Home > categories > Minerals & Metallurgy > Vermiculite > Does anyone else have a problem with MiracleGro potting soil? By that I mean all the fly larvae it contains?
Question:

Does anyone else have a problem with MiracleGro potting soil? By that I mean all the fly larvae it contains?

I switched to FertiLome but now I‘m discovering gnats in it. Repotting my house plants and there seems to be no way to be rid of the bugs. What would you recommend?

Answer:

Put together your own mix. 1/3 regular potting soil, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3/ peat. Cheaper and works great.
bagged soil doesn't have bugs in it the processing and the lack of air in the bag make it really iffy that anything could live there, and then it being stacked outside in the icy cold, too? so not blaming the soil, look to what's living in your plants already. like when you brought them inside in late fall. did you inspect them then for insects? do you have bananas with gnats?. do your drains have drainfly? have you brought one home from a greenhouse lately?. did you inspect that one? this is not a good time to be repotting houseplants that needs to be done in spring when the plant is eager to start growing again, so that the shock of the transplant isn't so great. doesn't it tell you something when TWO of the most used sois, l both, to you, seem to have bugs?
Hi, The gnats are not from the soil, they are from your existing bugs that are reproducing, it should all pass go away. If your house plants are in saucers/trays make sure that you empty out all the standing water. Try to let the house plants dry out a little bit between watering. Not always moist, not bone-dry either. Could be fruit flies, check your fruit bowls, trash areas and outside fruit trees for spoiled fruit. Let me know? :)

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