As of: January 30, 2024, 5:32 a.m
By: Ines Alms
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Fungus gnats are annoying invaders in flower pots.
Baking soda is considered a simple solution to get rid of the animals.
But the home remedy also has its downsides.
When tiny flies buzz around the flower pot, they are usually not fruit flies, but fungus gnats.
Their eggs and larvae are often brought in with the potting soil when you buy them.
They are difficult to get rid of and the females can lay up to 200 eggs, which are also happy to move into the neighboring plant.
Therefore, quick action is necessary.
But before you reach for the chemical club, it's worth taking a look in the kitchen cupboard - namely the tried and tested baking soda.
Here you can find out how you can effectively fight fungus gnats with baking soda or baking powder, and which houseplants benefit from it - and which don't.
Baking soda makes the soil more acidic - not all houseplants like that
With the help of yellow plates, fungus gnats on houseplants can be quickly identified and somewhat reduced.
© Pond5 Images/Imago
The larvae of the fungus gnat also eat wilted parts of plants, but they also eat healthy roots.
They are therefore not just nuisances, but pests that make plants susceptible to disease and fungal attack.
The larvae feel particularly comfortable in moist soil.
According to
the Federal Environment Agency
, mold usually develops as a result, which is unhealthy for humans.
Baking soda, also known as baking soda, is not only a versatile household helper, but also an environmentally friendly pest control solution.
In small infestations, it not only works against fungus gnats, but also helps the plants with fungal diseases such as powdery mildew.
If you don't have baking soda on hand, you can also use baking powder, which usually contains baking soda and an acidulant.
If the infestation of fungus gnats is too severe, the only solution is to very carefully replace and dispose of the entire soil.
You can find even more exciting garden topics in the regular newsletter from our partner 24garten.de.
Most houseplants tolerate baking soda well.
However, you should not use it on acid-loving plants such as azaleas, hydrangeas, hemp palms, indoor ferns or carnivorous plants.
Here, an increasing or high pH value can lead to problems because it causes the soil to become alkaline, explains
Landundforst.de
.
How to fight fungus gnats with baking soda
Mix one teaspoon of baking soda with one liter of water.
Make sure that the baking soda dissolves well.
Water the affected plants with the baking soda solution.
The soil must be evenly moist.
Repeat the treatment every week until the fungus gnats are gone.
This helps control the larvae too.
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Another option is to sprinkle the powder directly onto the soil and moisten it with water.
However, the soda solution should not be sprayed on the leaves to avoid leaf damage - it is not without reason that baking soda is also used to kill weeds.
In addition to combating fungus gnats, baking soda has a surprising side effect: it can also neutralize unpleasant odors in the plant substrate and thus ensure a fresher indoor climate.
It is non-toxic to pets such as cats or birds.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at her own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.