What to do with springtails?

[WardrobeMagic]

Not sure where to post this but I’m growing in coco so I thought I’ll post it here. So it turns out that my bag of canna coco seems to have springtails in it. I’ve been reading a lot on them and alot of conflicting comments like everything in the cannabis industry. I know they are hard to get rid of.
my plant looks healthy she’s definitely suffering from cal mag as I’ve not been feeding her it as much this time round so far I’ve found you need to feed some cal mag just as it starts to flower that’s when I noticed a few brown dots on a leaf anyway that issue is fixed/fixing.
Back to the springtails just wanted to know why or how they end up in the coco? Are springtails eggs already in the coco? Is it where I’m storing the coco in a shed? Are they just born out of thin air?

 

[Tomatoesonly]

I'm convinced they just exist. I don't even care now. Generally, when you see them, it's a good indicator something is rotting and they are eating it.
I do nothing anymore. Get your roots super healthy and they shouldn't "bug" you too much.

 

[Bio boy]

I purposely infect my grows with them

 

[greyfader]

they probably came in on your shoes. they are the most numerous insect in every lawn.

they do not present a danger to the living plant. they feed on decaying organic matter.

dry your medium down a bit and put a thin layer of diatomaceous earth on top of the medium .

if they are super thick you might pour a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution through the medium.

 

[Bio boy]

My soil ain’t the same without me swarms

 

[Poptart Smoothie]

Not sure where to post this but I’m growing in coco so I thought I’ll post it here. So it turns out that my bag of canna coco seems to have springtails in it. I’ve been reading a lot on them and alot of conflicting comments like everything in the cannabis industry. I know they are hard to get rid of.
my plant looks healthy she’s definitely suffering from cal mag as I’ve not been feeding her it as much this time round so far I’ve found you need to feed some cal mag just as it starts to flower that’s when I noticed a few brown dots on a leaf anyway that issue is fixed/fixing.
Back to the springtails just wanted to know why or how they end up in the coco? Are springtails eggs already in the coco? Is it where I’m storing the coco in a shed? Are they just born out of thin air?

If you're using organics, the eggs come with the nutrient dry amendments. A lot of organic focused companies like Buildasoil do little to sterilize their products. You will find soil mite populations too if you look close. Personally, I run my coco through hot water before use to get a blank slate. All bets are off when you add organics. But as long as they got something to eat, they shouldnt be an issue.

If you're not using organics, what are the springtails eating? Maybe mold, fungi... or your roots. At least thats what some say. If you wanna get rid of them, peroxide could work. Bacillus bacteria will work, I'd brew it as a tea.

 

[WardrobeMagic]

If you're using organics, the eggs come with the nutrient dry amendments. A lot of organic focused companies like Buildasoil do little to sterilize their products. You will find soil mite populations too if you look close. Personally, I run my coco through hot water before use to get a blank slate. All bets are off when you add organics. But as long as they got something to eat, they shouldnt be an issue.

If you're not using organics, what are the springtails eating? Maybe mold, fungi... or your roots. At least thats what some say. If you wanna get rid of them, peroxide could work. Bacillus bacteria will work, I'd brew it as a tea.

No organics here straight canna feed hahaha personally I havnt had spring tails as bad as this since this but I do always get them personally I havnt really noticed any difference I could say maybe they increase the nitrogen during the later stages of flower but that’s probably just me feeding to much hahaha

Don’t they eat decaying matter aswell as mold. isnt that what coco is coconut husk that’s slowly decomposing?

 

[CocoNut 420]

Springtails are harmless to plants they only eat dead and decaying matter.
I recycle my coco so they're more than welcome to take care of any roots I've missed.

Who'd have guessed springtails are blondes

 

[StickyBandit]

Springtails are harmless to plants they only eat dead and decaying matter.
I recycle my coco so they're more than welcome to take care of any roots I've missed.
View attachment 18969641
View attachment 18969642
Who'd have guessed springtails are blondes

I think I have these in my coco! Was wondering what they are. Are they smaller than ants?

 

[CocoNut 420]

I think I have these in my coco! Was wondering what they are. Are they smaller than ants?

Yes they're a fair bit smaller than ants, they're only tiny specs, iirc the pic is 150x

 

[StickyBandit]

Yes they're a fair bit smaller than ants, they're only tiny specs, iirc the pic is 150x

I get them on top of my water in the res too and in the runoff trays like little white specks!
I think they get into my very young seedlings though just after they pop and stop growth, not sure though??
I might have to go for a more sterile approach next time to get started

 

[Brother Nature]

I've always notice them on my coco grows, in winter mostly, they like the moisture and organic material. They came about more when I was dialing my blumats in and some of the pots would retain their moisture more than others. I see them more on my houseplants than cannabis too. Nothing to worry about with cannabis though, they'll cause no issues with your plants.

 

[WardrobeMagic]

Springtails are harmless to plants they only eat dead and decaying matter.
I recycle my coco so they're more than welcome to take care of any roots I've missed.
View attachment 18969641
View attachment 18969642
Who'd have guessed springtails are blondes

Look at them they are so cute but god damn that’s a good camera

Yeah I’ve never noticed a problem

 

[CocoNut 420]

I get them on top of my water in the res too and in the runoff trays like little white specks!
I think they get into my very young seedlings though just after they pop and stop growth, not sure though??
I might have to go for a more sterile approach next time to get started

I could almost guarantee you it's not springtails causing the seedlings to stop growing they can't/don't harm plants.

Seedlings damping off is caused by spores in the air or the medium, sterile conditions help so does avoiding high rh%.

A few drops of wetting agent or dish soap breaks the surface tension of water and springtails fall straight through the surface and drown.

 

[Poptart Smoothie]

No organics here straight canna feed hahaha personally I havnt had spring tails as bad as this since this but I do always get them personally I havnt really noticed any difference I could say maybe they increase the nitrogen during the later stages of flower but that’s probably just me feeding to much hahaha

Don’t they eat decaying matter aswell as mold. isnt that what coco is coconut husk that’s slowly decomposing?

I confess, I had to Google if they ate coco coir. I couldn't find any straight answers but chatgpt says

"Springtails are detritivores, meaning they primarily feed on decaying organic matter like dead plant material, fungi, and bacteria. While coco coir is an organic substrate made from coconut husks, it's not their primary food source. However, they may consume small amounts of coco coir if it's mixed with decaying plant matter or other organic material. Generally, springtails are more attracted to the microorganisms that thrive in such environments rather than the coco coir itself."

Bacillus is highly effective to most of the pests I've come across if they do end up becoming a problem for you. Brew a tea with mosquitobits and a lil bit of sugar.

 

[StickyBandit]

Vectobac is available near me
Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis (strain AM65-52)

VectoBac® Water-Dispersible Granules – Valent BioSciences – Public Health

www.valentbiosciences.com