Gel crystals

[Sarah_Racheal]

Hi Gang
As some of you know I'm battling fungus fly with nukes! My 'chids are all in my house and the flies are driving me nuts!
So with this in mind I've trundled around more gardening forums than I'd care to mention and most of the advice I've been given just isn't applicable to either my situation or my phals other than get rid of the mix I've been using and start again
So I've been looking at different media for them and found these gel crystals things - I think they work in a semi hydroponic way but the plant still has the crystals as media that you would water from the top, nothing to wick water up the pot. They absorb water then as the roots grow through the gel they can access it.
Has anyone tried this or heard any horror stories about it?

Thanks
Sarah

[-k-]

I've seen this product used before will ill results; the gel medium just doesn't hold it's integrity well, and it gets kinda nasty as time goes on. This is just from what I've seen, maybe others have seen better results?

[berniep]

G'day Sarah

I believe you have a product named "Gnatrol" in the US, do a google for that name, I have never used but have read good reports.

Cheers
Bernie

[Sarah_Racheal]

Just done a quick search, unfortunately you cant get Gnatrol in the UK it seems.
Gutted about the hydro crystals I thought they would solve the problem

[katrina]

While I haven't yet tried it myself...I've heard using those "Dunk" things for mosquito control in ponds works well on fungus gnats. I guess you let the dunks soak in the water for a period of time then water the plants w/that water.

Hopefully someone will pop along that has done this and they can give you the details.

[orchids4me]

Hi, if your trying to switch media, do the have hydroton or LECA where you are its the clay balls instead of the gel that we use here in the states.
Hydroponic stores sell it repotme.com does I think.
Hope you find a solution I know they (gnats) liked a cheaper brand sphag I was using on top my media in my pots and I bought a better quality sphag since. I switched to Mayres (mike) recipe on my phals and some to coco chip bark charcoal mix as well only noticed gnats when I was usuing sphag.
Hope this helps
Emmaye

[orchids4me]

Hopefully I got the right pic uploaded from my phone (pics micrscopic almost when browsing them to upload).
Should be a bowl with some hydroton / LECA in it in case you didn't know what it looks like
Emmaye

[Sarah_Racheal]

After some hunting about I can't seem to find any LECA in my local garden centre so I think I'm either going to have to go with the crystals or mount EVERYTHING!!!!
Honestly these little flies are driving me round the twist here!!

[Sarah_Racheal]

They do look like little chocolate sweets

[orchids4me]

Originally Posted by Sarah_Racheal

After some hunting about I can't seem to find any LECA in my local garden centre so I think I'm either going to have to go with the crystals or mount EVERYTHING!!!!
Honestly these little flies are driving me round the twist here!!

Hi,
Regular stores don't carry LECA you have to go to a hydroponic store look in your phone book under hydroponics or garden supply possibly.
Repotme.com has it also
Emmaye

[orchids4me]

Also check your local online orchid venors/sellers they sell supplies as well you may find it there
Emmaye

[Sarah_Racheal]

I wish repotme shipped to the UK, my orchid growing life would be much easier lol
well it''s a little late to be calling shops here, so web hunting it is to get a head start tonight
Thanks

[orchids4me]

Try this site
Orchidmall.com. Then click on your country. And click on supplies and vendors