So in order to avoid fungus gnats, mites, thrips etc I’m thinking about amending my potting mix with neem seed meal next go around. Will this fuck up my soil ph? I know it’s on the acidic side so would I just add some extra lime to balance that out?
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Neem seed meal is a fine ammendment, it has a decent amount of N with a bit of P and K. I add it at about 1 cup per cubic foot. It won’t really get rid of fungus gnats etc.
For that I would suggest a nematodes, soil mites, and rove beetles.
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I thought that too… Fungus gnats are still thriving lol ordered nematodes to take care of their offspring though, should be here tomorrow…
As mentioned it’s a great amendment… Just nothing seems to stop FG like beetles, nematodes, or excellent soil biology
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I’ve been lucky so far with pests aside from som gnats but I just want to be kind of pro active about it. I think bringing beetles into the mix might drive the cats nuts, do they stay confined to tents well?
Yea those don’t work for that. I tried multiple times. Might help but definitely doesn’t do much lol
Look into PREDATORY MITES
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Yes they are tiny and will live in the soil as long as there is something to eat. 
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Added to my list thanks. Between that, soil microbes(recharge) and spinosad (veg only) I should be alright.
Yea those should do the trick… Predatory Mites are the way to go I see all these dispensaries and farms using them.
Not sure what brands they use…that would be some good info to find out
FWIW the C-birds (fungus gnats) were getting out of control here, I just ordered some Gnatrol off fleabay and it must have been fresh because it completely wiped them out after 2-3 waterings - I just got done throwing away the annoying sticky traps I had all over the tent - here the link if anyone’s interested - just FYI can be hard to find this stuff
https://www.ebay.com/itm/165015643381?hash=item266bb2e4f5:g:PI8AAOSwUmhg75dU
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Hope they sell it in smaller sizes, that’s a bit much for maybe 3cuft of soil.
oh yeah, this should last me a year or two - I bought more to get volume discount - the same guys sells smaller amounts, just click on “other items” by the seller - don’t stir it into the soil, you have to add a teaspoon or two per gallon to your water.
It only stays active for 48 hours in the soil so I don’t mix it in
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Honestly, I think a good compost tea with QUALITY worm castings or compost will outperform products like Recharge ANY day. I realize Recharge is an easy product to just open the bottle and pour on your soil but all those beneficial nematodes, Protozoa and microorganisms will come from a quality actively aerated compost tea.
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When I first started growing
I would grow garlic in with the plants never had any big problems just dump the garlic after
The grow…the one time I used Miracle -Gro
Had a plague of thrips
Lol
Sprayed the plants for five days back and front of the leaves with soapy dish water and it was gone
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Fungus gnats are one of two of my common problems, there in my veg garden every year and hitch rides into the house, mosquito bits and yellow traps are my friends, the yellow stickies alert me that their there, the mosquito bits make short work of them
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