My gardenia bush is sprouting new leaves again...after I took it outside to freeze out the fruit flies that had decided to infest the dirt. As you can see, that's a lot of dirt, plus my use of fallen leaves to mulch it. The fruit flies were really sad, lethargic little beings that kind of sat on a windowsill. But they would flicker in my eyesight and bother me. And there were a constant hundred of them. I was mopping the windowsill of bodies constantly.
So we put a shower curtain over the plant, and left it outside a few nights below freezing...maybe for a day and 2 nights. Then it was actually warm outside for a few days above freezing. Then with the latest cold front, I brought Madam Gardenia back inside. I let it sit for a day before watering it. So far no fruit flies! Fingers and toes crossed.
maybe not fruit flies, but ones that live on compost/bark chippings in pots...I cover the compost with expanded clay granules, hold the moisture and deters the flies
ReplyDeleteOh, what are "expanded clay granules"? Kitty litter maybe? I have always covered the dirt with wax paper, loosely, when the plant is inside, so kitty doesn't think it's a new litter box. So far that's worked. Now I have it uncovered.
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