Newbie Question : First-Year Figs Indoors - Best Pest Prep?

[vjmax]

Bringing some freshly rooted cuttings indoors tonight (temps dropping to 38°F tonight) and keeping them under grow lights all winter.

Thinking of spraying sulphur for pests - anyone tried it on young plants so I can do it all at once safely? Or anything else that has worked well with minimal effort?

Outdoors I’ve mostly seen ants, scale, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and some aphids. Guavas got hit by mealy bugs and spider mites .

Any tips?

 

[387PETE]

You should have treated them with Gnatrol for the larvae in the soil and spray something for the adults
Good luck

 

[vjmax]

You should have treated them with Gnatrol for the larvae in the soil and spray something for the adults
Good luck

Thanks @387PETE !

 

[grasshopper]

I agree with either using gnatrol or other BTI products to control the gnats. I sprayed the young cuttings with sulphur if they were outside. They smelled for a few days.

 

[vjmax]

@grasshopper Thanks! Did sulphur cause any of the leaves to burn ? Or all good ?

 

[grasshopper]

Nope. That was my worry too. Spray at night and try it on one first of you worry.

 

[vjmax]

Nope. That was my worry too. Spray at night and try it on one first of you worry.

Thank you!

 

[SFswiss]

Yeah I use Gnatrol or mosquito bits on all my new cuttings - haven’t had any problems with gnats thus far. Does anyone know which of the 2 products works better? Mosquito bits is so much cheaper and readily available.

 

[BucksCountyFigs]

Yeah I use Gnatrol or mosquito bits on all my new cuttings - haven’t had any problems with gnats thus far. Does anyone know which of the 2 products works better? Mosquito bits is so much cheaper and readily available.

Gnatrol is a much stronger concentration of BTI (37.4% BTI) than mosquito bits (2.86%). The bits are very cheap.

That being said, I already have mosquito bits, so I just use the bits preventively when I water, so no more gnats, but should they be come a problem, you can just up the amount of mosquito bits you use.

And if they ever become a problem, I would buy gnatrol.

Spinosad also works, killing them within 2 days, and that product is Bonide Captains Jacks Dead Bug spray.

 

[SFswiss]

Gnatrol is a much stronger concentration of BTI (37.4% BTI) than mosquito bits (2.86%). The bits are very cheap.

That being said, I already have mosquito bits, so I just use the bits preventively when I water, so no more gnats, but should they be come a problem, you can just up the amount of mosquito bits you use.

And if they ever become a problem, I would buy gnatrol.

Spinosad also works, killing them within 2 days, and that product is Bonide Captains Jacks Dead Bug spray.

Thanks! I do have all 3 products but hopefully I won’t need to use the Gnatrol or Spinosad ever! Lol