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  • From: "Shawnee Flowerfarmer" <farmingflowers AT hotmail.com>
  • To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] gnats in hoophouse
  • Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 21:10:46 -0600

It's the gnats' larvae that cause problems by feeding on the seedling roots near the soil surface in germinating flats.  Check your watering schedule, soil moisture retention, humidity levels etc.  The gnats thrive in conditions of high moisture and organic matter.  Spraying the soil surface lightly  with a mixture of two tablespoons mild liquid soap to four gallon s of water will help a  lot.  If you can, increase the temperature and ventilation, reduce watering.  (This worked in a certfied organic greenhouse)  Carefully monitored ebb and flow irrigation can nearly eliminate the problem.

Shawnee, zone five depending on this week's global climate change.


From: "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
Reply-To: lists AT rhomestead.com,Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
To: <go-nofa AT yahoogroups.com>,"'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [Market-farming] gnats in hoophouse
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 2006 16:51:48 -0500

I have grown lettuce and greens over winter in the hoophouse for the first time. I have now LOTS of gnats in there. I picked leaves for salad mix today and had to wash almost each leaf individually to get the gnats off. My concern/question is that I just seeded new salad mix in there (borrowed a pinpoint seeder – loved it!). The old lettuce is transplants, but the new is close seeding, which I assume I will pick smaller, and it will be harder to clean.

 

Does anyone know whether I should just turn the chickens in to eat the gnats and not do organic greens in the hoophouse since they will have manured while they eat, or will the problem go away when I roll the sidewalls up more? I expect to turn on the heat and put my seedlings for this summer out there in a week or so (beginning to overflow the growlights in the house) and am also concerned about the seedlings (coles, early tomatoes, head lettuces, herbs).

 

Never had this problem, but then I’ve only had the hoophouse a couple years and never grew things over the winter. The gnats really love it under the row covers in there.

 

Thank you.

Beth Spaugh
Rehoboth Homestead
Peru NY
http://rhomestead.com




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