hour to boil two bricks, and two 5kg bricks fills my oven and would take 8-10 hours to thoroughly heat in its compressed dry state. Boil water for half an hour or sit in a sweltering hot house for 10hrs, I'll stick with the hot water
Takes me a half hour to boil two bricks, and two 5kg bricks fills my oven and would take 8-10 hours to thoroughly heat in its compressed dry state. Boil water for half an hour or sit in a sweltering hot house for 10hrs, I'll stick with the hot water
StankyBeamer
Professional A$$hole
Not to mention all the coco dust that ends up in your oven burning making your house smell like shit for months after, just my $0.02 
StankyBeamer
Professional A$$hole
In the interest of objectivity, I baked a brick of coco overnight at 300*F, the center did not heat evenly, and the coco is ruined. It would not absorb water to expand or rinse and just turned into a mucky mess. To those of you that seem insistent on discrediting my methodology, all of your alternatives do not seem viable and I have given them all a fair chance firsthand.
StankyBeamer
Professional A$$hole
My oven only fit two bricks, was ineffective at heating them thoroughly, and now my oven is covered in coir dust. So my "dumb way" seems vastly more simple and effective, thank you very much
For those who go on a sterile route all grow, I strongly suggest to pre charge the coco with hydrogen peroxide, in a 3% solution use 5mL/liter then every reservoir change add 2-3 ppm chlorine, in a 5% bleach solution add 1,5mL/40 Liters.
This will make sure that any pathogen will be killed. Even in case of any re-infestation.
If you want a extra layer of protection, add a foliar spray to prevent the rest of pest/fungus/mold , something like cannacure or similar product.
This will make sure that any pathogen will be killed. Even in case of any re-infestation.
If you want a extra layer of protection, add a foliar spray to prevent the rest of pest/fungus/mold , something like cannacure or similar product.
D
Dioni
Predatory Nematodes...No Baking and very effective.
http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/nemattack-beneficial-nematodes-sf-steinernema-feltiae
http://www.arbico-organics.com/product/nemattack-beneficial-nematodes-sf-steinernema-feltiae
StankyBeamer
Professional A$$hole
Yes I know quite a few people locally that use nematodes with great success, I've been considering them for preventative in case of an aphid making it into my environment. How much/often should I apply them? I know the grow store by me carries sponges of nematodes that you soak in the water before feeding. Also, I like the idea of pasteurizing the precharged coco someone mentioned on the last page, i would imagine the plastic it comes in wouldn't melt or be damaged much by just throwing the whole bag in the oven, your thoughts?
Miraculous Meds
Well-known member
Ive been precharging with gnatrol, along with weekly doses, and durring transplanting. Completely wiped them out. Just have to stay dilgent on applications.
paranoidnz
Member
I did something last night that killed all the flying gnats in like 10 seconds flat, not too sure how my plants are going to react to it tho.
Used fly spray around the pots, they still in veg state, so should be all good....maybe
trial and error
Used fly spray around the pots, they still in veg state, so should be all good....maybe
trial and error
StankyBeamer
Professional A$$hole
I wouldn't spray anything like that around your plants man, aerosol propellants and synthetic pyrethroids are the last thing you want on your plants, and the flyers are the shortest lived part of their life cycle so for every 100 flyers you kill, there are 1000 larvae in the soil. Gnatrol, mosquito dunks, microbe lift bmc, gognats have all worked for me to varying degrees in the past but the only 100% way I have found is to kill them before they make it in the garden, quickly, in one quick move. All the biological agents take time to work and allow for stragglers. I mentioned that I fucked a brick of coco up the other day giving the baking method a second try, does anybody know if you could just throw bagged coco straight in the oven on 200? Seems like a gradual heat up to a consistent 160 would preserve some beneficials ie pasteurization as I saw someone mention earlier. I ordered some nematodes, as well as a case of praying mantid eggs. Gonna hatch them and feed them ladybugs until they're big enough and accept me as their leader then I can sick them on the brown marmorated stink bugs that have been popping up in my basement 
ganjalfthegreen
Member
5ml SM-90 and 3 ml 29% h2o2.
Done. I dont understand why people have issues with something that has been covered. No offense. Its like getting sunburned everyday and never trying sunscreen.
Done. I dont understand why people have issues with something that has been covered. No offense. Its like getting sunburned everyday and never trying sunscreen.
