At one point i forgot the seasonal threat here between August and October, these hellish gnats of vineyards. One little margin of error and they rush like the Huns. No Aptus Soil Attack preventive, and an hydro strain in soil with new volume of soil to feed from the top pot … it was enough to get a brutal and massive invasion.
In a previous invasion, on a transitive space that was in a large basement/garage i took the chemical way and i’ve found this cycle :
It worked but not to eradicate the one I’ve around in one month. It was pretty hardcore for the plants too, and mostly possible in veg.
So … let’s try the way of the nematodes this time. I’m too far in flowering stage to play with chems, and it’s not very effiscient anyway for the specie i’ve. Only tailored neonicotinoids work with these ones, and in a certain mesure 99% pure nicotine extract. I’ve planned a hint for the end of the process.
So let’s go with the Steinernema Feltiae, the nematodes i will use. I see often chit-chat on it but not so much the use documented, so it’s the opportunity to share my first use of them. Basically, i will just document what say the breeder like a good soldier.
Weapons ready. The nematodes are a 5 millions dose.
In the manual it’s given for 5 liters/1,32086gal of solution (what i need without saturating the 8 pot) . Or 20/25 pots (no volume indicated, it sux) or 10sqm/107,639sqft.
It’s advised to don’t let much the nematode in water or they are asphyxiated. Let’s do it the overkill-way and to use it directly after the preparation to minimize the lose of the soldiers.
First they advise to have a good level of moisture in the soil, to help the SF to crawl deep but i think also it’s good to don’t have soil tension. And to spread heavenly the army.
So i prepared already the plant the previous day with a watering (low nutes), and i started to spray generously the surface of the pot with tap water to break the surface tension.
To gain time again and to split heavenly the solution between the 8 pots, i’ve divided 5L/1,32086gal by the pots and it gave around 600ml/20.28floz. I’ve poured this amount of water in a soda bottle and just cut it to chain-watering the plants each with its respective dose.
It look like parmesan, but smell nothing. Pre-dilution in tap water at ambient temp, well stirred.
I was expecting more chunk but no it dilute well.
Poured in the 5 liters / 1,32086gal , then “tossed” vigorously. Naked eye you can see the stuff in suspension at the density of 5 millions. It’s fun.
I do it all the time, but i find it more important with this operation : letting the drain stay in the tank with heightening wedges. I use a high retention medium in the inferior pot in bonus, i prefer this prime juice wasted instead re-sucked when tension is negative again.
Not much drain in general in applying it in a moisted soil, but still penetrating a bit the soil to the bottom in pushing the old juice.
600ml/20.28floz of nematode solution per 4.5L/1gal volume of soil is a sweet spot worth to be a reminder (for fine soil).
I find this stuff interresting, less messy that just attaching them on the plants. Sadly only four tag in the box (bastards) and rope. I will adapt some tags i have for this strategy later.
The fast saturation of the gnat’s poo have already made some damage, a bit stresfull. I can’t apply a peroxyde + soil attack cure during the peak work of the soldiers, i’ve to wait at least a week damned.
By luck, my nutes have a very high assimilation and are compliant with the highest EU bio standards, i can restart them at next watering. They will be hungry, they got a weak sauce just before + the fungi of poo attacking. Damned hell, can’t wait to cut them all and to restart on another horse lol
See you around ! Feedback within two weeks on this (simple) method. Fingers crossed.